As we continued watching the movie, I couldn't help but break the silence. "Are you waiting for someone's call?" I asked, still keeping my gaze fixed on the screen.
Ezekiel tilted his head slightly, watching me out of the corner of his eye. "Your mom," he replied.
I sighed and finally looked at him, my voice tinged with a touch of resignation. "She won't call you. She loves her work more than anything."
Ezekiel smiled, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Oh really?"
I met his gaze with confidence, certain of my words. "Yes!"
He seemed unconvinced. "I don't think so," he countered.
I smirked, feeling a challenge in the air. "Wanna bet?"
Ezekiel leaned back on the couch, relaxing further into the cushions. His hand rested on the back of the couch, his fingers almost brushing against my shoulder. The casual intimacy of the gesture made my heart skip a beat, but I pressed the pillow on my lap closer and shifted to face him more directly, my interest piqued.
"As you wish," he said, his voice laced with playful acceptance.
"What will you do if you fail?" I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly.
Ezekiel's lips curved into a smirk, and he took a moment to consider his response. When he finally spoke, his voice was deep and serious, but with an underlying hint of mischief.
"What do you want? I'll do it."
"Anything?" I pressed, wanting to be sure he was serious.
Ezekiel nodded, his gaze steady and unwavering.
"Anything," he repeated.
I smirked, raising my brows, and said confidently, "Then I'll ask when the time comes. Don't forget it."
Ezekiel pressed his lips together, nodding as he asked in his deep, resonant voice, "Then what about you?"
The tone of his voice sent a shiver down my spine, a reminder that we were alone in the mansion. The atmosphere was charged, thrilling, and undeniably exciting. I couldn't help but wonder if any other girl had found herself in a situation like this. But if I were honest, I was enjoying every moment of it.
With a teasing tone, I replied, "I'll do what you want."
"Anything?" he asked, narrowing his eyes, his gaze intense.
"Yes, anything," I responded, locking eyes with him.
We exchanged a glance that seemed to last longer than it should have, the air between us thick with unspoken tension. Suddenly, the sound of Ezekiel's phone ringing broke the moment. He reached for it, a smile spreading across his face as he glanced at the screen.
"I think you've lost the bet," he said, looking at me with a knowing grin.
I stared at him in disbelief. My heart sank. Could it really be my mom calling him? My mind raced as I tried to process the unexpected turn of events.
Ezekiel answered the call, his tone immediately softening.
"Kathrin, where have you been, honey?"
I arched my brows, my expression shifting to one of annoyance as I stared at the movie screen, trying to suppress the frustration bubbling up inside me. I couldn't believe it—she actually called him. Of all the times, she chose now.
I listened carefully as Ezekiel's tone softened during the call. "So you'll be back in three days?" he asked, his voice dropping slightly. "Why did you go to Venice?"
Venice? My eyes narrowed in suspicion. Venice and Mom? When did she leave? I glanced at Ezekiel from the corner of my eye, trying to piece together what was going on. She was lying—I was sure of it.
"Okay," Ezekiel said as he hung up the call, looking a little more relaxed.
I turned to him and asked, "What happened?"
He took a deep breath before responding, "Your mom is in Venice for an important business meeting."
I nodded as if just hearing this for the first time, pretending to be surprised.
"When did she leave?"
"She said around 4 P.M."
I nodded again, thinking, Liar. She had been with me at that time. I sighed and leaned back comfortably, trying to change the subject. "Still sad?"
Ezekiel smiled faintly, "No, at least I know where she is."
"But," he added with a playful smirk, "you lost the bet, my lady."
I smiled, meeting his gaze. "Yes, I guess I did. So, tell me, what do you want me to do?"
I locked eyes with him, trying to read his thoughts. A part of me felt bad for him. He clearly cared about Mom a lot, but my mom? Was she thinking about getting back together with my dad? If so, it might be nice for me and Ezekiel?
But before that I needed to be sure about mom.
But for now, I needed to focus on his wish.
Ezekiel took a deep breath and said, "I want you not to bunk classes and to wait for me at the college."
I stared at him, lips parted in shock and disappointment. That's it? I thought we'd do something exciting, maybe even a little bit naughty. But no—Ezekiel had just killed the mood completely. Here I was, a beautiful girl right in front of him, and all he could talk about was not skipping classes. I touched my forehead in disbelief, wondering how he could be so oblivious. Part of me would have been thrilled if he'd taken advantage of my mom's absence, but clearly, that wasn't happening.
I bit my lower lip and asked, "That's all?"
Ezekiel nodded, flashing a big smile. I rolled my eyes with a smirk and playfully threw a pillow at his face, then started walking toward the stairs. He caught the pillow, laughing, and called after me, "You can't say no to me!"
I turned back with a mischievous grin.
"Okay!" I agreed, but added with a teasing tone, "I'll be back with you, I promise. But I can't promise anything about not bunking."
I stuck out my tongue at him and continued up the stairs toward my room. As I climbed, my thoughts drifted back to the day's events. I had three days while my mom was supposedly in Venice, and I intended to use them wisely. My mind wandered back to the hotel where I had seen her earlier.
Did she want to break up with Ezekiel and get back together with my dad?
Tomorrow, I would go back to that hotel and figure out what was really going on.