Waking up that morning Ezra was both excited and distraught. All the emotions he suppressed in getting over Aria were taking over him completely. He was right back in that place where everything hurt, and he had no idea how to control it. He kept asking himself why, what had he ever done to deserve this. Aria the one person he loved in this world more than himself, had been the same one to betray him the most. He was angry, he was crushed, and he was a father.
In the midst of all his wallowing in hate, the thought of Elizabeth made him smile. Elizabeth, he thought to himself, getting a feel for the name. Not a name he would have chosen. He remembered like it was yesterday when he and Aria laid in his bed, and debated the names of their future children. Aria wanted to name a boy Ezra, he laughed at her and told her he would have to think about it. He suggested Emma for a girl, after his grandmother. Aria agreed she liked it, and it was also similar to Ella's name.
Thinking back to that conversation now Ezra snickered out loud to himself. Of course, she didn't stick to the name they talked about, Aria cut him out of every single aspect. Eight years he was never going to get back. He missed it all, and his only child was a complete stranger, just like the stranger who raised her. If Ezra was certain about one thing, he didn't know Aria Montgomery at all.
"How are you holding up?" Nicole's voice softly spoke. "It's hard to tell at this point" Ezra answered bitterly. "Do you wanna talk about it?" she offered with a smile. He turned to look at her, and caressed her cheek with his hand. "I will, I promise, but at this moment all I want to do is cry or scream or …." He trailed off. "I really don't want to subject you to the person I can turn into." He said quietly. "Well it sounds like what you need the most is answers, and you're not going to find them here" she said rubbing his back.
He knew she was right, she was always right. "So what's your next move?" Nicole asked trying her best to sound like a football coach. Ezra laughed at her, and shook his head. "I wish I could take you with me" he tried to make it sound like a joke, but he a big part of him meant it. "Yeah that will go over real well with the Ex" she laughed. "Like that remotely matters to me" he said coldly. "Well I was actually thinking of taking the exact opposite approach" Nicole said nervously.
Ezra looked at her like she was crazy "What? If you can't tell this is probably when I need you the most" Ezra chocked out. "Ezra, I'm not abandoning you, I just think me being here, every night….. it might slow things down" she trailed off. "Slow what things?" Ezra questioned. "Well with your family, like it or not, you now have one, and that does include Elizabeth's mother." "What does that change about us?" Ezra asked confused.
"Well" she stammered. "Whatever you had with this girl, was so big and real to you, you can't even speak her name. Something like that doesn't just go away, and I don't want to be the reason you hold back." She breathed out. "Are you crazy, I hate her, Aria, Aria Rose Montgomery. I hate her more than I ever knew I could hate anyone." He seethed. "Ezra you can only feel that way about someone you are madly in love with" Nicole stated firmly. "You're wrong" he pleaded. "Let's take Aria out of the equation" Nicole reasoned. "Elizabeth obviously went through a lot of effort to meet you. Do you think she really wants to finally spend time with her father, and his….friend?" Ezra had to admit she had a point. He nodded in understanding. "But were still us, right?" he asked almost scared of the answer. She smiled at him, and pulled him down toward the pillow beside her. "Hey, Ill be here until you decide that you don't need me anymore." "That's never going to happen." Ezra answered her, and then kissed her lips. "Well see" she smiled up at him. "Well see".
Pulling up to the Montgomery home was very surreal for Ezra. This was a place that held so many memories for him, and today was definitely no exception. He sat in his car for a moment, debating with himself on how he would address Ella. As much as he hated Aria for doing this, he still had a lot of blame for Ella. She was his friend, she had become almost one of his best friends in Rosewood. She begged him to come back here. She helped keep his daughter from him. His mind instantly wondered if this whole thing was Byron's idea. But Ella obviously agreed, she was just as bad as Aria.
Letting out a breath he braced himself and then headed towards the front door. After knocking a few times, a very surprised Ella answered the door. "Ezra" she said nervously, "What up?" she asked, while stepping out on the couch, and shutting the door behind her. Ezra just looked at her for a moment, obviously aggravated. "I think we both have a pretty good idea of why I'm here" Ezra answered sharply. Ella could see it in his face that he knew, she could see how much he was hurting. She knew, she was done lying to him.
"Ezra" she said pleading. "Don't, you had eight years to have this conversation. You are just as bad as them" he said harshly, "Maybe even worse, because you pretended to be my friend." "Them" she questioned. "Ezra I know you don't believe me, but I am your friend, I've always known and said over and over again this whole thing is wrong. But it's not my choice, it's Aria's, and I don't know what happened between the two of you, but she was adamant about this. It was her way of the highway." Ella tried to explain. "That is why I pushed so hard for you to come back to Rosewood, I tried a million times to have us run into you, I promise you, I've always wanted that little girl to have her father." Ella cried sincerely.
Ezra instantly buckled. He knew Ella was a good person, and he knew how stubborn Aria was. "Hey, don't cry" Ezra said softly, rubbing her shoulder. She looked up at him and gave him a weak smile. "Can you please just give me some answers?" Ezra asked. Ella whipped her eyes and sat down on the swing. She gestured for Ezra to join her. Once he did, she turned to face him. He could see that she was torn, but he was grateful she seemed willing to talk.
