I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I was hoping to write a lot during the Christmas holidays, but had a rather stressful time. So today I apologize with a chapter I like a lot, I hope you do, too. Enjoy!

Aria

I found Patrick in the deserted cafeteria, sipping on his coffee and staring out of the window into the dark. He must have heard me, because he turned around when I approached him.

"Aria! I'm sorry!" he looked at me as if he had completely forgotten about my existence.

"Don't be", I knew this had been hard on him. He had been pretty flustered during the car ride and I had to drive most of the way, because I was worried about his driving skills.

"I just needed a moment…" he got up and brushed a strand of hair out of my face, "Thank you for being here."

"I don't mind", I said, giving him a warm smile.

"Let's get back", he said taking my hand and leading the way back to the hospital floor.

Ezra was still sitting where I left him, looking up as we turned around the corner. His face remained motionless and I couldn't read what he was thinking.

"There you are", he cleared his throat, "I might as well head home, the nurse just told me they stuffed her with pain killers and it's highly unlikely she's going to wake up any time soon."

"I think I'd like to stay. I'm pretty messed-up… maybe I can calm down a little waiting for her to wake up", Patrick thought out loud.

"Yeah, we can stay if you want to", I said. Honestly I was dead tired, but this wasn't the right time to call the tune.

"No, you don't have to stay! I know you're tired, why don't you head to my parents and catch up on some sleep?"

"Patrick, I don't want to leave you alone. I'm fine!"

"Aria, you really don't have to stay for me. I don't feel like talking anyway."

"You sure?"

"Leave already!" he smiled and gave me a kiss, which felt a little awkward standing next to Ezra who had remained quiet and watched our conversation.

"Alright", I rummaged my cell phone out of my purse "I'm going to call a cab."

"Maybe Ezra can take you home? He's leaving anyway."

Ezra looked at us alarmed. He clearly hadn't expected this suggestion.

"Don't go to too much trouble! I'll just take a cab!" I quickly responded.

"No, I don't want you to have to drive around New York at night alone! It's no problem for you, is it, Ezra?"

"Um… no, no it's not."

"Great, that's a relief", he said already handing me the keys, "See you in the morning!"

Ezra looked at me beaten and then led the way.


"So where's your car?", I asked when we got outside and crossed the parking lot.

"I don't have one", he simply stated.

"What happened to the Toyota?"

"I sold it. No one needs a car in New York."

"So how are we supposed to get back?"

"Well I took the subway to get here, but since the Braxleys live only a few blocks away I would suggest walking. It's a warm night anyway."

He was right. It had been surprisingly warm for early September and although it was still night I didn't freeze at all.
Ezra was walking pretty fast and I had trouble keeping up with him. But I had no choice, as he was the only one who knew the way.

"How long have you been in New York?" I asked, because I figured running next to him for a few blocks might go by faster if we talked to each other.

"Approximately seven years", he answered shortly.

"And where do you live?" I wasn't giving up so fast.

"In Brooklyn."

"Do you have a big apartment?"

He shook his head, "No, I guess it's not what one might call 'big'. 'Tiny' would be more accurate. But it's big enough for Pete and I", his façade began to crumble.

"Pete is your roommate?"

"No, Pete is my goldfish", he laughed, "I also have a yucca plant. Her name is Audrey and I think she's dying."

And there he was. My Ezra. The talkative one. The one who made jokes and had the most boyish smile I had ever laid eyes on. The one I still missed sometimes, although it had been seven years.

"I'm going to be a terrible father some day", he kept on talking, "how am I supposed to care for a child, when I'm not even able to keep a plant alive?"

"Well, first of all children make a lot of noise when they're hungry. That might be a game changer."

"That makes me even more scared for Pete! I tried talking to him, but he doesn't say a word!"

We both laughed and I got this warm fuzzy feeling inside, I hadn't felt in a while.

"What are the other girls doing?" he continued the conversation, "Spencer, Emily and the blonde one?"

I had to smirk a little, he had always forgotten Hanna's name. Even in class.

"They're doing great. Spencer is attending Medical School and she's the same eager beaver she's always been, always on top of her class. Emily is also a teacher and just got married to her girlfriend this spring and the blonde one writes for a fashion magazine and is currently in Japan."

"Wow, a lot has changed in a few years", Ezra thought out loud.

And he was right. It seemed like yesterday the girls and I sat at the police station being questioned about the murder of our friend. A time followed when I didn't think we would ever be happy again. And yet all of us recovered fast from what happened. After they arrested the real murderer and found 'A', things got back to normal really quick and soon we were all confronted with the typical teenage problems again.
We graduated high school together and went separate ways after that. Emily, Spencer and I attending different colleges, Hanna doing an internship in San Francisco. But through the mutual experiences we had undergone, we had grown so close that we stayed in pretty good contact. I saw Emily a lot, she was the one who didn't live that far away and talked to Hanna on the phone all the time, when she wasn't overseas. Spencer was always busy with medical school, so I didn't get to see a lot of her, but she wrote emails filling pages informing us about every detail of her life every once in a while when she had a few minutes of spare time.

Although it was already dawning it felt colder than before and I shivered. I didn't say anything, but Ezra had noticed it and offered me his jacket. I was afraid it might look stupid if I declined and kept shivering, so I thankfully accepted. As he laid it gently on my shoulders I got goose bumps, mainly from his familiar smell. I suddenly remembered our first kiss as if it was yesterday. Both of us hardly knowing each other, passionately kissing in the restroom of a bar. Even back then I had been surprised about myself, because I wasn't the girl who usually made out with strangers. But somehow it felt right at that moment. And I remembered how his scent had made me lose my mind. Apparently nothing had changed since then.

As we walked on he finally began to open up. And once he had started, he talked like a waterfall. He told me how he had taught college for years and became fed up with it. How he started teaching High School again and was happy to do so. How he felt satisfied with his job, but sometimes worried if he hadn't achieved as much as he should have.

I didn't realize time had flown by and was surprised when Ezra came to a sudden stop in front of the Braxley's mansion.

"So, there we are", he said, once again giving me his heartwarming smile.

"Well… thank you for escorting me", I smiled back at him, "I had a great time."

"So did I."

He looked at me still smiling. Both of us didn't move. I wasn't sure if to hug him, I felt the urge to, but didn't know if that would be appropriate, so we just stood there grinning at each other like fools.

"Well, good night then", I finally said.

"Good night, Aria", he responded, leaned down and kissed me.

His lips touched mine and my mouth opened willingly as his tongue slid inside. His hands held my waist and pressed my body against his, while my arms wrapped themselves around his neck. I couldn't tell how long we stood there, clinging to each other like drowning people.
Ezra was the first to let go, stumbling back a few feet.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have… I don't know why...", he stammered, "I'm so sorry, Aria, please forgive me!"

He turned around and stormed into the dawning day, leaving me standing on the sidewalk, still feeling the warmth of his lips on my skin.