AN IGNORED AND AVOIDED SECRET:

They chatted well into the night, Ezra effortlessly pulling Maximillian alongside him, who found himself powerless to resist. Seated side by side on the sofa, their shoulders touching, Ezra subtly leaned into Maximillian's arms until he found himself laying his head in Maximillian's lap before the latter even noticed.

Their conversation flowed freely, touching on topics ranging from their experiences at school without each other to the start of their college season, their new friend circles, any newfound hobbies, current goals, and future aspirations. They shared details about their family situations, any new interests or obsessions, and even exchanged recommendations for new dining spots they had discovered.

Louis, feeling a weight lifted from his shoulders, laughed joyously without restraint, only to be gently reminded time and time again by the other two to keep their voices down since Celeste and Damien were sleeping.

Maximillian found himself swept up in the conversation, unable to find a polite exit. He had subtly hinted at this boundary, but it seemed to fly over the heads of Ezra and Louis, who were fully engrossed in their own world.

As the night wore on and fatigue began to set in, Ezra finally suggested calling it a night. He kindly offered Louis the guest room, where Damien was already asleep, ensuring everyone had a comfortable place to rest.

Just as Maximillian was about to inquire about Ezra's sleeping arrangements, he suddenly found himself being gently pushed down onto the sofa, caught off guard. Before he could adjust his posture, he felt a weight settle on his stomach. Looking up, he discovered Ezra perched lightly there, legs on either side of Maximillian's abdomen, arms positioned comfortably at his sides.

Ezra's wide smile illuminated his face as he gazed at Maximillian, his earlier sleepiness fading away with each passing moment. There was a triumphant glint in his eyes, a sparkle of determination as he leaned in closer, his breath warm against Maximillian's skin.

"You heard what he said earlier, didn't you?" Ezra's voice was soft, yet filled with conviction. His hand hovered gently over Maximillian's head, fingers threading through his tousled hair with deliberate care. "There's nothing odd about us anymore. Nothing feels out of place. Nothing about us being together warrants a warning from destiny or fate, whatever you want to call it. I truly believe we'll be fine now. This is a gamble, but one I'm confident will pay off in my favor." His words carried a mix of reassurance and hope.

Their chests were nearly touching, their scents mingling delicately in the close proximity. Ezra's warm breath caressed Maximillian's face whose expression was unreadable as he observed the unfolding moment.

Ezra braced himself for rejection, expecting to be pushed away or met with resistance. He prepared himself to be stubborn, ready to argue fiercely if needed. But to his surprise, he felt two strong arms encircle his waist, pulling him closer. Before he could react, he found himself enveloped in Maximillian's embrace, now lying fully over him. It was a moment of unexpected vulnerability and connection, leaving Ezra both stunned.

Maximillian nuzzled his nose into the crook of Ezra's neck, breathing in deeply, his lips grazing against the soft skin, eliciting a heated response from Ezra. In that moment, Ezra's neck flushed with warmth, his senses heightened by the intimate gesture.

It took Ezra a moment to collect himself, but then he found solace in burying himself in Maximillian's arms, his face nestling into Maximillian's hair as if seeking refuge, a hint of desperation evident in his expression. They remained intertwined like that for a while, lost in the comfort of each other's presence.

Eventually, Maximillian's deep voice broke the silence, his words a soft whisper against Ezra's ear, "Do friends act like this?"

Caught off guard by the question, Ezra's uncertainty crept into his response, "What do you mean?"

Maximillian began tentatively, "You hugged him like this. Hughes, I mean."

Ezra lifted his head slightly, meeting Maximillian's gaze with a hint of curiosity. "What are you implying, Max? Why would I be this intimate with him? It was just a normal hug between friends."

"Really? This is how it appeared to me," Maximillian responded calmly.

Rather than becoming defensive, Ezra's smile widened with a touch of playful amusement. "Were you feeling jealous?" he teased.

"You did hug him like this. Very intimately," Maximillian tried to convince Ezra while tightening his embrace around him. "If that's what friends do, then I'm just doing the same... as your friend."

Ezra's initial frustration turned to disbelief as he gazed at Maximillian, realizing that Maximillian was making up excuses to justify holding Ezra so intimately without it having to be labeled as something beyond what friends would do. "So you are breaking my bones into your god damn body as a what? As a pal? Max f**king Carlisle, you listen here. If you keep-" Ezra's voice rose with indignation before he was abruptly cut off.

Maximillian's dejected expression halted Ezra's tirade as he watched Max's hand rise to gently cup his cheek, the touch sending a shiver down Ezra's spine. Feeling the warmth of Maximillian's thumb tracing over his skin, Ezra's anger melted away, replaced by a bewildered vulnerability.

Meeting Maximillian's gaze, Ezra was struck by the tenderness in his eyes. Max's voice, now soft and gentle, pierced through the tension between them. "Earlier... You looked so lovely when you smiled at me. It was a beautiful smile... So incredibly beautiful."

His eyes traced every feature of Ezra's face slowly and carefully, internally cherishing all that was once his and his alone. "You were always beautiful… And your smiles, they were always so precious to me… That's why... I'm terrified, Ezra. Terrified of seeing them marred just because I chose to love you openly. I've witnessed firsthand how easily they've been tarnished, how I've unwittingly stained them time and time again… Gambling on mere possibilities isn't enough for me. I can't blindly trust in a mere possibility. So until I have concrete proof that I won't cause you any harm… please, I beg of you. Just go along with me. Because I'm too much of a coward to let you go, no matter what… Just play along with me. I can still be something to you… just not a lover."

"But Max, where the hell can we even get proof of something so otherworldly!?" Ezra exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice.

"Then why are you gambling your damn life on a possibility of something 'otherworldly', huh!?" For the first time in his life, Ezra saw Maximillian truly angry, and it stunned him. He watched in silence as Maximillian unleashed a barrage of scoldings.

"You think I'll be moved by something like that? That I'll readily fall at your feet if you act sacrificial for the sake of love? Ezra, let me tell you, if you die doing this… If an accident truly takes your life this time, not to mention me, what do you think your family will feel? Aunt Evelyn might just go mad this time and Celeste and…" Maximillian's voice trailed off, his words carrying the weight of concern and fear.

His eyes were red with seriousness as he spoke, "Do you think... I would remain in a world that allowed you to die like that?"

Startled, Ezra jerked upwards, feeling unsettled. "Don't say that-"

"Why not? Wouldn't I essentially be doing the same thing as you? You're willing to risk your life because of me, so why shouldn't I be allowed to do the same?" Maximillian's chuckle was bitter. "And don't you dare mention the possibility of us dying in that new otherworld so we should have no regrets... If you're going to say that to me, then all I can say is that I'll at least try my part so that you can live in this world. Surrounded by all the things you love. Healthy and whole."

As Maximillian spoke, he noticed Ezra's conflicted and desperate expression, his bottom lip quivering with unspoken emotion. Ezra's eyes, flustered and lonely, met his own, and Maximillian felt a pang of ache in his throat, unable to bear the intensity of the moment.

Gently, Maximillian helped the bewildered Ezra to settle on the sofa before standing up to straighten his own clothing. As he reached for his phone in his pocket, a hand stopped him. Turning back, Maximillian saw Ezra looking down, his expression hidden from view, but his voice trembling slightly.

"Are you calling home?"

"Yes... It's still an hour before the curfew ends, but I'm still part of the Carlisle family... They'll allow a driver to be sent over to take me home," Maximillian replied, looking away and attempting to withdraw his hand, his voice strained with effort to maintain composure.

"Why?" Ezra questioned softly, his tone filled with a mix of confusion and pleading. He then lifted his gaze slightly, his expression now calm, though the redness spreading over his nose betrayed his supposed exterior serenity. "Just stay... Fine, okay... I promise I won't trouble you with my pursuits anymore... It's late now, so please stay."

He abruptly stood up, placing a hand on Maximillian's shoulder, his expression almost blank yet fiercely contrasting with the sadness in his eyes. "I... Okay, fine... let's stay friends for now... Until it's safe... No, I'll keep my distance until you say it's safe... Until you allow me. Until you get your proof... I won't cross any lines. So, Max..." Ezra's gaze bore into Maximillian's, his voice tinged with an evidently fragile determination. "Try not to cross any lines either. Like you did earlier... I just need an excuse to throw away this promise I'm making with you, and your actions earlier will give me just that..."

Ezra felt a tightness in his throat and a throbbing in his temples, unable to continue. He finished with a softened tone, "There's an empty room at the end of the first floor's corridor... You can sleep there... We'll talk next time." With that, he turned away and began to ascend the stairs to his own room. Before disappearing from view, he glanced back at Maximillian, who was still holding his phone. "Don't disappoint me, Max. No need to trouble your family this late. Just go to that room."

Before turning away, leaving Maximillian to rub at his temples and sigh with exhaustion, a hint of desperation and conflicting emotions leaking through the slight tremble of his sigh, Maximillian put his phone away quietly and made his way down the corridor.

On the second floor, Ezra stood with his hand hovering over his room's handle, his eyes reflecting a whirlwind of emotions. However, his attention was soon drawn to the light spilling from Celeste's room, still illuminated despite the late hour.

Exhausted and frustrated from the earlier scene, Ezra's mental and emotional state was far from its best. Yet, despite knowing that a conversation with Celeste would likely only add to his stress and depression, he felt it was important to talk to her. He sighed inwardly, feeling the weight of the day's disappointments settle heavily on his shoulders.

"This was supposed to be a good day... Why is everything going so awry by the very end of it?" Ezra mused with a hint of self-mockery as he lightly knocked on Celeste's door. Almost immediately, the door clicked open, confirming his suspicion that Celeste was also wrestling with a restless heart and likely unable to sleep.

When the door creaked open, Celeste peered out, her eyes lighting up when she spotted Ezra. Without hesitation, she practically snatched him inside, swiftly locking the door behind them. Turning to Ezra, she was about to speak when she caught sight of his weary state, her concern immediately piqued. "What's the matter, Ez? What happened?"

Ezra sighed heavily, his exhaustion evident as he slumped onto Celeste's bed. After a brief moment, he turned to her, his expression still fatigued but tinged with frustration. "I'm fine," he assured her, though his tone betrayed his weariness.

Celeste, sitting beside him, continued to peer at him with concern etched on her face. She was about to speak when Ezra gently scolded her. "Lets' talk about the more pressing matter at hand. First of all... What was with your expression earlier? It's too suspicious to look so relieved and happy when we're not even sure if Alice is truly alive or not. That reaction was so unlike you. I was worried someone might question you, and in your anxious state, you'd end up saying something you shouldn't."

When Ezra brought up her earlier reaction, Celeste's focus snapped back to the pressing matter that had kept her restless until now. "Oh, that... I'm sorry. Thank you for diverting their attention. But, Ez, there's something I need to tell you!"

Celeste's eyes widened as she leaned in slightly, her expression flustered as she tried to explain. "Oh, but... if you're here, then you might already have an idea... and when you warned me about my expression too. Ezra... you know, right? You guessed it?"

Ezra's eyes remained fixed on the ceiling, his heart feeling unnervingly numb, worn out by the events of the day and the weight of what was yet to be revealed by Celeste. His voice carried a dull tone as he spoke, "I had a hunch for a while now... I really didn't want it to be true, so I tried to brush it off, convince myself it was just my wild imagination... But it seems I can't deny it anymore, especially with how you're acting."

Celeste, upon hearing Ezra's words, gazed at him quietly, her teeth worrying her bottom lip in a dazed manner before she confirmed his suspicions with surprising calmness, "It was me... I killed Alice."