Chapter One
One Door Closes, Another Opens

Ezra

"Well, Ezra, it certainly seems like you'd be an asset to us here," Principal White said. "May I ask, why the move from Pennsylvania to Georgia?"

I hadn't actually thought about how I would answer that question if they asked it. It was a fair question. Why was I moving a thousand miles down the coast at what seemed like the last minute?

"Um, my fiancée is actually transferring here to finish school," I said, almost without thinking. "And I'm not big on the long-distance thing. So I figured, I can teach anywhere. Why not try to get a job here?"

"And it's perfect timing for me, since one of our eleventh grade English teachers is retiring at the end of this year," Mr. White continued. "There's a licensing exam taking place here in Savannah the Wednesday after Memorial Day. Pending your passing that exam, well, it looks like you won't have to worry about making a long-distance relationship work with your fiancée. I would love to have you join us here at Jenkins High School."

I felt like I was on top of the world as I filled out the new hire paperwork in the office of Jenkins High. I wasn't worried about passing the exam. Teaching was what I did. I was confident I would pass the Georgia exam just as easily as I had passed the Pennsylvania one. Which meant this entire plan was falling into place beautifully. I'd kind of put the cart before the horse, signing a lease for an apartment here and getting a few things set up in it so I wouldn't have to stay in a hotel while I was making trips back and forth before actually knowing if I had this job. I'd just acted on faith and a gut instinct based on the Skype interview I'd done with Principal White a few weeks ago.

At least part of what I'd told the principal was true. Aria was moving here for school. And I wasn't big on the long-distance thing. The fiancée part? Well, I did plan on asking her to marry me this weekend, the day after her graduation. Whether or not she was ready to actually say yes was a different story. She was only eighteen, after all. It wouldn't change anything for me if she wasn't ready to make the commitment yet. I wasn't going to rush a wedding. I just wanted her to know that moving to Savannah to be with her wasn't on a whim. My near-death experience in New York had made one thing abundantly clear to me: I needed Aria in my life. She was the only thing in the world that I absolutely couldn't stand to lose.

And I almost had lost her, a few months ago. When Charlotte had kidnapped her and her friends and taken them to that godforsaken "doll house." I'd spent a heart-stopping three weeks working with Toby, Caleb, and Alison trying to find them. I was so sure I'd lost her. For those three weeks, it felt like I couldn't catch a breath. Part of me had been in that place with her. A part I got back the second I saw her run out that door and into my arms. I couldn't let anything like that happen again. Not ever.

Aria was the only one who didn't know about any of this. What had started out as me not wanting to say anything about this until I actually knew if it was going to work had turned into the world's most elaborate surprise. Not a graduation gift, since I'd gotten her one of those too, but close. I just hoped she wouldn't be too upset with me when she found out I'd been keeping something this huge from her.

I'd surprised even myself by working up the nerve to ask her parents what they thought of all this, including what they thought of me proposing. Her father…well, he hadn't punched me in the jaw. That was progress. And he'd also pointed out that, seeing as she was eighteen now, he couldn't stop me. Her mother had actually been glad she wouldn't be completely alone here in Savannah. That she would have someone here who loved and supported her no matter what and would always be there to help her if she needed it. Ella was even okay with me proposing (once I assured her that Aria wasn't pregnant) because she wanted Aria to feel secure about me being here. She wanted her to know that I was serious about this. Just like I did.

Serious as I was about this move and her, though, I wasn't going to ask her to move in with me quite yet. Not at least for a year. Part of the reason I'd decided not to tell her about this right away was because I didn't want to influence her decision to put a deposit down on the dorms. She hadn't had a very normal high school experience between the nightmare she'd been through with all of the A's and her relationship with me. I was going to make sure she got a relatively normal college experience, complete with living in the dorms and all the joys that came with that. Of course, my door would always be open if she ever needed an escape for a night or two, but I wanted her to find her own footing here in Savannah. Though how being engaged at eighteen (hopefully) factored into that, I wasn't quite sure. Okay, so I was making this up as I went along. But it made sense to me, sort of.

As I walked back into my sparsely-furnished new apartment a couple of hours later, my phone buzzed. I checked it, and it was a text from Aria. I'd told her I was in New York because a great aunt had died and I had to go to the funeral.

Weird having my last day in your class without you there. Love and miss you.

I smiled. God, I had it bad. I was kind of glad I wasn't with family right now. I knew Wesley would give me a hard time if he could see me. He knew about all of this too, and he thought I was crazy picking up and moving a thousand miles away for Aria. And the fact that I was about to ask an eighteen-year-old to marry me? He was ready to have me committed.

I love and miss you too, I wrote back to Aria. More than you know. I can't wait to see you when I get back tomorrow.

Speaking of Wesley, I did need to call him. I'd promised him I would tell him how the job interview went.

"Hey, man," he answered on the first ring. "So, spill. How'd it go?"

"I got the job," I told him. "Pending passing a licensing exam, which I have to come back here for in a couple weeks, I will be gainfully employed at Jenkins High School starting in mid-August."

"Congrats," he said. "So, what are you more nervous about? The exam or popping the question to an eighteen-year-old?"

"Well, teaching is what I do, so what do you think? And what's withyour hang-up about her age, Wes?"

"Dude, I'm just giving you a hard time. Someone has to. You know I think Aria's great. And I love seeing you so happy. I can't wait to give the most embarrassing toast possible at your wedding, whenever it happens."

"Oh, Christ," I chuckled. "Maybe I should just ask one of her friends' boyfriends to be my best man."

"Sure, if you want the world's most boring bachelor party," Wesley teased.

"Well, seeing as I have no desire to have a bachelor party at all, I couldn't care less. Bachelor parties are for people who are sad to see their single days pass. I'll be thrilled when mine are behind me."

"You are absolutely no fun," he chuckled. "So, seriously, do you know how you're going to pop the question yet?"

I smiled. Finally something I actually wanted to talk about.

"I think so, but I'm going to see how the conversation plays out," I told him. "I'm kind of dropping a huge bombshell on her, so I'll see how she takes that first."

"Why not ask her first? Then you won't have to worry about her being shell-shocked."

"Because it'll be too awkward if she says she's not ready for the commitment yet. What am I going to say then? 'Well, even though you just said you're not ready to marry me, I'm still moving a thousand miles away just to be with you'?"

Wesley laughed. "Yeah, you're right. That would be beyond awkward. It would be downright painful."

"Exactly. See, I'm using my brain here."

"Which is clearly why you're proposing to someone the day after her high school graduation."

I laughed. "Hey, you're still planning on coming to the graduation, right? I'm giving a pretty amazing Teacher of the Year speech. Kind of my farewell to the school."

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss the first moments of you not being your girlfriend's high school teacher anymore for the world," he teased. "Yes, I'll be there."

"Okay, then I'll see you on Friday morning," I said, completely ignoring his thousandth stab at her age. It was getting a little tired.

"See you then," Wesley said, still chuckling.

Aria

I walked into Ezra's apartment the night before my graduation with a sinking feeling in my stomach. I had a feeling he'd want to have a conversation I wasn't ready to have yet. He'd want to talk about what was going to happen in the fall when I left to go to school in Savannah. I knew we needed to talk about it, but I didn't want it to be now. Right now, I just wanted to concentrate on getting through tomorrow. That was hard enough without thinking about the fact that we were about to have to figure out the logistics of a long-distance relationship.

"Hey," he said, enveloping me in a hug the second I walked in the door.

I giggled as I returned the embrace. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you missed me."

Ezra laughed a little and kissed my hair. "You'd be right. I did."

"Look," I sighed. "I know we have to talk about me leaving to go to college, but can it wait until after tomorrow?"

"I have no plans to talk about that tonight," he assured me. "But maybe over the weekend? I have to go check on the cabin. I thought maybe you could come with me?"

I smiled; that sounded absolutely perfect. A weekend completely alone with him was exactly what I needed.

"Yes," I said. "That sounds perfect. What time should I be here on Saturday? I'd say I'd spend the night tomorrow, but somehow I don't think that's going to fly."

"Probably not," he chuckled. "And I'm sure you'll be up late tomorrow night. Is eleven okay? Or is that too early?"

"No, it's not too early. I'll be here with bells on."

"So, if memory serves, you won the last movie night coin toss," Ezra said, leading me to the couch and pulling me down onto his lap. "But, first, I wanted to give you this. I don't think tomorrow is really going to be the setting for it. I'm still your teacher for most of the day tomorrow."

He handed me a small wrapped box that had been sitting on the coffee table. I unwrapped it to find a cardboard jewelry box, but there was a piece of paper taped on top. I looked closer to find most of my favorite Shakespeare quote (which was from Hamlet, the last thing he'd taught in his class this year) written on the paper.

Doubt thou the stars art fire. Doubt that the sun doth move. Doubt truth to be a liar. But…

I opened the jewelry box and found a white gold necklace with a heart-shaped charm. And engraved on the charm was the rest of the quote: Never doubt I love. It was a perfect graduation gift. Sweet, thoughtful, and absolutely him. He was obviously trying to assure me that we would be okay without actually talking about it.

I chuckled a little as I wiped away the couple of tears that crept out. I couldn't even think of anything to say. "Thank you" didn't quite do this justice. So I just kissed him instead. He pulled me as close as humanly possible as he returned the kiss with enough fire and passion to incinerate this whole building.

"I love you," I said quietly when he let me talk.

Ezra smiled and kissed me again. "I love you too. More than anything. Happy graduation."

I took the necklace out of the box, and he took it from me so he could help me put it on. As soon as he fastened the chain around my neck, I just rested my head on his shoulder and we sat there in comfortable silence for a while. We didn't need to say anything else. It was like our souls had been merged into one. Words weren't necessary to tell each other how we felt. I was suddenly a lot less worried about us. We would make this work. Somehow. We loved each other with a passion that put the great literary couples we both loved so much to shame. This kind of love could survive anything.

As I stood waiting to enter the auditorium the next day, I'd never felt more alone in a crowd full of people. My friends and I were all spread out, organized by our last names. Ezra was speaking and handing out diplomas today (why he'd been drafted for that, he had no idea, but he'd agreed to do it), so he wasn't here as a monitor. There was no one I knew well anywhere near me. The closest person was Hanna, but there were about fifteen people between us.

Being alone meant it was all too easy to get lost in my head. And my head was a pretty scary place to be right now. In a few short months, I was going to be leaving this town, going away from everything and everyone I knew. It would be hard enough leaving my friends and family behind, but that paled in comparison to how hard it would be to leave Ezra. He had told me he didn't want me to factor him into my decision about college. He'd assured me that he would support whatever decision I made, and we would make our relationship work no matter how far apart we were. He had even told me he actually hoped I would go somewhere far away and try to get some distance from this town where so many horrifying things had happened to me.

Especially after last night, I knew our love would survive the distance. We would beat the odds. But everything was about to change. And I wasn't sure if I was ready for that. The past two years had been full of heartbreak and unknowns. With all the uncertainty of the past two years, I wished I had something that wasn't going to change. Something I could still count on. But I had nothing. It felt like the ground was collapsing under my feet and there was nothing I could grab onto to keep from falling down with it.

I heard "Pomp and Circumstance" start and I knew it was almost time. The teachers who were here as monitors scurried around making sure everyone had their gowns zipped and no one was wearing anything inappropriate. I quickly felt to make sure my necklace was still hidden under my gown and Magna Cum Laude rope. I couldn't have anyone asking where I got it quite yet. Ezra was still my teacher for another two hours.

I was thrilled to discover that with the way seating worked out, Hanna was right in front of me. Even though we couldn't talk, just the knowledge that someone I knew and loved was close by was encouraging. I was sure I would be a mess by the end of this ceremony between Ezra's Teacher of the Year speech and Spencer's Valedictorian speech.

I zoned out for about the first twenty minutes. The principal and vice principal both gave different versions of basically the exact same speech. How we were all starting new and exciting chapters in our lives and we were going to go and do amazing things in the world. But I was paying enough attention to hear Mr. Hackett introduce Ezra. The way he introduced him was a little strange. Almost like he was sad.

Ezra walked up to the podium and looked out into the sea of faces until he found me. He flashed me one of the smiles that had made me melt since the day I'd met him and took a deep breath. Then he spoke.

"Well, you guys have spent the past two years listening to me talk, so I'm going to be brief today. Um...I came here to Rosewood High as a brand new teacher, fresh out of college, two years ago, not having a clue what I was in for. I didn't expect this place to change me the way it has. I never expected to develop the relationships I've developed with you. I never expected to feel this kind of loss standing up here and saying goodbye right now. I've been fortunate enough to teach a lot of you for both of the years I've been here, and I've watched you grow and mature into the amazing young men and women I see sitting here now. I know you'll all find different and unique ways to contribute to the world. And I'm more honored and grateful than I know how to say knowing that I had the chance to have some small influence on your lives. I hope at least something you learned in my class stays with you and that someday, it'll actually prove useful.

"Anyone who knows me at all is going to expect me to leave you with a quote today. And I don't like to disappoint. So here it is. J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, 'It's a dangerous business...going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.' It is my fervent hope for all of you that you get swept somewhere new and different. That, just like the characters in Tolkien's books, you find yourselves on not just one, but lots of unexpected journeys. I hope you end up taking a wrong turn on a road trip and discover an amazing place you never would have found otherwise. I hope you spend some time abroad and learn about different cultures and try new things. But most of all, I hope that wherever you end up, you know beyond a shadow of a doubt it's where you belong. And now, it gives me great pleasure to introduce the Rosewood High School Class of 2012's Valedictorian, Miss Spencer Hastings. Thank you."

Everyone applauded as Spencer walked up to the podium and gave Ezra a hug. I was clapping, but something was weird. That speech felt more like a goodbye than it should have. To anyone who didn't know Ezra as well as I did, it wouldn't have seemed strange. But I knew him better than anyone. And to me, it seemed like he wasn't just saying goodbye to this class; it felt like he was saying goodbye to the school too.

"Wow, I'm not sure how I'm going to top that," Spencer said; everyone laughed. "But I can assure you, Mr. Fitz, that you've definitely left a mark on my life, and on all of my friends' lives. Some maybe more than others."

I felt myself blush, and I tapped Hanna on the shoulder. She turned around and I could see she was laughing a little. Neither of us couldn't believe Spencer had gone there. Ezra glanced in my direction and smiled. He clearly didn't mind. Then again, I wasn't his student for very much longer.

"Um, I remember last year, Mr. Fitz was teaching To Kill a Mockingbird and spent an entire lesson on two sentences in that book. I'm pretty sure I'll be old and senile in a nursing home and still remember the quote. I'll remember it because I thought, and I'm sure my friends did too, that he was reading our minds that day. That he knew how much we needed to hear those words. The quote was, 'I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.'

"I'm sure most of you sitting here know what my best friends and I have been through over the past two years, and you know that it's only recently ended. I'm not going to stand up here and talk about what happened to us. Trust me, nobody wants to hear that. Instead, I'm going to tell you what I learned from it. I learned that we're braver than we ever thought we could be, and stronger. Even when something seems impossible, I learned that we can handle it. We'll get through it. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. But I also learned that we don't always have to handle everything alone. I learned that there is nothing more valuable than having friends that we can trust. I love my best friends more than anything. I know that they're there for me no matter what. I know because they've been there for me when I've been at my absolute lowest. And I know that, even though we're all going to different corners of the world, the bond we all have will never be broken. Finally, I learned that there is nothing more important in this world than love. Love from your family, love from your friends, love from a boyfriend or girlfriend. There is nothing more valuable than knowing that, no matter how many people are torturing you or trying to get you to believe the worst things about yourself, there are people out there who love you. And when you find those people, never let them go. They are the most rare and precious gift in the world.

"Right now, we're all about to graduate. And we're all about to go our separate ways. Some of us will stay here in Rosewood and start jobs or go to school locally. Some of us will get as far away from here as humanly possible. And the thought of going into the unknown is scary. But you know what? We can do it. Because deep down in all of us is the same courage and bravery that my friends and I were forced to find. But we don't have to do this alone. We all have friends and family and loved ones who love us and are here for us. And even though we're all going to meet new and amazing people, the bonds we've forged over the past four years are going to stay with us. We won't forget our time at Rosewood High or what we've learned during our time here, either in the classroom or outside of it. I'm also going to leave you with a quote. This, I think, perfectly sums up what today is all about. It's about change, and it's about remembering what we've learned. And, as Leo Buscaglia said, 'Change is the end result of all true learning.' Thank you."

Well, I'd been right. I was a mess. I reached up to squeeze Hanna's shoulder, and she turned around. She was crying too. And then everyone in the room stood up to give Spencer a standing ovation. She'd nailed that speech. It was absolutely perfect.

I was too busy concentrating on composing myself to pay attention to what the mayor said. I was sure it was more of the same "making a difference in the world" thing we'd been hearing for the past half hour. I kind of zoned out through the first few letters of the alphabet, but when they got to the D's, I forced myself to pay attention so I could cheer when Alison's name was called. She walked up and got her diploma from Ezra and gave him a hug. Emily, Spencer, and Hanna all did the same. I had a feeling it was for my benefit, so I could hug him when I got up there without drawing attention to myself.

"Aria Montgomery," Mr. Hackett said.

I took a deep breath. This was it. I walked out and shook Mr. Hackett's hand, then walked over to where Ezra was waiting with my diploma and another of his heart-melting smiles. I hugged him, and he held me tight. Almost too tight. People might notice. But it seemed like he just didn't care anymore.

"I love you," he whispered right into my ear.

"I love you too," I whispered back.

He discreetly let his lips touch my temple as he pulled back, and I walked off the stage grinning. I didn't have anyone else to cheer for, so I zoned out for the rest of the students. It felt like an eternity later, though it was probably only half an hour, when they finally let us turn our tassels.

Afterwards, my friends and I found each other. We all complimented Spencer on her amazing speech, and then we took pictures with each other and our families. After about half an hour, Alison tapped me on the shoulder.

"Hey, Aria, I think there's someone else waiting for you," she said, smiling and looking to her right.

I looked over, and Ezra was across the courtyard, pretending to talk to other people, but clearly waiting for me. His brother Wesley was here too, standing about twenty feet away. Ezra had told me he wanted to come and be here for me, which was a little weird. We weren't that close. But we weren't exactly strangers either. And I was in a relationship with Ezra, so Wesley probably felt like he needed to come back here with Ezra and be here for this.

I turned back to my family. I wasn't sure how they would feel about this, and even though no one could stop me anymore, I didn't really want to push my luck.

"Aria, he's not your teacher anymore," my mom said. "It's okay. Go see him for a few minutes."

I looked at my dad, and while he looked like he would rather be at a root canal appointment than watch this, I could also tell he wasn't going to stop me. Then, I turned to look at the rest of my friends, who also smiled and nodded their approval.

Grinning like an idiot, I all but sprinted over to Ezra, who was waiting for me with open arms. I was a little surprised when he lifted me up about a foot and a half in the air and kissed me right there in the middle of a crowd of people. Even when he set me back down, he didn't let me go for a minute or so.

"Congratulations," he finally said, pulling back to look at me. "So, how does it feel?"

I giggled. "Weird. Especially right now."

He chuckled and kissed me again. Because that clearly wasn't what felt weird about this. I had to laugh. He was crazy. He would still have to look these people in the eye next year.

"Congrats, Aria," Wesley said, walking up to us and handing me a card.

"Thanks, Wes," I said, giving him a quick hug. "Thanks for coming."

"I wouldn't have missed this for the world. Your first moments of not having your boyfriend and your English teacher be the same person," he laughed.

Ezra and I both chuckled awkwardly. I hoped Wesley had enjoyed the show. Ezra had certainly given a very interesting performance just now.

"Watch yourself, Wes," Ezra teased.

"So, I hear you're moving to Georgia," Wesley said, clearly looking for an escape.

"Yeah, I am," I told him.

"How do you feel about that, Ezra?"

I looked at Ezra, and I could have sworn he looked like he wanted to strangle his brother. I couldn't understand what had made him so upset about that question. Maybe because he and I hadn't actually talked about how he felt about me moving a thousand miles away and this wasn't really the setting he wanted to do it in. He pulled me close against him.

"We'll figure it out," Ezra finally said. "We'll make it work."

"Oh, I'm sure you will," Wesley said, pulling out his cell phone. "So, come on, you two. Picture time. I'm pretty sure Aria's mom isn't going to get one for her scrapbook. Someone has to document this."

I expected Ezra to put up some sort of a fight about taking pictures. There wasn't really an abundance of pictures of the two of us, for obvious reasons. And the only ones we had were about seven months old, from the short time when he hadn't been my teacher and we hadn't been hiding from my parents. So we weren't used to taking pictures in the first place. And, well, Ezra was a man. But much to my surprise, he didn't even complain a little. Matter of fact, he even handed Wesley his cell phone to take a couple of pictures with. I did the same; I wanted photographic evidence of this moment too.

"I really wish I could stay over here, but I should probably get back to my family," I sighed. "I'll see you tomorrow, babe."

Ezra gave me one more kiss. "See you tomorrow. I love you."

I smiled; I'd never get tired of hearing him say that. Even after almost two whole years, it still boggled my mind.

"I love you too," I said, then turned to Wesley and gave him another hug. "Thanks again for coming, Wes."

"You're welcome," he said. "See you soon, Aria."

I walked back over to my friends and family, who were all smiling hugely.

"Thanks for that, guys," I said.

"You sure that was all the time you wanted with him?" Emily asked me, sounding confused.

"I'll have the whole weekend with him, Em," I said. "I'm fine. Today, I'm spending with all of you."

"So, I think you might want to see these," Spencer said, holding her phone out to me.

I looked, and she'd taken a few pictures of the first moments I was with Ezra. Him lifting me in the air, both of us wearing the world's biggest grins. Our kiss while he was still holding me a foot in the air. I couldn't help the couple of tears that came to my eyes. These pictures were amazing. We both looked completely happy and in love, and it wasn't forced or posed. It was just candid, a landmark moment in our life together caught on camera.

"Thank you, Spence," I sniffled. "They're priceless. Please send them to me."

"Why else do you think I took them?" she giggled. "They're already on the way. I'm surprised you haven't gotten them yet."

"She literally pulled out her phone and pulled up the camera the second you started walking over there so she could take those," Hanna said. "Even ran about twenty feet over there so she could get the right angle for the shot."

"And you should have heard the collective 'aww' over here," Mike chuckled. "I kind of wanted to throw up a little."

"The collective 'aww' was why you wanted to throw up? Not watching your sister kiss the guy who up until about thirty minutes ago was her English teacher?" Alison asked.

"Yes, if memory serves, you punched him in the jaw when you first found out," my mom said.

I couldn't help it. I started laughing, and so did everyone else. Only I knew why Mike had really done that. He'd done it to save Ezra from needing reconstructive surgery. But he'd told me that in the utmost confidence. I wasn't going to betray that confidence now.

My phone buzzed, and I checked it. The pictures had finally come through.

I hugged Spencer. "That's seriously the best graduation present anyone could have given me. Thank you so much."

"Wow, if I'd known it would mean this much to you, I'd have taken more," she said, rubbing my back.

"So Ezra's present doesn't beat that?" Hanna asked. "What did he get you, anyway?"

I chuckled. "Okay, you're right, Han. Sorry, Spencer, his does beat yours. He got me this." I pulled the necklace out from under my gown. "It comes from my favorite Shakespeare quote, the rest of which was written on the lid of the box."

The girls looked at it, and only Spencer got the reference. She was the only one besides me who liked, or could even tolerate, Shakespeare.

"Wow," she said. "That's…intense. He must really love you."

"Yeah," I agreed, smiling hugely. "He must."

Ezra

My heart was in my throat as we pulled up to the cabin. I was getting more and more nervous about dropping this bombshell on Aria, and about proposing. I was actually almost ready to chicken out and not propose today at all, but I knew it was an important part of all of this. It was the part that would show Aria just how serious I was about us. And, I reminded myself, it was okay if she wasn't ready to say yes right now. I was about 98% sure she wouldn't just flat out say no.

Aria had been dead silent on the way here. She was clearly nervous about this conversation too, but for a very different reason. She didn't want to think about us being that far apart. I did hope that she was at least a little excited about going to college even without knowing I'd be there, though. I hated the idea of her completely dreading the move to Savannah. It had, after all, been her choice.

"Hey," I said, turning to face her and touching her cheek. "You okay?"

She forced a smile. "Yeah. I'm just tired. I was up really late."

I chuckled. I knew that was at least partially a lie.

"Come on," I said, opening my car door. "I'll start the coffee."

We walked in, and neither of us said anything until we sat down on the couch with mugs of coffee in our hands fifteen minutes later. I was going to have to be the first to say something; she clearly wasn't going to start talking of her own accord. I took a deep breath to calm myself down.

"So," I started. "I know we've both been putting this off because neither one of us wants to think about it. But you were right on Thursday night. We do need to talk about what's going to happen in a couple of months."

Aria took a shaky breath. "I know. But you're right. I don't want to think about it. It's hard enough thinking about leaving my family and friends. Every time I think about being a thousand miles away from you, I just want to start crying."

"Are you even a little bit excited about it? About going to college?" I asked.

She sighed. "A little. But I'm more scared. I'm scared of everything changing. I've had enough uncertainty in the past two years. Now, I just wish there was one thing in my life that wasn't going to be drastically different. I'm going to be away from my parents for the first time, away from all of my friends and everyone I know. And I know you and I will make it work, but it's going to be different when we're not in the same town."

I smiled. There was my opening. She would have one thing that was staying the same. Us. We weren't changing. Well, maybe a little. But not in the way she thought.

"I know you're scared," I started, reaching to take her hand. "But you're going to get to meet so many amazing people. You'll keep in touch with your friends from Rosewood, but you'll make new friends there too. And you'll get to have all kinds of new experiences. Having at least one professor who makes absolutely no sense, but you're still somehow expected to pass his class. Sorority hazing. Trying to keep your drink from getting spiked at frat parties. Co-ed dorm bathrooms and showers. Your neighbors playing music way too loud at one in the morning when you have a math test at eight. Your roommate, who drives you completely insane, bringing a different guy back to your room every other night."

She chuckled. "Um, if your goal is to make me feel better about going away to college, it's not really working."

"I wasn't finished. If it ever gets to be too much for you, if you need an escape…" I pulled the second key I'd had made to my apartment in Savannah out and put it in her hand.

Aria gasped and her eyes got as big as saucers. I didn't say anything. I just let it sink in. I could tell she'd already made the connection.

"You weren't in New York this week, were you?" she finally said.

"No, I wasn't," I admitted. "I had my final interview with Jenkins High School in Savannah on Wednesday afternoon. And, pending a licensing exam, which I have to go back in a couple of weeks for, I have a job teaching eleventh grade English starting in mid-August. So, as it turns out, one thing in your life isn't changing quite as much as you thought."

Aria didn't say anything else; she just kissed me. She was clearly overjoyed at this news.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked when she broke the kiss a minute later.

"Well, I figured there was no point in getting your hopes up if this wasn't going to work out. So I wanted to wait until it was certain. And by the time I was fairly sure it would end up working out, I figured I'd just surprise you this weekend instead."

"Some surprise," she laughed. "And let me guess. You didn't want to influence my decision to put a deposit down on the dorms. You still want me to have a normal college experience."

"That's also true," I told her. "Between me and the nightmares you've been through with Mona, Shana, and Charlotte, you didn't have a normal high school experience. So, while this is my decision and I don't regret it for a second, I don't want you to miss out on a normal college experience because of me. You've already paid for the dorms for the first year, and you're going to live in them and enjoy all the horrors that come with that. Then, after your freshman year, if you absolutely can't stand it and want to move in with me, or even if you just want to move in with me anyway, I will gladly have you. But I meant what I said before. If you need an escape for a night or two or a quiet place to study before a big test, my door is always open."

Aria kissed me again. "I love you so much. But you realize you're crazy, right? Picking up and moving a thousand miles away just because that's where I'm going to be?"

And she'd handed me my other opening on a silver platter. My heart jumped back into my throat and I took another deep breath, trying to figure out how to word what I wanted to tell her.

"Maybe a little," I finally said. "But the past five months have made me realize something. Getting shot and almost dying changed me. Made me realize what's really important. While I was fighting for my life on that operating table, while I was under anesthesia, the only thing I kept coming back to was that I had to survive. I had to survive so I could see you one more time. Tell you I loved you one more time. And when I made it through, I thought my life was complete, that everything was as it should be. But then Charlotte kidnapped you and your friends. And for three weeks, I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. I couldn't breathe. You can ask Toby, Caleb, and Alison. I was a mess. I thought I'd lost you, and I couldn't cope. A piece of me was down in that place with you. And I didn't get it back until you ran out and into my arms."

"Ezra—" Aria started.

"There's a point to what I'm saying," I cut her off. "The point is, everything that's happened since New York made me realize something. It made me realize that you're the one thing in this world that I absolutely can't stand to lose. I don't know if I could survive losing you again. That's why I'm moving to Savannah. And that's why I want to ask you something. You don't have to give me an answer right now, and I'm not trying to rush you into anything, but if anything is going to show you that I've never been more serious about anything in my life than I am about moving to Savannah to be with you, it's this."

I took one last deep breath and pulled the ring box out of my pocket. My palms were sweating and my stomach was in a knot as I got down on one knee in front of the love of my life, opening the box to reveal the ring. But nervous as I was, I knew. This time, it was right. It hadn't been right with Jackie, but it was right now. Because Aria was the one I was meant to be with. I was as sure of that as I was sure the sky was blue.

"Aria Marie Montgomery," I said, sounding as nervous as I felt, "will you marry me?"

Aria wiped some tears from her eyes and was quiet for a few seconds. But not for nearly as long as I thought she'd be.

"I don't know which is more unbelievable," she said. "The fact that you're proposing to me literally one day after I've graduated from high school, or…the fact that I'm saying yes. Absolutely, completely, one hundred percent, yes."

She leaned to kiss me and I stood back up, pulling her up with me. I literally couldn't contain my joy. With our lips still locked, I picked her up as I turned around and sat back down on the couch, pulling her down into my lap.

"I love you so much," I said, half-laughing.

Aria kissed me again, giggling. "I love you too. More than I can even wrap my head around."

I realized that I was still just holding the open ring box, and I handed it to her.

"So, are you actually ready to wear that, or…?" I asked. "Like I said, I'm not trying to rush anything. I want to at least wait a couple of years. Maybe until you're old enough to actually have a glass of champagne at our wedding."

"I'm right there with you about waiting for a while, but I wouldn't have said yes if I wasn't ready to wear the ring," she said, starting to take it out of the box.

"Wait, that's my job," I teased, taking the ring from her. I slid it on her finger and then kissed her hand.

"I do have to say, I'm not looking forward to telling my dad, though," Aria chuckled.

"Oh, he already knows," I told her. "So does your mom."

"You actually asked my parents?"

"Yes, I did. And I figured it was progress when your dad didn't punch me in the jaw or throw me out of the house."

She laughed. "Yeah, you're right. That is progress. What did he say?"

"He just rolled his eyes and told me that you're eighteen now and he couldn't stop me. Your mom was actually happy about all of this, once I promised her you weren't pregnant. She's glad you're not going to be completely alone in Savannah. That you're going to have someone there who loves you more than anything else in this world and will always help you when you need it."

"You really are a hopeless romantic. And it's one of the many reasons why I love you."

"Well, I told you we'd make this work, didn't I?" I teased.

She chuckled. "You did. And you've just changed how I feel about moving to Savannah completely. I'm actually excited about it now."

"I'm glad," I told her, kissing the tip of her nose. "Because you're going to love it there. I think I'm going to be in a three-way with you and your camera."

"You definitely don't have to worry about competing with my camera."

"No?" I smiled.

"Nope," Aria giggled. "Last I checked, I can't do this with my camera."

She changed her position on my lap so she was straddling my legs and kissed me again. I laughed, happier than I'd ever been in my life, as I picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.