I woke up to the smell of burning food and the sound of the smoke detector. I groggily stood up from the bed and peered down the staircase.

Sure, enough Ezra was running around the kitchen like a chicken with his head cut off. There was a frying pan in his hand and smoke was coming out of it.

The smoke died down a bit and I decided to go walk down and see what the heck happened.

He set the pan onto the stove and pulled open a window.

I walked into the kitchen and slid onto one of the breakfast bar stools, "W-"

"Shut up, I don't wanna talk about it." He quickly grunted as he grabbed a plate from the cabinet.

He scooped up something and put it on a plate and slid it in front of me.

"And this is?" I asked as I knitted my eyebrows at the- food? It didn't look very edible.

"Eggs."

"Um, Ezra. I think eggs are supposed to be yellow... not pitch black."

He rolled his eyes, "Well, it's a little burnt, but the extra flavor won't hurt you. Besides the extra crunch just really brings out the texture, I could be the next Gordan Ramsey, you know?"

"You know-"

"Fine." He groaned, grabbing his keys from the counter. "Let's go to some ditzy cafe for breakfast and we won't ever speak of this again, got it?"

"Okay."

We arrived at one of the 'ditzy' cafes, this one was apparently Ophelia's favorite. It was a sweet pink colour, and they had lots of pastries, sandwiches and drinks.

"What do you want kid?" He asked as we stepped in line.

I took a moment to scan over the menu, "I'll get a bagel with strawberry cream cheese and a water please."

He nodded and walked up to the cashier, "I'll get two bagels with strawberry cream cheese, a water and a black coffee, in the coffee I will get two cream and two sugar."

The women nodded and he paid for our food.

"How the heck is it a black coffee if you got sugar and cream in it?"

His lips pursed into a grin, "It's not, you think I'm actually that demonic to drink that sh*t?"

"Why don't you just say you want a coffee instead of black coffee?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Because It's not as cool. When I tell them I want a black coffee there most likely thinking, wow this guy is so cool he drinks black coffee? And then when I tell them I want sugar and stuff in it they think it's even cooler."

"Sure, Ezra. We will go with that."

"Don't sure Ezra me, you see those women's eyes? They were all over me." He smirked.

"Besides you can't be talking, hanging out with our rivalries son, really?" He added.

"Rivalries?"

His back stiffened a bit, "Oh, you don't know. Forget what I said and go find us a seat while I wait for our food, will you kid?"

So, Andrei is Aleksandr's son?

"Okay." I went over to one of the tables with two chairs and took a seat. Ezra came over with our food shortly after.

"Look at that, I got her number. I told you it was cool." He said proudly as he took the seat across from me.

Yes, she definitely gave you her number because you asked for black coffee then ordered a regular coffee.

He handed me my bagel and water, and he began eating his and drinking his 'black coffee'.

"So... how old are you?" I curiously asked.

"I'm twenty-nine." He said as he took a sip of his coffee.

Twenty-nine!? How old was Alessandro then?? Surely, he was older than Ezra.

"How olds Alessandro?"

"I don't know like what thirty-three? Something along the lines of that." He shrugged setting down his coffee.

No wonder Alessandro's so upset, he's thirty-three and stuck raising his siblings still, I don't think I've ever even heard him speak of a woman.

Ezra pulled out his phone and began messaging someone.

"We'll have to get you some clothes in two days, that's when Ophelia is coming back from her trip."

I looked down at Leo's grey sweater, I love his sweater but how am I supposed to keep this clean for the next two days it already looks like it's getting dirty.

"Well, what am I supposed to wear then?" I asked, as I took a bite of the bagel.

"I have a few shirts you can wear until then."

"Why can't you just take me." I sighed.

"Fine." He groaned, taking a sip of his coffee. "Just don't say the s word until we get there." He grumbled.

"The s word? You mean shi-"

"No, the worser one, also don't say that one either." He sighed covering his head with his hands.

"Well, what is it?" I asked as I furrowed my brows.

He took a deep breath, "Shopping."

"Shopping? How is that bad?" I scoffed, raising my eyebrows at him slightly.

"Ah, ah. I don't want the reality to sink in until were in the parking lot. Don't remind me." He grumbled as he closed his eyes and crossed his arms.

I finished my food and water, and I threw it into the trash, "Whatever you say, Ezra." I sighed.

"Come on let's get this over with, we're only going to one store, Ophelia can take you to the rest and buy school sh*t." He sighed and held the door open for me.

Am I starting the school year here?

I walked out the door and got into his jeep.

We pulled into the mall, and we sat in the car for two minutes in silence as Ezra contemplated on getting out in the car. Every time I tried to open the door, he'd place his hand on my arm and say, "Just wait, kid. I got to mentally prepare myself."

"Oh my gosh, Ezra, are we waiting for Christmas?" 

"We could wait for Christmas." He suggested, with a slight grin.

"Ezra!" I scolded.

"Fine, fine. Get out of the car kid, and let's be quick." He grumbled as he got out of the car.

I got out of the car and began walking next to Ezra. This mall was slightly smaller than the one I was at last night.

"Hurry, which store, kid?" He sighed as he walked up to a screen, that had a map of the stores.

"You need this map? I don't know how you use these malls."

Wow I've only been to a mall a few times and he makes me feel like an expert, a mall expert. I wonder if that's even a thing.

I pointed towards a store, "Look let's go in there." 

"Lead the way, kid."

We walked into the store and there were lots of cute clothes. I picked out only a few things since he told me Ophelia would be taking me shopping.

"Should I try them on to make sure they fit?"

He looked around the store, "Ew no, there's people walking here." He looked down at the clothes in my hand, "You mean you're gonna try them over your clothes?"

"What no, there's changing rooms, dummy."

"Changing rooms? The f*ck is that? See this is why I don't do malls."

"Well should I go try them on?"

He pulled off one of the same shirts that I had in my hand just in a bigger size and gave it to me, "Here, kid. Just take this one, if it's too big you'll just have to grow into it." He shrugged, handing it to me.

"It's supposed to fit tight and be cropped." I muttered.

"Cropped? What's that mean?" He questioned as he held the shirt up to me.

"This isn't going to fit you; it only covers half of your stomach." He grumbled.

"Well, that's the point."

"You want to pay for half of a shirt?" He questioned, as he narrowed his eyes at me. "You know what, let's get it and go, just don't wear that sh*t around me or around anyone else."

I shook my head, a slight smile formed onto my face, "Okay, Ezra."