Chapter Three

31 days, 4 hours, 36 minutes and 2 seconds.

Aria curled into her pillow and sighed as her alarm blared at her for the billionth time. She didn't want to go to school. She didn't want to go anywhere where he could be. She was scared to death, the thought alone made her tremble.

Ezra had done his best to comfort her and tried desperately to convince her to go to the police. She refused, stating that it wasn't safe. She was grateful for Ezra, though. He gave her hope. She felt worthless and he gave her at least an ounce of self-value. Why couldn't all men be like him? Caring and kind, instead of harsh and abusive.

Her body shook as she thought about the day prior. It seemed like a nightmare, like it couldn't have been real. She wished that it had all been something that she had dreamed up in her head, but she knew it wasn't. How do you get over that? She was sure that she needed therapy, but that was impossible when she couldn't tell a soul what had happened. Ezra was as close as it would get. How was she to know that it wouldn't happen again?

It was senseless not to go to the police, that she knew. But she couldn't yet, she just couldn't. She was so afraid that she wouldn't be able to handle the repercussions. She would be looked at with pity, as the poor girl who was raped. The poor girl who couldn't stand up for herself. The words rung through her ears and she screamed in her pillow. She felt like she was going crazy.

Her mother knocked on her door and asked if she was ready for school. Aria covered her mouth, holding back the sob that was attempting to escape her throat.

She croaked out that she didn't feel well, causing her mother to come in the room. When Ella spotted her, she knew that something wasn't right. Aria's eyes were swollen from crying and she looked so broken. Ella pulled her into her arms and petted her head. She didn't know what was wrong, but she knew that Aria would talk to her eventually. For now she only held her before making her breakfast and calling the school.

Texts began flooding Aria's cell phone as her friends realized that she missed school. Spencer was worried about her academics, Hanna was jealous that she got to play hooky, and Emily was concerned, asking if she was sick.

She sent them a group message, claiming that she just didn't feel well and she would try to go to school the next day. Part of her felt like she needed to tell her friends, but she couldn't. She couldn't and it was killing her.


30 days, 23 hours, 58 minutes and 19 seconds.

Ezra sat in his classroom grading papers. He tried his hardest to focus on the words in front of him but he couldn't. His mind kept traveling back to Aria. He needed to help her. He needed to protect her, be he didn't know how to. He wanted her to feel wanted and loved.

When they'd talked the night before she had said that her soulmate would be so disappointed when they realized that they got damaged goods. God, she was wrong. So wrong. She wasn't damaged, she was hurt. Her even being able to pull herself out of that alley showed how strong she was. Any person would be so incredibly lucky to have her.

Timing was an amazing thing. To think that fate had it in her cards that only a month after this tragic event, she would meet her soulmate. Hopefully, they would be able to bind up her wounds in a way that Ezra couldn't. They would make her feel safe and protected. They would show her what genuine, unconditional love is.

When he thought about it, he was angry. Livid, actually. The fact that someone could do something so cruel sickened him. If he could go out and kill the guy, he would. No doubt in his mind, he would make him pay. But, he felt helpless. He wanted to do something, take action, but he couldn't.

He was pulled from his thoughts as his eighth period class shuffled into the room. He held back an irritated sigh as he saw Noel Kahn enter the room. The guy had always bugged him and he couldn't quite shake the bad feeling that he got from him. He glared as he noticed him smack a girl's butt, what a pig.

"Mr. Kahn, inappropriate. I won't tolerate any of that in my class, if it happens again I will have to take disciplinary action. Are we clear?" He reprimanded, trying to keep his voice calm and professional.

"Crystal," Noel responded, that annoying smirk on his face. Ezra did his best to control his ever growing temper. He ignored him, proceeding to teach his class about haikus and semi-colons.


A couple of hours later, Aria was awoken by her best friend.

Her raspy voice filled the air, loud enough so that Aria would be able to hear her over the depressing music blasting through the room. "I brought your homework."

Aria turned the volume down and looked at the tall brunette, smiling slightly and muttering a thank you.

Spencer sat at the edge of her bed and looked her up and down. Aria recoiled under her stare. Of course, she would know that something was off. Looking at the dark circles under her eyes, red nose and baggy clothes, it would appear that she had a cold. But, Spencer knew her better than that, they were closer than sisters.

"Want to talk about whatever is going on?" Spencer asked softly, her usual intense exterior put aside.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Aria answered nonchalantly, picking at the imaginary dirt under her finger nails.

Spencer rolled her eyes, "Don't lie to me, Aria Montgomery. I know you better than I know myself. You don't have to tell me right now, but I'm here for you. You know that."

That was all it took for Aria to launch herself into her friend's arms. She clung onto her, grasping onto her as if her life depended on it. Spencer quieted her cries and calmed her gently. Spencer's heart broke as she felt Aria's body shake, cries escaping from her lips. What had happened that would crush her friend, so completely? She'd never seen Aria like this, she was always the positive one. She always held Spencer while she had yet another breakdown whilst striving to live up to her parents' expectations. This was a complete reversal of circumstances.

"I'm not sure what's going on, but it will be okay. I promise you," Spencer assured her, smoothing down the hairs stuck to her face and wiping away her tears.

"What if it's not?" Aria asked quietly, minutes later.

Spencer looked down at her tiny friend, "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end."

Spencer had no idea how deeply those words affected Aria. She thought about them for the days to come. Everything would be okay in the end, she had to believe that.


Chapter Three, yay! Will Aria go to the cops soon? What did you think of this chapter? Team Sparia! ;)

Thank you all so much for your reviews. The response to this story has been phenomenal!

Oodles of love,

-RissyWrites