"Aria?" I just wanted to hug him through the phone, he sounded so broken.

"Hey Mike, we shouldn't do this over the phone why don't you come over to Ezra's place?" He pondered the question, we were way past the whole 'awkward' stage.

"Yeah, just give me the address I'll be over soon."

"Where are you?" He hung up before answering my question.

Ezra brought me my delicious scrambled eggs and sat with me on the couch.

"You got a little something on your nose." He kept his head down but his eyes up at me.

I wiped the bridge of my nose. "Did I get it?" He scrunched his face.

"Um, not quite." He leaned in to get it and kissed me. I put my plate on the table next to me as he pushed me down with his lips alone. It must have been at least an hour that we were on that couch until we heard a knock at the door. We both popped up, I started laughing.

"I don't even know why I'm attracted to such cheesiness." He got up to get the door, I stayed laying on the couch.

"Hi Mike." I peaked my head over the back of the couch to see my brother walk in.

"Come sit over here." Mike only acknowledged Ezra with a head nod. "Let's just cut to the chase. How are you? Tell me nothing but the truth." Ezra hung around in the kitchen giving us some time to talk one on one.

"Aria, mom's dead."

"I know that. How are you?"

"Do you need to ask? I came over so we could see each other. You're my sister, I need to be protecting you." He buried his head in his hands I could tell he was holding back tears.

"Let's go out." I grabbed my coat and told Ezra we'd be back, I knew Mike didn't want him to see him cry. We headed out to the parking lot and got into Ezra's car.

"His car?" Mike's eyes were getting damp.

"I don't have my own car Mike." He was starting to get mad.

"I don't know why I can't have a normal sister? Or a normal family?" His breathing got heavier.

"Mike don't do this now. We need each other right now."

"No Aria, you need me right now. Right now you will swoop in and save the day but then you'll be gone after you think I'm fine. You'll think I can take care of myself and then be gone, off with your english teacher making out who knows where. I'll be the one stuck bouncing from friend's house to friend's house, battling dad and passing mom's grave when I can't find a place to sleep. Aria you think it's going to be fine after all of the hub bub around mom's death passes but I'll be the one crushed. I'll be here stuck in Rosewood, all of the memories haunting me every minute of the day. Even passing your english classroom throws ugly memories in my head. It's not as easy as it is for you, I don't have anyone to be with all the time." That's when he lost it but I ignored and kept talking over his sobs.

"Mike, you cannot be doing this right now. You know I love Ezra and he welcomed you into our home but you were the one who thought it would be awkward. You were the one who denied a place to sleep. Mom was always on my side, and by the way she knew that me and Ezra are engaged so that's for the congratulations. You just made me feel ten million times better. Go right now just leave. Find a place to sleep, on the street or a stranger's house because I'm just not going to care. My life is more than perfect Mike I haven't been through any obstacles it's been you struggling this whole time. Yeah, right." Tears were streaming down my face as I stormed up to Ezra's apartment. I wiped them before I walked in.

"Mike left." Ezra was reading a newspaper on the brown leather couch.

"What happened?" His head turned.

"Nothing, it's fine." I placed my bag down and grabbed a glass of juice.

"Aria, where's Mike?"

"I don't know." I really didn't care after all of the things he said.

"You don't know? He's your brother, your mom just died and you don't know where he's going or what he's doing. You were just in here and he was ready to spill his feelings."

"Ezra, it's none of your business if I don't care. And he did spill his feelings, loud and clear."

"It's none of my business just because you don't care? What if I care? Mike is still a kid, no matter how much he's gone through. You can't just throw him in the street Aria." Ezra stood up now.

"You can care all you want Ezra but it won't change anything that he said about me and you."

"I don't care about that and I thought you would be over that too. Mike's your brother Aria, you need to help him like I help you."

"So you're saying that I can't get through life without your help? Ezra I'm not a wounded animal!"

"I wasn't saying that Aria. Nevermind, I'm going to find Mike." And with that Ezra Fitz left the building.