Hey guys! Firstly, I am so sorry this has taken so long for me to write. I've actually had a crazy few weeks and a severe case of writer's block which has left me pretty much disabled in the writing area. I literally just had a spout of inspiration from nowhere and wrote this whole thing in a couple of hours. So yeah, sorry for the delay and I really hope you enjoy this. The next chapter is sure to be a shocker (; Thank you so much for the reviews; they mean the world to me. Enjoy! (: - Lauren, xoxo PS; THE HALLOWEEN EPISODE! SO MANY EZRIA FEELS, I CAN'T. I'm still reeling from the scene on the train towards the end. And Hanna and Caleb, bless them, so fucking cute. AND NOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO WAIT UNTIL JANUARY FOR A NEW EPISODE?! Sure, sure, thanks for that.
My phone vibrating on the nightstand wakes me up with a start. Rubbing my eyes, I squint at the brightness that greets me. For a few seconds I'm severely disorientated and it takes a moment or two for me to remember where I am. Upon remembering, I automatically smile. Sitting up in bed, I glance down at Ezra who's still sleeping soundly by my side, a small smile on his pale pink lips. There are creases on his cheek from the bed sheets and his usually sleek black hair is almost now a bird's nest. I already know I could never tire of waking up next to Ezra every morning. Smiling to myself, I reach over for my phone.
It's been over a year since Mona was uncovered as A, the psycho stalker who'd been sending me and the girls threatening messages every day, ever since Allison disappeared, but every single time my phone rings, my heart skips a beat or two. I can't help but think the whole thing will start up again one day and I'll be back living constantly in fear like before. Even knowing Mona is safely locked away in Radley, the local mental hospital, receiving treatment for a severe personality disorder, isn't enough to stop frequent flashbacks and nightmares and a near constant paranoia every single time I get a new message. I shake my head and open the text.
What time will you be home, honey? I'm sorry about yesterday morning at breakfast. Mike's team won the game, by the way, and he's been nominated for MVP next season. Hope you and Spencer had a good night and I'm sorry if I woke you. - Mom
Smiling, with both relief and gratitude at my mom's apology and Mike's good news, I compose a reply.
I'll be home before dinner tonight, I promise. Wish Mike congrats from me, that's awesome news! Love you. - Aria
I slowly climb out of bed, careful not to wake Ezra and slip on his T-shirt that's lying on the floor by the bed, pausing a second to inhale the scent of Ezra's cologne before sliding it over my head.
After going to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and combing my hair, I stand in the middle of Ezra's apartment, unsure of what to do. It's only 9am and considering Ezra and I fell asleep around 4am, who knows how long he could stay sleeping for. I've always been an early riser, no matter what time I fall asleep. I have a ton of schoolwork back home I need to do before tomorrow, I know that, but I really don't want to leave my weekend with Ezra just yet; I can't remember the last time I was this happy.
I guess I haven't really had the best year and it's only since meeting Ezra that things have really started to look up. Losing Allison last fall really hit hard. Losing a friend is hard, regardless, but losing Alli was almost like losing a part of myself. We were closer than best friends, much closer, more like sisters in fact. All five of us were; Alli, Spencer, Hanna, Emily and I. Alli was always the ringleader. Always. She took us under her wing at the start of middle school and it's only since she died that I've realised she was moulding me, and the other girls, into the exact opposite of who we were before we became friends. When she was still alive, I didn't notice what she was doing of course, not one bit. If I had, I probably would've distanced myself from her as soon as I could. Alli was the kind of girl who everyone craved attention from, yet the only attention she ever gave was to me and the other girls. And unless you've ever been in a situation like that, I can't describe how amazing it feels. We were all kind of nobodies before we met Allison. We were the kind of girls who looked up to girls like Alli but who were too introverted and insecure to ever approach her. And in hindsight, we all should've realised that girls like Alli don't just hang out with girls like us without a hidden purpose, but we were too busy enjoying the perks of being Alli's "best friends" to even consider such a thing. All of a sudden people were noticing us, and not only that, they were envying us. They wanted to be us, they wanted to be our friends. We got invited to parties and not just high school parties but college parties. For the most part, we were literally living the dream of every teenage girl in the whole of America. And for the part that we weren't, well, we pushed that part aside as much as we could. The evil, bitchy, manipulative, reckless and really, really, stupid part of Alli; that was the price we paid for popularity. And at the time, it seemed more than reasonable enough.
Padding over to the kitchen and out of my internal monologue, I absent-mindedly begin cleaning Ezra's countertops, as quietly as I can. Whilst looking through the cupboards for the one that contains coffee cups, I come across some pancake mix. Smiling, I pour the mixture into a pan and begin searching for some form of topping. From what I know of Ezra so far, he's more than likely a sweet fan rather than a savoury so opting for sugar and chocolate sauce seems like the safest option. When the mixture has finished cooking, I place the pancakes onto a plate. Carefully, I draw a heart with chocolate sauce and sprinkle some sugar on top.
"I hope those are for yourself because I hate chocolate,"
I jump, startled, and look over to see Ezra sitting up in bed, rubbing one of his eyes and smiling at me.
"You do? I can-"
"Aria, I'm kidding. I'm actually hoping those are for me because they smell delicious, it's like I haven't eaten in months," Ezra chuckles, his voice full of sleep, stretching.
I watch in awe as the perfect contours of his sculptured stomach peek out from underneath the top of the bed sheets. Blushing, I run my fingers through my hair.
"I wasn't even sure you liked pancakes, actually, but from what I do know about you, I figured you're more of a sweet than savoury guy, hence the chocolate," I laugh, carrying the plate of pancakes over to Ezra.
The closer to him I get, the more my heart flutters. To say he's only just woken up, his complexion is as fresh and flawless as ever.
Leaning down, I hand over the plate.
"Breakfast is served, my prince," I tease, curtseying, remembering our joke from outside the theatre.
Ezra takes the plate from me and sets it down on the nightstand. He then turns back to face me, takes hold of the sides of my- his, shirt and pulls me towards him. Kissing me softly on the lips he says,
"Those pancakes aren't the only things I could eat up right now,"
I blush, again, and drop my head. Laughing softly, I pick up the plate.
"Breakfast comes first, it's the most important meal of the day,"
Ezra sighs, and smirking, kisses me again before taking the plate once more.
"Thank you, no one's made me breakfast for years. This is a wonderful surprise, Aria,"
Before Ezra can see me blush for the third time in less than two minutes, I stand up and walk back over to the kitchen.
"You're welcome! Orange juice?" I ask, opening the fridge.
"Yes please,"
I pour Ezra some juice, switching on the radio as I pass it on the way over to the bed.
"You know, you look so natural here, it's like you've been here before, a thousand times," Ezra smiles, as I hand over the juice and take the empty plate from him.
I shake my head.
"I'm so sorry, I bet you think I'm so rude, just wandering around your apartment like I live here,"
Ezra laughs, takes the plate from me and sets it down again.
"Aria, look at me, this means so much to me, you have no idea. Every morning I wake up to an empty apartment and make myself the same old slice of toast, listen to the same old, boring radio station, drink the same old coffee from the same old mug and think the same old monotonous thoughts. And then you come over, stay the night, and I woke up this morning, saw you making breakfast wearing nothing but my shirt, had the satisfaction of knowing I got to hold you all night long and felt like I actually belonged here. Why exactly are you apologising again?"
I'm blushing before I can stop myself. Laughing, I place my hands on my cheeks.
"I just feel like I've known you forever, Ezra," I smile.
"And you're apologising for that, why?" he smiles back, pulling me onto his lap.
"I don't know, I guess I just am. I just-, never mind," I stop abruptly, before I can finish my sentence.
Ezra tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.
"What?"
"Nothing, it doesn't matter,"
"No, tell me, what were you going to say?"
Mentally punching myself, I sigh.
"Ezra, I've never, and I mean never, been in a serious relationship before. I've never loved anyone like this before. I've never felt so vulnerable in the presence of anyone like this before. And so I'm constantly waiting to mess up or say or do something wrong. This sounds so pathetic, but I'm constantly waiting for you to realize that I'm not the right girl for you, or whatever,"
My confession tumbles from my heart, unfiltered, and I'm surprisingly close to tears.
Ezra looks taken aback, I notice as I steal a glance at his reaction; whatever he was expecting, he wasn't expecting that.
"I'm sorry, Ezra, I really am. I always do this, honestly, I need to stop being like this because it never gets me anywhere, I'm sorry I even said anything, I just-,"
"Aria, would you breathe and listen to me a second, please?"
"Sorry,"
"Stop apologising!"
"Sorry!"
Ezra's laughing, and although I felt like crying five seconds ago, suddenly I'm laughing too. I wrap my arms around his waist and feel him kiss my head.
"What am I going to do with you, hm?" Ezra whispers, hugging me tightly.
I don't speak, knowing his question is rhetorical, I just kiss his chest softly.
"You, Aria Montgomery, have absolutely no idea just how wonderful you are and that, whilst being a humbling quality, really is sad. I don't know what happened to you to make you like this, but I just hope I can be enough one day to make it go away. And until that day, I just want you to know, I won't give up on you, ever. You, no matter what you think, are right for me, you're more right for me than anyone else on the planet. We may have only been together a short time, but you've changed my life, Aria. You make me so, so happy and I already don't know what I'd do without you,"
I don't know how to reply so instead, I begin to cry. Ezra tightens his arms around me.
"I love you, Ezra," I whisper into his neck.
"I love you too, Aria, so much,"
And just like that, for a few seconds, with a thud of Ezra's heartbeat against mine, I feel okay. More okay than I think I've ever felt in my life.
I almost want to cry in anger when my cell phone vibrates and ruins our perfect moment. Sighing, I reach over and answer it, begrudgingly.
"Hello?" I say, trying to hide my annoyance.
"Aria? You have to come home, right away. Something's happened,"
It's Hanna, and she sounds as though she's been crying.
"Hanna? Are you okay?"
"Aria, please, just come home okay? I'm at your place with Emily. Spencer's on her way over and you're supposed to with her. She's hanging on awhile, but I swear, she won't wait forever,"
I've never heard Hanna this serious. I'm already standing up and getting dressed.
"Hanna, please, what's wrong? Are you guys okay?"
"No, Aria, we're not okay and neither are you. You need to just get back here, okay?!" Hanna yells, her voice cracking, before hanging up the phone.
"Everything okay?" Ezra asks, worried.
"Um, no, I don't know, I'm not sure. I uh, I have to go, right now. Can you give me a ride please?"
Ezra starts a sentence, sighs, starts another and sighs again.
"Ezra, please! I don't care about us being seen, okay? I really don't right now. The next train isn't for over an hour, my best friend is in tears right now and something's really, really wrong. I just need to get home, please. I need you to take me, please,"
I don't know why I'm yelling at Ezra and crying, but the tone of Hanna's voice is still ringing in my ears and I can't think of anything else. The only time I can remember that tone is on the day of Allison's funeral when she called to ask if I'd sit up front with her because she didn't think she could handle being so close to Allison's body.
"Of course, Aria, I'm so sorry. Of course I'll give you a ride, I'll even stay with you if you need me to," Ezra is quickly dressing himself too and he looks so sincere and sorry that I immediately hate myself.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you, I've just never heard Hanna so upset before and I'm going crazy worrying about her and-"
"Aria, it's okay, lets just go, okay? Are you sure you've got everything?"
"I don't know, I don't care, lets go. Whatever's happened, it's not good and I just need to be with my best friends right now."