Story title: Ezra and Aria: Double Infinity
Chapter 7: I Need You Now
Summary: Sequel to Ezra and Aria: A Romance to Last a Lifetime. Ezra and Aria have been living in New York for six years with their children and their dog. What happens when something throws a wrench into their nearly perfect lives?
Disclaimer: If I owned PLL, would I really be on FanFiction right now?
Ezra was just working on essays that had been sitting in his satchel for the past four days. He rubbed his eyes as he fought to stay awake and he took another swig of scotch as he tried to focus on grading these papers. It was only eight o' clock and he was exhausted. He thought to himself as he read through another essay, After this one, I think I'll go to bed. Alone. For the fifth night in a row.
Suddenly there was a shrill from his cell phone and he glanced at the number. It was Aria. His heart began to race as he answered the phone cell, "Hello?" His voice was shaky as he murmured next, "Aria, is that you?"
His wife's voice overwhelmed him as she responded, 'Hey, Ezra." She giggled nervously as she continued, "It's so nice to hear your voice."
Ezra tried to keep his voice casual, "Yeah, it's nice to hear your voice, too. So, where are you?"
"I went to see my parents down here in Rosewood. I just needed some time to think, away from the big city."
He clenched his jaw in frustration as he drummed his fingers on his old hickory desk, "Don't you think you could told me that instead of disappearing like you did? I wouldn't have been upset if you had told me that you were going down to Rosewood."
Aria sighed in response, her voice growing heavy, "How are the kids?"
"Well, Andrew is trying to be strong, but he misses you so damn much, it's kind of hard for him. Kenzie misses you too. I had to sing her to sleep tonight." He shuddered as a draft from the next room reached him, "Then there's me. I miss you so much, Aria. It's killing me inside knowing that you're hurting and there is nothing I can do to change that. It killed me when I saw that you had left, too."
She took in a deep breath and then shakily said, "It wasn't an easy decision for me to make, but how am I supposed to feel? In a week and a half, we should be in the hospital with our newborn son. But we're not going to be and it's my fault that Mason is gone."
"Aria-"
"Save it, Ezra. I shouldn't have called. I knew it was a bad idea. I better go. I have a pizza waiting for me."
"Please, Aria, just listen to me-"The other end of the phone call went dead and he listened to the dial tone for a few moments, recollecting what just happened. Aria had called him. She had sounded happy. Happy to be out of New York and back to the place where she had grown up. He couldn't help think, though, that she was begging him to go down himself.
He sighed, knowing that he had to, though he didn't want to leave Kenzie and Andrew behind. They would be so upset. He shook his head of the thoughts. Spencer and the rest the girls will watch them if I ask them to. I won't be gone long. I'll be back with Aria before they can even miss me.
Ezra finally ended the call and started to dial another number. He pressed the receiver to his ear and soon he heard, "John F. Kennedy International Airport. How can I help you?"
"I need one plane ticket to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania tonight, please."
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The morning after Ezra's disastrous phone call with Aria, he sat in an airplane, slowly descending to the Philadelphia International Airport landing grounds. He gazed out the window, preparing what he was going to say to Aria when he saw her. She would be angry and upset at first, but maybe, just maybe, if he took her back to all the places they used to go, they could rekindle the relationship they had had back when they both lived in Rosewood. Back before the mess with the miscarriage and the stress of having a family so young. Back before their lives had been turned upside down.
He reached into his backpack sitting beside him and took out the picture Ezra and Aria had taken with Kenzie, Andrew, and Snoopy for their last Christmas card. They looked so happy, both holding one of their children and Snoopy sitting loyally beside them. He smiled down at the picture and stroked it softly with his long, muscular fingers. He glanced out the window again as the captain spoke over the intercom:
"Good morning, passengers. This is your captain speaking. We are ten or fifteen minutes away from landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Please put on your seatbelts and enjoy the rest of the flight. Thank you for flying with us."
Ezra sighed and smiled as he remembered the plane ride when he and Aria had been on their honeymoon. They had been happy newlyweds; content, excited, nervous, a little sexually driven, and ready to spend the rest of their lives together. He closed his eyes, remembering that morning so clearly, it could have been the day before.
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After persuading Aria to eat her McDonalds meal with a typical "Think of the baby" lecture and forcing down his own food, the gate finally opened and Ezra was able to carry his young wife into the plane and to their seats, where he made sure to get Row B, Seat 2 and 3. He sat her in the window seat, which she had begged for ever since they started to plan the wedding a month and a half ago.
Aria smiled sleepily as he put the carryon bag on the shelf above their heads, "You know how sexy you look with that tank top on? Man, those early morning runs sure did you some good."
His cheeks flushed a light pink, "Well, that little sundress you have on..."He whistled, "Sure is making me crazy." She giggled and held out her hand and he takes it in his, sitting beside her, flipping up the arm rest radio thingy, taking his wife, into his arms, holding her close to him. Aria lays her head on his chest and peers up into his eyes before smiling softly at him and closing her own. Her breathing became heavy as she fell into deep dreams within just moments of closing her eyes, Ezra leaned his head against hers, pressing his lips into her hair, savoring the moment alone with her. He relaxed, thinking for a moment, before his mind goes blank, These next two weeks with her are going to amazing and I will do anything to stop anyone from interfering with this special time I have alone with her.
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He took in a deep breath as he felt the plane begin to descend down to the runway. He braced himself mentally and emotionally as he thought ahead to Aria when he would see her. He hoped she wouldn't be too upset. After all, she had seemed like she wanted him to come and see her. If she is upset, she'll get over it. I am going to make sure that I bring the real Aria back to New York with me. The one who loves to laugh, sing, and just live her life. By the time we go back, she'll be the Aria that I fell in love with ten years ago.
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Ella put a plate of food in front of Aria and she blinked gratefully up at her mother as she dug into the eggs and bacon hungrily. She hadn't felt like eating after her phone call with Ezra, so Byron and Ella ate instead.
"So," Aria chewed slowly, quickly swallowing, shivering in warmth as she felt the food enter her stomach, "how is Mike? Last time we talked, he said that he took a job as an athletic trainer at the high school. Is that going well for him?"
Her mother nodded with a small smile, "He seems to really be enjoying it and that girlfriend of his sure does keep him in line. I really love that Natasha Kahn. She is the sweetest thing."
"She seemed really nice when we met. I mean, Ezra was her teacher and Noel is her older brother. I'm surprised that she doesn't have a problem with that she's dating a guy whose sister dated her brother and then marries her English teacher. I bet she thinks that we're a bit dysfunctional."
Ella rolled her eyes, "Aria, Natasha is very understanding. And she seems to really love your brother. I wouldn't be surprised if they got married sometime in the future. Then you would be the sister-in-law to your ex-boyfriend." Her mother laughed a moment, "That'll be an interesting situation."
"You seem to have forgotten that Noel and I are still close friends." Aria defended herself.
Ella put up her hands in surrender, "I have no problem with that. He has been a good friend to you these past eight years since you and Ezra got married. Though in these last four days have got me worried." She sighed and blinked identical hazel eyes at her daughter, "You and Noel shouldn't be in a room alone together, like you were yesterday in the living room."
Aria felt a surge of anger course through her, "We're just friends, Mom! That's it!"
"Aria, you've been emotionally unstable for over two months and next week Mason would have been born. You need to go back to New York and mend things with Ezra. That's the man you should be around, not your ex-boyfriend who would probably snatch you away the first chance he had."
She rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Noel understands me. He doesn't push me into talking to things that I don't feel like talking about. He lets me have my space when I need it and then comforts me when I need comforted. Ezra just seems to be judging me all the time."
"He's not judging! He's being a good husband trying to help you get through losing your son! His son! You two's son! It's okay to talk to Ezra, you know? Have you ever thought about how bad he must feel? I remember when you were recovering in the hospital and he was beside you, every minute. I saw him cry and weep and sob. He loves and cares about you and you're just pushing him away."
There was a soft knock on the front door and Aria jumped up to get it, "That's probably my friend Noel. If you don't mind, I think I'll invite him." With one last annoyed look at her mother, her practically skipped to the front door and swung it open.
Her heart froze when she saw the all too familiar dark brown curls hanging over tired dark blue eyes that blinked at her.
It was Ezra.
Cliffhanger! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter after the last one was so poorly written on my part. I wasn't the happiest on Thursday, to say the very least, so my apologies to you. I have been planning this chapter for almost a week and I really hope you enjoyed it.
Thank you so much your guys's amazing support. Tomorrow will be nine months since I posted A Romance to Last a Lifetime. I cannot believe how far this storyline has come and I couldn't have done it without y'all.
I promise you that Double Infinity will get better in the emotional department soon. I am already planning a really good romantic scene for Ezra and Aria after Aria gets over the fact that Ezra came after her.
Send me some good words in the reviews. Ideas, compliments, constructive criticism, etc, etc. You guys are amazing. I will see you on Monday for the next update!