"You're not intruding. You'd be keeping me company. I'd like it if you stayed the night. But anyway...my father made it this batch. I overslept and when I finally came down he had finished most of the baking. All I did today was stand around and wait for customers...and then..." Ezra paused a moment putting his food down and pushing it away from him. Suddenly he wasn't hungry as he reached for his throat. Still bare. He pursed his lips, "I can't believe I let them leave with my great grandfathers necklace. My dads face was so saddened when he saw I didn't have it anymore. He looked all over trying to figure out where I could have misplaced it. I didn't have the guts to tell him it was stolen right off my neck. That it was either my life or the necklace. I should have lost my life instead of let them take it from."

He shook his head and pushed his food towards her. She seemed to enjoy it more than he was. His family wasn't big on wasting anything so if it could go somewhere besides the trash than he was satisfied. He rested his head on his hands as he looked over at her and motioned with his eyes for her to eat some more. 

"It was passed down from son to son. Once you turned 13 you were granted ownership of the necklace. If you didn't have a son and instead you were father to a daughter than you kept the necklace for your grandson. The girls in our family got other ones. I'm not sure where my grandmothers went to. My parents never wanted more than one. I think she gave it to my mother for safe keeping. We are very traditional when it comes to family. If my parents saw us though I don't think they'd mind that we differed in beliefs. I think they'd just fear for my life even more than they already do. I swear they'll die young because of me," he said closing his eyes a moment. He found it hard to open up to people. 

He had friends, but not many. After his attack people began to distance themselves. He was too much of a liability. He had originally thought his attackers were sent after him as a warning to his father and all the debt he owed to keep their shop up and running. But after today he knew it was purely his religion. He shrugged a bit to get out of his own head and turned his attention back to her. She always listened to every word he said like it would save the world. Like there was some deeper meaning behind every syllable.  He found himself smiling at her, flashing his teeth a little, a smile that reached his eyes and felt deep inside. It was warm and inviting. She waited to see if she had any more questions.