Shane's unexpected visit to Ezra's house caught Ezra off guard. He knew he needed to take decisive action, especially since Shane might linger longer than anticipated. The fake date scenario with Evie was meant to remain confidential—strictly between them for their own benefit and shouldn't be found out by any third party.
Ezra was upstairs, arms crossed, his ears catching Evie and Shane conversing downstairs. Just then, Sam hurried over to him as called.
Ezra turned to Sam, "I need you to pack Evie's belongings and move them to my room." He instructed firmly, to which the butler nodded in understanding.
"All of them?" Sam asked.
"Yes, all of them," Ezra confirmed.
"On it," Sam replied, and with a nod from Ezra, the butler took off to fulfill his task. Ezra proceeded down the staircase, to join them for dinner. As he approached the dining table, he noticed the spread of food emitting a mouthwatering aroma, but his attention was drawn to Shane pulling out a chair for Evie, who sat down smiling at him. Ezra approached with an expression of indifference.
"Looks like you and Evie have hit it off," Ezra commented flatly.
Shane chuckled, "Yeah, she's friendly. It's hard not to get along with her." Evie blushed at his words.
As they started eating, the table fell into silence, save for Evie's light giggles and Shane's stiff chuckles; they seemed to share an unspoken connection, leaving Ezra to observe with a dry expression. Eventually, Shane cleared his throat. "How did you two meet? I've been curious," he asked. "Did you meet him first, Evie?"
Evie glanced at Ezra, swallowing before speaking. "We met at the bar," she began, and seeing Ezra's encouraging nod, she continued. "I actually crashed into him," she added with an awkward smile.
"Wow," Shane laughed. "Sounds like something straight out of a movie. What did Ezra do, just brush you off like most CEOs would?" He threw a teasing look at Ezra, who shot him a sharp glare. This was precisely why Ezra disliked Shane's presence: it was entertaining, yes, but also an incessant disturbance.
Evie shook her head. "No, he asked if I was okay," she replied honestly, pressing her lips together.
"That's surprising," Shane remarked, suspicion flickering in his eyes as he turned to Ezra. "Did you somehow become softer while I was away? Where's the ice-cold Ezra?"
"Do you prefer that version of me?" Ezra countered, raising an eyebrow.
"No, not at all," Shane waved his hand dismissively. "It's refreshing to see you've changed, but a part of your old self is still there," he said with a smile. "It's good to know Evie is bringing out the best in you."
Evie managed a tight smile, fully aware that she didn't do anything—Ezra was still himself.
Ezra simply raised an eyebrow slightly, maintaining his composure.
After a brief silence, Shane couldn't help but interject again, as if words were spilling from him uncontrollably. It was remarkable how he could eat elegantly while still talking. "So, who made the first move?" Shane pressed further.
"I did," Ezra answered without hesitation.
Shane's jaw dropped. "Wait, you what?" he exclaimed, astonished. His eyes studied Ezra with disbelief, as if he were looking at a completely different person.
"I made the first move," Ezra reiterated firmly. Evie sat awkwardly, a smile frozen on her face as Shane continued to process the revelation.
"That's unexpected," Shane said, swallowing his food. "The Ezra I know would never have done that."
"The Ezra you know is likely gone," Ezra retorted. "All thanks to Evie," he added, glancing in her direction.
Evie nearly choked on her drink, wide-eyed at his implication that she was somehow responsible.
She was absolutely NOT responsible for anything.
Though she flashed him a grateful smile, Ezra's lips curved into a slight smirk.
Shane looked back and forth between Ezra and Evie. "Are you two flirting right now?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.
"So what if we are?" Ezra shot back.
Shane shrugged nonchalantly. "It's fine, but it's a bit unusual."
"Unusual how?" Evie questioned, slightly perplexed.
"I've never seen you two flirt before. Do you have designated times for that or something?" Shane probed.
Both Ezra and Evie remained silent, realizing they had missed the opportunity to showcase their affection. Shane's keen eye had not let it go unnoticed.
When the silence lingered longer than expected, Shane broke the tension with a chuckle. "I was just kidding. You don't all need to be so tense," he said, finishing the last of his drink. Evie finally relaxed in her chair, while Ezra remained unbothered. The dinner carried on with Shane tossing questions at them, catching them off guard and observing their reactions closely. They were interesting, he noticed. And they seemed to be hiding something because they both looked off.
After dinner, Evie waved goodbye to Shane as he headed to another room, while Ezra stood beside her with his hands in his pockets, watching Shane with an unreadable expression. Once Shane was out of sight, Evie turned to Ezra, concern evident on her face. "Does he always probe like that?" she asked.
"Yeah," Ezra replied coolly. "He can be overwhelming. Just act normal—don't give anything away, alright?"
Evie nodded, mindful of the rapid-fire questions and their attempts to respond. It felt like an interview. "Let's look at it as a test," Ezra suggested. "It's just another opportunity to enhance our performance in this fake scenario."
"Agreed," Evie confirmed.
"Let's get some rest," he said, opening the door for her. Evie hesitated but stepped into his room, feeling a swirl of nerves in her stomach at the invitation. She entered quietly, aware that they would be spending the night—and possibly weeks—together.
She surveyed the room and noticed her things neatly arranged. "Did you bring everything in?" she asked.
"Of course," Ezra replied.
Evie bit her lip, feeling the weight of being so close to him in a confined space. This would be her new reality—sleeping and waking up with Ezra. It made her feel both anxious and awkward.
"You can take the right side of the bed," he said, his tone steady. "Or choose any side you like."
"I was actually thinking of the couch. That way, I won't disturb you in bed," she offered.
"Why would I let you sleep on the couch?," he asked, his gaze intense. "This isn't the first time you're in my bed, and it's not a trouble."
She nodded slightly, understanding the implications. "Maybe we can put a pillow as a divider, like the other day?" she suggested.
"Do what you want," he responded with a hint of amusement in his voice.
Evie arranged the pillows to create a boundary, then slid under the covers on her side. She tried to fall asleep, but it just wasn't happening. With the lights off, she turned her head to check if he was asleep before looking back at the ceiling and taking a deep breath, attempting to relax.
As morning arrived, Evie blinked awake, taking in her surroundings. When she tried to sit up, she realized something was holding her in place.
A frown crossed her face before her gaze dropped, only to widen in shock at the sight of Ezra's arm draped around her, his breath warm against her neck.