I am SO sorry for not updating sooner. School has be crazy already. But here's chapter 2 so I hope you like :)

Numerous miles and many ignored phone calls later, Aria finally headed on route home after realising she had left her purse there, and she was running low on gas. After taking as many detours as possible along the way, Aria eventually arrived home, slamming the front door behind her, ignoring the constant string of questions her parents were now shouting behind her about where she had been, and why she was home so late. Sharply closing her bedroom door upon entering it, she fell onto her bed, tears streaming down her face. The red digits on the alarm clock by her bed caught her eye, '1:43am'. Had she really been out that late? Somewhere on her dazed journey, she had lost track of time and had been driving around for five hours.

Her phone beeped in her back pocket and she reached down to retrieve it. Looking at the screen, she was shocked to find 17 missed calls, and 24 unread messages, the majority from Ezra, and the rest from her parents. She deleted them all and lay back in her bed, curling up under the sheets.

Somehow, through the tears and painful memories running through her mind, Aria managed to find soothing in rest, and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

Aria winced as she opened her eyes to the morning sunlight drifting through her partially open curtains. Memories and realisation of the night before hit her after her relaxing sleep, instantly spoiling what had been a somewhat happy mood.

Pushing the covers from on top of her body, Aria swung her legs over the edge of the bed and lifted her cell phone from the ground, where it had fallen at some point during the night. Aria ran a hand through her hair, reading the ten unread messages from Ezra, All something similar to 'Hey we need to talk.' 'Aria, please come over.' 'We can fix this.'

Aria closed her eyes tightly and inhaled deeply. Maybe she had over reacted. Ezra didn't act that way when he found out she had kissed Jason, so why was this getting to her so bad? Was it because she felt so insecure next to Jackie? Was it the fact the Ezra had nearly married this women? Either way, Aria, being the stubborn girl that she was, refused to apologise until Ezra did first. It took every inch of her control to not dial his number and apologise for getting so mad, or go to his apartment and just throw her arms around him. No matter how much she wanted to, she wouldn't do that, because that would be a sign that she had given up.

Later that day, Aria sat in her room, lonely. Her parents and younger brother had all been gone when she woke up, and since it was Saturday, and she would normally spend all day with Ezra, Aria decided to stay in bed for as long as she could. At around four in the afternoon, Aria heard her mother, Ella, entering the house, and calling her name. "I'm up here, mom!" Aria shouted from her bedroom, but instantly regretting it when she heard her mother's footsteps ascending the stairs. Why hadn't she just pretended to be asleep?

Her bedroom door inched open before her mother entered the room, shutting it behind her. "How are you?" Her mother asked.
"I'm fine." Aria lied.
"So, are you going to tell me what happened last night?" Ella questioned.
"Nothing happened." Aria said, forcing a half smile, but she was sure her mother could see right through it.

"Really? Because you looked kind of upset when you finally arrived home at two in the morning." Her mother said, knowingly.
"Mom, I'm fine, honestly. Nothing happened. I wasn't upset."
"Then why did you arrive home so late?"
"Does it really matter?" Aria asked, her tone a little more defensive than planned.
Her mother stood from where she had taken a seat on the bed next to Aria. "I guess it doesn't. I'm sorry for caring." Ella said, seeming hurt.
"Mom, I'm sorry, I didn't mean.." Aria trailed off before continuing by answering her mother's previous question, " I was at Spencer's. We fell asleep watching a movie."
"Okay." Ella said, before walking towards the door. She turned around to look at Aria. "But I'm here to talk, any time you need to." She said, before turning and exiting the room.

Aria knew that Ella had seen right through her lie, but there was part of her hoping that she believed her. Yes, her friends knowing about her secret relationship with her ex-English teacher was a good thing so she could have alibis, but when they weren't planned, it would just take one tiny slip-up and Aria would be in deep, dragging Ezra with her.

Deciding that she had had enough of Friends re-runs, Aria got dressed, and texted her three best friends to meet her at the local coffee shop and thirty minutes later, Aria was sitting at a table in the far corner with a coffee in her hands, waiting for her friends to arrive. The first to arrive was Emily Fields, followed by Hanna Marin not long after and finally Spencer Hastings. A mere five minutes after all four girls were seated and had received their coffee order, the one person Aria had been trying to avoid for the past twenty-four hours walked into the nearly desolate coffee joint. Aria wouldn't have even realised if it wasn't for Spencer who had just so happened to look up at the same time Ezra entered.
"Look who it is, hot secret boyfriend at three o'clock." She said, smirking and nudging Aria, but not receiving the reaction she had planned on. Instead of Aria laughing and playfully shoving her best friend, she sat quietly staring at her coffee while the others turned to look and laughed at Spencer's comment.
"Wow, how sucked the happiness for you?" Hanna asked Aria, resulting in Spencer kicking her under the table and giving her a stern look, obviously realising something serious had gone down between Aria and Ezra.
"Do you need to talk about it?" asked Emily.
"There's nothing to talk about." Aria mumbled, and hesitantly glanced up at Ezra at the exact same time he had turned his gaze to her. Within the brief five seconds that the couples gazes locked on each other, both felt many different feelings swell up inside of them- hurt, regret, but mostly, love.

Aria returned her focus back to her coffee, taking a deep breath.
"Aria?" Hanna asked, concern etched on her face.
"I'll… see you guys Monday." Aria stated, standing up and lifting her purse and jacket from the back of her chair. She then lifted her coffee cup and walked straight out the door, feeling the gaze of her three friends and most importantly, Ezra, trailing behind her, but using all of her restraint to not turn back, and run into his arms.

Again, I'm so sorry for not updating sooner. I've had soooo much homework etc etc and I just couldn't find the time to right. This is 1000+ words though, so I hope that makes up for it. Please, please, let me know what you think, what you like, what you don't like. Love y'all. xx