Sorry, I was going to upload this chapter last night. But I was too lazy to grab my laptop that was only five feet away from me. So I ended up going to sleep. LOL, but here you go.
I want to wish everyone a happy 'A' day, and let's all pray EZRIA fan's that 'A' is not Ezra, or Ezra is not helping out 'A'. Cause all hell going break lose, and that's just me.
Ezra's POV:
I smiled when I closed the door behind me. Knowing that Aria and Tommy is safe and away from Chad, had just made everything seem perfect. But then there was this case of us not knowing what we were. I thought we could just come out and be friends, but that isn't the case with Aria.
As I turned the corner from my apartment building, I walked into Kim's supermarket. This store was small but still held a lot of you sensual needs, such as Mac and Cheese. I walked down the aisle where they held small snacks and cereal treats. I really didn't know how long Aria was planning on staying, but I knew know matter how long Tommy would enjoy something a little more sweet.
"Mr. Fitz?" Mrs. Welch spotted me.
"Good Afternoon" I smiled gracefully and grabbed a few snacks from the shelf.
"Aren't you bit in a sugar rush today?" She arched an eyebrow and laughed to herself. I looked down in my cart and shook my head.
"I'm sorry, my niece is coming over for the weekend. I guess I really didn't know what she would like" I lied through my teeth.
Mrs. Welch laughed again "Well, I don't think she would care. But those are a lot of chewy crackers."
I nodded. "I just wanted to get one in every flavor." I replied and placed some back on the shelf. "What do you think a two and a half would like?" I asked.
She knitted her eyebrows "Well, let me see. My son used to love those little Crackers with the cheese in them. Ritz, I believe it was called. Maybe you should try that? And well, you could always get her those new Banana chips. It's really good, I had some from my grand babies when they came over." She giggled and looked around the aisle "There they are, here you go."
"Thank you, I should really get going. This was kind of a last minute thing." I shrugged and mustered up a chuckle as I thanked her again and ran as fast as I could away from her.
I walked up to the cashier after picking up a few more things and paid what I had owe. When I walked outside it started to look really over cast, but that really didn't bother me. Because it was coming to the end of summer, and so winter will arrive.
"I'm so sorry." I said as I ran right into someone knocking them over. I helped them with their bags and finally got a good look at them.
"It's alright Ezra." Ella Montgomery said as she dusted herself off.
"I'm so sorry Ella, I wasn't really watching where I was going." I apologized.
Ella nodded and tilted her head. "Have you seen Aria?"
I choked on my spit "Excuse me?"
Ella let out a harsh laugh "I'm looking for her, She's not answering any of my calls or her HUSBAND. I was just on my way to your apartment."
I shrugged and shook my head "I haven't seen her. " I answered bitterly. "But I did see her at the reunion. How could you let someone beat on your daughter? Do you and Byron hate me that much, that you would rather see Aria bruised and hurt?" I asked angrily.
"What did you say?" Ella asked in shock and I closed my eyes, knowing I just blurted out something that I shouldn't have. "Explain NOW!"
I let out a harsh laugh "I don't have to explain nothing. Last time I did that, I was fired from my job."
"What are you talking about?" Ella shook her head. "Ezra Fitz, you better tell me something."
"Chad, has been hurting Aria. From the time she had Tommy."
"How do you know this? If you haven't seen her since the Reunion." She smirked, testing me.
"I've been in contact with Spencer, since she and I ran into each other in California." I smirked right back.
"Spencer?" Ella questioned and I nodded "Why, Why hasn't Aria said anything?"
I sighed and looked at my watch "I don't know, that's something you'll have to find out. When you find her."
"And I bet you know where she is?"
I shrugged "Even if I did. What use would that do? Aria doesn't want to talk to me, I've already tried." I said with a bit of heartbreak, trying to make myself believable. "She is to caught up on pleasing Chad, that she doesn't see Tommy getting hurt."
"I didn't know. Why didn't Spencer tell me? Why did she tell you of all people?"
I shook my head and sighed "They trust me, I am not the enemy you and your husband set me out to be. I loved Aria, I still do. And if she was to talk to me, I will tell her the truth. You need to understand where I am coming from."
Ella scoffed "Byron and I did nothing wrong. It was wrong for you and Aria to have a relationship, regardless of how you meant." Ella shook her head "Remember that day at Hollis, when you asked me what I thought of the hole thing?"
"What's the point? Byron had gotten his wish, I left right after the masquerade ball." I spat and shook my head in disbelief "I left Aria, and look at her now. She is a mess, unable to do what she wants, when she wants too. Are you happy?"
Ella shed a few tears but kept her guard up. "I thought that you were a decent guy, I like you." She choked out "I know Byron pushed you away, but I can't say I didn't have a hand in it."
"Yeah well, life isn't always what it's cracked up to be. But I have dealt with the pain, and sadness of it all. I went on living, roughly for years without Aria."
"I know, and I'm sorry. But how would you feel if your teenage daughter and her adult/teacher boyfriend, stood in front of you. In your house, and said that she was dating her teacher? Tell me how you would have reacted?"
"Not as selfish as you" I retorted without skipping a beat. Ella and I stood there on the street corner for a few seconds before I looked at my watch "I have to go. I do hope you find Aria, and listen to what she has to say." I blurted before walking away and headed toward my apartment building.
I shook my head as I entered through the glass doors that lead up to the elevator, Ella Montgomery sure had a twisted mind. One second she's asking about her daughter and at the end we're talking about Aria and my relationship. As if she didn't believe, when I said that I didn't know where Aria was... Well she's has a good reason to doubt what I had said, because Aria is indeed in my apartment with her two year old son.
I sucked in a deep breath as I unlocked my apartment door, and prayed that Aria and Tommy was still here... When I closed the door behind me, I placed the few bags that I had on the counter near the kitchen and looked about the apartment. Aria and Tommy wasn't anywhere in the living room. I walked down the hall and I heard soft music playing.
I knocked a couple of times, as I opened the guess bedroom door. It revealed Tommy sleeping on the bed and Aria laying beside him. I turned off the radio and gotten out a blanket from the hallway closet. I returned a few seconds later and draped the blanket over Tommy and Aria, as she held a protective arm over his waist.
I walked back out into the hallway and paced in a circle for a few seconds, seeing Aria there helpless. I really felt like, this was the end. I wished over and over for Aria's safety, ever since Spencer had told me what was going on. Wishing I could just inch my way back into her life and have Aria open up to me like she used to.
A few hours later, I found myself making dinner. It wasn't anything special just a few things that I had learned over the years. stir-fry with steak in it. I knew Aria and Tommy was busy traveling so a home cooked meal would be like heave on earth for them.
"Daddy?" A sleepy boy walked into the kitchen and caught me off guard.
I turned and saw Tommy yawning, "Hey little man." I greeted him and hoisted him onto the counter. "You want something to drink?"
Tommy nodded "Please." He smiled and I turned to the fridge getting him a juice packet. "Thank-you" For a two year old he really had clear English when speaking, I guess Aria really taught him a thing or two.
"You're very welcome." I ruffled his hair and turned back to the stove. "Do you like stir-fry?" I turned to see a blank expression on Tommy's face and started to chuckle "Don't worry, it's good." I joked and he giggled.
"Mommy, is a sleepy head. She said that you were, taking so long. That I should take a nap before lunch."
I nodded my head "I"m sorry, I ran into a few people before getting back here." I replied and turned off the stove. "Do you want to eat now? Or do you want to wake mommy up?"
Tommy shrugged his shoulders "I twink, we should wake up mommy. She said she was hungwy" He stuttered.
I nodded "Okay, I'll go wake her up. Why don't you go color for a little bit."
Aria's POV: I had woken up a few hours later, not sure of where I was. I opened my eyes, to see dim lighting and an empty bed. I shot up from the bed and started to panic when I realize that I was in Ezra's apartment. The only reason I had remembered that was because I heard Tommy and Ezra in the kitchen. I sighed and placed my head back on the pillow.
I wanted to drift back to sleep, seeing this is as peaceful as it was going to get. When Ezra left to go to the store, I thought about his offer. But how could I live with Ezra when there's just so much going on in my life? What if Chad ever found out where I was, he might just hurt Ezra and Tommy for that matter. What am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to go into teaching seeing as that was my major?
"Hey, your up?" Ezra asked as he peered through the door. "I made dinner and Tommy is in the living room coloring."
I nodded and sat up a little "Why are you doing this?" I questioned. "I mean, if you didn't know about Chad. You wouldn't be doing this, so why are you feeling sorry for me?"
Ezra shook his head. "I love you Aria, I always have and always will. I just feel..." Ezra sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as I waited for him to finish "I just feel like I owe you this, like this is my fault."
"Well it's not, you're not the one that is hurting me physically." I shook my head and got out of bed.
"But emotionally?" Ezra asked sincerely. "I'm sorry, I know that I shouldn't have left when you needed me the most. I know that, but what exactly was I supposed to do?"
I shook my head and shrugged a little "You did what you had too." I replied standing up from the bed and fixing it's pillows'.
"Don't do that. You don't have too fix anything." Ezra stopped me "Just leave it."
I shook my head yet again. "It's fine." I said turning my head and noticing that we were mere inches apart.
"Why don't we have dinner?" Ezra mumbled and pulled away. He looked back at me when he had gotten to the door and then walked out.
Ezra's POV:
I shook my head and gave my neck a little rub, when I had reached the hallway. I really wished that Aria would forgive me for leaving when I had. I wished that Aria would leave that douche and listen to her friends, or her son even. If Tommy called me daddy, it's probably for good reason.
"Hey baby" Aria cooed as she picked up Tommy from the couch. She then gave him a kiss to the check and went over to his bag and picked up a bib.
"Mama, are we sweeping here?" Tommy asked and Aria turned to look at me, but I just turned my head. Aria had she own choices, I didn't want her to stay because I wanted her too.
"I don't know son, maybe we'll just go back to Auntie Spencer's tonight." Aria said and I dropped a plate in the sink.
"Sorry" I mumbled and grabbed another plate. I placed a plate in front of the chairs on my table and then placed the stir-fry in the middle. I grabbed cup's and the lemonade that I had chilling in the ice-box and placed it next to the stir-fry.
"You cooked?" Aria asked with a hint of smirk.
I nodded "Yeah, I um... I picked up a few things over the years." I smiled
"That's great, so what's the count now? Five?"
"Haha," I chuckled "It's more like six, I can make a mean meatloaf" I joked.
"Yeah, I'd like to try that." Aria said as she took Tommy to the sink and washed his hands. Aria did the same and placed Tommy on the chair.
"Mama, I can't reach"
"I guess he has your height?" I joked and Aria flew the napkin at me.
"You can sit on my lap" Aria laughed and wrapped the bib around Tommy.
"Alright, let's eat." I smiled and passed out the food. Tommy went straight for the carrot's and I chuckled. "You like carrot's little man?"
He nodded " And pee" he giggled
"Pee?" I mouthed to Aria.
"Pea's Ezra" She giggled and took a sip of her drink. "So, tell me something. What exactly have you been up too?"
I shrugged "I published a couple of my books"
Aria laughed "Really? like what?"
I sighed "It wasn't anything big, just a couple of novel's." I said taking a fork full of my food.
"Like what?"
"Um." I chewed my food. "What lie's beneath and Greatest gift." Aria stared at me like I was crazy "What?"
"That was you? I read both of them, their really good and both on the top seller's list." She exclaimed in excitement.
"It wasn't anything big."
Aria nodded "Yes it is. But why'd you use a pen name? I would have thought you'd like your name out there"
"What lie's beneath is our story Aria, I didn't want everyone to know the true characters'" I told her and she pressed her lips into a thin line.
"That was about us?" She whispered and I nodded "I didn't realize, but you changed everything around."
I nodded "I know, but the emotion's and trouble's that we went through were the same. I just changed the location and work place."
"Ah" Was all she said before placing a few more carrot's and little bite size pieces of steak in front of Tommy.
I shook my head as I placed another mouth full of food into my mouth. I wanted to press the matter more, but I really wanted to wait for another time. I didn't want to pick a fight over something as small as what she had meant by 'AH'. So the rest of dinner we ate in silence.
After an half hour later, we were done eating and Tommy went back to coloring. He really didn't have pictures, just drawing a few circles and lines. Then coloring them in, Aria helped with the dishes and I dried them. When I placed every plate back into it's proper place. I looked at the time and noticed it was almost eight.
"Potty" Tommy screamed and Aria dropped a plate into the sink that was full of soap getting it all over herself. I mustered up a huge grin as Aria shot me a death glare. "Mama"
"I'm coming." Aria called out and wiped her hands on my shirt. "I saw your grin, smart ass." She gave me a playful push and I chuckled.
I started to finish the rest of our dishes and by the time Aria and Tommy came back out, I was done. "So I was thinking about a movie?" I blurted out not wanting Aria to leave.
"Actually, Tommy and I should leave." Aria said cleaning up the living room and placing all of Tommy's toy's back into his bag
"Or you could stay? We can watch a movie, or just talk." I offered.
"Stay" Tommy yelled "Sleep." Aria giggled and bit her lower lip.
"I don't know Ezra. What about Chad?"
"What about him?" I retorted "I already said I didn't care, besides. It's getting late, and I don't want you and Tommy out on the rode now, it looked like it was going to rain earlier." I smirked.
"I have to give Tommy his bath before the movie." Aria smiled "Why don't you go pick something out?"
"So your' staying?" I asked.
"Why not, but I have to call Chad and then my mother. They have been calling all day, and I just ignored it." She rolled her eyes and grabbed a few warm piece's of clothing for Tommy, plus her cell phone and then headed towards the bathroom.
Aria's POV:
I drew the bath for Tommy and took off his clothes. I then started to think about what Ezra's motive's were. Was he really trying to help? Or was he trying to get us back together? I know me thinking that us getting back together is a long shot, but it really isn't. If I was to get a divorce tomorrow, I would jump back into Ezra's strong warm arm's in a heart beat.
I still love him, despite of what had happen in the past. Despite of what will happen in the future... I 've always' known Ezra had to leave, he had to get his footing down and find a new job. I was so happy when the new Hollis school in New Orleans offered him the job even after he turned it down. But after we shared our first time together, I never thought he'll actually leave. I would have thought he would stay and fight this battle that was going on with my parents. I thought he would have just come out and tell my parents, it doesn't matter what you throw at me or at Aria. We will get through everything and then some. Or something like that.
It had just broken my heart when I watched Ezra pack up the last of his things, and never looked back when he drove away. It broke my heart even more as the email's had gotten less and less, and then none after that... I had blamed him for so many years, and then I found Chad. He was like my savior and then things changed. I was nothing but his whore, and wife.
"Hey" I said as Chad had finally answered the phone.
"Where the hell are you? Where's my son?" He yelled from the other end of the line as I started to wash Tommy's feet.
"Tom is here." I said not giving him my location.
"And where's here?" He huffed.
"Rosewood." I replied rising of my son with a cup. "Why'd you leave? Why'd you just pack up your shit and leave your son and wife behind?"
"You left me behind didn't you? You just went with your friends?"
I scoffed "I want a divorce. Spencer's parents had already drawn up the paper work, plus full custody of Tommy."
"You think you'll win?" Chad started to laugh "Your my wife, now tell me where you are?"
"I already did ass hole. I'll see you in court" I blurted and hung up the phone. I felt so proud of myself that I finally did what I did.
I smiled down at my son as he giggled when I poured water over his head. "Done?"
I nodded "Yes, all done." I agreed and grabbed the towel I took from Ezra's shelf and wrapped it around Tommy. I then grabbed his pull up and clothes, getting Tommy ready for bed.
I allowed Tommy to walk out of the bathroom first while I cleaned up the bathroom. I placed Tommy's dirty clothes into a plastic bag, while the water from the tub drained out.
"Hey" Ezra said scaring me. "Sorry, I grabbed a few clothes for you." He handed me a sweat pants and shirt plus one of his boxers.
"Thank you. "
He nodded and looked down the hall "I can watch Tom for you, while you take a shower." I smiled and nodded my head.
"Thank you, Ezra. Um, will you shut the door?" I asked as I placed the clothes on the counter of his bathroom.
"Sure, do you want popcorn?"
"Why not, just give me like ten minutes and I'll be out.." I told him as I took my hair out of my pony tail.
"take your time." Ezra smiled closing the door.
So, putting all errors and mistakes aside, cause I'm fairly certain there is a few... What do you see happening for Aria and Ezra in this story?
Please Review it only take's a few seconds... Thank you!
