Chapter 7
"I know. I'm sorry. I just needed… time." I push past Spencer and into her house.
"I get it." She follows after me.
"Hi Aria." I give a half smile to Wren as he gets up from the couch.
Clearly I'm interrupting date night.
"Hi Wren, I'm really sorry for crashing but you need to leave." I tell him before taking the bowl of pop corn from him.
I take a seat on the couch and start munching away.
"Uhh what?" I hear the confusion in Wren's voice as he looks to Spencer for answers.
"Spencer said some super helpful stuff at lunch today. It was so helpful that I'm questioning my relationship with Ezra. I can't look him in the eye let alone accept his fucking phone calls so she is now going to help me through this and tell me what my next step is." I feel the anger bubble in my belly and feel the tears burn my eyes.
I see Wren kiss Spencer good-bye from the corner of my eye before Spencer makes her way over to me.
"Next step?" Spencer asks softly, her warm hand reaching out and squeezing mine.
"Yes. You told me there is more going on here. That Ezra ignoring me was bigger than family issues… so what is the plan? How do I find out what they are?"
"Aria. I'll tell you what you do." Her tone is serious as her eyes pierce mine.
"It's very complicated, scheming and well... brilliant." She leans in closer with every word.
"You ask him." She finishes with a small smirk.
"You think this is funny?" I ask my voice inching it's way to hysterics.
"No Aria, I don't."
"I can't ask him. He would lie or spin it or… I don't know. But lately it's like he doesn't volunteer anything! I have to pull it from him, the whole promotion thing… well he conveniently didn't tell me about that! And sure he didn't take the job but how do I know?! What if he did and then changed his mind? Or what if he did take it and just told me he didn't… string me along until the end? And then there's the ignoring me thing, I had to get that from him too. I have to force everything from him these days. It shouldn't be this hard, he should be volunteering information. If he honestly didn't take the job he would have told me about it! What if the week he was gone… he was just preparing me for the end?" I finish my rant tears streaming down my face and sobs lodged in the back of my throat.
"Oh god, Aria. I'm so sorry. To put this doubt in your mind and leave you alone to question everything. To put two and two together and come up with five." She pulls me into a hug and doesn't let go until my breathing has slowed down.
"We will work this out together. He is clearly hiding something and we will find out what it is."
"I don't want to lose him Spence. I love him so much it hurts." I whisper so quietly I'm not sure she heard me.
"I know Aria. I know."
I let out a groan as I feel the harsh sun through my eyes lids. I roll over and dig my head further into the pillows beneath me.
"Aria, rise and shine!" I groan again as I feel Spencer pull the comforter back.
"Go away." I mumble before trying to find sleep again.
"No, we have a big day a head of us."
"We do?" I roll over and squint up at her.
"We do. Now get up and hit the shower. You stink." She tells me with a playful smirk.
"Yea, yea. Whatever." I mumble as I make my way to the bathroom.
Once showered and dressed in some clothes I had stashed away at Spencer's I was munching on some toast while she typed away furiously on her laptop.
"You're going to break those keys. What are you doing anyway?" I ask as I take a sip of my orange juice.
"Hacking Hollis." She tells me bluntly as she continues typing away, not sparing a glance my way.
"Well doesn't that bring back memories…" I trail off waiting for her to elaborate.
"Why?" I ask when she doesn't fill me in.
"To see if Ezra took that promotion." I choke on my mouthful of toast and she pauses long enough to look up.
"We have to start somewhere." She tells me as she looks down and continues her typing.
"Ok I'm in the deans emails." She tells me without taking her eyes off the prize.
"Oh no." She mumbles quietly before catching my eye.
"What?" I ask, almost afraid of her answer.
"I can see here that he turned the job down when he was offered it."
"That's great." I feel a smile spread over my lips.
"Until last week. When he emailed the dean and asked if the position was still vacant… because his situation has changed and he was interested in a move." My breathing catches in my throat, I feel as though I've been hit by a truck.
I can't move. I'm paralysed.
His situation had changed? What the hell does that mean?
"Aria?" Spencer's worried voice pulls through my mind and I turn to look at her.
"What the hell happened last week?" I ask my voice cracking at the end.
Ezra's leaving me.
Ezra's leaving me.
It's over.
Our love was a lie.
In spite of the walls around my heart, I feel it crumble into a million pieces.
A/N: Please review and let me know yours thoughts.
Lexi x
