Burning For You

Crazy & Cranky

“You—” he started, voice rough, “you just walk away like that, and I’m supposed to… what? Not feel anything?”

Lara’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Ezra, I— I don’t know what to do. You… you kissed me, and I thought I knew where I stood, but… after that party, after how you were with me then…” Her voice broke slightly. “I don’t know if I can trust myself—or you.”

“After what?” His voice cracked, sharper than he intended. “After that night? Lari, I know I was a d**k. I said things, did things… I shouldn’t have. And I’m sorry. I was an i***t. But I’m not that person. Not with you.”

Her eyes softened, but wariness lingered. “I want to believe you. I do. But you scared me. And now I’m here, staying at your house, and it’s… it’s confusing. And I’ve never… I’ve never had a boyfriend before, Ezra. I don’t know how to… how to be with someone like this.”

Ezra ran both hands through his hair and sank onto the edge of the pool table. “I know. I don’t know how to fix it. I just… I want you to know I feel this. I’ve never wanted anyone like this. Not like… like you.”

Her shoulders trembled. “Neither have I,” she admitted softly, "It scares me.”

Ezra leaned back, eyes locked on hers, and for the first time, the bravado was gone. “So… what now?” His voice was low, raw, unsure.

She swallowed hard, stepping a cautious inch closer. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “I just… don’t want to get hurt.”

His jaw tightened. “You won’t. I… I’ll try. But I can’t pretend I don’t feel this. Not for a second.”

For a long moment, they just stood there, the air thick with unspoken words. Ezra’s eyes never left hers, and slowly, he took a step closer, the heat between them undeniable.

Lara shifted slightly, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to mask the tension and the discomfort gnawing at her stomach. “Ezra… I’m not really—feeling up for… that,” she admitted, voice low but firm.

He smirked, undeterred, closing the distance just enough to brush against her shoulder. “I’m not talking about that,” he said, voice husky with frustration and amusement. “I’m talking about this,” he gestured vaguely between them, the space charged with the pull they both felt.

Her breath hitched. “This… what exactly?” she asked, trying to keep her tone teasing, though her heart was racing.

“This,” he said simply, leaning just close enough that their foreheads almost touched. “The staring. The tension. The not-knowing-what-to-do-with each other. You’re driving me crazy, Lari.”

She blinked at him, a small laugh escaping despite her discomfort. “I think… I’m driving you crazy too,” she admitted, shoving lightly at his chest. He barely moved under the push.

Ezra chuckled, a low, frustrated sound. “You don’t get to walk away and leave me like this.”

Lara’s cheeks flushed, partly from embarrassment and partly from the closeness, and she couldn’t hide the small shiver that ran through her. “I’m… cranky,” she mumbled, looking down, “and kind of miserable. So… leave me alone.”

“Not a chance,” he muttered, leaning a little closer. “I’ll take cranky and miserable. You’re mine, period or not.”

A tense silence fell between them, heavy with unspoken desire, guilt, and uncertainty. But for the first time, Lara didn’t step back. Instead, she let him stay close, letting the heat of proximity speak the words neither could say out loud.

Ezra stayed close, leaning casually against the doorway as Lara perched on the edge of the pool table, knees pulled up. He watched her shift, feeling a little fidgety, and he couldn’t help but grin. “Still cranky?” he asked, tone teasing.

“Obviously,” she muttered, rolling her eyes, though the corner of her mouth twitched like she wanted to smile. “I’m bleeding, I feel gross, I’ve never… I’ve never had a boyfriend, and you… you scare me sometimes.”

“Me?” He leaned a little closer, grin teasing but eyes softening. “You mean, irresistible, totally distracting, and way too pretty for me to ignore?”

She snorted, pushing at him lightly with her foot. “Distracting? I’m a mess!”

“Exactly,” he said, voice low, insistent. “A messy, cranky, gorgeous mess. And I like it. You.”

Her blue eyes flashed at him, half annoyance, half something she couldn’t name. “You’re ridiculous,” she muttered, though her voice had softened. She shifted to face him more directly, crossing

She rolled her eyes but didn’t step back, letting him close the distance slightly. Her heart raced as he leaned against the pool table, just close enough to trap her in the space between him and the wall. “Ezra… you’re impossible,” she whispered, voice trembling slightly.

“And you’re perfect,” he shot back instantly, tone low, almost a growl, then smirked, “You’re perfect. You think you can hide it, but I see you.”

Her chest tightened. She could feel him, sense the tension in the room, and though she tried to focus on her irritation and discomfort, she couldn’t ignore the pull between them. “You’re lucky I’m too tired and sore to hit you,” she murmured, half-laughing, half-serious.

“I’m counting on it,” he said softly, eyes locked on hers. “Because I’m not letting go. Not today. Not ever.”

She shifted on the edge of the pool table, tugging at the hem of her shirt nervously. Ezra didn’t move, just leaned against the frame of the doorway, watching her every little motion. The room felt smaller, tighter, almost like it was just the two of them.

“You don’t have to say anything,” he said softly, his voice low. “I just… I like being near you. Even if you hate me right now.”

She snorted, but it was more of a soft, nervous laugh. “Hate you? That’s… extreme. I just—” Her voice faltered. She looked down, twisting her fingers together. “I don’t know how to do this. I’ve never… I’ve never done this before. I don’t know how to… how to feel, or what’s normal.”

Ezra’s expression softened, and he stepped a little closer, keeping his tone gentle but teasing. “Then let’s figure it out together. Slowly. One step at a time. You don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for.”

Her eyes flicked up at him, vulnerability mixed with something else—curiosity, maybe a little longing. “You really mean that?”

“Of course I do,” he said, smiling just a little, enough to make her heart skip. “You’re not just anyone, Lari. You’re… you. And I don’t want to mess it up by rushing.”

She bit her lip, unsure if she wanted to laugh or cry. “You make it sound so easy.”