Page 78 of Defect
“Somehow, I knew that’s exactly what you’d say. Then I guess I’ll be a tree beside you.”
“You want to be a tree beside me?” I smiled like an idiot.
“Where else would I want to be for the rest of eternity?” Talking about forever after was making me tingly. Or maybe it was holding the bag because seconds later my hands felt hot and my core twisted in knots.
“This bag is teeming with energy.” I set it down because my head was starting to pulse. It wasn’t a headache though. Ezra looked me over and frowned.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m not used to getting such a rush.” I swallowed and sat on Ezra’s bed. “Your brother was…vibrant.”
“I feel him around me sometimes,” he told me fondly.
“I bet. I’m sure he’s around you all the fucking time. I’m sure he can’t leave your side. Not yet.”
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “You think so?”
“Oh yeah.” I nodded with a chuckle.
“The last time I felt him around me was yesterday. I felt like he was smiling.”
“He probably was.” I watched Ezra toss clothes in his bags and once I felt my energy settle back down, I helped him.
“I’m going to get some trash bags. I want all my clothes out of here immediately. I can move the other stuff tomorrow.”
“Okay. Do you want me to keep putting things away while you’re downstairs?”
“Yeah, thank you, baby.” My heart fluttered in my chest when he called me baby. I listened as his heavy footsteps headed downstairs and then I started folding his clothes and putting them away neatly in the duffle bags. Ezra didn’t give a damn about folding anything. He was focused on tossing everything in the bag and leaving.
Downstairs, I heard the front door close then I heard voices. I rushed to the steps and peered down. Mrs. Fredericks must have come home. I saw her walk past the bottom steps, then I saw Ezra behind her.
“I can’t believe you didn’t come home last night. You were spending the night with that bitch weren’t you?”
“Don’t call her that,” he snapped angrily. My feet wouldn’t stay still. They drove me toward the arguing. Mrs. Fredericks looked like she saw a ghost when I appeared seemingly out of nowhere. “Solana, you don’t have to be here for this,” he said quietly.
“You let her in my damn house? Ezra, I can’t believe you!”
“She’s helping me move my things out of here. I don’t want her near you though.” He motioned for me to go out of the front door but I was torn. I wanted to stay for moral support. “Solana, go home for a minute. I’ll be there soon.”
“You’re not going anywhere with her, Ezra. I’m going to have to put you in an involuntary psychiatric hold. You’ve lost your mind.”
“Yeah, I’d love to see you try. Solana, go home.” His voice was gruff and held a tone of authority that I didn’t want to push. As hard as it was for me to do so, I left Ezra to deal with his mother. He was more than equipped to handle whatever she threw at him.
…
EZRA
I gave Solo a hug and a kiss right before she left.
My mother’s fingers dug into the back of my t-shirt as she yanked me backward. Solana stopped in her tracks and shot a death glare at my mother for touching me, but I waved her on. I wasn’t worried about my mother.
Spending time with Solo today made everything fall into place after I slept at the studio last night. I didn’t know I needed a night alone so badly. There was nothing wrong with spending the night with Solana but after getting hit with so many life-altering things at once, I needed time to let my mind work everything out.
I still had a hard time understanding why, even through grief and depression my mother would go to such lengths. I was ready to hear everything from her mouth. I slammed the door and tore away from her grasp, straightening my shirt with a scowl.
“What the hell is your problem, Ma? You aren’t in control of me and you damn sure don’t control what I do with Solana. She’s my woman. Mine. You have no say so in that.”
“Your woman?” She said sourly. “She is too old for you and she’s sick if she thinks she can have a relationship with someone who’s mentally damaged like you.” Her words still lodged jagged pieces of hatred into my heart and it hurt like a motherfucker.
