Page 27 of I’ll Find You

“It hasn’t,” Rose says quickly.

I counter with, “It has.” I expected the denial.

“Interesting.” Ezra murmurs, observing the exchange. She turns to look at me, but I don’t look back. Ezra lights up, thoroughly amused.

“It’s complicated,” she mutters, reaching for a chip like it’s going to save her, and she’ll be done with the comments. It won’t.

“Yeah.” Ezra shrugs. “It always is when people look at each other like that.”

I shake my head with a laugh. “He's not wrong.”

She clears her throat. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Sure you don’t.” I leave it at that.

The drinks arrive, interrupting before it gets out of hand. Ezra lifts his glass. It’s salt-rimmed with a lime perched on the edge, and the same adorns each beer as condensation drips down the sides.

“Well,” he says, raising it, “to finally being legal.”

I lift mine. “To surviving another year.”

She smiles, clinking her drink against ours. “Happy birthday, Alex.”

I look at her. Really look, and she sighs. Something twists in my chest, knowing maybe I need to take things a little slower with her, I don’t want to, but for her, I’ll try. “Thanks,” I say. The shared moment between us stretches longer than it should. The noise of the restaurant fades, even Ezra’s presence, though I know he’s still watching.

“Alright,” he cuts in, leaning back. “Now that we’ve established the fact that you two are definitely a thing⁠—”

“We haven’t,” she interrupts.

I don’t say a word. Ezra grins wider. “—what’s the plan for the rest of the night?”

I don’t take my eyes off her. “Whatever she wants.” The words come out before I can think about them. But once they do, they just feel right. Because the truth is, I don’t care what we do as long as she’s there.

“Thanks,” she says. The moment lingers just a minute before Ezra ruins it.

“So,” Ezra says, leaning back in his seat. “Want to hear something embarrassing about Alex from when we were kids?” Rose perks up immediately, leaning forward just a little, curiosity winning over at my expense.

“Alex as a little kid?”

“Don’t,” I warn.

“Oh, I’m absolutely doing this.”

She laughs, taking a slow sip of her drink. “Please do.”

I shake my head. “You’re both terrible.”

There’s no real heat behind it. Just the resignation that I’m about to be humiliated. Ezra grins wider.

“You should’ve seen him as a kid, Rose. He wouldn’t let anyone touch his stuff. Total possessive little asshole. He actually growled at people. We thought he was part wolf or something.”

She blinks, then slowly turns toward me.

“You…growled?”

I stare at him. “I was maybe six, bro. What the hell?”

Ezra snorts. “He still does it. I just forgot because he hadn’t done it in years.”