Page 15 of My Brutal Alpha

So, I jumped right in, telling her about Rory, Ezra stepping in, everything with his parents, and our agreement. While I left out the part about our history, still unwilling to tell anyone, I gave her all the other details I could.

By the end of it, I could only imagine how sore her jaw was from it falling open repeatedly.

Lydia gave me a look of pure disbelief. "So, you're telling me that reserved, aloof Ezra Pierce went to you for help? And now you're pretending to be engaged?"

Taking a breath, still in disbelief myself, I nodded. "That's exactly it."

Her scandalized expression was unmistakable; I could tell I threw her for a loop with that one.

She simply blinked at me a few times before giggling to herself. "How in the world did you find yourself in this situation?"

I ignored the twinge of pain at the reminder of my and Ezra's past and shrugged. "I've been asking myself the same thing."

After a moment of silence, while she processed it, Lydia suddenly smiled. "You have to keep me updated on this. This is genuinely one of the most exciting things I've heard in a while."

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself at that. I had the feeling she was right. "You know I will."

Lydia grinned. "And this is why we're best friends."

Even if things were rocky and uncertain with Ezra, and the situation was less than ideal for me, it was good to see the humor in it for a moment. To know that it was absurd, and I wasn't the only one thinking it.

Chapter 7 - Ezra

As I settled into a familiar rhythm and started on cardio, running on one of the new machines in Zoe's gym, it felt good to use professional equipment and be in the place she cared about so much.

I wanted to believe I was getting a solid workout in solely because I was just feeling especially focused, but I had the feeling Zoe had a great deal to do with it, even if she wasn't there.

Knowing how much love and care she put into the twenty-four-hour facility made it feel even more special, and I was happy just to be there.

Between hanging out with Sebastian and bringing Zoe back and forth whenever I had the chance, I was sure I'd be spending a lot of time there.

Even if it was nice to get lost in my workout in Zoe's facility while Sebastian was busy hitting the punching bag nearby, it was a difficult reminder of everything.

Not just for roping her into the mess with my parents but also for what happened in the past. What I did to her and how I treated her despite knowing just how badly it would hurt her.

I had been completely heartless to her, and honestly, I didn't deserve to have her help with convincing my parents to leave me alone.

Yet, she agreed anyway, and while I was sure the arrangement wasn't easy for her, I was grateful for the help.

Running gave me an excuse to zone out, and I was glad it continued as I slowed the machine to a stop and eventually got started lifting weights.

A few others were working out around us, but luckily, we found ourselves in a more private corner and had the luxury of taking up the space.

After a few sets, losing my concentration to thoughts about Zoe and how to convince my parents that we were serious, Sebastian's eyes were on me.

He grabbed the punching bag to stop it, then leaned against it as he caught his breath with a fairly quick recovery.

"All right, what's bothering you?"

I silently cursed myself for making it obvious and not paying better attention.

I didn't feel like getting into everything, but knew I'd have to bring it up anyway. If Sebastian heard rumors that I was engaged to Zoe without me letting him know first, he'd kill me.

Playing it cool, I continued with my reps and took a deep breath. "My parents."

I caught the look of surprise in Sebastian's expression, and I knew why, of course. It was no secret that I rarely shared anything about my life with the guys, let alone my past.

It was a weak and difficult period for me, and rather than letting my vulnerability show, I did my best to suppress it.

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