Chapter Seven: No One
"...And you ask yourself
Who do I wanna be?
Do I wanna throw away the key?
and invent a whole new me
Gotta tell yourself
No One, No One
Don't wanna be
No One
But me..
Your life plays out on the shadows of the wall
You turn the light on to erase it all
You wonder what it's like to not feel worthless
So open all the blinds and all the curtains..."
~ "No One" – Aly and AJ
Five Years Later…June…
Aria dusted the mantle in the living room of the town house and paused picking up a photograph. She smiled seeing the picture of her and Jason at her graduation the year before. They both looked tired, but happy. She held her diploma with a smile and he held her close to his side. She could remember that day vividly because Jason had been so exhausted from studying for the bar he'd barely stayed awake for her party. Afterwards, she promptly put him to bed and he'd fallen asleep without protest. In the year since then, Jason had passed the bar with ease and practiced family law with the law firm Forrester & Co.
She knew he enjoyed it despite the long hours and heavy loads he often took on. She smiled feeling two strong arms encircle her waist. Jason's lips brushed against her neck.
"What are you looking at?" he whispered.
"Pictures," she said back closing her eyes as he tugged at the bow on the back of her neck. The front of her halter dress loosened as Jason kissed down the back of her neck. Aria put the picture back and caught the top of her dress before it fell completely. Jason groaned in frustration and rested his forehead on her shoulder. Giggling, Aria turned her head and kissed his head.
"We have to go to dinner later with Scott and Emily. Do you really think it's a good idea to start something we won't be able to finish?" she asked.
"You have a point, but I really don't care," Jason murmured peppering kisses down her shoulder.
Aria bit her bottom lip as his hands travelled over her hips. He grabbed the material of her dress and slowly raised it.
"Jason," Aria murmured as a warning.
He ignored her and continued kissing her neck. Her breath hitched when she felt his fingertips touch her skin. Any ability to resist Jason was waning and she knew it. Turning to look at him, Aria wrapped her arms around his neck. Just from the look in his eyes, she knew that they'd be late for dinner.
Aria sorted through the ties at the men's department of her favorite department store. She had chosen two ties that she thought Jason would like for his birthday and had found a few dress shirts to go with them. She had to smile at the thought of Jason shopping. It wasn't something he enjoyed but would do if there was a reward afterwards. Spotting a deep blue tie, Aria mused how perfectly it would bring out the specs of blue in his bluish green eyes. Reaching for it, she paused as a little hand darted out and grabbed it first. Looking down, Aria smiled at the young girl would couldn't have been older than five.
"Megan, you shouldn't have just grabbed it. Next time ask the woman if she wants it also."
Aria paused hearing his voice. Had it really been five years since she'd seen him. Tuning around, she gave him a tight smile.
"Hello, Ezra," she said. "It's fine. Megan can have the tie if she wants."
The little girl gave her a curious look, "You know my name?"
Aria looked back down at the girl and smiled, "I knew your dad a long time ago. We used to be friends."
"Used to?"
"Megan remember how we talked about not prying into others business?" Ezra said picking up one of the younger boys that had been running around his feet.
"I moved to Philadelphia and you're dad stayed in Rosewood. We fell out of touch," Aria explained to the girl in the most basic terms she could.
"Oh," Megan said bored already with the subject. She went back to looking at the ties.
"Sorry about that," Ezra said. "We've kind of hit this phase where she wants to know everyone's business."
"I understand," Aria said feeling awkward. "Who…who are the two boys?"
Ezra blushed a little and put his hand on the older little boys head, "This is my son Benny and this is Douglas."
"They're cute."
"Thanks."
They stood in awkward silence again. Aria didn't know what to say. That Ezra had moved on and started a family wasn't surprising to her. She'd moved on with Jason and was happy with their situation. They lived in a nice neighborhood and enjoyed the city life. What surprised her most was the feeling of indifference she had to Ezra. After all this time she'd gotten over him like Jason always said she would and she was alright with it.
"How's school?" Ezra asked trying to start a conversation.
"I graduated. I work at photography studio downtown."
"Did DeLaurentis pass his bar?"
Aria raised her eyebrow. Something about the way Ezra said Jason's last name didn't sound right to her.
"He did. He's been working at Forrester downtown for almost a year now. How's life?"
"Good," Ezra said quietly, "Rosewood isn't quite the same without you but-"
He stopped what he was going to say and that horrible awkward silence resumed. Standing there shifting, Aria quickly realized that she didn't have to stick around for this weird conversation. Picking up the tie that Megan had discarded, she gave the children and Ezra one last smile.
"It was nice seeing you," she said quickly, "I hope you have good day."
Walking away, Aria shook her head at the strange conversation and found the closest register to check out at.
Aria pulled the covers of the bed down later that evening and watched as Jason undid the watch around his wrist. He set it down on the dresser next to her small dish that had the pearl earrings that she'd been wearing all day in it. Something about her run in with Ezra had left her unsettled and she didn't know why. She didn't have feelings for him but his statement about Rosewood had left her feeling uncomfortable. Sitting cross legged on the bed, she saw Jason leave the room. He returned a few minutes later. The nightly ritual of checking the locks was something that she found comfort in and it helped to sooth her unsettled mind.
"You've been quiet all day," Jason said quietly shutting off the light in the hallway and bathroom.
"I'm just thinking," Aria replied watching him take off his shirt.
"About?"
He dropped the shirt in the laundry hamper in the walk in closet and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"I ran into Ezra today at the store," she confessed leaning back against the pillows. "It was just awkward and now I'm trying to figure out why."
"Why it was awkward?"
"Yes. I don't know why."
Jason stood up and pulled the covers down. Laying down, he shut his nightstand lamp off.
"Maybe you're over thinking it," Jason said tiredly. "It was just a run in with an ex. Nothing else. Those are supposed to be awkward.
Jason saying that out loud made everything else make sense. He was right that she was over thinking it. So they ran into the store together, it wasn't that big of a deal. Leaning over, she shut off her nightstand light and pulled the covers over her. She could feel Jason shifting in the bed so that his body was spooning hers. The feeling of his breathing along her neck made her smile in the dark. He was always warm and comforting even in sleep. His arm slipped around her waist as the air conditioning kicked on.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," Aria said pulling his hand up to be with hers. She rested it against her cheek and kissed his knuckles.
Ezra sat down on the edge of the tub and rubbed his forehead. Jackie was pregnant again. He felt used. Thinking that Jackie had been taking birth control, he'd stopped using condoms. Ezra resisted the urge to punch the wall. She'd lied and gone behind his back to get what she wanted.
"Daddy?"
He looked up hearing Megan's voice. She was a sweet little girl and he smiled involuntarily at her.
"What's up peanut?"
"Mommy is angry at me."
"Why is she angry?" Ezra asked feeling angry that Jackie was taking her anger out on the kids.
"She asked me about what we did today at the mall and when I told her about the pretty lady she got all angry."
Ezra tired not to yell at Megan. She needed to learn that you couldn't blab everything to everyone, especially after promising not to tell others.
"Why don't you go see what your brothers are up to," Ezra suggested.
Megan nodded and scampered off to the next door bedroom to watch whatever TV was on with Benny and Douglas. Standing, Ezra splashed cold water on his face. He could already feel like this conversation would be unpleasant. After checking on the kids, Ezra made his way downstairs to see Jackie typing out a text message angrily on her phone.
"What's going on?" Ezra asked leaning against the kitchen door way watching her.
"Don't talk to me right now," Jackie said angrily.
"Why? Megan said you yelled at her."
Jackie snorted, "Megan is a little drama queen who dramatizes everything."
"Just like her mother," Ezra mumbled.
"What?"
He looked at her and she glared back at him, "Ezra, what did you say?"
"I said that you're overreacting to whatever has you angry."
"You think I'm angry?"
"You look angry."
Jackie snorted and threw her phone on the table, "Why did you have to talk to her? I thought you told me you weren't ever going to talk to her again!"
"She was there and your daughter rudely took the tie she was going to buy! I thought the polite thing to do would be to apologize and teach Megan a lesson," Ezra defended himself.
Jackie threw up her hands, "You broke your promise!"
"Oh like you didn't?!" he yelled back. "What happened to 'I'm on the pill', Jackie?"
"It failed!"
"I'm sure it did because you probably stopped taking it!"
"Do think I would do that?" Jackie cried. "That I would sink that low?"
Ezra was silent. She probably would and he didn't want to say it aloud.
"Your silence is so reassuring, you ass."
Jackie grabbed her phone and left the kitchen.
A few hours later Ezra laid staring up at the ceiling of the guest bedroom. He shouldn't have yelled at her he mused as he rubbed his forehead in the dark room and sighed. Yelling at Jackie hadn't solved anything and it had only left them both upset. He'd heard the bath water earlier and sat up. He should apologize to her. Accusing her of getting pregnant on purpose wasn't fair. If birth control did fail, how was it her fault?
Opening the door, Megan ran into him and looked scared.
"What's wrong?" Ezra asked.
"Mommy said to come get you," Megan cried. "She fell getting out of the tub."
He barely registered pushing Megan aside and running to help Jackie.
She sat on the bathroom floor crying as the towel beneath her turned blood red.
Aria stood in the kitchen pouring a cup of coffee. She heard Jason come down the stairs tying his dark blue tie. She instantly recognized it as the one she'd gotten him yesterday.
"Where did you find that?" she asked.
"Sitting on the dresser," Jason said standing in front of the mirror in the hallway.
"You went through the bag.'
"I wasn't supposed to? It had my name marked on it."
Aria sighed and took him a cup of coffee. Setting it on the narrow table beneath the mirror, she undid the tie and tied it again.
"The bag was for your birthday."
Jason smiled and kissed her, "I'm sorry. I was curious and I thought you'd like to see the blue."
She looked at him and could feel the butterflies come alive in her stomach. He looked handsome in the perfectly cut black suit. The shirt beneath was crisp white and she could smell his sandalwood aftershave.
"Do I have your approval?" Jason asked with a smile.
Aria bit her bottom lip as he buttoned the top button of his suit coat. He was handsome and that was undeniable. She wanted to run her fingers through his short hair and kiss his lips. He'd shaven that morning and she could just imagine his smooth cheek against her skin as he…
"You're approval of the tie?" he asked amused.
Aria looked down and blushed. They both knew what she was thinking.
"It looks very good," she said recovering herself and looking up at him, "Are you going to the court house today?"
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, "I am. I have to go to a meeting for a custody battle that is about to become very nasty. Hopefully, I can avoid an all-out war between these two parents."
"That bad?" Aria asked wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Yeah, Mom wants full custody and Dad does too. Both have claimed the other unfit and I'm hoping to just get split custody. Both of them are perfectly sane and just hate each other's guts."
Running the back of her fingertips up and down his neck, Aria frowned.
"Do you think you'll be home for dinner?"
Jason rested his head against the junction of her neck and shoulder. She smiled feeling his lips pressed against her skin.
"I don't know," he mumbled quietly, "If I'm not home by eight just eat without me. I can through something together."
"Okay. Don't work too hard," she said jokingly.
Jason stepped away and took one last look in the mirror checking his tie. He grabbed his brief case that had the paperwork he needed and the cup of coffee she'd poured. Leaning down to kiss her, he smiled.
"I look by the way in blue don't I?"
Aria giggled and kissed him, "You look very handsome in blue. I'm happy you're wearing it. Can I take it off later?"
"Who else will?" Jason chuckled giving her one last kiss on the head as he walked out the door.
Ezra sat in the ER at Rosewood Hospital feeling anxious. Jackie had been with the doctor for hours. Was no news good news?
He didn't know what to do. He'd never felt so guilty for fighting with her before. That she'd fallen wasn't his fault but still, somehow it did feel like it was his fault. Taking a deep breath, he looked up to see a nurse approaching him.
"She's going to be just fine. You can go see her now."
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