This story doesn't have a ton of love, but on the off chance someone out there is actually reading it, well I hope you enjoy it.

When Aria walked into Emily's house she was attacked with questions. "Who was that?" Emily asked with obvious excitement. Aria didn't even play the 'who?' game. "Elijah." She said. Emily grinned "Is that who you've been smitten all over? The sweet one?" Aria's blush was answer enough. Emily settled in her bed "Tell me about him."

Aria was quiet at first. She was sorting through the things she could and couldn't tell Emily. "He's a close friend." Emily raised an eyebrow "Really. That's all I get?" Aria sighed "I met him a while ago on a camping trip with my family. I had a nightmare and woke up in the middle of the night. I went on a walk and met him. We started talking and… I just opened up to him. He's helped with the nightmares since then."

Emily's eyes lit up "He sleeps with you?" She hisses, but only out of surprise. Aria wanted to smack herself in the face. "No… I just call him when I can't sleep." She bit her lip hoping Emily would accept the answer or would at least not push for more answers. Emily gave her a look that clearly said 'Yeah sure, but I understand.'

Aria relaxed and changed the subject "So where is Maya?" Emily's eyes sparkled "She'll be here in a few minutes. She wanted to stop by the store to get some snacks. She did arrive with snacks… a lot of them. Maya lugged in 3 bags filled with chips, candy and drinks. "Maya… you didn't need to get all this" Emily says with a small smile. Aria dug into the bag with candy and pulled out marshmallows "I like this girl" she said. The three laughed and got comfortable as they started the movie.

Emily's mom wouldn't allow Emily to have a TV in her room, so the three were wrapped in blankets on the couch as they watched horror movies. Aria found her attention being pulled to her phone as she texted Elijah. He wanted to make sure she'd be okay. She loved him for that. She dropped her phone once that thought had blown through her mind. Her heart was erratic from the sudden rush of adrenaline that pumped through her.

Just what she needed. To be in love with her best friend.

Luckily neither girl seemed to notice her sudden spastic movement. They were too focused on the movie. At least that was how it seemed. If one looked closer you could see how their arms casually brushed against each other. The way they sat just a little too close. Aria smirked. They were totally into each other.

Aria was the last one to fall asleep even though Maya and Emily had dozed off hours ago. They had moved to Emily's room and started to share stories after the movie ended. Now Aria was sitting in Emily's window seat as she thought about Elijah. She slipped off to sleep and woke up in dead fear. Her skin was cold and she could feel her bones shivering. A quick glance to Emily and Maya showed they were out cold.

Aria grabs her phone and slips into the bathroom. She calls Elijah and he answers quickly. Almost like he was waiting for her to call. Hearing his voice calmed her down. "Everything okay?' Elijah asks softly. Aria smiled "Yeah, just having trouble sleeping." A pause followed that "Come outside" he says and hangs up. She laughs softly and shakes her head. Of course he'd be there. She crept outside and opened the door. He was standing there with a smile just for her. She stepped out and allowed him to wrap her in his arms.

He didn't let her go even after the appropriate time for a hug. Instead he just gave her the comfort he knew she'd need to fall asleep. He wished he could hold her as they fell asleep they had done for so long now, but he couldn't get inside. She shivered once and his hold tightened momentarily before he said "You should go inside." Aria reluctantly agreed.

She managed to keep him there for another moment before he had to leave. She returned upstairs to Emily and Maya still quietly breathing as they slept. They were snuggled together. Maya was the big spoon. Aria went back to her window seat and curled up so she could be warm. She was able to fall asleep, but not without another nightmare.

She woke up and could see the sun setting. Her mind wondered to when she had asked Elijah to compel her to sleep and stay asleep. He had done just that, but that caused her to become trapped in the nightmare unable to wake up. She had to live through ever moment of that night until Elijah woke her up and told took away his compulsion.

She knew in order to sleep better she would have to open up about that night, but… that seemed too out of the realm of a possibility at the moment. She peeked at Emily and wondered how she was able to sleep through it. Of course she had been out for most of it. Still, all of the girls had been there.

Aria looked back out the window and sighed. She wanted to curl into Elijah and have him hold her. "You awake?" Came a soft voice from behind her. It pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned and smiled at Maya. "Yeah, I'm an early riser." Maya had moved into a sitting position and smiled "I'm not usually the first one up." She looked down at Emily and gave the sleeping girl a soft smile "I'd go pee, but she had my arm."

Aria laughs softly. Maya wasn't looking at her which meant she missed the smile Aria gave her. Maya was looking at Emily with something close to adoration. "Do you like her?" Aria asked. She knew it was an invasive question and immediately responded by clamping her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask that."

Maya just shook her head "Is it that obvious?" Aria shrugs "Only to someone who is in the same boat as you." Maya arched an eyebrow and Aria quickly explained "I mean I like one of my friends too… not… not Emily" she said shaking her head "His name is Elijah. He's been a close friend for a while."

Maya nodded to signal she was listening "Do you plan on telling him how you feel?" Aria laughed and it came out slightly shaky. "No. I don't think I could risk losing him. He… uh" she paused and sighed "He's" Maya spoke up and finished for her "He's important?" Aria looked down and the back up at Maya. "Yeah he's important."

He was the one who made it easier for her to sleep. He never asked why she had nightmares; he was just simply there for her. No questions asked… that was a hard quality to find in people.

At that moment Emily grumbled and started to wake up. She rolled over and took more of Maya's arm. "Sorry" Emily mumbled and started to sit up. Maya took her arm back and flexed it as the blood worked back into the sleeping limb. "It's fine. How did you sleep?" Emily stretched and shrugged "Same as usual."

Emily turned and gave a mumbled "Morning" to Aria before crawling out of bed. "Anyone up for coffee?" Aria nodded a little too quickly. Maya got up and headed to the bathroom since she was finally free. Emily turned to Aria "What…?" She asked confused. Aria laughed "You kinda had her trapped when she woke up. She didn't want to wake you to go to the bathroom."

Emily chuckles and blushes slightly. "She could have woken me…" Aria nodded "She could have, but she didn't want to." She looked around Emily to make sure Maya wasn't nearby "Have you decided if you wanted to be with her or Ben yet?" It was a loaded question and Emily sighed heavily. "I know what I want, but it'll change everything."

She had sat down on her bed and crossed her arms. "What about you and your friend Elijah?" Aria distantly remembered telling Emily about him, but had she told her about how she felt about him? Or was it just that obvious? "I'm not going to tell him." Emily raised her eyebrows, but didn't push further.

Maya comes back "So… coffee?" She asked in that breezy way she always seemed to talk. It made it easier to talk to her. The other two girls nodded and got up to go downstairs to make the coffee and probably eat some of the snacks that were left over from the night before.

At 9 Emily's mom left to go run some errands leaving the three girls alone. Aria had only been planning to stay until 12. Her mom wanted her to help unpack the rest of the house. There were still several boxes sitting around waiting to be emptied. When that time rolled around she said goodbye to both Maya and Emily.

Emily walked her out and nervously said "I'm going to tell Maya. How I feel." Aria grins "That's great…let me know how it goes?" Emily nods and gives her a quick hug before turning and stepping back inside her house. Aria steps off the porch and digs her keys out.

She tosses her bag into the bag seat and climbs into the driver side. She starts it and just before she drives off familiar warmth fills her car. "Surely you weren't about to leave without me?" Elijah asks from his seat in the seat beside her. If her heart didn't give her away then her voice surely did. It broke when she tried to speak.

Surely he noticed, but he didn't say anything about it. Aria swallowed and started driving towards her house. "You know you could have met me at my house instead of popping into my car." Elijah gives her a soft laugh that makes her ache with want. It had hardly been a day and she had already missed that laugh.

"I could have, but I'd have missed my only chance to be alone with you today." Aria chocked on some of her saliva. "Why do you need me alone?" She manages to say without her body betraying her. There was an uneasy silence before Elijah spoke "I don't have to hide if it's just us." Her heart settled down, or rather it dropped leaving itself in a knot. Of course it didn't mean anything like she had thought it did. He was only a friend. Aria forced a smile, but couldn't find any words to say.

Thankfully Elijah interrupted the awkwardness that was building by asking her how her sleep over went. She smiled relieved and told him about the movie as she drove them to her house.