Hey everyone! This one-shot was written by HarryLovesGinny09 and myself and we hope you like it. Don't forget to review :)
Disclaimer: We do NOT own Pretty Little Liars or any of the characters in this story.
Aria and Jake were walking down the school hallway towards Aria's locker, holding hands. Aria still felt kind of awkward at school with Jake, considering her locker was in the same hallway as Ezra's classroom, but she had to wrap her mind around the fact that she and Ezra weren't together anymore.
"Babe, you okay?" Jake asked. "You seem worried."
Aria forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little worried for my English test." she lied.
Jake smiled. "You're great at English, you'll do great trust me. I bet you could recite The Great Gatsby by heart." he teased.
Aria laughed. "Is it that obvious?" she played along.
"No, not at all...you know, apart from the fact that you don't look at the book when you're reading in class..." Jake said, leaning over and gently kissing Aria.
Aria kissed him back, but she couldn't help but notice that kissing Jake was nothing like kissing Ezra. When she kissed Ezra, it seemed like electricity was going through her body, but when she kissed Jake, she felt absolutely nothing. It was more of a task than a reward. She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't even realize that Ezra had walked past, witnessing the kiss.
*PLL*
Ezra was walking down the hallway, a cup of coffee in his hands, walking to his classroom to grade the last few essays on his lunch. As he approached his classroom, he saw a young couple kissing. Ezra was about to clear his throat loudly when he noticed the girl was Aria. He quickly walked into his classroom without a sound, shutting the door as jealousy coursed through his veins.
Ezra walked to his desk, picking up a book and throwing it across the room. He stood there for a few moments, breathing hard, trying to control his emotions. He reminded himself that Aria was no longer his and that he had to respect that. She had moved on, and, if she was happy, he should be too. Then why could he feel tears in his eyes that he couldn't stop from coming down his cheeks?
"Umm...Mr. Fitz? Do you have a minute?"
Ezra quickly wiped the tears off his face and looked up. Hanna was standing in the doorway, looking at him with a serious expression on her face.
"Uh, yeah sure. What's up Hanna?" Ezra said, trying to sound normal.
Hanna hesitated for a moment. "Are you okay?" she said slowly.
Ezra shifted uneasily, trying to control his emotions. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" he said.
"You don't have to pretend. I know you saw them." Hanna said, gesturing towards the hallway.
Ezra sighed. "Hanna, no offense, but I don't really want to talk to you about my relationship..." he started.
Hanna sat down on a desk, ignoring the look Ezra was giving her. "Look, just because you and Aria aren't together right now, doesn't mean that, as her friend, I'm going to hate on you. Spencer and Emily are worried about you too. And we're worried about Aria, and we know your are too. That's actually why I'm here."
Ezra looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean?"
Hanna looked at him, surprised. "Do you really think she's happy with Jake? Have you seen the guy?"
Now Ezra looked surprised. "If she wasn't happy with him, why would she be out in the hall making out with him?" he asked, pointedly.
"God! Guys are so dumb sometimes...no offense." Hanna added quickly, seeing the look on Ezra's face. "Aria's just with him because she's trying to move on, and she's trying to tell you to move on too. Don't you get it? She still loves you! She always has, and always will. And clearly, the same applies for you." she said, looking at his red eyes.
"Of course I'll always love her, Hanna! But, what do you want me to do in this situation?! I mean, she wants me to move on, and she obviously wasn't very happy when we were together, hence why she broke up with me." Ezra said.
"She WAS happy! She just didn't fully realize it. She thought your relationship was too hard, and that she was holding you back from your true potential, so she tried to sacrifice her love for you by making you move on without her." Hanna said, standing up and walking to the front of Ezra's desk. "Aria won't admit it, but she wants you back."
Ezra looked at her. "What if we're reading her wrong. What if she doesn't want to be with me. I mean, there's so many complications to our relationship and I don't want her to be unhappy."
"I've known Aria practically forever, and I know when she's happy. And if you don't want to take my word for it, ask Spencer or Emily, they'll say the same thing. And, she'd kill me for telling you this but she still sleeps with your Hollis t-shirt." she said, looking expectantly at him.
Ezra looked surprised. "She kept that shirt?"
Hanna shook her head at him. "Of course she did! As I just said, the girl loves you! Now will you help us help you win her back or not?" she asked impatiently.
"Us? You mean, you guys are going to help me?" Ezra asked.
"Duh! We love Aria too and we want her to be happy just as much as you do." Hanna said.
"Hanna, I'm really glad you're all going to help me but I know that look. You've already planned this whole scheme out. And, judging from past experiences, this could either be a brilliant plan, or it could end in a disaster."
"Spencer approves."
"Okay, fine." Ezra said, smiling. "What do you girls have in mind?"
*PLL*
"Please Aria?" Spencer begged.
"Spencer, I have plans with Jake. Can't we do this another time?" Aria said.
"No! I'm in serious need of Sparia time and I can't do that if half of Sparia isn't there!" Spencer pointed out.
Aria sighed. "Spencer..."
"Come on! I had three tests this morning and another one in the afternoon. I've been studying all night and I just really want to go to the lakehouse after school and relax." Spencer pleaded, giving Aria puppy eyes.
Aria sighed. "Spence, please don't do the puppy eyes, that's not fair. You know I can't resist them."
Spencer made her puppy eyes even wider.
"Oh, fine! I'll just call Jake and tell him that I have to reschedule." Aria said, finally giving in.
"YAY! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" Spencer said, hugging Aria.
Aria laughed. "Sure. Listen, I have to get to class, meet you at the lakehouse at 5?"
"Sure! Later!" Spencer said, watching Aria walk away. When she was sure her friend was gone, Spencer texted Hanna.
Lakehouse at 5.
Hanna looked up from her phone. "You have until 5:00. Emily and I are going to the lakehouse now to clean up and make sure everything looks good. But you have to be there after school."
Ezra smiled. "Got it. And Hanna?"
"Yeah?"
"I just really wanted to say thanks to all three of you for doing this. I totally owe you." Ezra smiled gratefully.
Hanna smiled back. "If Aria's happy, we're happy."
*PLL*
"Spence, I'm going to be there in like 20 minutes, okay?" Aria said into her phone.
"Great. I'll see you in a bit." Spencer said, hanging up. She turned to Ezra, Hanna and Emily. "She's going to be here in 20 minutes. Let's just go over this one more time." Spencer checked her clipboard. "Flowers?
"Check." Ezra said, holding up a bouquet of red roses.
"Is the dinner set up?"
"Check" Emily called from the kitchen.
"Music?" Spencer asked.
"Check" Hanna said, holding up some CDs.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Ezra said, rummaging around in his bag. "Here." he said, handing Hanna another CD.
Hanna examined it. "B-26? What's that?"
"It was playing the day we met." Ezra said, recieving a chorus of "Aww" 's from the girls.
Spencer consulted her clipboard a few more times before she was satisfied. "Okay, Hanna, Emily, we'd better get going. Aria's going to be here in 5 minutes."
The three girls ran to the door, calling good luck on their way out. Ezra sat down on the couch, trying to calm his nerves, repeatedly looking at the clock until he heard an engine outside.
This is it. He thought to himself as he stood, getting ready for what was to come next.
*PLL*
Aria knocked on the door of Spencer's lake house, waiting for her friend. When the door opened, it wasn't Spencer standing there to greet Aria, it was Ezra.
"Ezra?!" Aria said, shocked and confused.
"Um, hey." he said, moving aside so she could come in.
"Where's Sp-" Aria started but then abruptly stopped, realization dawning on her. "I'm not here to have a girl's night with Spencer, am I?"
Ezra shook his head slowly. "No. But this was the only way to get you to come. Please don't be mad."
Aria looked at him incredulously. "Don't be mad? My friends lied to me and went behind my back with my ex-boyfriend and I shouldn't be mad?"
"Aria..." Ezra started, wincing slightly when she said ex-boyfriend.
"No! You can't just get my friends to lie to me and think that I'll be okay with it!"
"Wait a second, I didn't get them to lie to you. I wasn't even going to ask them to help me, they came to me, offering to help." Ezra protested.
"Why would they do that?!" Aria asked.
"Because they don't think you're happy and they want what's best for you, and so do I!" Ezra said.
"Let me guess. You're what's best for me?" Aria asked, glaring at Ezra.
Ezra sighed. "Aria, I love you and I miss you. I can't move on. More importantly, I don't want to move on. You're the only one that matters to me and my life is nothing without you. Don't even say that you don't love me, because we both know that's not true. I know you Aria, and I know that you're not happy."
"Ezra, we've been over this before." Aria said, abandoning her defensive demeanor for a more gentle one. "I do love you, I always have and I always will. But I can't handle all of this, I don't want to be the one holding you back from achieving your true potential." Aria said, tearing up.
"Aria, you're not holding me back from anything!" Ezra argued.
"Ezra, you were going to leave the job at Rosewood High, for the second time, because of me. You love teaching, it's your passion. I can't be the reason you give up everything that means anything to you!" Aria exclaimed.
"Aria, answer this question for me. Would you rather live a life full of regrets, knowing that you won't be as happy as you could have been, or would you rather follow your heart and fight for what you love?" Ezra asked.
Aria stood silently, not wanting to answer him but her silence was enough of an answer.
"That's what I thought." Ezra said. "Aria, my life is incomplete without you. If I don't have you, I can't be happy." He didn't even notice the tears trickling down his face until Aria reached up and gently wiped them away.
"Are you sure this, us, is what you want?" Aria asked, looking into Ezra's eyes.
Ezra stared back into her hazel eyes and nodded. "There was never a doubt in my mind." he said, slowly leaning forward to kiss her. Aria kissed him back, her hands tangling in his hair as all their sadness was replaced by love. Ezra pulled her body against his, his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her tight.
As their lips connected again and again, Aria and Ezra felt a sense that all was right in the world. This relationship was meant to be and nothing could compete with the amount of love they had for each other. True love really did conquer all.
Okay, so I hope you all liked that. It was written by HarryLovesGinny09 and myself. Please review and let us know what you think :)
