Book 2 Chapter 4
1868 Words
The next week passed quickly, I studied at home while Ezra worked. Mateo has become quite distant, and we hardly saw him. He leaves early in the morning and has taken on the training of the pack warriors and doesn't come home till late at night, always smelling of different women.
My father still hasn't returned home and said it is my choice if I keep in touch with her, but he wants nothing to do with her. Mom told me their chats about sorting things out just turned into arguments before my father packed his things and moved in with a friend.
So each night I sneak out to see her and it is honestly starting to catch up with me. I am always tired. but know it is my only chance to see her. I try to reason with Ezra but his answer is always the same, even though she told my father. He got angry when I told him I was mind-linking her, but didn't say I couldn't. He just didn't want me near her.
Ezra closes his laptop looking over at me on the couch. I pack my stuff up before placing it on his desk and walk over to him.
"You're always so tired," he mutters, as I yawn, pulling me onto his lap. I lean against him, he wraps his arms around me and kisses my shoulder.
Hearing a knock on the door, I look at it and go to get off his lap when he pulls me back down against him, holding me in place.
"You don't have to knock, Mateo," Ezra scolds, and the door opens.
Mateo comes in and flops on the couch, resting his head on the back of it. His eyes flicker over us. "Jackson's men were at the border again today," he sighs.
"Yeah, Alex mind linked me," Ezra replies, and I look at him, entire body tensing.
"They didn't cross, they were just watching," Ezra assures me with a pat.
"Have you heard from Jasmine?" Mateo asks, lifting his head to spare me a glance. I shake my head and he sags against the couch again.
"No, she has been with Angie a lot. But other than that, just busy helping her dad at the clinic, Why? Haven't you heard from her?"
"Not for the last three days," he replies with a shrug. He studies the two of us for a moment, a faint smile almost tugging at his lips before it falls away. He gets to his feet and stretches. "I'll leave you to it."
"Are you going out again?" Ezra asks and I can hear the concern in his voice as he stares at his friend.
"Nothing else to do," Mateo responds, heading for the door.
Ezra scowls. "You can watch movies and play cards with us?"
Mateo stops, turning to look at us, his eyes settling on me. "No horror flicks?" he demands, clearly not trusting us.
"One is, the other is Mateo appropriate," I chuckle, and he thinks for a second before finally nodding. "I'll shower first, then go grab dinner then. We have to get the stupid horror one over with first, no torturing me like last time.” He shudders. "Pizza for dinner?"
"Fine," I agree, and he smiles before rushing out and up the stairs.
"I'm worried about him," Ezra observes and I nod. He has been acting strange and isn’t his usual bubbly self. More closed off and distant.
"Want me to see if Jasmine wants to come over?" I ask, and Ezra nods against my shoulder. I feel for my link to Jasmine. I push on it before feeling it connect.
"Hey, Jaz."
"What are you doing, Kit Kat?'"
"Nothing, I wanted to see if you wanted to watch movies and play some cards."
"Will Mateo be there?" She asks, her voice sounds unsure.
"Yes, why? I know you two had a fight, but he is a good guy, Jaz."
"I know, but that's not it Kat, I found him."
"Huh?"
"My mate Kat, it is Angie's oldest brother, he came back three days ago, I finally found him," she squeals excitedly, but my heart sinks for Mateo. I am happy for her, but now where does that leave Mateo and her? They can't avoid each other forever.
"Does Mateo know?"
"I should go, Kat," she says, before cutting the link. I focus back on the room.
"What did she say?"
"Uh she is busy." It isn’t our place to tell him, but Jasmine should. If she has no intention of being with him, she should at least tell him upfront and not leave him hanging just because it was uncomfortable. It disappoints me. I thought she would be straight up with him instead of just ignoring him.
Getting up, I go on the hunt for snacks, before setting them up in the living room and finding the cards.
"Be back soon," Mateo calls, leaving once more.
Ezra comes in holding a beer, and I steal it from him, taking a sip while he tries to take it from me. "You're not drinking, Kat," he growls.
"I'm of age," I retort, taking another sip and scrunching my face at the taste. It is disgusting, how anyone drinks and likes beer is beyond me.
"Fine, but only a few. I don't want you getting drunk," he huffs, walking off and grabbing another before returning. He flicks through the movies, finding the Haunting of Hill House on Netflix.
"Kat it’s a series, not a movie," Ezra points out.
"Fine, pick something else."
"We can watch it, but you're doing the toilet runs with Mateo," he chuckles.
"Only man I know that watches PG and nothing else," I grumble, finding myself sipping the nasty ass beer. "Ugh on second thought you can have it, tastes nasty," I complain and he laughs taking it from me.
He mind-links someone before his eyes fall back on me.
"Poker?" I ask, grabbing the chips out of the box.
He nods, sitting on the couch and fiddles with my hair and I lean between his legs putting my head back. “I love you,” Ezra whispers, leaning down and kissing my lips. I turn back to the cards and chips, getting them out of the box. Mateo took around half an hour before returning.
"Since when do you drink this girlie s**t?'' Mateo scoffs, walking in. He balances the pizzas on the coffee table before opening a bag and pulling out some colored drinks.
"I don't. They are for her," he says, pointing at me.
"Are you letting her drink?" Mateo's voice betrays his shock, grabs a pink Vodka Cruiser. He opens it, handing it to me before sending me a wink. I shake my head at him taking it, when he looks at the TV.
"Not this s**t. I saw an ad for this. It's about ghosts," he says, glaring at me.
I shrug and Ezra chuckles at Mateo’s pale face.
"Fine, but we are watching The Lion King after." Mateo grits the words out.
"The Lion King?" I giggle at the choice.
"It's a classic," Mateo defends, sitting down and opening the pizza.
Ezra turns it on and we play poker while watching and stuffing our faces. They get bored of the game pretty quickly, when I am the only one that is winning. I pack everything up and am about to walk out when Mateo calls out to me.
"Wait, I need to pee," he yelps, hopping up.
I roll my eyes at him and wait. I lean against the bathroom door waiting for him, before he follows me into the rec room while I put everything away.
Turning around Mateo stares wide-eyed around the darkened room. "Does this place remind you of the one in the movie?" He whispers.
I snort. A wildly evil idea forms, and I am too weak to not carry it through. "I don't know," I muse, looking around. My eyes widen and I point with a trembling finger to something in the corner. "What is that?" I screech.
Mateo turns to see what I'm talking about and I race away from him, out of the door and shutting it behind me.
He screeches like a banshee and bangs on the door, screaming. "Open it, open it, open it, Kat!" he shrieks at being in a closed room by himself in the dark.
I let the handle go and dart off hiding behind the stairs, only to see him race out like his ass is on fire and he is running for his life. He runs straight past me, heading for the light of the living room.
"Where is she?" he growls at Ezra, as I sneak up behind him.
He's standing behind the couch, practically trembling. Ezra glances up at him, a potato chip almost to his lips. He spots me and I put a finger to my lips.
"No idea bro," Ezra says with a shrug and Mateo turns around to continue his search when I jump out. "Boo!" He shrieks, jumping in the air before tumbling over the couch and onto Ezra.
Ezra grunts at the impact, and I hear the air leave his lungs with an oomph. I erupt into giggles, while Mateo looks like he just about wet himself.
"That was not funny," Mateo growls at me, climbing off Ezra who is also laughing.
"It was, I got you good," I giggle. Mateo growls and reaches over the couch and drags me over the back of it.
"Brat!" he scolds, as I fall into Ezra's lap between them.
I lay across them watching the show before noticing it getting late. I am supposed to meet my mother in a few more hours and know if they aren’t asleep by 11, I will have to tell her I can’t come. Thankfully, Ezra becomes tired and decides to turn the TV off.
"Ah, what about The Lion King? You can't expect me to sleep after watching half that s**t!" Mateo objects.
"Watch it in our room then," Ezra suggests, pulling me off the couch with him.
"What?" Mateo asks, staring at him confused.
"Hurry up before I change my mind," Ezra grunts and Mateo jumps up. Ezra waits for him to climb the stairs and flicks the hall light on before turning the foyer light off.
Once in our room, I go into the bathroom, slip my pajamas on and climb into bed. Ezra climbs in after me and Mateo lies on my other side in the bed, flicking through the movies before finding The Lion King.
I snuggle against Ezra, his hand trailing up my back while he dozes off. Mateo turns the TV down, so he doesn't wake Ezra and after about half an hour of the movie, he too falls asleep. I watch the entire thing fighting my sleep. When it is close to the time I have to leave. I move Mateo's leg off me from where he rolled closer in his sleep, snuggling against me.
Climbing out of bed, Mateo grabs my hip and I freeze, peering down at him. "Where are you going?" he mumbles.
- Writer
