I do not own Pretty Little Liars or these characters. Not written for money, only entertainment

Please enjoy the second chapter.

Aria sat straight up in her bed with a start, eyes wide open, smiling to herself she laid back down and remembered the events that had taken place the night before. Jason had come over for a home cooked meal but it had turned into something much more than that. Before he had gone home she had realized that she truly did want to be with him and not Ezra. Thinking about that realization she knew that she had to break up with Ezra that afternoon after school. Getting out of her bed she realized that she wasn't really sad to see the relationship end, it almost felt as though it was the right thing to do.

Ella Montgomery stood in her kitchen getting breakfast ready for her family and thinking back to the night before. Her daughter had finally stopped fighting between what her heart and head wanted while Byron and herself had come to the realization that they would rather their daughter be with Jason than Ezra. Setting the table she heard the stairs creak and Aria walked into the kitchen.

"Hi, Mom." Aria said as she seemed to float around the kitchen.

"Hi, Aria. You seem to be in a good mood."

'I am. I finally realized last night that I have known for some time who I really wanted, I just didn't want to admit it.'

'Well I'm glad that you are no longer in that state of unknowns as you put it.'

Mike and Aria decided to walk to school together that morning; they didn't need to speak because they both knew what the other was thinking. Mike was thinking about how happy his sister looked and how she seemed to not have a care in the world anymore. Aria was thinking about how Mike looked as though he was beginning to see the good side in life again and be happy and normal again. The siblings parted ways when they reached the school grounds, Mike to his friends, Aria to the man she had kissed several times the night before.

Jason and Aria walked into Rosewood High together so lost in conversation that she didn't even notice her friends standing by her locker waiting for her to hear how the dinner went. Spencer, Hanna, and Emily all watched as Aria walked in with Jason and couldn't believe what they saw. Spencer was the first to admit, to herself of course, that Aria looked genuinely happy for the first time in a long time. Hanna and Emily both looked from Jason and Aria to Spencer trying to figure out how in the world they were going to diffuse the fight that seemed to on the verge of happening.

Ending her conversation with Jason, Aria turned and headed to her locker to meet her friends who all had different expressions on their faces. Spencer looked as though she had just discovered this big secret while Hanna and Emily looked as though they were ready to jump in and start defending whoever they needed to in order to keep the peace.

Opening her locker Aria asked, "How did the studying go for your Chemistry test go, Spencer?"

"Good I guess. How about dinner last night? Is there anything you would like to tell us?" Spencer replied in a curious tone.

"Actually yes there is. But we don't have time to go into the details now, so I will tell you all at lunch." Aria told her three curious friends as she headed to class.

All four girls sat in their classes staring at the clock, lunch couldn't come soon enough. Spencer, Hanna and Emily all wondered what had happened the night before and why Aria was so willing to give up the information. Spencer was especially curious since it did involve her half-brother, a guy she was just getting to know in a different light than always accusing him of being a bad guy. Aria couldn't wait to tell her friends what had happened. She knew there was a slight chance that Spencer was going to throw a fit because Aria was in love with Jason, but she didn't care, she was done hiding.

Walking into the cafeteria all four girls sat down with their lunches and then the questions started coming from every direction.

"What happened?" Hanna asked with munching on her pretzels.

"Why did you walk in with Jason?" Emily asked while opening her water.

"You finally listened to heart, didn't you?" Spencer asked in a calm tone while staring at Aria.

Aria almost dropped her soda on her lap when Spencer asked her question. But without a second thought she answered, "Yes I did. I should have listened to it a long time ago. I know you and Jason are just getting use to each other as half-siblings and I don't want to mess that up, but I care about him and you. Please don't be mad about it."

Watching one of her best friends finally admit to liking Jason maybe even loving him Spencer couldn't hold those feelings against her. Plus if this morning had been any indication on how things would go between the two she was in no place to stand in their way. Two of the most important people in her life deserved to be happy.

Slowly replying, "I can't be mad at you for finally realizing who you really want. I'm just glad that Jason won't be moping around about you anymore. It was getting a little sad actually."

Aria reached over and hugged Spencer tight. "Thank you."

Looking at each other and then back to their other two best friends Hanna and Emily asked, "What about Ezra? You two are still together."

Turning to face the other two of their foursome, "I know, after school I'm going to go to Hollis or his apartment, where ever he is and break up with him. I don't want to hurt him but I want to be with Jason and we both deserve to happy."

Emily stared at Aria like she had three heads, "Two days ago you were sure you wanted to with Ezra, not Jason. You wanted to keep fighting for your relationship. What changed?"

"I did. I finally stopped fighting my feelings for Jason and stopped listening when my head would tell me that I needed to stay with Ezra because of everything that happened with his job."

Getting up and gathering her stuff Emily turned and looked straight at Aria, 'So you're going to break up with Ezra just because you guys have hit a couple bumps in the road? That's really low Aria.'

'Emily wait. Please. I know that didn't come out right and you have every right to be mad about how I'm ending it but you don't know what it has been like for me.'

'What do you mean what it's been like you for you? Ezra lost his job here because of your relationship, got fired from Hollis because of your father and can't find a job because you are still together. What is there not to get? You're running away from your problems just like Jason did when he was our age.' With that Emily turned and stomped out of the cafeteria.

Watching Emily walk away it was hard for Spencer and Hanna not to jump up after and make her see reason in Aria's decision, but looking at their friend they both realized that Aria wouldn't let Emily's outburst stop her from breaking up with Ezra.

After the last bell Aria sprinted to catch up with Emily, "Please, Emily understand I don't want to hurt Ezra, but do you really think it is better for me to stay in a relationship that doesn't make me happy just because of everything we both have lost?"

Turning towards her friend Emily finally realized why Aria was so okay with breaking up with Ezra, "You really do love Jason don't you?"

'Yeah I think I do. I think I have been in love with him since we were thirteen. I just never knew how strong it was till he returned.'

Reaching towards each other the two friends hugged and said they would meet up at Spencer's later after Aria had talked to Ezra.

Aria was standing in front of Ezra's apartment door trying to figure out how she was going to tell him about Jason and her decision that they shouldn't be together anymore when the door opened.

"Aria, what are you doing here? I thought we agreed we would do something together tomorrow."

"Ezra, we need to talk."

'Those words never have anything good to come after them so why don't you come in and we can talk in private.'

Entering the apartment that she knew all too well, Aria turned to face the man she had thought she was in love with.

"I'm not quite sure how to do this. But here goes…"

"Aria, stop. You want to break up don't you?"

"How did you? Who told you? I can't believe Emily, I thought she understood!"

"No Aria, Emily didn't tell me. You did or at least you have been since Jason DiLaurentis came back into town. I know you never lied to me about him but your feelings for him trump what you feel for me. For some weeks now I have been trying to block that out of my mind and focus on how to make you as happy as he seems to but I can't really compete."

Stepping towards a heartbroken Ezra, Aria explained, "I'm so sorry Ezra. I never wanted to hurt you. When we first started dating things were great and I loved being around you but anymore things have felt forced and not just on my side. You haven't seemed happy either."

Looking into Aria's still caring green eyes, "You're right. I don't think either of us have been happy but just going through the motions because neither of us had the courage to actually end things. You have Jason back in your life and I just got some surprising news of my own that I need to deal with. I think us breaking up would be the best thing."

Standing dumbfounded Aria asked, "You're really okay with breaking up? You aren't going to start yelling at me for being interested in another guy or about how I'm breaking your heart?"

"No Aria, I'm not going to yell at you. I can't yell at you because I know you didn't intentionally mean to hurt me. Just like you didn't intentionally mean to hurt Jason after the first kiss you two shared. Things happen, life changes and we need to change along with it. For us that just means that we are changing and growing apart."

Walking the rest of the distance between her and Ezra, Aria gave her first boyfriend a final hug and walked out of his apartment for the last time, knowing full well that she wouldn't be going back, but also that she wouldn't regret any of the time they had spent together.