Let Me Explain
I don't own PLL
Aria's POV
I pace nervously up and down the hallway outside of Ezra's apartment; I had called him about 30 minutes ago and told him I needed to see him. Ezra had only been back for a few days now and things have been different? Ezra of course was in a happy mood seeing how he met his son and has spent the past two weeks with him but I however was a jumbled up mess. I need to tell him about Wes kissing me. I have to, there is no other option. I just have no idea on how to inform my boyfriend that his younger brother and I kissed in my bedroom late at night. I am so screwed. When I hear the distinctive sound of a door unlocking then opening I spin around on my heel to see Ezra leaning out his door.
"Uh hi," I say nervously. I had been avoiding him for the most part since he has been back even though I had been dying to see him.
"You going to come in?" Ezra gestured to the inside of his apartment.
"Yeah, yeah of course. How did you know I was here?" I ask as I walk down the hall and into the apartment where he was waiting for me.
"I could hear your heels on the wood floor." Ezra points out with a light chuckle.
When I walk through the door he pulls me into a hug and goes to kiss my lips. I quickly turn my head causing him to kiss my cheek instead of my lips. I cleared my throat awkwardly as I pushed myself out of his grasp lightly and stepped inside the apartment more.
"How was your time in Delaware?" I ask while fiddling with my scarf; not looking him in the eye.
"It was good; I really enjoyed getting to spend time with him. I can't wait for you to meet him." Ezra face was light up with per joy when he talks about Malcolm.
We both move to take a seat on the couch, when Ezra goes to sit right next to me I discreetly slide in the opposite direction from him.
"How was it being free from me for two whole weeks?" His tone was light and joking.
"Oh you know, the usual." I mutter.
"Hey, what's wrong sweetheart?" Ezra's finger slides up to the underside of my chin in order to lift my head up so I would be looking at him rather than staring at the invisible spot on the couch.
I swallow the lump in my throat. "Ezra, there is something I need to tell you." I lick my lips nervously and close my eyes.
"What's wrong?" Every ounce of cheerfulness had drained from his features.
"I, um…" My eyes fill with tears as I force myself to pull it together and tell him. "While you were gone Wes stayed at your apartment, as you know. We spent a lot of time together over the past two weeks because I could tell he was kind of sad as well as hiding out from your mother so he had no one to spend time with while he was here."
"Okay, so what are you saying?"
"Last Friday my friend CeCe needed me to take some pictures of her jewelry for her shop so I figured Wes could come with so he could get some time out of the apartment. We had been drinking wine and joking around the entire night, just all around having a nice evening together. Well I found out he didn't have anywhere to stay for the night because your mother managed to get a key to your place so he didn't want to stay here… long story short I offered for him to stay at my house for the night and he said yes."
I take a deep breath and take a moment to glance up at Ezra; he looks confused as well as some other unknown emotion.
"When we had gotten to my house we went up to my room to get him some sheets for him to sleep on the couch. We got to talking about literature and poetry and then…" I trail off, shaking my head and clenching my eyes.
"And then? What happened Aria?" Ezra asks firmly.
I sniffle my cries before responding, "He kissed me."
"Excuse me?" Ezra questions after a moment of silence.
"I'm sorry. It was just in the moment, we were talking about literature and he said this beautiful poem and I just got confused. Before I knew it he kissed me; but I pushed him off, I swear that I did."
Ezra got up from the couch and immediately moved around the coffee table, putting some space between us.
"You kissed my little brother?" He asks in disbelief.
"He kissed me Ezra, he started it. It didn't mean anything I promise. I love you. I am with you!"
"That doesn't change the fact that I was only gone for two weeks, two damn weeks Aria and you and my brother went behind my back." He says harshly.
"Will you please just let me explain and not jump to conclusions?" I plead with him.
"What am I supposed to think? I thought 'why not give my brother a break and let him hang out in my apartment while I am gone for a bit, no big deal right?' but no, instead he was making out with my girlfriend who didn't bother to tell me right when it happened." Ezra yells loudly, resulting in more tears rolling down my cheeks.
"I didn't make out with him! He kissed me, I pushed him away; it was done in a second."
"I just don't understand how either of you could betray me like this. We have been dating for over a year and a half now Aria and once again I find out you've kissed or 'been kissed' by another man during our relationship. Am I not enough for you or something? Do you just not want to be in an adult relationship yet because that is what it looks like?"
"No, I don't want that at all. I love you so much, please, please don't leave me. I promise nothing like this will ever happen again. I was just having a weak moment; I was sad and vulnerable from never seeing or talking to you anymore and Wes is just like you. I think a part of me was just pretending you were him most of the time we hung out."
After several deadly silent moments he speaks up, "Who would you rather have?"
"How can you even ask me that, you should know the answer? I don't want any other man but you."
"We seem to be in this situation a lot; doubting the other, fighting, not having all the happy moments we used to." Ezra shakes his head and turns his back to me to look out the window.
"I know," my voice was barely above a whisper.
"I can't keep doing this Aria."
"Doing what?" I ask painfully, afraid of his answer.
"I can't keep wondering every time you walk out my door if you'll share a kiss with someone who isn't me. The first thing I wanted to do when I met Malcolm was introduce you to him. But now, now I don't think it's a good idea you meet him until we figure out if this will continue between us."
That's all it took to break my heart in two.
"You don't want your son to meet me?" I whimper.
Ezra turns back around to look at me. "Not until we get several things figured out between us."
I bring my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs in a form of self comfort.
The past hour had been filled with heartbreak, silence, confrontation, and among other things. I was still in my place on the couch where as Ezra had taken a seat on the leather chair across from the couch not too long ago. We had been discussing what we both wanted out of the relationship and if we actually thought we could accomplish our goals or would we possibly fall apart. Both our heads snapped up and turned to the door when we heard someone unlocking the door. I noticed Ezra's face harden and a look of pure fury flash across his face when the person pushes open the door. I inhale a deep breath when I see its Wes at the door.
"Hey big brother, great to see you again! I just came by to grab a couple of things I forgot here." Wes steeps into the apartment then looks toward me, "Aria." He gives me a smile.
"What the hell do you think you're doing here? You have no right to just walk into my apartment like you've done nothing wrong." Ezra says harshly.
"What are you talking about?" Wes was playing dumb which was the stupidest move he could do right now with Ezra so pissed.
Before any of us knew what was happening Ezra roughly shoved Wes into the closed door. I sat on the couch frozen as I watch the scene unfold; unsure on what I should do.
"You kissed my girlfriend. Why the fuck would you do that? You knew how much she means to me, you know everything that is going on right now." Ezra shouts. "What is wrong with you?"
Ezra kept going on and on, his voice level was increasing as he talked until he was full out yelling at Wes. I have never seen Ezra raise his voice or be aggressive toward anyone. If I am being honest right now I'd have to say I am a bit startled by his actions. Wes couldn't even get a word in due to Ezra's consistent shouting.
"I am sorry okay, I couldn't help myself!" Wes speaks up when Ezra had taken a minute to take a breath from his shouting.
"You couldn't help yourself? What kind of excuse is that?"
"We had spent a lot of time together and I felt like we had a connection. She's beautiful, smart, witty, and I just couldn't pretend like I didn't have feelings for her anymore." Wes confesses.
"Ezra stop!" I yell when I noticed Ezra's hand tightening into a fist; he was going to punch Wes. I jump up from the couch and stand between the two. I try to push Ezra away from him but he wouldn't budge.
"So basically you were planning on stealing her from me the moment I leave town what kind of brother are you?"
"No, I just… I don't know." Wes trails off.
Ezra scoffs. "Get out. I want you to stay away from me and stay away from Aria. And trust me, I will kick your spoiled ass if you go anywhere near her."
Wes only nods in response before hurrying out of the apartment. Once the door was shut Ezra mutters "Asshole" as he walks over to take a seat on the couch.
"I should probably head out." I announce.
Ezra turns to give me this quizzical look. "You're leaving now, really?"
"Yes, I have to go to work soon. Why?" I ask confused about his behavior toward me.
"So it has nothing at all to do with the fact that Wes just left here?"
"What? Are you serious? This has nothing to do with Wes!" I protest in a pissed off defensive tone.
"I just find it odd that you didn't tell me you had to work until he suddenly shows up here then all of a sudden you have to leave."
"I don't know if you're jealous or just being stupid right now because there is nothing going on between me and him. If you'd like I could count to 50 to make sure he's gone before I leave." I say in a snarky tone. When he doesn't reply I simply grab my purse from the couch and turn to leave, "now if you'll excuse me." I turn on my heel and head for the door just as I was about to walk out Ezra speaks up.
"I'm sorry Aria, I shouldn't have said that." His tone expressed he was truly apologetic. I could hear him standing up from the couch and walking over to stand behind me.
I look over my shoulder at him. "No you shouldn't have."
"Will you please come back over here tonight when you're done at work and we can talk through this all? No more fighting, no more yelling. Nothing. I just want us to work through this with you."
"I'll call you when I leave." I flash him a small smile then turn back to the door. Just as I was about to leave I walk over to Ezra and place a lingering kiss on his cheek. "I'm sorry."
With that I walked out of 3B knowing there was still hope of me saving this relationship.
As usual lately, it isn't proofed. Wrote this late last night, I am terribly sorry it wasn't posted sooner. I was out running errands all day long so I didn't have my laptop to upload this.