CHAPTER 21 ONE AND ONLY

A/N: Here is next chapter. Really hope you enjoy and thank you soo much for all the reviews! Re-uploaded, its now checked :) -A

PS. IanFFitz, you know who you are, you better enjoy the first part!

EZRA'S POV

"Aria I was wrong. I love you." I whispered. "Please forgive me"

"No" she whispered back not moving, not breaking the eye contact that was making unbearable the tension between us.

I moved closer to her. Our lips inches from each others. Staring right into her eyes.

"Forgive me" I whispered once again. My eyes wondered from her eyes to her lips and hers did the same. The tension flowing between us could probably be seen, all the forces that pulled us towards each other. I couldn't bear the silence anymore, I needed to feel her.

I closed the gap between us, slowly, savoring the moment. It felt after all that happened as if all our problems were fading away just with the touch of our lips. It felt as if it was the first time we kissed once again. I smiled when I felt her after a few seconds kiss me back. As her fingers travelled to my hair pulling slightly and my hands to her waist pulling her closer. God I had missed her. We kept kissing as her hands caressed my back, I slid mine underneath her shirt remembering each inch perfectly from when I had been with her, feeling the contact of her skin against mine sent sparks through me. We broke apart needing air and as soon as my lips were on hers again she pulled back. Her looked was mixed with happiness and confusion. Oh no.

"God, Aria I'm so sorry, I just got carried away and didn't want to make you uncomfortable." I looked down not knowing if I was going to be able to meet her gaze full of regret. "Im sorry, I understand you don't want to see or hear from me but I just had to explain why I did it. Don't worry I wont bother you anymore, go back to Noel"

"Noel?" she said surprised. "You thought something happened between me and Noel? Do you not believe me at all when I tell you I love you?" I looked up as soon as I heard those words leave her mouth. She was giving me a sweet small smile.

"I love you too Aria.I always have and always will." I said honestly. "I know you wont believe me but it been hell these days. I freak about the note, all I really wanted to do was hold you close and instead I let you slip away. Im such a jerk." I told her.

"Ezra I would have done the same thing. Maybe not saying the same things but the point is I understand, and I forgive you. But things cant go back to how they were before. I need time." she said getting hold of both of my hands.

"I understand" I told her because I did, but at the same time a little disappointed. She reached for my neck getting out the necklace with the A, running her thumb over it. She sighed before bringing her hand to my check and giving me a soft kiss before getting out of the car and into hers. Being just friends wasn't going to be easy.

I threw my head back and closed my eyes, my hand traveled up to my lips as if I could still feel her. I was relieved and happy that all those nasty comments about her and Noel were not true. I don't what I would have done if she had told me that they were true, I would be angry with her, but I would probably break down. People say you don't know how important is something until you've lost it. Well then, she is the most important thing in my life. What I feel for her is the kind of love for someone when you know this is it, you don't have to look anymore for that one person because you have found her, or at least I hope.

My heart was still beating like crazy. I reached for a bottle of water that was in the back seat an took a sip before starting the engine and heading back home. As soon as I reached my blocked I parked on my place feeling much more happy than when I had left. I opened the door to be met by the small kitten. Leaving the keys on the table I poured some more food on his plate but it seemed he wasn't hungry as he followed me to bed. With all this feelings about Noel and Aria and the problems I didn't have much appetite. Without bothering to take my clothes off I pulled he blankets over me. So much in one day exhausted me. I turned around to face the little kitten as I pet his head.

"Maybe now that things are probably going to get better with Aria we can finally give you a name" I said to the cat that just looked at me as he licked his paw. "Mommy's going to love you" I said. I pet him for a few minutes more before reaching out for my phone and texting Hardy telling him about what happened. As my eyes were about to close my phone rung. I unlocked it and opened the text.

*Well at least she forgave you and doesn't hate you as much. She need time and space. Just don't push her let her come to you because she will finally. Did you think about New York?*

*I will just talk to you tomorrow, come over* I texted back before turning the phone of and snuggling more into the covers. A few minutes later I was fast asleep once again.

The next morning I woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon and noises of someone working on my kitchen. I groaned as I rubbed my eyes, turned around my back facing the kitchen and bringing the covers over my head. It was too early to wake up on a sunday. Before I could close my eyes something landed on top of me and the covers were pulled to the floor. I groaned again not opening my eyes. The kitten, which I supposed was the thing that was on top of me started licking my face and I couldn't help but chuckled.

I sat up on the bed for a few minutes before getting up and walking to the kitchen where Hardy was doing even more bacon. I got the kitten from the floor and brought him to my lap. I reached to grab a piece of bacon from the plate but Hardy slapped my hand with the spatula as he shook his head.

"Dude, your still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. You better go shower and the we can have breakfast." he said. I groaned. I had been a day without eating the shower could wait I thought. But Hardy didn't think the same. "Go. The sooner you finish the sooner you can have breakfast and give me the juicy details from yesterday." he said smirking.

"There are no details" I told him ignoring the kiss he didn't know about. That kiss that still felt so recent on my lips. God I missed her so much already. If nothing of the past week had happened she would be the one making breakfast after a night together and then we would take that long awaited shower. What did I do to deserve such a cruel life? I got up when I heard him chuckle at my comment, grabbed a fresh pair a boxers and headed to the bathroom.

The truth was that a shower was very needed. I stripped off my clothes getting Aria necklace out of my pants before putting the for a wash and then went into the tub. I filled it deciding Hardy could wait a little longer. I stayed there until the water was beginning to turn cold I washed my body and then got out of the shower. I dried myself a little before putting on my boxers and grabbing a small towel and the necklace I walked out.

Hardy was sitting on one of the stools reading the paper as he eat bacon and drank coffee. As soon as the smell of it reached me all the hunger that I had before came back. I dried my hair quickly and then joined Hardy. I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat next to him.

"So?" he asked looking at me smirking. He took another sip of his coffee. "Have you been working out?" he asked.

"What? No" I told him. I was expecting the conversation to go on another direction. That was because he hadn't finished talking.

"Then sex looks good on you man" he said smirking once again.

"Nothing happened, at least yesterday" I told him. "She forgives me for being a jerk but she says she needs time"

"Time" said Hardy. "I've heard that before. She asks you for time to get over you as he hooks up with another easy target. Its always the same routine"

"Aria is not like that" I told him. And it was true, I could see in her eyes that she love me as she probably could see clearly as water that I loved her too. We were made for each other and nobody or any routine was going to change that. At least not without me fighting.

"Well if you say so. Maybe as she is you're student and your students she is different to college girls" he said smirking. I shook my head knowing he didn't really care about those details he was just trying to piss me of. "Okay so, you thought about New York?" he asked.

"Yes" I said simply.

"And?" He replied.

"I don't know Hardy. Things are getting better with Aria and I don't know if its wise to leave now. I know its not forever but I just don't know If I will be able to handle it. Plus then I have to talk to the principal because the last day to sign up is friday." I told him.

"Dude, Its for your career, In New York, to be learning in the best universities and even teaching a few classes there. Aria wants time and space give it to her. " he said. Maybe he was right. Maybe Aria wasn't going to have enough space seeing me everyday. "Just look, tomorrow talk to the principal and then if you get the place you can decide. Promise me you are at least going to ask him" said Hardy.

"Okay I will" I told him as I sighed. "Now give me that bacon! I haven't something to eat since yesterday. Feed me" I said laughing.

On monday morning I walked through the door of the high school a bit early to have that talk to the principal. During the afternoon on sunday Hardy had convinced me to talk to him and then think about it during the week. Although I wasn't very convinced of leaving Aria they were probably not going to give me the place. I took a deep breath before knocking on the principal office's door.

"Good Morning Sir" I told him as soon as I was inside. He motioned me to sit down in front if him as he gave me a smile. "Well I wanted to ask you about this course there is at New York for English teachers. You spend some time in the best universities there watching and teaching. I thought it would be a very good experience.." I trailed off.

"Of course Ezra!" He said making me look up. "If its not to long there is not going to be any problem. Send me the details and I'll see what I can do" he told me.

"I'll be back for new years. I would prepare all the work for the students and all the assignments which I would grade myself. I would to my substitute so they are sent to me and then I'll send them back" I told him.

"That would be great Ezra. I don't have any problem with it. You are best teachers here and new experiences for you will make you even better. Send me the info and I'll keep you posted about it" he said. I stood up as the bell rung. I shook his hand and then walked to my class.

Aria and the rest of the girls were outside my classroom waiting to go inside. Hanna gave me an sad smile as Aria had probably told her what had happened in the car. I blushed a little remembering the details before she left and then I gave a smile to the four of them. "Morning girls" I said. They went inside the class and I smiled at Aria before she went in and she smiled back shyly.

The rest of the week had pass by slowly. I had to watch Aria talk to Noel every morning. It seemed the had grown closer to each other during these days and all I could do was sit and watch. It hurt me to say the truth mostly because maybe Hardy was right and she was like the girls in college. I tried not to think about it much.

I hadn't talk to her either just the 'Good mornings' and when she talked during a class. I hadn't made her stay after class either giving her the space she wanted. It was difficult for me not to talk to her and just thinking about being away from her hurt me. Apart from the few smiled during class it seemed as if we didn't know each other. I missed her.

Friday finally arrived and the principal called me early in the morning to talk about the course. I was truly expecting no to be able to go but he had managed to get me a place. I was shocked to say the least, too shock to even say anything to him. I told him I would come and talk to him at the end of the day and walked off straight into the bathroom to splash some water on my face. Leaving Aria or not was probably one of the hardest decisions I had to me as so was telling her I didn't love her. And that made her cry. The difference this time was that we were just friends as we didn't even talk to each other. She wouldn't mind wouldn't she? Didn't she want time?

I walked into first period all typed of thoughts racing through my head. Aria was as always sitting one seat aways from the window being as beautiful as ever. At the end of the class I gave out the student's paper they had written about love that were now graded. Before I gave Aria her I wrote something in pencil at the bottom.

"Love is what I feel for you" I signed it with an E just in case and then gave it to her. Deep inside me I was hoping she stayed after class at least to talk to me but when the bell rung she just gave me a sweet smile and walked out next to her friends. I gave her a sad smile not being able to hide the disappointment.

In a few minutes I had to go to talk to the principal and the idea of giving Aria space and time wasn't so bad. Seeing as she didn't even want to talk to me anyway. I got up and walked to the principal's office. I knocked on the door having made my decision.

A/N: OOOOOH DAMN EZRA. Don't worry they are going to get together veeeeeeeery soon. As always 30 reviews till next. I will uploade when I reach 335 reviews. Oh and I love you all!

Question: Do you want me to continue this story when they get together or end this one, finish JAC and then make a sequel for this?

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