I really hope this chapter makes sense to all of you. But, I have a feeling you'll stop hating me and love me for it! Please remember to review! The story's EXTREMELY close to 300!

Please keep in mind that it's exactly 3:12 AM as I'm writing this, so if it doesn't make sense, I'm so sorry. And to the anon who asked if I do tech or acting - acting is the answer.

Review and enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

Moving on was a difficult task, especially when the person you wanted to leave behind had left a rather large imprint on your life. Ezra started with boxing up the things in his apartment that reminded him of Aria. The size six socks in that were strayed around his drawer went into a trash bag. Her old essays from the days they were teacher and student were disintegrated in Hardy's monstrous paper shredder. It had taken him another long month, but little by little, Ezra Fitz's apartment was Aria Montgomery free, just as it should've been a long time ago.

Loss of a relationship was almost like a death. Ezra went through the stages of grief – he was angry that she'd tossed him around so easily and in denial that she wouldn't call. He had let Aria go, or so he believed. Deep down, it nagged Ezra that he hadn't completely rid her hold on his heart, but he could believe he did to make himself feel better.

After a month of effort to forget, Ezra dipped his toe into the dating pool; or well, he was pushed in somewhat against his will. Mia Sterling was the complete opposite of Aria. She was less of a busy body and went more with the flow of things. Ezra's meeting with her had been completely calculated by Hardy, but the leggy blonde managed to worm her way into his life, however nondescript their relationship was. Mia was a breath of fresh air – it was easy to love something, but there was nothing like something shiny and new when the old was too beaten up.

Ezra's lips were sealed about his past, especially Aria, while with Mia. Ever the pessimist (but who wouldn't blame him with his relationships), Ezra didn't want to imagine a future with her. Not that he ever wanted white picket fences and a golden retriever, but picturing Mia cooking him breakfast with a large rock on her finger that cost him his yearly salary made Ezra squirm.

Why was he with her? Ezra did like Mia, but ultimately, he didn't want to be lonely anymore. And it would keep Hardy off his back.

"You would be the type to keep dusty old books." Mia coughed from where she stood in front of Ezra's large, but now less packed bookcase. In her hands was a leather bound copy of Pride and Prejudice . It was a first edition that he managed to snag at a second hand bookshop on one of his many trips up to New York. Ezra had it shelved in waiting for Aria's eighteenth birthday. He had planned to tape an engagement ring inside so that she'd open to the page right to where it would lie.

Obviously, that never came to fruition.

"It's not there for no reason," he shrugged. Once upon a time, Ezra had a reason for everything – Aria. Without her, he looked for the point in things. Turning on the TV had to hold a meaning besides watching a black and white movie. He constantly had to remind himself that it wouldn't make sense for him to order for two, except when Mia came around. And when Mia was there, ordering Aria's favorite right off the bat was unacceptable.

Mia's slender hands set the book down on the edge of the bookshelf. Her nails were painted a Barbie pink that made Ezra's eyes ache anytime he looked down on them. "But it's a reason you're not going to tell me, is it?"

Her lip folded over into a puppy dog pout. Ezra sighed – bringing up Aria out loud would be opening up a newly healed wound. It was one thing to think about her when the hours grew later and he was isolated alone in bed with his thoughts, but it was another to bring up his tumultuous past with someone who could become a staple into his life if Ezra let himself love again.

"It's a long story than isn't easy to relay with clarity."

"You're going to have to trust me one day, Ezra," Mia said pointedly towards him. "How do you expect this relationship to last if you can't tell me about your previous ones?"

His hand passed through his somewhat tamed hair. "I could tell you all about Jackie and Maggie and even my girlfriend that I had for a week in kindergarten. But telling you about Aria would only do more harm than good, Mia."

The blonde flipped her hair over her shoulder – it was a trait of hers that nagged Ezra's annoyance level to an all time high. "Hardy knows about Aria."

"That's because Hardy's been through it with me since day one."

Mia was closer to Ezra's age than Aria ever was, but her maturity level in that moment was absolutely boggling. She was the petulant child who wanted to instigate to get their way and he was the tired out parents he had too much of his own resolve to give in. With Mia, things were never perfect – then again, what relationship was? Ezra and Aria had never been perfect although there were moments when it came close.

"I don't think this is going to work." Ezra's words surprised himself almost as much as they surprised his blonde counterpart for the evening. "Mia, this didn't happen at the right time. You're great and you deserve to find someone who can commit to you totally – someone who can trust you fully and trust themselves to fall in love again. And that's just not me or where I am right now. I'm sorry."

The calculated speech came out of him effortlessly as if Ezra had spent the whole night and day before preparing for this moment. From the icy glare Mia gave him as she got up from the couch, she believed it too.

"Famous last words," she grumbled while grabbing her purse off the island in the middle of the kitchen. Another flip of her blonde hair and Ezra's new relationship was over with the slam of his apartment door.

The relief that flooded over him was uncanny.

Ezra Fitz sat in his apartment feeling as free as he had when he'd been first released from prison; before figuring out that Aria wasn't on the other end of the gate, that is. Reclining back on his worn in leather couch, he almost laughed at himself. Any other man would be in the pits of depression after breaking up with a gorgeous blonde – Ezra felt like the shackles around his wrists and ankles were undone and he was set free.

Mia had made him feel guilty about not telling her of his relationship with Aria. In the few minutes after she'd gone, the guilt evaporated. Ezra was almost positive that he wouldn't be attempting to rekindle anything soon with the blonde – perhaps it would be better for him to be on his own for awhile. While searching for Aria, Ezra had lost himself.

He picked up the remote and turned on the television. A black and white movie flickered onto the screen; an old romance where the man saves the damsel in distress. It was cliché, but mind numbing which was just what Ezra needed along with a glass of his favorite amber tinted scotch.

In the middle of the protagonist's romantic overtures to his love interest, a small voice sounded on the other side of Ezra's closed door. If his attention hadn't been flitting all over the place, he wouldn't have heard it – it was muffled and choked up.

"Ezra," the voice called out again – it belonged distinctly to a woman. "Ezra, please open up."

He knew that voice.

It seemed as if each time Ezra felt himself making strides to leave the past behind, Aria came to bring him back to her.

Wrenching back the door, he came face to face with a red eyed, make up smeared Aria Montgomery. Whatever mascara she had used didn't appear to be waterproof and her cheeks were flushed as if she'd been wailing for hours. Ezra's heart thumped loudly in his chest, arms yearning to encircle her and will away the thing that had caused Aria's tears. Protecting her was a knee jerk notion– if Aria cried, Ezra launched into stark action.

"I saw her leave your apartment." Aria's red rimmed eyes looked up at him. A small part of him relished the tiny look of jealousy in her eyes. "I was coming up just as she left."

Ezra raised an eyebrow, but she continued to speak somewhat irrationally. "I know I screwed it up, Ezra, but I hated seeing someone else leave your apartment."

Keeping his comments to himself, Ezra thought of Aria's boyfriend – he remembered hearing him on the other side of her apartment door and the gut wrenching feeling that he attained knowing that she preferred the company of someone else. Not in the mood to argue, Ezra let her go on.

"And if you've moved on, I understand – the crap I've put you through is enough to send anyone running. But part of me is hoping you haven't. I know the flowers were from you, you know, the yellow roses? Of course they're from you – nobody besides you and my mom know they're my favorite. When I found them at my doorstep later that night, it was hard enough to not call you, let alone not think about you. I felt guilty, but the guilt pushed me to realize something.

It's always been you, Ezra."

Ezra was speechless. This was what he had been waiting for her to say to him for months – it only took several trials and a boyfriend to get Aria to that point. Part of him wanted to push her away and tell her to leave; he didn't want the potential heartache again or his hard work towards moving on to evaporate into thin air.

But Ezra Fitz had never refused Aria Montgomery, especially at a time where her eyes were welled up with enough tears to fill up an adult swimming pool.

"Aria, I…"

"Let me finish." Her tiny hand clamped around his lips. "He proposed to me tonight. When he opened up the ring, I knew I couldn't say yes because it wouldn't be right. It wouldn't be right because every scenario I've pictured in my head have involved you. I—I'm sorry, Ezra. I'm sorry for throwing you around like a rag doll. I'm sorry for playing with your emotions and I'm sorry for being scared of you. But now all I'm really scared of is how much I need you again."

By the time Aria had finished with her speech, her hand had come to rest on his cheek. Ezra looked down at Aria with dumbfounded eyes. She wanted him. She needed him. She chose him.

"I need you too," he croaked out.

Within seconds, Aria crashed her lips to his. Ezra's arms wound around her tiny waist, crushing her against his chest. Months upon months of emotion were released, both of them trying to soak up as much passion as they could before having to break apart for air. Aria's gentle fingers twined up in Ezra's unruly curls while his hands roamed over her body, trying to memorize and feel what he had missed over the years. He was half expecting her to swat his hands away, but Aria only pulled him closer.

Her tongue darted out, asking his to tangle along with hers. Ezra's lips parted graciously, hands picking up Aria's petite body so that he could maneuver them inside his apartment. His intentions were only those of the best, but he didn't want to stay outside in case her words had been false and Aria would try to make a quick getaway.

When the two broke apart, her leaving didn't seem like a question with an affirmative ending. Ezra's hands cupped Aria's cheeks, swollen lips parted to speak."Stay the night?"

As Aria complied with another kiss, Ezra could feel the universe shift around him. Finally, fate was on his good was on his side.