Sorry it took so long!
Aria moaned as her friends pulled her into the shop. "I don't think retail therapy can cure me, girls." She sighed. Hanna smiled and hugged her friend, "Aria I don't think you realize how badly you need this!"
Spencer and Emily nodded sympathetically in response. Aria took in a deep sigh. They'd all gone to an expensive lunch, walked along many a streets and even gone to the cinema to see an old Cary Grant movie. Now, in what seemed like an effort to keep Aria busy and distracted, they were shoving her repeatedly into shops to look at dresses and jewelry and shoes and hats and . . . well, you can guess all the other excellencies they tried to shove into Aria's direction. A car Hanna had rented was now bursting with all of the tidbits of the day.
Emily brought up several boots she knew Aria would adore with all her heart. While she was pulling up a pair of purple suede scrunch ankle boots, Aria spotted a shock of blue-black hair framed around a plump face. Claudia?
Aria silently patted the girls, directing them, with her eyes, across to Claudia's direction. "Who is that?" Spencer whispered, pointing at the short woman. Aria's fingers trembled as she zipped up the sides of the boots, "Ezra and Dylan's mom." Her voice came out in a low, shaky, sigh.
The girls got quiet, exchanging glances. Claudia laughed at something the clerk said as he handed her a pair of circular boxes. Claudia waved and was almost out the door when, by chance, she glanced towards the girls direction.
An unpleasant look flashed across her face as she contemplated coming over. Which she did. "Well, well, well. It appears my sons dream girl is capable of breaking his heart one day, and going on a shopping spree the next." Claudia's voice came out nasal and harsh. Aria felt her skin crawl as her embarrassment seeped obviously across her cheeks.
Claudia let out a cruel laugh. "Oh don't blush, now, dear. But I must say, I had no idea how promiscuous you were. What a little slut you'd turn out to be." Aria felt tears threatening to well behind her eyes and her throat constricted in pain. Her mouth fell open a little and a shaky breath shuttered out. Hanna put a hand on Aria's shoulder.
"Hey!" she seethed fiercely, "You do realize it was your son who kissed her first right? Your son, who betrayed Ezra in the first place. Don't you dare attack Aria for the fact that your son never quite learned to keep it in his pants." Hanna stared at Claudia with daggers.
Claudia tipped her chin up and glanced down once more at Aria before leaving wordlessly. Aria let out a mangled gasp. "Hanna. You don't know how much I appreciated that. But that wasn't totally true . . ."
"It was all true!" Hanna interrupted. "I just . . . may have left some stuff out." Hanna finished and Aria lat out a slightly teary laugh. Spencer smiled as she came back with a crème frock that had the most beautiful black lace bodice. "Try this on."
Aria smiled at Spencer softly and nodded. She stood up from the stool she had been seated at and took the dress, walking towards the changing room. When she lightly closed the door she glanced at herself in the full length Mirror. Her black hair was stringy and un-shiny. Her eyes had light purple rings under them. She just sighed and slipped off the blue and silver tunic, leaving on the black cotton leggings.
The dress did look beautiful. And it looked beautiful on her. She admired the frame and the way it outlined her figure. It was a dress Ezra would have lov-
Aria caught her breath. She felt her shoulders shake at her silent sobs. She wanted Ezra to call her right now, say he forgave her and he loved her and that he would never let her go. But that was about as possible as diamonds raining from the sky.
Aria breathed in deeply. She slid off the dress and pulled back the tunic over her head. She came out with the dress and the girls smiled back hopefully. Aria grinned slightly said, "It was beautiful." Emily laughed and took it from Aria, giving it to a helper who was setting up the little cart of things they were getting.
"I still can't believe how badly Hanna tore down Ezra's mom." Emily smiled as they paid for the rest of the stuff an hour later. Hanna shrugged back simply, "No one calls my our girl a slut and gets away with it." Hanna let out an irritated breath, "What a cow."
. . .
Aria twirled her straw around in her drink. Dancing on my own by Robyn was playing in the stylish club they were sitting in. Aria and Hanna loved this song. For her birthday one year Spencer had gotten Hanna tickets for everyone to go and it had been an amazing concert.
Dylan had called her twice and the girls knew it. She had promised she would be strong. And why the hell was he calling her? He had made himself very clear that he wouldn't contact her until the even that she pick him over Ezra, which honestly she couldn't see herself do.
Spencer twitched a little, "Aria maybe it's important. Aria looked at her dubiously. Spencer shrugged, "Sorry." She mumbled.
*Bring Bring*
*Bring Bring*
*Bring Bring*
Aria sighed, "Dammit!" she shoved through her purse and pulled out her phone. Ezra. Her heart leaped and she flipped the phone open quickly. "Ezra!" she sighed happily. The girls all leaned forward, smiling. "Aria, don't hang up." Dylan begged.
"Dyla- What the hell? Why do you have Ezra's phone?" She asked furiously. He sighed. "You wouldn't answer me so I used Ezra's phone. Aria, he's been in an accident."
Imma have to leave you hanging! Love U! Read\Review