I don't own anything

Ezra's POV

I had returned back to Philadelphia after the weekend. I'd thought about my situation with Aria since I came back. It can't possibly go on like that. It felt so surreal. It feels right and wrong at the same time, but it is not right. There isn't one single reason that would make this okay.

Had I given her hope on Friday? Or had I lead her to believe in something that would never, ever happen?

Before I went for my lecture I'd sent Aria a text asking if she could come to meet me tonight in Philadelphia to speak. I'd suggested her this little café that was located in the border of the city.

It was six now and I started the ignition to drive to meet Aria. I knew the place, I'd been there all the time when we all still lived in Philadelphia. When my parents got divorced everything changed. Even little, insignificant things like going to cafés.

I parked my car and walked into the small café. Aria wasn't there yet, but I ordered cappuccinos for both of us and took a table. Five minutes later Aria walked in, too, and upon noticing me she walked towards me.

"I wasn't sure if you'd like cappuccino, but I ordered one for each of us anyway" I said when she sat down opposite me.

"Good choice" She replied. "So, there's something you wanted to talk about?" She asked and took a sip.

"Yeah" I answered awkwardly. I didn't know how to start what I was going to say. "Aria…. We can't do this anymore" I finally said bluntly.

"What do you mean?" She asked looking confused.

"What I'm saying is… this is wrong and what happened on Friday should never have happened."

She frowned. "I don't understand Ezra. On Friday you said it didn't feel wrong."

"But it is" I insisted sternly. "You're eighteen and you go to high school. I turn twenty-three soon and will graduate from college" I tried to reason.

"You make it sound so bad" She said in a quiet voice.

"That's because it is. Nothing makes it acceptable" I said calmly. "Aria, you deserve so much more. You have everything ahead of you. You deserve someone who's your age. Someone you can do things with without people noticing your age difference. Your life shouldn't be this complicated, not yet" I said more gently now.

I looked at Aria who stayed totally quiet in front of me. If she had been even slightly happy when she had arrived, I'd managed to take away all the joy.

"I'm sorry" I told her quietly and stood up. I walked out of the café and towards my car. I tried to explain myself that I had had to do this.

…..

It had been two days since I'd left Aria in the café. I didn't know what else to do in that situation. If I had stayed there for much longer I'm not sure how I could have sat there watching how much my words had hurt her. But it was true. She deserved a lot more, and no-one at her age would need a life as complicated as hers would be if something were to happen between us again.

That night I went to the dorm room I shared with Hardy. I opened the door and froze to my spot when I noticed something that I hadn't expected to see there. Aria was standing there. Her long hair was waving and she looked beautiful.

"How did you get here?" I stuttered slightly as I closed the door.

"I had my ways" She said and shrugged. "But how I got here is not relevant. That's us. You and I are relevant, Ezra."

"There is no 'us' Aria" I corrected her.

"How can you know it?" She asked. "I know you're afraid because so am I, but I don't believe a word that you said. I don't believe you when you say this is wrong or that there is no 'us'. For the first time in my life I feel something this real" She said sincerely and slowly walked towards me.

"You said this is wrong, but you never said you didn't have feelings for me" She continued and took hold of both my hands. "If you can honestly say you feel nothing for me and that this means nothing to you.. then I'll leave and drop this. I will be miserable and lonely but I promise I won't bother you again" She finished and looked me straight into the eyes.

"Aria-"

"Say it, Ezra. If you feel nothing, then say it" She said quietly, never letting go of my hands.

I turned my head slightly and looked back to Aria again. I swallowed hard when I sae her beautiful, hazel eyes.

"I don't have feelings for you and this means nothing to me" I said slowly and clearly. I saw the tears in her eyes but didn't reach out to wipe them away. This was one of the hardest moments I've ever found myself in. I'd had to say words I hadn't even meant. I'd had to let Aria go even though it was the last thing I wanted to do.

"Oh my God" She said faintly, finally releasing my hands.

"Aria…" I said her name, probably for the last time.

"Stay away from me" She snapped and stormed out of the room at the same time as Hardy came in.

I looked at Aria left and tried to convince myself I'd done the right thing.

"What was that? And why was Aria here? I thought you ended it" He said utterly confused.

"Indeed Hardy. That's exactly what I was doing. Ending it" I muttered quietly.

Aria's POV

I was sitting in a train on my way back to Rosewood. I looked out the window and cried inconsolably. I couldn't believe Ezra had said that. I leaned my head against my seat and took my phone from my bag. I looked at it and realised I didn't anyone to talk to about this. I couldn't tell anyone about this without there being consequences.

When I made it to home I went straight to my room and closed the door behind me. I took a shower and washed the smudged make up off my face. After the shower I put on a tank top, pyjama shorts and woolen socks.

"Aria?" My mom asked behind the door. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I think I'll go straight to bed" I replied faintly.

"Okay then. Sweet dreams" She said softly and left.

I turned off all the lights and crawled under the covers. Even though Ezra had said those things, he was still on my mind. I felt so stupid.

…..

When I woke up next morning I prepared myself and waited for Spencer to come and pick me up. We usually went to school so that Emily or Spencer picked us up since Hanna and I didn't have own cars. While I waited for Spencer's black BMW to arrive I wondered if the girl would understand me. But, even if they did I couldn't tell them. It could cause so many problems. And it wouldn't be just Ezra and I. It was about Elena, too.

After my school day I went to pick up Elena like we had agreed with her mom. Like normally, she did her homework and because the weather was so warm and beautiful we had decided to go to the beach. We made us some packed lunch and left.

There weren't big, fancy beaches in Rosewood, but it didn't bother Elena. She built big sand castles and searched for beautiful stones to decorate them. We left after spending there two hours. The sun had went down, too. I also promised Elena that when we'd be home, we would bake cookies together.

"Ezra!" Elena exclaimed in pure joy when she saw Ezra sat on the sofa. She ran to his arms just like she always did.

I had completely forgotten that he'd be here. But then, it was Friday; of course he would be here.

"We were at the beach with Aria and built sand castles. Now we're gonna bake cookies" She told Ezra happily. "Do you want to join us?"

"Your day sounds exicting" He told her, and Elena nodded.

"Are you coming to bake?" She asked him impatiently.

Ezra lifted his gaze from Elena to me, and I turned my head to look away. I just couldn't look at him right now.

"I'm sorry Elena, but I can't. Not this time" He said apologetically.

"Why?" She asked disappointed.

"Because I have to go to library. I have course work to do" He explained softly.

I felt bad for Elena. She wasn't supposed be in the middle of this mess, but she was there already.

"But will you save me one cookie? I'll eat it when I get back" He promised. Elena nodded again.

Ezra left and Elena and I stayed at the house baking those cookies. We had finished making the cookie dough and in another bowl we had chocolate chips. I had jut about to mix them together when Elena interrupted me.

"Wait" She said.

"What is it, Sweetheart?" I asked her.

"Nothing, but Ezra doesn't like chocolate chips and I promised to save him one cookie" She explained innocently.

"We can separate the dough into two bowls and make Ezra his own cookies. What do you think?" I suggested.

"It's great" She replied excitedly.

When the cookies were ready we ate them and drank some milk. Then we put Ezra's cookies to a separate plate and Elena set a paper in front of it saying, "Ezra's cookies".

Lucky you, I'm sick so you got chapter 3 early. I can't thank you enough for the reviews I've got so far, you're all so kind to me. I'll look forward to getting them again for this chapter.

Cme074, you asked for drama so I hope this was it :)