I have been addicted to this show from the first episode. ADDICTED. It wasn't until season two when I became addicted to Aria and Jason. Figures there yet another show where the couple I really want to see just aren't happening. I do not hate Ezra. Let me state this again. I DO NOT hate Ezra. There's just been so much great stuff that can happen that this story is tormenting me to write it.

Summary: It all started during a silly game of Truth or Dare. But came to an end the night Ali disappeared. Seems some secrets can't be kept.

I do not own anything. I don't own Pretty Little Liars. I do not own Aria. I can't lick salt off Jason's chest.

Chapter One

"This is stupid." Cursing under her breath, Aria glowered at the house in front of her and took a step back. The rush of determination from that morning had waned into caution and now she really wished she would've joined Hanna for a mani-pedi instead.

She could turn on her heel and run like a coward. But if she didn't get any answers soon, lack of sleep was going to catch up with her and she'd soon resemble one of those zombies Mike killed in his video games. Aria was already sick to her stomach knowing Ezra was lying to her. What she needed to figure out just how serious his fib was.

Then she could eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's and figure out what she was going to do.

Staring up at the house she'd once almost lived at, Aria swallowed and fought against the memories. There had been so many good times in that house. Laughing, talking, being silly girls. There were days she wanted this nightmare to end, and be that girl again.

"You know you're scaring the neighbors, right?" The voice came out of nowhere, startling Aria from the past. "Is there a reason you've been stalking my house for the last twenty minutes."

Putting a hand over her heart, Aria snapped her attention to the body lounging against the railing and had to force herself to blink. There should be some kind of ordinance against Jason Delaurentis being in public without a shirt.

"Sorry, I was just getting up the nerve . . ." Stalling when her brain caught up with her mouth, Aria blushed and looked away.

"There was a time you didn't have any problem walking up my sidewalk." Watching her carefully, Jason crossed his arms over his chest, making his muscles bunch.

"Things change." Arai replied sadly.

His smirk diminished some. "Is there a reason why you're here?"

"I have an insane question to ask." Barely able to talk past the lump growing in her throat, Aria walked slowly up the path to the Delaurentis porch. Her eyes skipped to the swing on the far side of the house.

"Can't promise I have the answer, but shoot." Keeping his eyes trained on her, Jason watched as the tiny brunette fidgeted, her forehead scrunched as she tried to find the words.

"Did you ever reward anyone that money from your posters?" Her heart paused inside her chest as she watched the surprise flash across Jason's face before he was able to recover.

"Why?" Any previous sign of teasing evaporated from him, as he stood a little taller.

"You know what?" Aria rushed when words suddenly failed her. "It doesn't really matter."

Heading to the steps she'd just climbed, Aria felt his hand on her shoulder to prevent her escape. "Apparently it does."

"Jason, please." Not entirely sure if she was pleading with him to answer her question, or to just let the matter drop, Aria waited as he stared down at her.

"You know the police never recovered Ali's body." He answered slowly.

"That's not what I'm asking." Still half hoping he'd just tell her to leave, Aria pushed one last time. "Did you give someone the money?"

"Why? What's this about Aria?" His eyes narrowed and Aria knew the window of opportunity was up. In many ways Jason was polar opposite of Ali, but the one area where they were the same was their ability to read people and situations. This was one situation she really didn't want Jason to know.

"It's nothing." Licking at her lips, Aria pulled out of his grasp. "Really. I'm just being nosey."

Jogging down the steps before she could reach the landing, Jason positioned himself in her path. "Are you in some kind of trouble?"

Wanting to laugh and cry at the same time, Aria simply shook her head.

"Aria, seriously." Forcing her to tilt her head back and look at him in the eye, Aria swallowed the lie. "Talk to me."

"I can't talk to you about this Jason." Feeling cornered, Aria slipped past his larger frame and headed to the sidewalk.

"Aria." Pausing, her back still to him Aria waited. "I never rewarded anyone the money."

a*~~**~~*j

"Wait, I'm confused. I thought Ezra explained where the money came from." Shutting her locker, Hanna leaned against it.

"And he gave her some lame assed excuse." Spencer snorted, only to become uncomfortable at Aria's glare. "Please, if you didn't think it too you wouldn't have gone to Jason."

"But I thought you said he'd taken down the reward posters." Ignoring the heated glances between Aria and Spencer, Hanna shook her head.

"He did." Spencer shrugged. "Doesn't mean he didn't give the money to someone."

"And that doesn't sound sketchy to you?" Brow creased, Hanna looked at Spencer.

Knowing she was going to have to spell it out, she sighed. "Jason had the means to supply the money to Ezra. Just because he didn't give the money for information on Ali, doesn't mean he didn't use it."

"And again with the sketchy." Hanna's blue eyes hardened.

"If you think Ezra's lying why don't you just confront him?" Not feeding into Hanna's paranoia, Emily gave Aria a prodding look.

"Because he's hiding something." Aria mumbled.

A humorless laugh passed Spencer's lips. "There's a lot of that going around lately."

"Fine." Heaving a heavy sigh, Aria looked at the ground. "It's something else he said that makes me doubt him."

"Are you going to tell us, or should we start guessing?"

Wishing the ground would suddenly open up underneath her, Aria felt foolish. "Earlier that day he mentioned things were getting tight and we should combine resources."

The last thing Aria anticipated was the absolute silence which greeted her confession. Taking a peek up at her friends, she watched as they stared back at her in disbelief.

"He said what?" Spencer asked slowly.

"Do you need a hearing aide?" Hanna snapped, before rounding on Aria. "You didn't give that slim ball any money did you? You've been buying that lump on a log tons of stuff lately."

"Hey!" Arai cried out, her face burning with humiliation and anger. "Still my boyfriend."

"Some boyfriend."

"Hanna." Emily nudged her sharply. "We don't know the whole story."

Looking at her friend with heartfelt appreciation, Aria reminded herself Hanna was mad on her behalf. "Which is why I am digging for answers."

"While you're digging maybe you should push that no good -."

"Hanna." Quick to move, Spencer started to pull on the blonde's arm, getting her out of the line of fire. "Why don't we grab some coffee."

"Don't mind her." Aria watched as Emily tried to explain Hanna's anger, and knew had their places been reversed she probably say the same things. "She's just really protective of us."

"I know." Watching as Spencer, still tugging Hanna down the hall, turn the corner she turned her attention back to Emily. "What do you think?"

Looking uncomfortable being put on the spot, Emily struggled to find the right words. "I think we've been jumping to conclusions the last few months and have been wrong . . . a lot."

"Amen."

"I also think you should wonder why you're second guessing Mr. Fitz." Touching her shoulder lightly as she passed by, Aria instantly responded his name was Ezra on deaf ears.

Suddenly alone, Aria looked around the deserted hallway and sighed. The day was shaping up to be a suckfest. Turning the combination on her locker, Aria froze when the chip of her phone echoed in the hallway.

With unsteady hands, Aria reached inside her jacket pocket and stared at the screen. Her heart stopped beating.

Wanna play another game of Truth or Dare? We all know how the last one ended. A