Aria

Aria was on her way back to Rosewood after four years of college in Savannah. The four year break from Rosewood was just what she needed to feel like a normal person again. Four years with no A. Four years of freedom. Four years of guys her own age. That thought still replayed in her head over and over. She had dated guys in college but she was never in a relationship with any of them. Ezra would always have her heart and there was nothing she could do about it. Every guy she went out with, she found herself comparing to her high school English teacher. They had kept in touch somewhat. She'd get a message from him once in awhile asking how she was doing and she would lie and say she was good. They'd send Happy Birthday or Merry Christmas texts every year but other than that, there wasn't much communication. She hated to admit that she sometimes stalked him to find out whatever she could. It was okay to still care about the guy after everything they'd been through wasn't it?

She wasn't sure what it would be like to be back home and she wasn't even sure if she wanted to be back there where everything went down but something was pulling her back to the only place she had ever called home. After talking to the girls, they all decided to go back and give it a try. The four of them stayed in close contact with one another. They spent every holiday together and almost every second of their free time Skyping or texting one another. None of them had returned to Rosewood since they left. Their parents and loved ones had visited them a few times and understood their reasons for not wanting to come back so they had no reason to return.

'Charles' had long since been locked up and they really were free from A, but that didn't mean she didn't jump the second her phone dinged from the passenger seat beside her. She didn't even want to check it.

She was parked in her apartment building parking lot before she even dared reach for it. She and Spencer were going to be roommates for the time being until they could find something better. Team Sparia was back together again and ready to fight the battles that came with being adults. She and Toby were still together but he was working as a detective in New York and she wasn't ready to move there with him yet. She didn't even like New York. Hanna and Caleb were still together and Caleb had stayed in Rosewood and had been working as a hacker on the police force since the dollhouse incident. Hanna was getting impatient while waiting for a diamond from her long-term boyfriend and she was driving the three of them crazy. Emily was a swim coach and had been traveling around the world to do volunteer work. She didn't have a girlfriend at the moment just because her focus was on other things. Aria was a photojournalist and enjoying every minute of it but she was still missing something. Something was always keeping her from being truly happy. None of them had been in contact with Ali since they left so no one knew what she was up to.

College was difficult for Aria in many ways. She had learned that being normal was the hardest thing she had ever had to do and trying to act her age was impossible. She'd look around her at the college students and all she could think about was how dumb they were. She tried to be one of them but she couldn't. It wasn't fun for her. Her frat party days had began and ended with Riley.

She pulled her phone out of her purse and took a deep breath before reading the text.

From: Spencer Hastings

I'll be in Rosewood in an hour. Where are you?

Breathing a sigh of relief, she typed back a quick response.

To: Spencer Hastings

I'm in the parking lot trying to decide whether to unpack or get coffee first. What time are Hanna and Emily going to be back?

She was not looking forward to unpacking her car. She had too much stuff to think about what she was going to do with all of it. Their apartment wasn't tiny, but it wasn't huge either. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, an open living room and kitchen and that was pretty much it. She hadn't seen it since they had rented it, but it was in the same building Toby's had been in so she knew it was a pretty nice place.

From: Spencer Hastings

Hanna is on the road but Emily hasn't left yet.

Aria groaned. She was too excited to see them again. She was tired of waiting. She had so many people to see and so much to do, she was both frightened and full of adrenaline at the same time.

She walked over to the offices to pick up their keys and then started taking some of the things into her apartment. She was definitely in love with the place because she could call it home. She had been living in a dorm room for four years and had hated every second of it. Her roommate, Christy, respected her space as Aria did Christy but they weren't on the same planet and didn't get along too well. It was in part because Aria had already decided that if it wasn't Hanna, Spencer, or Emily she wouldn't like them so therefore, she didn't try to.

Being there before Spencer gave her the advantage of getting the room with the walk in closet so she was grateful for that. Spencer wasn't going to care much anyway.

Some things she left in the car while she headed towards The Brew to pick up some coffee before meeting her mom. Her dad was at a conference so she wasn't going to see him for a few days but her mom was the one she missed more than anything.

She walked inside and pushed her aviators on top of her head. Her heels clicked across the hardwood as she walked up to the register, digging through her purse to find her wallet. She wore her short, pink and black lace dress purposely because everyone that knew her, knew her sense of style was eclectic and a little insane. She wanted to show that she had a sense of style but it was a lot calmer than she used to be. She looked back on pictures of herself and realized just how out there she really was. Especially for her senior year.

"Aria?"

She would recognize that voice anywhere. She didn't want to look up but she did and immediately regretted it. Why would she think that the owner wasn't going to be working? Although, it wasn't like there was anywhere else to get coffee so she couldn't avoid The Brew forever. The only other place had coffee that tasted like burnt bread.

"Ezra," she mumbled. His blue eyes pierced through her and her heart rate sped up. If anyone could read her, it was Ezra. He could read every thought, every emotion. He knew her better than she knew herself.

There was a moment of awkward silence and she had to look away. Not a lot had changed in the four years she had been gone. The books on the bookshelf seemed to be updated and there were a few new things hanging on the wall but that was about it. He hadn't changed much at all. He was still the same adorable guy he had been when she left. If anything, time had treated him well. It wasn't fair that after so much time, he looked better than he did before. He wore the same haircut he had worn since Homecoming and his scent was all too familiar. Why was so hard to move on? She still remembered every second, every kiss, every touch, every conversation and every fight. She remembered it all no matter how hard she tried to forget it.

"How are you?" he asked.

She looked back at him and sighed. "I'm good," she lied.

"Aria."

She laughed softly to herself and sighed. "I've been afraid of my phone ever since I passed the sign that said 'Welcome to Rosewood' and it's freaky knowing about everything that's happened but I'm good. I get to see the girls and…" she met his eyes before going on while the lump in her throat grew. "other people that I've missed."

He smiled softly. "We should catch up sometime. It feels like we haven't talked in ages."

"Yeah. I would love that." Her eyes jumped to his left hand ring finger on their own and she couldn't explain the relief she felt when there was no wedding band. That didn't mean he wasn't with anyone but it meant something to her. She knew it was over. She realized that and she embraced it. She just missed him and she hadn't realized how much until seeing him again. They had made so many memories, just in The Brew, never mind everywhere else, it was hard not to replay them in her head.

"Do you want your usual?"

Her eyebrow arched and she smiled. "You remember it?"

"I remember a lot," he said, a sad tone in his voice.

There was a long moment of silence between them and the only noise that could be heard was the background music in the empty café. "Yeah. The usual."

He turned around and grabbed a cup and she swallowed the lump in her throat while he made it. She didn't know that seeing him again would make her so emotional. She didn't want him to have that kind of effect on her but he did and always would. He was her first love, of course there was going to be some kind attachment between the two of them, right?

He passed her the drink and she smiled at him. She really had to get out of there before she said or did something stupid. The way he was looking at her made her want to fall in his arms and tell him how much she missed him and still loved him. He had moved on. He was now a published author and working at Hollis again, at least that's what his Facebook page said. Why couldn't she get past his beautiful eyes and smile that melted her heart?

Instead of leaving, she took a seat at one of the tables and Ezra followed. There was no way she could do this. She couldn't even look at him without forcing the tears away. She didn't want to breakdown in front of him because then she'd have to tell him why. Ezra cared too much to just let her cry and not console her. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her. Hell, he took a bullet for her and her friends. It didn't matter how much time passed, he would always be there for her. She knew that even without his words so why was it so hard for her to just sit with him?

She just wanted to start over. She didn't want to not have him in her life, she just wanted to be friends and forget about everything they'd shared. Just a new beginning.

"Aria," he murmured softly.