Hey! Here's what I wish had happened in 3x24, when Aria was breaking up with Ezra. Hope you like it! Please Review and let me know what you think :)
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Pretty Little Liars or any of the characters in this story.
Aria sat on a bench, waiting for Ezra to meet her. She was trying to keep calm, but she was really upset. How could he not tell her that he was offered the job at Rosewood High? And, could he really be considering not taking it? He had a son to provide for, he wasn't exactly in a position to decline. Worst of all, if he declined the job, Aria knew it would be for her, and she couldn't watch as he ruined his life for her. That would make her everything his mother thought she was. She was deep in thought as Ezra approached her.
"Hey!" he said, standing in front of her. When she stared at him silently, he sat down.
"Is everything okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice as he put a hand on her back.
Aria looked him straight in the eyes. "Why didn't you tell me that they offered you the job." she asked, quietly. As she watched, Ezra's expression went from concerned, to surprise, to something that seemed to be guilt.
"Because I don't think I'm going to take it...and I didn't think that you should share in the burden of that decision." he responded, looking down.
"You need a job, Ezra." Aria said, emphatically.
"Yeah, but you know what would happen to us if I end up back at Rosewood." he responded, evenly. "Things are different now, people know about us." As he said this last part, Aria's face twisted in a way that meant she was about to cry.
"Hey, don't cry. Don't cry. We're okay." he soothed, placing his hand on her back.
"No we're not. Nothing about us feels right anymore." Aria said, looking up at him.
"I'm sorry." Ezra said.
"It's not your fault." Aria replied.
"I want to fix this." Ezra said, a look of determination on his face.
"I know." Aria said, sadly "I know, but you can't." she said, looking into his eyes, trying to communicate that this wasn't his fault. "We've been chasing what we used to have ever since you found out about Malcolm but...I just don't, I don't think we can ever get that back.
Ezra looked down, sadly. "Things aren't easy but, they can still be good." he said, hoping he could convince Aria that they could get through this, just like everything else.
"It shouldn't be this hard." Aria choked out, shaking her head as tears continued to spill down her cheeks. In that moment, Ezra felt truly horrible, and hated himself for putting Aria in this kind of a position. She was only 17, and she had to deal with her boyfriend having a child, not to mention everything else they'd been through.
Ezra paused for a moment, putting his head in his hand. Finally he spoke. "If-If you're not happy anymore...you know that's what matters most to me." He knew it was the right thing to do. He couldn't make her stay with him, especially not if she was unhappy. Her happiness was the most important thing to him, and he would never be able to live with himself, knowing that she wasn't happy.
Aria looked deep into his blue eyes. "Hey, I love you just as much as I always have." she said. "And that's why I want you to take this job."
Ezra knew she was telling the truth. She did love him, and she wanted what was best for him. It was one of the many things he'd admired about her, her need to make everything okay for everyone, even if it hurt her. But that was why he had to make her realize that he wanted nothing but her. She was everything for him. He sat there, thinking of a way to communicate what he felt.
After a moment of silence, Aria got up and started to leave.
"Aria, wait." Ezra said, grabbing her hand. Aria turned around and waited for him to speak.
"I love you." he said, staring into her eyes, trying to communicate just how much he loved her, because words were not enough to express his feelings for her. "And I know that this must be really hard for you, and it's completely unfair for me to put you in this kind of a situation. But I just really need you to know how much I care about you. I want to make things right." he said, standing up.
Aria took a deep breath. "Ezra, you need to think about yourself for once. You need to just stop and think about what'll happen if you always put me before everything and everyone else. You have a son. And you need to be able to provide for him. How will you do that if you don't have a job?"
"I know. But there'll be other jobs. If I don't take this job at Rosewood High, I can always be a substitute for schools in the district." he reasoned.
"But you know that's not a reliable job. There'll be days when they need you, but what'll you do on the other days?" Aria said. "How can you support your son without a stable job. Malcolm needs his father." she said firmly.
"But his father need you." Ezra replied, evenly. "I can't live without you, Ar. You're the reason I get up every morning, the reason I live."
Aria didn't know what to say to that. Ezra, taking advantage of her speechlessness, pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her. Aria broke down and cried into his chest. They stood like that for a long time, not caring about who may or may not be watching.
Finally, when Aria's sobs were reduced to a quiet sniffle, she pulled away slightly. "Are you sure that this, us, can work?" she asked.
Ezra nodded without hesitation. "I know it can work. I can't live without you." he said. Aria smiled, and tilted her head up so she could press a soft kiss to Ezra's lips.
I hope you liked this! Ezria needs a happy ending :) Let me know what you think in the review :)