It was true. I really did love him. How could anyonenotlove Ezra? He was like sunshine and optimism, all wrapped up in a cute T-shirt, ready to stick his neck out and keep smiling while he was doing it. And the more time I spent with him, the more that optimism rubbed off on me, too.
“I love you,” I said, repeating the words just to hear them again.
“You, too, Irving,” he answered, flashing me his biggest smile.
I curled up a little closer to him on the couch, and we passed the bowl of yogurt and fruit back and forth in silence for a while, appreciating the afternoon. When we finished, he pulled my legs into his lap, massaging my feet while we chatted.
“Do you think Brick will come back after work?” he asked.
I nodded. “He said he would. Anyway, I don’t think he’s in a big hurry to get back to the motel.”
“Maybe we could help him find a place?”
I remembered the house he had described to us. Brick acted like his dream of having a big yard and a dog was so out of the realm of possibility, and I understood where that came from. Growing up in Montana, I could never picture myself thriving in the community where my parents lived, and that made it impossible to dream about my future. It was only once I came to Seattle and started making my own life that those dreams started to take shape. With Ezra and Brick suddenly in my world, I was realizing I should dream a lot bigger than a small apartment and a comfortable job.
“It’s too bad I had to spend all my savings bailing him out,” I said distractedly. “Otherwise, I could just buy us all a place together.”
Ezra perked up, his fingers working magic on my foot as I let out a breath of relief, relaxing into his touch. “You asking me to move in with you now?” he teased.
I realized how big of a step it would be to move in together and felt shy that I had suggested it so quickly. I didn’t even know if Ezra was interested in living with me, let alone whether Brick could be convinced to settle down. “Sorry,” I said. “That’s a big conversation, and I probably shouldn’t bring it up when you’re still waking up.”
Ezra grinned. “Irving, of course I want to live with you! And with Brick, too. I think you’re right that there’s a lot we need to still figure out together, including whether Brick is actually up for a…”
He trailed off, sticking his tongue against his cheek as he stared into space.
“Relationship?” I asked.
His eyes shot back my way. “Made you say it,” he teased.
I laughed, kicking at him with my feet. “I guess we’re in a relationship, then.” It sounded so official to say it that way, but as I looked at Ezra, I knew it was true. I was just having trouble letting myself believe that Brick was truly a part of that relationship, too.
“Anyway,” Ezra continued, “it’s not like we need to buy a house to make everything real.”
I nodded. “Sure. Brick can find his own place, and we can take it slow.” It seemed reasonable enough, especially considering the way that my own loneliness made me want to rush things a little bit.
Ezra glanced around, his eyes studying my place. “Brick definitely needs more time,” he agreed. “But that doesn’t mean we have to wait.”
“What do you mean?”
“Clark has been wanting to move in with Valeria for ages now. She’s his best friend, and the only reason they weren’t living together was because she used to live with her ex. Now that she’s single again, he wants to move in with her, but he’s sticking around because he doesn’t want to leave me without a roommate.”
“So what, Clark moves in with Valeria, and then…” I was pretty sure where he was going, but I couldn’t bring myself to suggest it. I needed to hear the idea come from Ezra, so I knew it was real.
“Then you can move in with me. Brick can take over your apartment, so you won’t even have to break your lease. He’ll have a place of his own to get comfortable in and to work out whatever he needs to work out, and we’ll all be able to spend as much time together as we want. It’s perfect, actually.”
I thought about it for a second, considering what my life would be like if I gave up my apartment. It had been my sanctuary for so long, the place I had earned with my own money and the proof that I had made it on my own. At the start of the summer, the idea of moving away would have given me an anxiety attack. But now that Ezra was here, offering me a home that we would share, I realized I wanted that so bad it hurt.
I wouldn’t be alone anymore.
I grinned to myself. Karis was going to be so damn proud of me.
“It sounds like a dream,” I said. “An actual dream come true.”
“I think so, too,” Ezra replied. “I just hope Brick agrees.”
EZRA
By the time Brick got off work at the Steel Rose, I was bouncing up and down with excitement. A long afternoon of listening to Irving’s punk records and lying around on the couch with him only made me more convinced my idea was the right way forward.
