A/N: Thank you so much for the sweet reviews, that means a lot. :) I waited a bit to write chapter two to see if I should continue. The italics mean that I switched to a narrative POV. Thank you again, Allison

Chapter 2 - Aria's POV

I woke up at 5:30, way too early, and started to get ready for school. I remembered that I have to go to Ezra's after school today.

I didn't know how or what I was going to tell him about all of this. I want to tell him that Chris is the cause of the bruises on my body.

Ezra asks about them a lot, but I always tell him I fell off my bike or something stupid. He lets the subject go, because he can tell I don't want to talk about it.

I am almost positive Ezra saw Chris and I's ordeal. My window was open, he had to have heard. That might make it easier to tell him, since he already knows what's coming.

I couldn't focus all day. I just wanted to go to Ezra's.

PLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLLPLL

I drove home and went straight to Ezra's after school. I knocked on his door and he came within a few moments. He greeted me with a hug and I walked inside.

I sat down on his couch and he got us some water. Ezra sat down next to me, not saying a word. I looked straight ahead of me, not wanting to talk just yet.

"So...let's talk," he said.

"Uh, y-yeah, let's talk."

I took a deep breath. Several, actually. I took a sip of water and closed my eyes.

"You know my step-dad, Chris...he, uh, he gets drunk almost every night. He doesn't know what he's doing half of the time. He comes up to my room a lot, and gets angry at me."

I didn't even feel the tears rolling down my face. I was taken out of my trance when Ezra scooted closer to me and wiped my tears away. I took some shaky breaths, and drank some more water. Ezra calmed me by running his hands up and down my shoulders.

"He hits me," I said suddenly.

"He hits me all the time. He gets angry for no reason, and he hits and punches me. It happens every night and-"

I felt his lips on mine. He kissed me. He's kissing me. What's going on? He's still kissing me.

He pulled away, and I could tell I looked confused and surprised.

"I'm sorry," he said, seeming to be shocked himself that he kissed me.

"It's okay, it was instinct," I said, brushing it off.

"Oh, um...yeah. Instinct," he said, knowing it was much more than that.

Ezra has secretly liked Aria for a while now. He's been wanting to tell her, but the timing was always wrong. He couldn't tell her from his bedroom window to hers, or at a time like this.

Ever since 7th grade, Ezra has admired Aria. They've always been neighbors, but Ezra wants it to be more than that. Way more. He thinks about her all the time. He asks her over a lot just so he can see her and spend time with her. Ezra would do almost anything for Aria, and he didn't know it yet, but that would be put to the test later.

"Should we call the police about this?"

"No, no that'll only make it worse," I said.

"He needs to understand that he can't hurt you like this," Ezra said, angry.

"Please don't say anything. I don't want anyone else but you to know about this. Okay?"

Ezra sighed, defeated. He wanted to protect her, but if he did, she would get angry.

"Okay," he said, and sighed once more.

"I just want to get my mind off of all this," I said.

"Okay, what do you want to do?"

"Can we play a board game?," I asked.

"Yeah, of course, which one?"

"Hm, how about Hungry, Hungry Hippos?"

Ezra laughed and said with a smile, "Of course, whatever you want."

Damn, that smile gets me everytime. Since seventh grade, I've liked Ezra. Everything about him is perfect. What's the use, though, he'd never like me.

He came back with the game, and we played for about an hour. My phone rang, and I looked to see who it was. Chris. Fuck.

"Hello?"

"Where the fuck are you?"

"I'm at Ezra's, we were playing a board game," I calmly said.

"Do you think I care if you were playing a dumbass borard game? No. Get home, and then go to store and get me my vodka. You know the kind I like."

I knew this was a giant mistake, but I did it anyway.

"No," I said.

"What did you say to me?"

"I said no. I'm not getting you alcohol, I'm not old enough."

"Get. Home. Now."

I hung up. I knew I'd have to pay later, but in that moment, I couldn't care less.

"I have to get going"

"Wait," Ezra said, seeming worried.

"Yeah?"

"Let me walk you home. I want you to be safe."

"Okay, thank you," I said in almost a whisper.

He put his hand on the small of my back as we walked out the door.

We walked in silence, but it was a comfortable one. Once we got to my door, Ezra tensed up. He knew what was coming when I walked in. He hugged me and kissed the top of my head.

"Please, be safe. Please," he said, his eyes brimming with tears.

"You know I will."