Page 63 of Beautiful Trauma

“You’re here,” was Ezra’s reply. “You must really like this song. I’ve never seen you dance so freely. Not even at the club when we met.”

“The words move me,” I admitted. “They remind me of us.”

“Really?” Ezra asked, straightening to his full height and stepping toward me.

“Really,” I said, crossing the room to meet him halfway. “I like me better when I’m with you, Ezra.” He sucked in a sharp breath, and I wondered if he thought the sentiment was too silly or too soon, but then a huge smile rivaling the Joker’s spread across his face. “That looks almost painful,” I said, reaching up to trace his lips with my index finger.

“Hurts so good,” Ezra replied, nipping the tip of my finger.

I was quickly losing my ability to think about anything except getting Ezra naked, so I reined in my thoughts. “You told me what you’re doing here but not the why you’re here.”

“The answer is the same. You’re here, and I want to be with you.”

“That required you to borrow a uniform?” I asked with a raised brow.

“This ismyuniform,” Ezra corrected. “Maria trained me this week while you were working for Des. I earned the uniform yesterday afternoon. I think she told me I was one of her best trainees.”

“You trained to work here at Mamma Maria’s?” I still couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I had to be dreaming. “Why? And please don’t say it’s because I’m here.”

“Maria is important to you, so she’s important to me too. You said she needed help, and I wanted to help her while spending time with you. I’m donating my weekend earnings to a charity of her choosing.”

“This is the big surprise you had planned?” I asked incredulously.

“This is only one surprise,” Ezra countered. “You’re not upset, are you?”

“Upset that you used your last few days off before school resumes to learn the ins and outs of working at a pizzeria just so you could help out a person I love like a mother?” I asked.

“Well, when you put it like that, my actions do sound pretty cool.”

“Pretty cool?” I asked. “Try fucking awesome. Hell no, I’m not mad.”

“Good,” Ezra said with relief. “It felt like I was intruding into your world a little bit, and now Mamma Maria’s is one less place I haven’t touched.”

I waggled my eyebrows. “I want you to touch me everywhere,” I said. Ezra responded with a deep, long kiss that made my blood hum.

“Okay, you two,” Maria said when she walked through the rear door a few minutes later. “I can see I’ll need to keep you separated today. Ezra, if you can behave, I’ll allow you to help Henry set out the food prep stations. If you can’t be trusted, there’s plenty of other things to do in the dining room. The napkin holders on each table need refilling, as well as the Parmesan cheese and red pepper flake shakers.”

Ezra winked at me then smiled over my head at Maria. “I can’t be trusted to behave.”

Maria laughed. “That’s what I thought. You get extra points for honesty. Do you remember where I store the napkins, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ezra told Maria.

“Get to it then. After that, I’ll need you to check the straws, lids, and cups.”

“On it.” Ezra saluted her then dropped a kiss on my forehead before heading to the supply closet.

Maria walked over to me and pulled me into a hug. “He’s a keeper, Henry,” she said.

“He is,” I agreed.

“What do you mean, you’ve never slept in a tent,” Ezra said eight hours later when we were in his car headed to his parents’ house. “What about church camp?”

“We had rustic cabins with rickety bunk beds. Damn things squeaked something fierce if you tried sneaking in someone else’s bed or even took care of your own business privately.”

“You like to rile me up deliberately and make me jealous, don’t you?” Ezra asked.

“You’re jealous of my fist?” I asked in disbelief.