"You got an invitation!" Hanna smirked. "Really?" Ezra laughed back at her perkiness.
"Dean Williams said to let you know, he was sorry for the late notice, but he just realized you didn't have one." Hanna informed him.
"Hmm" Ezra said curiously as he opened the envelope.
"It's a wedding invitation, for the Dean's daughter. Apparently the staff is invited." Ezra informed his curious assistant. "It's tomorrow".
"I love weddings! Are you going?" she asked him excitedly.
"Maybe, I went to school with Maria, but we haven't really kept in touch" Ezra answered. "Plus this is the sort of thing, you would usually bring a date to."
"Oh. Well I have a beautiful, single girlfriend that is also going, if you're needing a date" Hanna offered innocently.
Ezra laughed out loud. "I'm sure you do", shaking his head at her obviousness.
Well keep the option on the table, I'm sure as head of the English department your absence would be noticed" Hanna tried to reason.
Ezra furrowed his brow. "Yeah, it would probably be best if I did at least make an appearance".
"Seems all the staff is going, including the newly unpopular Professor Montgomery."
"Really" Ezra asked. "How is it you know all of this?"
"Oh I have worked almost a year, all gossip funnels it's way to me pretty quickly" Hanna said nonchalantly.
"Are you going to Maria's wedding tomorrow?" Ezra asked Hardy while he went for his second cup of coffee in the staff break room.
"Why yes I am, and I fully expect you to be there as well" Hardy said firmly.
"Well it's just that she was always more of Jackie's friend, and I don't want it to be awkward" Ezra admitted.
"Well I think Jackie is a bridesmaid, but people breakup all the time, I'm sure Maria has no grudge against you. Besides her father is the one you should truly be concerned with." Hardy reasoned.
"Ezra, have reviewed the list of Books for the second semester?" Professor Lewis asked Ezra as he and hardy joined the other staff members by the coffee machine.
"Yeah, I should have the finalized list by Monday" Ezra answered.
"So when am I to expect my sit in?" Professor Lopez smiled. "I hear they can be pretty entertaining" he smirked.
"We'll I plan to fit you in next week but I can't gu…." Ezra cut off himself as he realized that Aria was now in the room. They didn't speak to each other but shared eye contact for a brief awkward moment.
Aria quickly made her way to her father's inbox, and just as quickly excited the break room, acutely aware that all conversation had halted as she entered the room. She imagined it would start immediately back up, as she left.
"Oh the ice queen" Professor Lewis smirked as Aria left the room.
"Come again" Ezra asked him.
"Montgomery's daughter, she's a total ice queen. I'm telling you if I could get a little one on one with that one, I'd get her to warm up real quick" he winked.
Hardy started to panic. "Ezra" he said calmly, trying to head off the upcoming altercation.
"Is that right?" Ezra answered angrily. "So you think you actually have a chance with her?" he asked staring him down.
Now Professor Lewis was nervous, he had obviously just said the wrong thing. "Hey man, I didn't mean any disrespect, I didn't know that was your girl or anything" he tried to apologize.
"Alright gentleman, let's get back to work" Hardy announced, patting Ezra on the shoulder. The other men quickly left the room.
"You have got to learn to keep it together when it comes to that girl" Hardy said annoyed. "What are you going to do when she actually decides to give someone else a chance? You going to stab the poor guy? Hardy tried to reason.
Ezra stood there for a moment, trying to figure out his own answer. "Well hopefully that won't ever be an issue."
"What's that suppost to mean?" Hardy said confused.
"Maybe just that if I can't see her with someone else, it's because I still want her with me" Ezra admitted.
"Ezra, are you insane? This is not why I brought you back here. That girl has been nothing but trouble for you." Hardy tried to remind him.
"Yeah, but I've been trouble for her too, and we both miserable apart" Ezra answered honestly.
"Don't mistake jealousy for love" Hardy snickered.
"I know the difference" Ezra defended. "Aria has always been different."
"So you think she still loves you?" Hardy questioned.
"I'm pretty sure" Ezra answered.
"Just sleep on it. I know your weak for this girl, but just make damn sure she's worth the potential fallout. You know Byron will lose it" Hardy warned.
"All the more reason I'm sure" Ezra smirked.
Making her way down the hall into her father's classroom, Aria smiled as she laid the mail down on his desk.
"Thank you" Byron smiled to her. "Any avoidance of Ezra and company, is a small victory for me" he breathed out.
"I can talk to him if you want, I'm sure if he realized how much this was affecting you he would…"
"No Aria, do me the biggest favor, and avoid him all together." Byron cut her off.
"Ezra has good reason to have it out for me, and having you plead for my case is just even more unbearable. All that going to him would do, is give him an opening to win you back. You're better off letting me deal with the fall out, and just be thankful you got a clean break" Byron advised her.
Aria looked at him as if he was insane. "I don't know if you've been paying much attention, but Ezra leaving me was anything but a clean break" Aria said with hurt in her voice.
"I didn't mean it like that, I know he broke you're heart. I am saying now, you've broken free of him. I don't want you to go backwards for behalf. You are above all of this, and I want you to find someone who truly deserves you." Byron tried to explain.
Aria couldn't believe that her father still felt Ezra didn't deserve her. She wanted to argue back with him, but quickly decided it was a losing battle. Plus she wasn't with Ezra, so no point beating a dead horse. "Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow night" She quickly smiled, and headed out.
"Oh, you're still planning on going to the wedding?" Byron asked surprised.
"Yeah, me and Maria have known each other forever, why wouldn't I go?" She asked confused.
"Well to be honest, I'm pretty sure Ezra is going, and I just don't know if that is such a good idea" Byron noted.
Aria's blood pressure rose. "I'm not missing Maria's wedding because you don't want me and Ezra in the same room" Aria said annoyed.
"It's not you that makes me nervous, it's him. He has never been able to just leave you alone" Byron tried to reason.
"Actually he's been successful at it for over a year" Aria corrected, and stormed out of the classroom.
SO SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATES! ME, MY HUSBAND AND THE GIRLS HAVE BEEN. I HOPE TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. REVIEW PLEASE!
