Miserable At Best: Chapter 26

"Oh, you know how it goes
Give off the vibe that everything's fine
As long as, as long as
You don't look in my eyes
It's all going just so perfectly wrong."

~ One of Those Days by Joy Williams

Life settled into an easy, albeit busy, rhythm in the weeks before Christmas. School was still school, and Erin was still Erin, so college was never boring, although the closer finals drew the heavier my workload became. My free time, what little I had of it anyway, was split between wedding preparations and Ezra. Our three week break from reality had spoiled us, and transitioning back into a world that didn't allow for lazy mornings and lengthy cuddle sessions was rough. What time we did have together though, was precious and I cherished every moment of it. We spoke in great detail of the future, deciding that we'd wait until the school year ended to move to a bigger place. It was cutting it close to my due date, but it made the most sense. We also agreed to tell my parents about the baby when we went back to Rosewood for the wedding. It was at his insistence—not mine. But with each passing day, my pudginess was getting harder and harder to pass off as nothing more than the freshmen fifteen.

The holiday season was always one of my favorite times of the year. I loved the decorated trees, the gaily wrapped presents, and the twinkling lights that lined every house and every shop window. Ezra was far less enthusiastic about the festivities, and I was determined to convert him.

I'd been sleeping later on the weekends, compensating for both the hours I didn't get during the week and the rest my growing body demanded. On the days when I did lounge in bed until mid-morning, Ezra would head to the gym and return just in time for a late brunch with me. That'd been our routine for a few weeks, so I was surprised to wake just after eight on a mid-December Saturday and found Ezra still asleep beside me. I lay still for a few moments, enjoying the heavy weight of his arm over my hip and the steady beat of his heart beneath my ear, as I willed myself to go back to sleep.

I was restless however, eager to be productive for the first time in days. Deftly, and as gently as possible, I wriggled free of his grasp and padded softly to the bathroom to shower. Half an hour later I left a still sleeping Ezra and the warmth of our apartment to find the perfect Christmas tree.

The tree lot was empty when I arrived; save one older gentleman working the cash register, so I was left to browse the trees and listen to the cheesy tunes blaring from the speakers in relative peace. Not fifteen minutes into my search, I stumbled, quite literally, upon the perfect tree. At just over five feet tall, it was large enough to be considered a Christmas tree (I'd always harbored an immense dislike for the miniature ones), and just small enough to fit in the living room without overwhelming it. I paid for it and helped, Benny, as the elderly man called himself, tie it to the roof of the car.

I stopped quickly at the store and picked up ornaments, lights, and any other Christmas-y looking bobbles I thought we might need before heading back to the apartment. The sun had finally emerged from behind the clouds by the time I pulled into my parking space, warming the frozen ground and making the temperature a bit more bearable. I sat in the car while I called Ezra, the nip in the air still too much for being outside necessarily.

He answered on the third ring, his voice gravelly and rough with sleep. "Hey, where are you?'

"In the parking lot. Can you come down here? I need you help carrying some stuff."

I heard the little groan he gave. "What kind of stuff, Aria?"

I laughed. "It's a surprise."

"Alright, I'll be down in a few." He hung up and I smiled softly as I tried to picture his reaction.

Not long after, he came out of the front doors of the apartment building, bundled into jeans and thick sweatshirt. I stepped out of the car and grinned at him. "Surprise!" I pointed towards the tree on top of the car. "What do you think?"

He chuckled and wrapped me in his arms, dropping a kiss on my forehead in the process. "I think you're crazy for leaving a very warm bed so early in the morning to buy a Christmas tree. But I also think it's incredibly cute that you're so excited about this."

I kissed him lightly in response. "Well, I'm just a cute person in general."

"Yeah," he rolled his eyes, "you're extremely modest too. Now, let's get this thing unloaded. It's freezing out here!"

It took us two trips; the first for the decorations, the second for the tree. By the time we had the tree up right in the corner of the living room, we were both breathless; Ezra from wrestling it into place, and I from laughing at his frustration.

"There, we're done." He sighed heavily and flopped back onto the couch. I quirked an eyebrow at him and pointed towards the boxes stacked on the coffee table. "Not quite."
He groaned and wrapped an arm around my waist, tugging me onto his lap. "Can't that," he pressed a kiss to my neck, his lips cool against my flushed skin, "wait a while?"

I giggled and ran a hand affectionately through his mussed hair. "No."

He smirked and slid the tips of his fingers beneath the sweater I was wearing, his touch light and teasing. "But I'm sure we could put our time towards something much better than stringing silly lights on a tree."

"Don't knock the tree, alright? Besides, I'm supposed to meet Erin for lunch and I want to get this done before I go."

His hands slid higher, pausing just centimeters from the lace of my bra. "All the more reason to spend our time wisely." And then, almost as a whisper: "I never get to see you anymore."

Suddenly, I felt guilty. He was right—we lived together, yet barely saw each other, or if we did I was too tired to do anything but sleep. I shifted on his lap so that I could kiss him. "I'm sorry." My lips met his again, lingering for a few long moments. "I can cancel with Erin, and…"

"No."

"Ezra-" I sighed heavily and rested my forehead against his. "It's not a big deal. My English essay can wait."

"You should probably go—Erin's going to need your help."

"Yeah, but…"

"Aria, it's fine. I'll be here when you get back."

I shook my head. "It's not though. I've been so caught up with school and I've been completely unfair to you."

"You're going. But when you get back it's date night, alright? How do you feel about dinner, and then a movie in bed back here?"

I grinned. "Can we skip the movie?"

He smirked. "That can probably be arranged."

I stuck my lower lip out in a playful pout. "Will you still help me with the tree? Please?"

He rolled his eyes. "Don't even try that puppy dog face on me, Aria Montgomery. It doesn't work."

I tilted my head to the side thoughtfully. "Really now?"

He chuckled and squeezed my waist lightly. "Okay, maybe just a little bit. Now come on, you'll probably need help stringing those lights, seeing as how you're incredibly short."

I climbed off his lap and tossed him a strand of lights. "If you insist."

He shook his head and headed towards the tree. "You're impossible, you know that?"

I giggled and turned the stereo to the Christmas station. "I know."

By the time I got back from Erin's, I was more than ready for my date with Ezra. Normally, I loved hanging out with her, but the guilt from earlier in the morning hung over my head like a storm cloud all day. Ezra hadn't answered my phone calls all afternoon. It wasn't like him to ignore me, and I was worried I'd hurt him far worse than he let on.

I unlocked the door to the apartment, dropped my bag on the floor, and headed towards. The living room. "Ezra, I'm…"

I stopped short as my gaze fell on the blonde woman sitting on the couch and my shirtless fiancé standing across from her.

"What the hell is she doing here?"

A/N: Evil Cliffhanger :;) Not my favorite chapter ever, but it sets everything up for the next one. What could she possibly be doing in their apartment? Can't say my clue for this chapter didn't warn you about "babies not being the only things that cause bumps". Speaking of babies, I'm still looking for names. I'm reviewing all of them sometime in the next few days and the chosen one will be mentioned in the next chapter. Reviews make my day-provided they're not nasty.