Hissy Fit (Southern Gentleman 1)

I love you because you laugh when I make stupid jokes.

I love you when you giggle.

I love you when you snore.

I love you when you drool.

I love you when you’re crying and not making any sense.

I love you when you drink a bottle of wine to apologize.

Over and over and over, Ezra listed out why he loved me, and by the time I was finished, I was crying.

My head felt like a million tiny jackhammers breaking it open, but I didn’t care.

My shower finished up quickly after that.

I located an emergency tampon out of my purse that I’d thought ahead to bring with me, and then, naked, I lurched for the door.

Opening the bathroom door, I hiccupped slightly as I headed back for his bed.

Still slightly wet, I threw myself at him and giggled through my tears as he yelped when my cold hair slapped against his chest.

“Jesus H Christ,” he hissed, trying to move away from the cold.

I desperately tried to move my hair away from him as I peppered his face with kisses. I didn’t even care that his breath smelled like the bottom of my shoe. This man, with his stinky breath and sleepy eyes, was all mine.

“God, but I love you, Ezra McDuff.”

***

Though my day should’ve been amazing, everything took a turn for the worse during fourth period, and it all centered around one person.

Morgan.

As if Morgan hadn’t suffered enough in his short life, he’d been hit by a drunk driver the night before, and nobody had even realized it until fourth period when the school had called to see why he wasn’t at any of his classes.

That wasn’t like Morgan at all, hence the reason I’d urged the school secretary to give his mother a call to find out where he was, and if he could get to the school by three in the afternoon to make up his test with me.

Though even if he failed the test he’d still pass, but the kid was on the path to making straight As and I didn’t want him to drop that grade any.

I’d just handed out my class’s test, and was setting a timer on my desk when there was a knock on my door.

“All right, class,” I said, looking over the students, pausing when yet again Morgan’s no-show surprised me. “Time starts now. You have fifty minutes.”

Everyone turned their tests over at once and got right to work. Giddy with excitement that summer was right around the corner, I walked to the door with a smile on my face.

That smile widened exponentially when I saw Ezra on the other side.

“Hey!” I called, walking out and closing the door behind me.

I reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze, but he didn’t squeeze it back.

My smile slowly fell as I got a good look at his face.

“What is it?” I asked, worried now.

He swallowed, and I watched his Adam’s apple bob with the movement.

“Jan’s gonna watch your class for a minute, come with me?” he asked.

I looked over at Jan, the school’s secretary who worked in the front office, and nodded. “Sure.”

We slipped by each other seamlessly, and I fell into step beside Ezra.

He didn’t say a word until we were in the staff breakroom.

“Ezra, what is it?” I asked, worried beyond belief at this point.

He pulled me until I was in his arms, and then he dropped the worst kind of bombshell on me ever.

“Morgan was hit by a drunk driver last night on his way home from a party. The friend, a kid from another school, is dead, and Morgan is in critical condition in the ICU.”

I closed my eyes and started to cry. “No.”

***

Morgan had been pronounced dead four times over the last forty-eight hours.

“He’s going to make it,” I said, so sure that I wasn’t the least bit worried. “He’s going to pull through. This is just another detour that he has to take, but he’s going to get out of that bed. I know it.”

Ezra wrapped his hand around my neck and pulled me to him. “I know, baby.”

I felt like something was sitting on my chest, and I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to breathe if I took a step out of his embrace. For this reason, I stayed where I was and prayed that I was right. That Morgan really was going to live.

“They said that it was a young kid driving a black truck.”

We both looked up to find Ezra’s nephew standing there. “A big black one that is jacked up with big tires and has green stars on his wheels.”

I frowned. “Do you know him?”

Johnson’s eyes stayed locked on his uncle’s.

That’s when I felt Ezra’s body stiffen as he said, “Mackie has a truck just like that.”

“Really?”

Ezra nodded.

“Really.”

“Well then, call the sheriff and tell him!” I urged.