Hi everyone. Hope you like this chapter :)
Serendipity
"Hey, can I get you a drink?"
A voice called, she turned around and saw an attractive man in his twenties. Aria smiled, shaking her head. He nodded and then sat down on the chair next to her. She sighed internally wondering this would be one of those situations, whether he would take rejection so badly that he would spit expletives at her. But he didn't, nor did he begin hitting another girl as if he had a list of girls he would grow through crossing off all those who said no. He just sat there and ordered himself a drink. She turned to face him, as she had previously observed he was good looking but as she looked closer she realised that he was absolutely gorgeous with dirty blonde hair, blue eyes and an extremely strong jawline. He glanced over at her and caught her staring; she bit her lower lip in embarrassment and then looked down at her glass.
He smiled, "Hey. I'm Will." He introduced,
"Aria," She replied, her cheeks were red and she smiled sheepishly.
The s—Will returned her smile, "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl," He commented, and the redness in her cheeks brightened, "So can I get you that drink?" Aria gulped, not knowing how to reply. As of late, she realised her judgment in men wasn't all that great. They were all either inappropriate or abusive, to a certain extent. But she nodded, because, in spite of everything, she was still an optimist. She believed that everyone is inherently good and so she gave second chances to love, again and again. "Excuse me, bartender, can I get a –" He turned to face her.
"Vodka martini," Aria said, then looked over at Will, "So you're alone here tonight," She inquired,
He nodded, "Well, not anymore," He watched as she cupped her glass, looking down at the alcohol inside, "Are you okay?"
She pursed her lips together, and looked at him, before placing the glass to her lips and gulping it all up in a sip, "Peachy." She replied, "It's weird, isn't it?" He looked at her, confused, "Every Friday night people come out to bars, to clubs—some to escape, some to find someone—so you've got a large number of adults in one place and there are hundreds of hormones. But yet people are afraid to say what they really mean. What they really want. Now, Will, you seem like a nice enough guy although, as it turns out, my skillset doesn't include being able to judge people at first sight. I am not looking for a relationship, not any time soon. And I don't know what you want from me. I find you attractive. And if you find me attractive then let's get out of here."
Will smiled in disbelief; he looked down at his glass, "Your place. Or mine." He asked, she smiled and got up. He followed her out of the bar, taking her lead, presuming that they were headed over to hers. The streets of New York were filled with people and she grabbed his hand leading him through the crowd. Once they were at an empty corner, she turned around and looked at him. She leant in and kissed him. He placed his hands on her waist pulling her closer and her hands were on his neck. They were practically pressed against each other. She pulled away from him and he kissed her neck, she let out a soft moan, but then pushed him away. He watched as she waved her hand, calling a taxi, and they both got in together. It took less than a second before his lips met hers again.
Her apartment, once they entered it, was dark and empty. He followed her into her room. And she looked at him, licking her lower lips. Clothes were stripped and their naked bodies met each other under the thin sheet. She wasn't the type of person to spend her Friday night on a cheap, meaningless hook up but she hadn't also the type of person who would risk everything for the sake of an illicit relationship with her English and she did that. Perhaps she had changed. From the person she believed herself to be. And perhaps that was the best thing for her, right now.
…
It was dark. The last thing she should have done was leave later than she was supposed, but she still had work she needed to do. She walked into the subway, and awaited her train. The voice on the intercom informed her that her train was arriving soon. She let out a sigh of relief and then, once it did, she got onto the train. It was empty, and someone else got on. She hadn't noticed someone else was there. It was seemingly a man in a hoodie who sat in front of her. She averted her gaze to the window and got up once it was her stop. But as she walked towards the exit, she couldn't. She turned around and it was Jake grabbing her arm. "You're mine now, bitch,"
Her eyes widened in fear, and he smiled, grabbing her towards the tracks. He pushed her towards the tracks but she held on to his hands, her upper body was above the tracks whilst her feet were on the platform. She begged, she pleaded. "Please don't,"
"Where is Fitz now? He can't save you this time," He muttered,
She shook her head, "Please don't. Please Jake. I promise I will do whatever you say,"
"It's too late – for the both of you," Jake.
"Wait? You're not going to hurt him. Please don't hurt—" And then she fell.
Aria woke up, breathing heavily and enveloped in her own sweat. She held her hand to her stomach and tried to steady her breathing. To her left was Will, the man she slept with the night before. She sighed and slowly got out of bed, throwing on an oversized tee onto her lingerie clad body. Outside of her room were Wesley and Noel. "Good morning," She said, walking towards the kitchen area to make a cup coffee. Her head was aching, Hanna was right she was a lightweight.
"Good morning," Wesley said, with a smirk.
"So, how was your night?" Noel asked, his tone showcased that he knew about the stranger in her bedroom.
She rolled her eyes, "Okay. We are all adults here. Can we behave like that, please?" She asked, pouring in the hot beverage into a cup. "So I slept with a complete stranger, Noel's done it plenty of times. The entire 3rd floor and I have been victims of his countless hook-ups. So, please let's not make a big deal about him. Because it didn't mean anything, it was just sex—hi" Aria said, gulping as she noticed him fully dressed walk out of her bedroom.
Will smiled, "Hey," He noticed the two men sitting on the counter, "So uh I was going to leave …" She nodded and then walked towards the door, opening it for him and following him out. He turned around and looked at her, digging his hands into his pocket, "I had a great night last night,"
Aria nodded, "Mhm. Yeah, uh it was – I did too," She replied, letting out an awkward small laugh, "Thank you for being not creepy,"
"The bar for men has never been lower than in this moment right now," Will said, laughing.
She laughed too, "I guess that what happens when you're a woman nearing her mid-twenties with dating history that is somewhat questionable," She admitted, he nodded. For a moment he just looked at her and then he leaned in. She didn't know how to react so she turned her face resulting in his lips touching her cheek.
He pulled away, his disappointment evident on his face, "I guess this is goodbye then," He said,
"Yes, I guess it is," Aria nodded, "Goodbye Will," She watched as he walked away. A sigh escaped her mouth and she walked back into her apartment, looking at her two friends. Without thinking, she spoke, "Are you two in love?" She asked.
Wesley looked at Noel, this was something they had said privately however not in the company of other people. Noel placed his hand on top of Wesley's, "Yeah. Yeah we are." He said, looking at his boyfriend before leaning into kiss him.
"And how does it feel?" Her voice broke ever so slightly, she felt a lump form in her throat and her eyes felt heavy—like she was going to cry but she didn't know why. She didn't know, all she knew was that she wanted to let it all out.
"Like every moment before I met Wes was incomplete, you know that feeling you get in the bottom of your stomach. Sometimes you don't know what it is, but it's loneliness and with him that feeling is gone. Every moment, even just getting coffee feels a hundred times better than it did without him. It's exhilarating, it's terrifying and it's wonderful. And the minute you find the person you will eventually fall in love with you know. You just know." Noel said and Wesley held his hand tighter.
Aria shuddered; her eyes welled up, "I'm so happy for you guys." She said, her voice was weak and seemingly vulnerable. Then she walked back into her room, she sat down on the edge of her bed and just held onto the side as if she would fall if she let go. The door opened and it was Noel.
"Are you okay?" Noel asked and his voice was filled with concern.
She shook her head, and he walked over sitting next to her as the tears fell freely down her cheek. He never saw her cry, it was very rare, but in the past couple of weeks she seemed like she was doing more of it than she had in the past year. Her eyes were bloodshot and her body shook with every wave of water that fell from her eyes. She began to shake. He could feel her pain; it was very raw, very present. He gulped and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him, until she was resting his head in lap.
"I think I'm broken." Aria said, "I think he broke me."
Noel furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "Who?" He asked,
"My dad," Her eyes were staring at a scarf underneath the dresser which she had been looking for, "When he cheated on my mom he didn't only break her trust he also did mine. When you're younger your parents are everything. They're your role models, your best friends; they are what you want to be what you get older. I held that very close to my heart. And then I caught him with Meredith. My belief in love stemmed from what my parents had but that was a lie. So I stopped believing. I thought I would never find someone. I thought that I would be in a relationship until inevitably either he or I did something to mess it up. My dad left me with nothing but issues, Noel."
"Aria,"
"No. Don't you dare ask me to forgive him? I won't. He ruined me," Aria said, sitting up, and wiping her tears.
"He didn't ruin you nor did he break you," Noel said, "From the moment I knew you, you were a hopeless romantic and even after you came back from Iceland, you still are. To be perfectly honest, I don't want to live in a world where you don't believe in love. Love exists, it's all around you. And it doesn't have to be between two people, romantically. Han, Spence, Em—they all love you. I love you, Wes does. Maybe you haven't found the right guy yet, whatever. You are only twenty four; you haven't even hit your peak yet. You will find someone, and when you do, you will be ready for him."
She bit her lower lip, "But I did." She said, solemnly, "And he broke my heart."
"Jak—"
"Not Jake,"
"Then who," Noel asked,
Aria looked at him, blinking several times, "I'm going to have a shower. Thank you – thank you for talking to me."
…
Hayley felt her heart break as Ezra released his hands from her eyes, it was an apartment she had stepped foot into. When Ezra had stayed at her apartment for the last couple of bruises she assumed that he had unofficially moved in. With each day passing she felt her assumption confirmed but it turned out that what she thought was incorrect. She had finally thought their relationship was moving to the next level, finally it was maturing, but it wasn't. It stood still. Every day for the past two weeks she woke up, the passing of days had led them into March, and saw his bruises which reminded her of Aria. Sometimes she felt angry, she blamed Aria, knowing that it wasn't her fault but it helped, being able to blame someone.
She looked at him, forcing a smile. He excitedly showed her around his new apartment, showing her where and what he was doing. It was three bedrooms; one bedroom was his, the other was a guestroom and the third was a study. She couldn't help but imagine the empty rooms being those for their children. They would look like him, with blue eyes and dark brown hair. She cleared her throat so that if she spoke her voice wouldn't break. And then she smiled once more, because that was what she did, she pleased. She pleased people so they would love her. So that they would care and not leave, like her father had.
"It's beautiful," Hayley said, with a smile, "Do you want to get something to eat?" She asked.
He nodded, "Yeah, sure." He replied, and intertwined his fingers with hers as they left the apartment he would know call home. It was nice; finally having a place he could call his own. Staying at Hayley's was nice but he felt out of place, everything belonged to her. He didn't want to intrude, so he decided, once and for all, to find an apartment. With all honesty, it surprised him how quickly he found a place. But the days felt bleak, with Aria not in his life, every day took forever to end. Every night he would fall asleep and her laugh, her smile, would haunt his dream—that was on a good day. On bad days, he saw her face from the party. He saw how scared she was, how vulnerable she was. How she was so afraid. Knowing that Jake had caused her to feel unsafe truly made him filled with anger. He wished he could do something to erase all the pain from her life, but he couldn't, especially now that she had cut all contact with him.
His girlfriend moved closer towards him, saying something that he wasn't really listening to, but he smiled. His thoughts revolved around Aria and it made him feel guilty, knowing that he had to convince himself every morning that he was in love with Hayley caused him to feel guiltier. Hayley deserved someone better; she deserved someone who was good. Lately he felt like he was his cheating, philandering, father and it frightened him. The last thing he would have ever wanted was to become Michael Fitzgerald but yet here he was.
Only a few blocks away Aria walked down the street, her every move felt like an effort. Her outburst to Noel had been a mistake, he now watched her as if she would break, and so she needed to leave the apartment. She didn't know where she was going; she just needed to keep going. She heard her name called and she turned around to see Will. "Hey," She said, with a small smile.
"Hey," He said, "Are you okay?"
She parted her lips to speak, but then didn't. She nodded, "I am fine."
"Okay," Will sounded, as if he didn't believe her, "I was about to get something to eat. I was wondering whether you would like to join me,"
Aria looked at him; he was gorgeous, seemingly sweet. "Sure," She replied, "I'm starving,"
"Great," He replied, "I mean, not great that you're starving but, you know, great that—uh, there's a restaurant over there," He motioned, she nodded, and followed him unable to not smile at his nerves. Whenever he got flustered he was so cute. Her mother always said that it was a good sign when a guy got nervous around you, it showed that he cared what you thought. She didn't know how true to life that statement was but, right now, it rang true to her situation.
Will spoke when they sat down, he spoke about his job, his life. He was very genuine, very charismatic, and seemed legitimately interested in her life. When Aria spoke she was very vague, not wanting to scare him away. She shook away the thought of how she had confessed so much to Ezra on their first date.
"You know, yesterday at the bar, it took me forever to get the nerve to talk to you. You, sitting there, you were just so beautiful. Clearly way out of my league," Will confessed,
Aria smiled, shaking her head, "No. Come on, you're gorgeous. You can't say that,"
His cheeks flushed a deep red, "But I knew that if I didn't talk to you then I would regret it for the rest of my life," He said, so brutally honest.
Her heart raced, she pursed her lips together, "I've just gotten out of a crazy relationship. I'm not the type of person who is right for you,"
He brushed away a strand of her hair back behind her, "Why not?"
"Because I'm a mess," She replied, "I ruin everything."
"No, no, you don't." Will said, "This, right here, it's perfect."
For a moment she believed him, blinking furiously, she leaned in and kissed him. He cupped her cheek, and she didn't care that he tasted like beer and cheese burgers. She pulled away, looking at him and he smile, before she leant in once again. He deepened the kiss and she pulled away, once she heard the door shut. She smiled, looking at him, and then turned to see the door. There he stood, Ezra stood there holding Hayley's hand and he looked heart broken. Her lips parted in shock and she broke the gaze. Aria faked a smile as she could at this, and then spoke to Will again.
Her life wouldn't be like this any longer. It was no way to live. It was time to move on, whether it was with or without Ezra Fitz.
…
Wren and Hardy helped Ezra set up his apartment. They were currently fixing book shelves to the wall as Ezra was in his room, going through boxes. Most of the things they contained were complete junk however some weren't. Deep inside a box he found a scarf; he held it to his nose. It no longer smelt like her, like Aria. For some reason he felt as if this meant like there was no hope, like their attraction to each other would fade the way the smell did. He sighed, and sat down on his bed. His heart hurt. He wished that she hadn't entered his life again, he had been fine pretending as though he was happy. He had almost convinced himself completely before she came into his life again.
"Are you okay buddy?" Hardy asked, standing at the doorway of his bedroom, "What is that?"
Ezra looked down at the thin scarf in his hands; he felt hopeless, "A scarf." He mumbled, "Her scarf." Wren looked at him. "It has been so long. I can't believe I still have this. She left this at my apartment once, I meant to return it, I did, but then I left. And it was in my things. It used to smell like her but now it doesn't." His voice broke.
Hardy shared a glance with Wren and they both sat on each side of him, "It has been seven years. The smell wouldn't stay for so long." He said, Ezra looked at him realising that Wren must have told him. Right now he didn't care. He just felt pain. "You have to get over her,"
"I am – I thought I was. I was happy with Hayley. She made me happy," Ezra gulped, "But now all I think about is Aria. The way she smelt, the way she felt in my arms, the way she could brighten my day with just a small smile. The way she made me feel—god, I'm in love with her. I am still in love with her."
Wren sighed, "You have a girlfriend, Ezra. I thought you were going to propose soon."
"I thought so too, that's what you're supposed to do, right? Once you have been in a relationship long enough, you propose." Ezra muttered. "But I can't now. I can't propose."
"Then what are you going to do about it?" Wren asked, "What the hell are you going to do? You can't mope around. You are thirty two years old and you're moping around because of a crush you had with someone who was your student. You are not twenty four anymore. And this isn't Rosewood. Time has passed and you need to make a decision. You have to do right by Hayley, she loves you Ezra. I can see it in her eyes, and you can't string her along because it's not right. Aria's seeing some new guy, Spencer told me last week. His name is Will; they have gone out on a date together."
Ezra nodded, "I know. I saw him last week." He paused, "I know you're right, Wren. You are. But three weeks ago, after my birthday dinner, Aria came around. She said that the only reason she went out with Jake was because she was hurt that I had moved on. Doesn't that me—"
"Let her move on." Wren stated, "I care about her, she is a friend. Clearly, she hasn't had enough healthy relationship, so let her have one. If you love her, like you said, you will let her move on. After you and Jake she deserves someone who is right for her."
He gulped, "I'm not going to stop her from achieving happiness. She, more than anyone, deserves it."
Hardy looked at his friend, "I don't know much about her but Wren's right." He said, "Sometimes for the people we love most, we have to make sacrifices."
He nodded. His friends, although harsh, were telling the truth. The last thing he should do was be selfish, that was the reason why he left his family. Because they were selfish and they didn't care about how anyone was hurt in the aftermath of their desires. He wouldn't allow anyone to get hurt. He wasn't his parents. All he knew was that Hayley loved him. He didn't know how Aria felt about him, perhaps she cared. Perhaps the reason why she had been hurt was because of unresolved feelings. He had to let her move on. Ezra knew that, he did. But in somewhere in the back of his mind he imagined an alternate universe where he could be selfish. Where his desires would control his behaviour, he wondered whether he would be with Aria there. Or whether he would end up ruining her life, he reminded himself why he left Rosewood. He left for her. And if making her happy meant he had to leave her once more he would do it.
Hayley loved him. Aria cared about him. He had to choose Hayley—she was the one who was with him, the one who he would spend his life with.
…
Emily and Hanna's apartment epitomized stereotypical femininity. From the moment you walked in, it was if the apartment was giving you a big hug. Aria quickly walked over to the couch and plopped back onto the softness of the cushions. She sighed in relief, "I have had a long day." She said, "Work was hectic."
"Screw work and tell us about Will." Hanna said whilst throwing a pillow over to her, Aria shook her head in disbelief.
"Will is great, really great," Aria replied, honestly, "He's a really good guy. But I don't –I just keep waiting for something to happen. Something that will ruin everything," She sighed, and looked at her friends, "And I shouldn't because he – Will – doesn't deserve it. He deserves someone who puts their hundred per cent into the relationship without constantly worrying about the endless possibilities that may lead to the end of it,"
Hanna nodded, "Aria, I know this is easier said than done. But Jake is an asshole. You have to forget about him, if you don't then he will constantly plague your being and you will always be frightened. He was a part of your life, and now he's not. So you have to forget about him if you ever want to lead a normal life."
"In our lives we have had many bad things happen. A ton, perhaps primarily due to Alison, and of course we haven't forgotten all of them but we've moved past them. That's what you have to do with Jake. For instance, Ali was a major part of our lives, we loved her – I was in love with her – but I no longer think about her in a happy light because she was a horrible person, and I know you aren't supposed to think ill of the death, but I do. She terrorised us, made our lives a living hell, so in spite of all the good times I focus on the bad. It helps me move on. You shouldn't think about the good things Jake has done, but the bad. It'll help you move on," Emily said, with raw, unadulterated honesty.
Aria's mouth fell open, "Wow Em, I've never heard you speak of Ali like that,"
Emily shrugged, "I suppose it took me a long time to come to terms with who she really was. And I don't want it to take you that long," She said, with a supportive smile.
"Have you spoken to Ezra?" Hanna asked, "Since that night,"
"No," Aria replied, quickly, getting up and walking over to the fridge. She took out apple cider, and tried to find a bottle opener. As she looked, a small sigh escaped her mouth, the last thing she wanted to do was talk about him. Two weeks ago he had come into the restaurant with Hayley by his side, catching Aria kiss Will. She tried not to think about the way he looked, she deserved happiness just as much as he did, so she said yes when Will asked her out. With her open bottle, she sat down once again on the couch.
"Why? I thought you guys were friends," Emily said, confusion lacing her words.
"We were – I guess, it's just weird now." Aria lied, "Plus, we were never all that close to begin with,"
"But he fought Jake for you, he defended you," She wasn't all that clear on what happened that night, but from what Emily gathered was that Jake was being extremely verbally abusive towards Aria and Ezra punched him, which led to the fight.
Aria nodded, "So he did," She murmured, "And I'm grateful that he did, but it didn't mean I owe him anything," She made excuses again and again.
It really didn't sound like Aria, Emily felt, and she knew that something was being hidden. When she looked over at Hanna, she just shrugged, and Aria was drinking her beverage. Emily knew something was off, there was something being hidden that she didn't know about. There was a knock on the door, she got up, and opened it. Spencer busted in, immediately.
"Guess what is happening right now?" Spencer said, her eyes brimmed with excitement, all of the girls shrugged, "Ezra is proposing to Hayley. Wren told me."
Her face dropped and the bottle in her hands fell to the floor, "I'm so sorry, I'll clean it up." Aria said, getting up once more. She could hear the sound of Spencer answering Emily's questions. Her hands were shaky; she couldn't find a wipe or cloth. A lonesome tear escaped her eyes which she quickly wiped. Hanna walked up behind her, "Hey Han, where'd you keep the –"
Hanna leaned out and took out cloths, "You okay?"
"Yes, I am." Aria replied, "Perfectly fine. I'm happy for him," She sounded so honest, that Hanna almost believed her lies.
"I'll do it," Hanna walked over and wiped the liquid on the floor.
Aria took a deep breath in and out; she walked over with a smile on his face, "So where is he doing it? Where is he proposing?" She asked,
Spencer shrugged, "I'm not sure." She said, with a frown, "Apparently Fitz had an epiphany a couple of days ago, brought a ring, and decided he would propose. They have been going out for what? Two, three years," She said, "And they're both ready. Hayley wants kids for sure, whenever she sees a baby there is just a look in her eye."
"That's great," Emily commented, "It's really sudden, but great,"
…
Ezra felt nervous. He hadn't done anything like this before. Not once in his life, which he supposed was a good thing. Last week, when he was speaking with his friends in his new apartment, he realised it was time he matured and took the relationship to the next level. She deserved it. If anyone did, it was Hayley. And she was great; he could see himself spending his life with her. His entire life, a sigh escaped his mouth. The door opened and she walked in, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. There were candles everywhere and soft music playing in the background.
"Hey you," Hayley murmured in confusion,
"Hayley, I have something I need to say to you," Ezra said, walking towards her. She nodded and placed her jacket and bag on the hook, "For the last three years I had spent my life with you. And it has been great. Every moment has been wonderful. And I really want this to continue, for the rest of my life," He said, and then he leaned down onto one knee. She gasped and her hand covered her mouth, "So Hayley Matthias, will you marry me?" He asked, with a smile.
Her eyes welled up with tears, "Yes, yes, I will." She said, he slid on the ring to her finger, stood up and hugged her. "God, I love you so much Ezra,"
"I do too," Ezra replied. "I love you too."
She pulled away and cupped his cheeks, whilst kissing him. Soon enough she led him to the bedroom and clothes were shed before their bodies were tangled with each other in passion. After which, they lied right next to each other. His shirt was unbuttoned and she was only in her underwear. Hayley looked at her ring, admiring it, whilst Ezra just looked blankly ahead at the wall. "I never thought you would do this – propose – I told we would have a big fight and then ultimately, perhaps, you would then. But never like this."
He looked at her with a smile, "I'm sorry I have been so distant lately. There's been a lot going on," He said, apologetically.
"I understand, it happens when an ex enters your life once again," Hayley said, revealing she knew, and sat up looking at his shocked expression, "Yeah, I know about you and Aria. I'm not angry, just whatever. I heard you two that night, four weeks ago." Hayley admitted.
"I'm sorry," He murmured, placing his hand on top of hers.
"It's okay. I said I'm not angry," She looked down at their hands together, "Can you tell me about her? About your relationship,"
Ezra licked his lower lip, "What do you want to know?"
"She was your student, right." Hayley asked, he nodded, "How could you do that? I'd never expect you to do anything like that,"
"I didn't either. But I met her before school started, a year before in fact. We met in the library, I asked her out, she said yes. I wasn't aware of her age; in fact she hid that from me. But then she left my apartment abruptly, days later she moved to Iceland. When she returned I was teaching her class. We were never actually in a relationship, we couldn't, but we had some stolen moments. We were attracted to each other. I had to leave. I knew it wasn't right and I didn't want to ruin her life, so I left. I came home. I took a year off, worked off jobs and wrote. A lot," Ezra said, feeling a huge weight off his shoulders.
"Did you ever write about her?" Hayley asked,
He nodded, "I did. It was my way of coping,"
"Were you in love with her when you met me?"
"No," He lied, "At that point it had been years since I'd seen her. I'd been in relationships, short ones. You were my first serious one,"
Hayley smiled. "You should talk to her." She stated, "I know she thinks she is keeping you safe by staying out of your life, but these things happen. You should speak to her."
He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "I thought you wouldn't want me to even talk to her, after well you found out,"
She shook her head, "Of course not. After all if we are going to invite her to the wedding, there shouldn't be any tension between the two of you,"
"You're inviting her to the wedding," He choked,
"Yes,"
"Oh okay, well I guess I can speak to her." Ezra said, with a smile. Underneath the smile was fear, fear of not knowing what was going to happen. He knew Aria didn't want to speak to him, and he always did as she wanted, but since Hayley seemed so adamant about asking her to the wedding he supposed he could—for his bride, to be. He kissed her softly and vowed silently to keep her happy. Happier than his father ever kept his mother, no matter what happened he would put her first.
…
For the past week, since Ezra had apparently proposed, Aria had been on the receiving end of several wedding related conversations. This sudden proposal led the girls to think about weddings and getting married. Whilst all of them were clearly excited about the prospect of marriage she was not. It wasn't that she didn't want to get married; she just couldn't see it in her future. Will, however, had been ever so charming and gentleman like. He made her happy, took her out to dinner, gave her flowers. He was normal and she had no history with him so everything was new.
Aria walked into her apartment, she saw Hayley sitting on the couch, she raised her eyebrows in confusion, "Hey, are you waiting for Wesley?"
Hayley shook her head, "Well, that's what I told Noel, but no I'm here to see you." She said with a smile, "Come sit, I want to speak to you." She said, enthusiastically.
"Me? Um, okay." Aria said, sitting in the seat opposite to her. She glanced over at her hand where now a ring resided; it was beautiful, "Congratulations. I heard about the news. You must be extremely happy," She said, smiling.
She nodded, "Why yes, I am." She said, a euphoric laugh escaping her mouth,
It was actually nice to see Hayley so happy, it was almost contagious. Aria smiled, genuinely. "So, have you set a date?"
"I was thinking perhaps mid-July; do you think you'll be free around that time?" Hayley asked,
"Yes, I guess so," Aria realised Hayley was inviting her to the wedding, "Are you sure you want me there?"
Hayley nodded, "I do. And I realise with all the history between you and Aria it must be a little awkward. But you two are friends now, so it's fine." She observed Aria's shocked expression, "I know about what happened seven years ago. I kind of listened in on your conversation nearly a month ago,"
"Oh," Aria said, biting her lower, "I'm s—"
"Honey, don't be sorry. It is practically ancient history, I just wanted to invite you to the wedding in person so you won't have any excuses over the phone," Hayley said, smiling. "Oh, and I think the two of you should be friends again. I get the whole wanting him to be safe thing, but you're just being silly. Clearly you two like and care about each other, so just be friends again." She stood up, "I have to go."
Aria nodded, "Bad things always happen when I enter his life." She mumbled causing Hayley shook her head in disbelief, "Fine," She smiled, "I'll speak to him."
"Good okay, now I have to go." Hayley said, she hugged Aria and then left the apartment.
For a moment Aria stood in shock, wondering what had happened, or how it happened. It was strange. She shrugged and pulled out her phone from her pocket, dialling a number she had avoided for so long, "Hey Ezra, this is gone to voicemail so I guess I'll just leave a message. Uh, so Hayley just came by. She invited me to your wedding. By the way, congrats, and if you want to, I don't know, grab a bite or something. Let me know. I'd love to catch up and hear all the details of how you proposed," She let out a small laugh, "Okay, bye,"
I hope no one hates me ...
Review please :)
- TC
