Hey! Thank you for all the amazing comments on the first chapter. I'm sorry I haven't updated in two weeks but I've been incredibly busy! I'm planning on updating every Sunday from now on because that is my only free day of the week.

Well here is the next chapter of 500 Days of Aria. I hope you all like it! And don't forget to review! :D

Day 254

"Dammit, Aria! What did I even do!" he screamed at her from across the hallway of his apartment; tears streamed down her face.

"Ezra, stop, please! I had to leave. I needed to get away from here! Away from everything! Away from you," she retorted in the same volume as he did. Aria had just gotten back after a month of being gone; she just picked up and went back to Rosewood. She needed to clear her head; their relationship was getting way to serious way to fast. She wanted a casual relationship. Yes, she loved him, but she had never been in a relationship like this one. Before she left, she didn't even say goodbye. She didn't answer his calls, texts, or emails when she was away. She left him in the dark; he had no idea if she was even alive for that matter.

"Aria, you had me so scared! I don't know what would happen if I were to lose you! And I thought I had!" His tone was harsh but then softened. He walked closer to her, closing the distance between them. "Things were going so well. Please, Aria, why did you leave?" He loved her and he was not going to let her go.

She stroked his cheek and traced his lips with her fingertips. "Ezra, I had to know what this was… I had to know what I wanted, if I could stay away from you–"

"Stay away from me?" Ezra cut her off, confused.

"Yes. I needed to see if I could be away from you. I suffered all month. I missed you like crazy. That was what I needed to figure out. I thought about you every second I was gone. I know my leaving doesn't make any sense right know, but it will." Aria grabbed his hands and intertwined their fingers.

"Aria, I…" He stopped. He looked into her eyes and he could tell she was hurting as much as he was. Ezra took her face into his hands and kissed her passionately. He pulled her closer, running his hands through her hair and tracing her body. He remembered every inch as if it was ingrained in his memory; it felt as if she had never left.

They hadn't touched or kissed or talked in a month. This was just what they needed, something that would show them exactly what how much they loved each other.

Day 9

The rain pounded the windshield of his car as he sat in the typical New York City traffic trying to get to work on time. Yellow taxis surrounded him; cars were bumper to bumper for as far ahead as he could see. He blasted the heater and put his car in park; he was going to be here for a while. Ezra leaned back and closed his eyes for a minute. Car's honked all around him. The traffic was moving again. He put the car in drive and began to drive down the street again. He only moved half a block until he put his car in park again. He should have just taken the subway.

"Shit," Aria cursed under breath as she stepped outside into the monsoon. The rain soaked her just as she stepped out of her new apartment building on 6th Avenue between 31st and 32nd. She started to run, her bag clutched close to her, hoping the rough copy of her book wouldn't get drenched. She was in such a rush to get to her editor's office, and she didn't want to waste any more time running back up to get an umbrella. Besides, the 1 train wasn't that far, right…?

It had already been a half hour since he left his apartment, and he had only gone five blocks. This was ridiculous. He was seriously thinking about parking anywhere and taking the 1 train uptown.

Aria ran three blocks in the sloshing rain before she decided to take cover under the awning of the 6th Starbucks she passed along the way. She opened her bag to find that the rough draft of her novel was still perfectly in tact. Thank God. She closed her bag and began squeezing the water from her hair, her coat, and her scarf. She was bracing herself to sprint the next block and avenue when she heard her name being called.

"Aria? Hey, Aria!" She searched around for the speaker. She looked up, down, left, and right, before landing on an open car window and saw…Ezra? Could it be? The boy she had met in Rosewood before she left for New York was sitting in his car in the traffic, motioning for her to come over. She hurried over and jumped into the passenger's seat, quickly shutting the door to the teeming rain. "Ezra?"

"Fancy meeting you here," he smiled his boyish smile.

"Serendipity, I guess," she said, smiling, still in disbelief, "So, what are you in New York for? We never really got around to talking last time…" He noticed she was shivering so he turned the heater up on full blast. He put the car back into drive and went the next half a block uptown.

"I got a job out here. Finally gave me a chance to move. How about you?"

"That's great! I'm working too; I got a job at a publishing company. I was actually supposed to be at the office before nine to show the rough draft of my book to my editor," Aria elaborated, slapping down at the ream of paper in her bag, "But seeing that it is nine fifteen, I'm sopping wet, and we stuck in a shit load in traffic, I don't think I'll make it in time." She took off her wet overcoat.

Ezra looked at her. He had forgotten how beautiful she was, how poised, how intelligent, how incredibly perfect she was. He reached in his back seat and grabbed a spare jacket he had and handed it to her.

"Wow, you've got a lot going on," he laughed. He still couldn't believe they found each other again. "So where is this office?" The traffic started moving again.

Aria was texting on her phone very fast, water dripping from her hair onto the screen. "Actually, I just got a text from my editor. I don't have to go in today, but thanks for the offer." She locked her phone and threw it in her bag. "Where are you headed?" she questioned, cocking her head.

"Well I was heading to work, but seeing as I am also very late, I might just call in sick," he answered.

"Don't miss work because of me!"

"Who said it was because of you?" He exclaimed. She gave him a knowing look. "Okay, well you showing up might have something to do with it." He heard her laugh from the passenger's seat.

"So where are we going?"

"Do you want to grab some coffee?" he asked her.

"That'd be great. We should catch up," she said sincerely; he looked over at her and their eyes locked for a moment.

"So that's your book?" Ezra exclaimed, glancing over at the huge stack of paper. It had to be about five hundred pages. Aria nodded, beaming. "You want to read it?" she asked eagerly.

"I'd love to," Ezra confessed. "Do I get it signed by the author?"

"Only if you let her pick the coffee place."

"Deal."

"There's this really nice place I like to go to on Madison between 40th and 41st. Right by Bryant Park. I go there every morning, and they have really good stuff. Oh that's it!" Aria pointed just like a five year old at a sign that read Mara's Corner. Ezra squeezed into a parking space, and they ran as fast as they could through the rain into the warm, cozy coffee shop. The small bell above the door jingled as they walked in.

"Hey Aria, how are you doing today?" Ted, the barista, greeted Aria from behind the counter; he and Aria were already on a first name basis.

"I'm well, thanks. I got out of work today and ran into a friend."

"The usual, then?" He asked, as she and Ezra sat in a little booth by the window.

"Um… yes, that would be amazing, Ted. Ezra, what do you want?" She asked, looking over at him across the booth.

"I'll have whatever Aria's having," Ezra called over to Ted, who began working on their drinks.

"So," Ezra continued, pulling the typed manuscript from Aria's bag, "this book. What's it about?" He asked, flipping through the pages. He looked into her beautiful green eyes from over the pages.

"Well…" She began.

He got lost in her words; he held on to them as she told the captivating story (the abridged version, of course.) There was no word to describe her voice, her eagerness, the pride she had in her work. She was magnificent.

Day 389

"I have some exciting news to share with you," Ezra announced to his class, "But I need your help because I'm clueless. You all remember Miss Montgomery, right? She came in about two months ago to talk to you. Well… I'm going to ask her to marry me." The class erupted with excitement. "Okay, okay! Calm down! It hasn't happened yet! I need ideas. How do I do this?"

"Top of the empire state building!"

"Middle of the ice at Rockefeller center?" "Or Wollman rink!" "It's April, dipshit."

"Okay! Let's be kind to one another. I'm still your teacher."

"Bridge at central park!"

"Skywriter!" "Airplane banner!"

"Take her to a Knicks game!"

"Top of the Rock!"

"Crown of the Statue of Liberty!" "You can't go to the crown of the Statue of Liberty anymore, idiot."

"Steps of the MET?" "NO! The European sculpture room in the MET. It's gorgeous."

"Okay, these are all great ideas, but given my teacher salary, we can rule out skywriter and airplane banner. And Aria can't tell the difference between a basketball and a football, so no Knicks game."

"Mr. Fitz?" A boy sitting in the back of the room raised his hand. "I have an idea."