Forgive? Possibly. Forget? Never. –Epilogue
This is going to wrap up this story for good. I hope you enjoy!
Aria knocked on the door to apartment 3B. Normally he answered the door within thirty seconds but this time he hadn't. She set down the grocery bags that she was carrying on the floor and pulled out the key that had a permanent residence on her key ring.
She opened the door and instantly heard why Ezra hadn't answered. The bathroom door was shut and the shower water running. She glanced at the clock on the oven and saw that she was almost half an hour early for the breakfast that he had invited her to. Apparently shopping for the fruits and milk wasn't as time-consuming as she anticipated it to be.
Aria set her keys and phone on his small dining table before moving to the fridge and placing the items in it. She didn't want to disturb his shower so she sat on the couch waiting.
His apartment was a little bit barer than it had previously been, and she was the one to blame. Many of his posters and lamps and glass frames had been broken on the day when she was on her little rampage. He had taped some of the posters back together, but no amount of duct tape could have fixed the tiny shards of glass from the lamp.
In a way, she felt bad for flying off of the handle, but at the same time she didn't. He deserved it completely.
It had been almost four weeks since the incident on the roof. Since then, they had taken the time and really talked the whole situation out. It took a while, but Aria eventually forgave him. They were still a little tentative as they were just regaining their footing, but it was getting there.
The shower water shut off and a minute later he stepped out of the door, dressed only in his pajama pants. Aria instantly stood up which startled Ezra. Aria didn't notice that though. She walked slowly towards him.
Ezra saw where she was looking and quickly grabbed for his shirt that he had left on his bed. He started to pull it on but Aria gently took it from him and set it back down on the back of the couch. "You're early." Ezra commented nervously.
Aria didn't respond. Ezra had been adamant about not showing her his abdomen. He didn't want her feeling bad for him or feeling guilty so his shirt had always stayed down. Slowly she reached out and touched the scar that the bullet had left in his side.
He shivered as her hand softly traced the incision lines that the doctor had made during surgery. She instinctively drew her hand back as he quivered. "Did that hurt? I'm sorry."
He shook his head, his wet hair flinging small drops of water into her face. "Aria, I wasn't going to show you that."
She looked up him with her large, hazel eyes full of admiration and gratitude. "I know. But now I have."
"Can I put my shirt on now?" He asked, slightly rolling his eyes.
Aria reached over and handed him the old college tee that she had stolen from him.
He took it and slid it on over the wound and excused himself to go start breakfast.
Aria sat on the bed and thought about what she had just seen. After a minute of thinking, Aria came to this conclusion: She would be able to forgive him for the book and the lies and the secrets. Those were trivial things. But she could never forget what he had done for her that night on the roof. That night when he sacrificed his life to save hers.
That memory would always be there in the back of her mind, just like that scar would always be on his side. It was a physical representation of his love for her. And it would never go away, just like their love would never go away.
"What are you thinking about over there?" Ezra asked from the stove where he was flipping pancakes.
Aria sighed and went to join him in the kitchen, pulling the apples and oranges out of the fridge to get them ready as well. "Nothing."
He watched her for a minute with a questioning look on his face. Ezra knew that Aria was always thinking about something no matter how hard she tried not to be.
"What?" She asked, looking up from the apples that she was slicing with a sharp kitchen knife.
"You can tell me what you're thinking, Aria."
"And I can also run for president, but I just don't want to." She said with a slight smile, not looking up from the fruit that refused to stay still as she tried to cut it.
Ezra let it go but couldn't help smiling as he watched his girlfriend engage in a war with the inanimate object. Finally he decided that there was no way she was going to win so he stepped in to her rescue, gently taking the knife away from her.
"I was going to get it." She said obstinately with her hand on her hip as she watched him easily slice the apple that was now slightly bruised because of the few times she accidentally let it roll onto the floor.
Ezra smiled again. "And I was going to climb Mount Everest, but it would just take too long."
"Well played, Mr. Fitz. Well played." Aria admitted, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for the kiss that they hadn't had in months.
Well, that's that. Thank you for all the support that you have given me and I hope you liked it. I'm posting a new story tomorrow sometime so please look out for it:)