“Some of us did at first, but then Rami found out what kind of hitman Ezra is,” Michael replies.
“Uh?”
“Oh, you don’t know.” Sari puts a hand over his mouth.
“You should ask him…wait, you love him even without knowing that?” Michael seems surprised.
Do I love him? “How do you know if you’re falling in love?” The thought manifests out of my mouth before I can stop it.
Everyone quiets down. “Let me put it this way,” Rami breaks the silence after a moment. “Falling in love is like dancing.”
I’m not the only one frowning at him right now.
“You remember the crocodile and hippo scene inFantasia?”
“Disney animated musical?” Michael asks. I vaguely remember it.
“Okay. The croc with the red cape sees the cute hippo with a pink tutu and wants to eat her, but they start to dance, and something just clicks.”
Michael snorts. “And then she crushes him to death.”
“Does she?” Sari seems upset about it.
“No, she doesn’t.” Rami and Michael get lost in another discussion, this time about Disney characters, when I feel Sari’s hand squeezing my arm.
“I think,” he starts softly, “You love someone when a part of them always lingers with you, like when you close your eyes and still see that person’s face and hear their voice.”
I nod, does dreaming about them count too? I suddenly feel a little choked up.
“Ezra will never love me,” I state.
“Psychopaths are incapable of love.” Sari’s honesty feels brutal right now.
His not love…fixation toward me, would it fade with time?
“But I saw the way he looks at you,” he continues. “That’s the forever look I find in Uri’s eyes every day.”
Michael joins in, “Romantic love comes and goes, a psycho’s obsession lasts forever.”
I snort at that. It sounds quite insane. But even though it’s a twisted way of being in a relationship, what I’m feeling surprises me because I don’t care. I want Ezra.
“You look fabulous!” Rami’s heavy hand falls on my shoulder as he turns serious for a moment…just a moment. “Getting fuckedto sleep every night by the man you drool for, that’s what you should aim at.”
I feel nervous as I walk down the dorm’s stairs. I pull at the lapels of my black coat and almost drop the little clutch in my hand—a present from Lori for my first date. The yellow knitted cap Ollie bought for me years ago is inside the pocket. It’s not that cold today, I won’t wear it. I just brought it with me as a lucky charm, sort of a comfort blanket. I don’t know why I feel so tense. It’s just a date.
Ezra is waiting for me downstairs. Would he like my new look? I’m very grateful to the others for coming all the way here just to help me out, but maybe it’s all too much for a date. I mean, I don’t even know where we are going.
I take a deep, calming breath and push open the front door. I see him straight away, leaning against a car. His imposing presence and handsome appearance attract interested looks all around, but his unwavering eyes are solely focused on me.
I seem to have used up all the air, and now my chest is burning as I gasp like a dying fish. I wondered a few times if my imagination would be better than reality. Well, it fucking wasn’t. Ezra in the flesh is a hundred times more alluring, more incredibly perfect, than in any of my night or day dreams. His arms are crossed over his chest, strong fingers around those large biceps that flex under his black leather jacket, and his long, muscular legs are covered in dark gray pants. I move my gaze up slowly . He styledhis hair pushing all the soft waves back, displaying that beautiful face for everybody to see.
His mouth curls into a crooked smile, transforming his features from handsome to stomach-knottingly gorgeous. He makes his way toward me as I remain rooted to the floor. Waiting. Every step he takes is echoed by a beat of my heart. It feels almost like it’s whispering: closer, closer. When he reaches me, he wraps his arm around my waist and yanks me against his body. His head lowers, nose digging into my neck as he inhales deeply.
“Fuck, you look stunning. I want to drag you out of here and have my way with you.” His low voice makes me shiver all over again.
I almost yield to him when I hear a giggle coming from behind me. I open my eyes—which I didn’t even realize were closed—and I see Sari running toward Uri until he catches him in his arms. Was Ezra’s brother there before? My attention was so focused on Ezra that I didn’t see anybody else. I’m once again astonished by how profoundly this man affects me. It’s scary to think how vulnerable I’m letting myself be. Where did all the caution go?
His lips suddenly crush mine, giving me a claiming, wet, incandescent kiss. All the tension I was feeling vanishes like ashes in the wind, leaving in its wake a deep desire.
