The next week
Chapter 42
Ezra's pov
I walked into the bedroom from putting Oliver to bed, of course that had been a struggle. He kept wanting more stories then wanted to sleep with me and Aria but we've told him that he can't tonight each time he asked. At least he hasn't been acting like a baby since the other night.
"Oh crap."
Hoping she was alright, I rushed towards the bathroom to see what Aria was up to. Walking into the bathroom, I saw her sitting on the floor, cleaning up some spilled nail polish from different bottles. I grabbed a little bit of toilet paper before kneeling down and wiping the rest of it up. As she put the bottles away except for one that looked like the color of magenta, I picked it up and scooped her up into my arms and brought her back into our room and laid her on the bed. She sat up against her pillows as I sat down next to her
"I could have walked." She told me.
"Well, I figured it would've been more romantic to carry you." I chuckled, pressing my lips to hers.
"Such a hopeless romantic." She giggled.
"Only for you. Now, which foot do you want me to start with?" I asked and she lifted a foot.
"You want to paint my toenails?" She asked and I raised an eyebrow.
"You do realize I did this when you were pregnant with Ollie right?" I pointed out, brushing the paint onto her toenail.
"Think I'm gonna remember that far back?" She joked.
I could feel her watching me as I concentrated on not getting the polish on her skin. Which reminds me of the time Aria had sent me a photo of her toes which ninety nine percent of it was on her skin. Apparently, Oliver had seen her do her fingernails and wanted to make her toes 'pitty' too. At least I'm doing better than I had when I did this before, last time I had done her nails I did get a bit on her skin. But she didn't really care, she was too busy crying over eating the last of her bowl of ice cream.
"There you go, love." I said, planting a soft kiss on her knee.
"Come here." She whispered, motioning for me with a finger.
"Thank you." She murmured against my lips.
"Anytime baby." I managed.
I cupped her face, feeling her nails slowly graze the back of my neck. Slowly laying her down, I started planting kisses along her neck. As our lips met once more, I slowly pulled away and she gave me that look that gets me. There have been times when we wanted to freeze time to keep the boys young forever. But I'd do anything to freeze time when I have these moments with her. Brushing some hair behind her ear, I brushed my lips against her slightly pouted lips one last time to appease her.
"Why don't you pick out a few movies?" I suggested
"Why don't we just watch Chinatown and It Happened One Night." She said and I nodded.
"I like that idea, which one do you wanna watch first?" I asked.
"It Happened One Night, that way I can just fall asleep during Chinatown." She said and I chuckled.
"Maybe I'll just distract you during It Happened One Night, that way you'll stay awake for Chinatown." I told her.
"Go ahead, distract me. How well did it work before?" She challenged.
"Before, I was just using that as a reason to kiss you." I said, giving her a small smile.
"Come here and distract me." She told me, motioning for me to come over by her.
"My pleasure." I murmured, brushing my lips against hers
….
Ezra's pov
Aria snuggled into me and I brushed my lips against the top of her head. We were in the middle of Chinatown and she was still awake. Distracting her during It Happened One Night must have worked, it was like how it was when we first got together. Although this time, we made out from the beginning of the movie and not the middle. All of a sudden, we heard footsteps coming towards our room and Oliver appeared.
"What are you doing awake lil man?" I asked, helping him up onto the bed.
"I wanna watch the movie too." He said, laying at the foot of the bed.
"Alright, you can watch until you fall back asleep. Then you're going back to your own bed." Aria told him.
"There's no way he's going to be awake for the whole movie." I whispered and she giggled.
"Movie is broken." Oliver said.
"It's supposed to be like that lil man." I told him.
"Nu uh!" He argued.
"Remember Ollie, they didn't know how to color in the movies back then." Aria said, remembering what Malcolm said.
Hearing soft snores from where Oliver was, I shared a look with Aria as she snickered. He didn't even last five minutes, just like years ago when Aria would just fall asleep during Chinatown. Although Aria would make it almost halfway and not a few minutes of watching the movie.
"Like mother, like son." I teased and she rolled her eyes.
"I'll put him back in his bed. You lay back down." I told her as she started getting up.
"You're bossy." She whispered with a giggle.
…..
Thursday night
Aria's pov
I zipped closed my duffel bag and tossed it into the corner. We've been here for twenty minutes, and Ezra has been nowhere to be seen since after he went to the bathroom right when we got here. Of course, the majority of the car ride here was just us arguing over literally anything we could pick a fight about, until we stopped and got food at a little diner. At least the boys are with Spencer and Toby and don't have to witness any more fights that may or may not happen. Thunder struck just as it started pouring rain and I walked towards the bedroom door. Even though it was tense between us when we got here, I know he wouldn't ignore me.
"Ez?" I called out, walking out towards the living room.
"Ezra, seriously are you even….." I trailed off.
Seeing the fire going and no more wood next to the fireplace, I realized where he was. I walked outside and saw him moving the wood from the car to the wagon that we use to bring it inside. He had stocked up on the wood before we left since he couldn't remember whether or not we would have enough. It may have just started raining, but he was already soaked. I crossed my arms and made my way over towards him, the last thing he needs is to get sick from being out in the rain.
"Come inside." I said, walking up to him.
"I will in a bit." He responded.
"It's raining and cold out here." I told him.
"Go back inside Ar." He said.
"I will in a bit." I said, using his words against him.
"You're pregnant." He reminded me, like I don't already know that,
"And you're the father. Ezra Nathaniel, come back inside." I told him, not getting a response.
"Gonna ignore me? Didn't you spend plenty of time ignoring me for the past four years?" I snapped and he turned to face me.
"Seriously wanna do this again?" He asked, annoyed.
"You're the one choosing to ignore me! It's not my fault you ignored my existence for the past four years!" I shouted.
"How many times do I have to say that I was doing it for us?" He yelled.
"You didn't have to ignore that I exist!" I exclaimed.
"Do you honestly think I wanted to do that? Maybe I had too, because otherwise I would have fucked our future." He snapped.
"How? How the hell would that fuck up our future Ezra?" I yelled as thunder struck again.
Neither of us said anything as we stared at one another. All of a sudden, he dropped the wood next to him before cupping my face and crashed our lips together. This wasn't like any kiss we've had before, not even when we slept together after the wedding. Even though I knew why he stayed away… I really understand now. Although I already knew what I wanted forever, he wanted to make sure it was us for me. That's why he wanted us to have the separation agreement and why he felt like he couldn't come visit me. Because if he saw me and we ended up stopping the agreement, there would have been the chance of this not being our future. He started leading us inside, and pinned me up against the door frame. I ran my hands through his hair and slipped my tongue into his mouth as he carefully lifted me up. As he laid us onto the couch, I started pulling his shirt off. He chuckled at the fact I was struggling with his shirt. Just as he took over taking off his shirt, I went for his belt and he pulled my t-shirt off.
"You are very impatient." He teased, pressing his lips to mine once more.
Rolling over, we ended up on the floor with me on top and I cupped Ezra's face as he ran his hands up and down my back. Staring into his eyes, I rested my forehead against his and he brushed his lips against the top of my nose. I started kissing along his jaw, making him moan.
….
Walking out of the bathroom, I made my way into the bedroom. Ezra looked up from his book on his spot on our bed. We both knew that we were going to have to talk about some of the things we went through, but hopefully without it turning into an argument. I pulled the towel off my head and sat down on my side of the bed. I can't even remember the last time we came here by ourselves, wait…. Did we ever come up here without the boys?
"Come here you." He said, gently pulling me into his arms.
"Even though I already knew why…. it makes sense now." I told him and he chuckled.
"Noted, make love to you next time you need help understanding something." He teased and I playfully smacked him.
"I should have been there for Ollie. If I could go back in time to be there for him, I would." He said softly and I looked at him.
"You were there Ez, maybe not twenty four seven but you were there." I reminded him.
"But not as much as I should have been there. I was barely there. Malcolm didn't even know who I was until he was seven, then I pretty much let the same thing happen with Oliver." Ezra said.
"He knew who you were, it's not like he thought any guy he saw on the street was his daddy. Ez babe, you can't keep dwelling on the past… we can't keep dwelling on the past. All we can do now is just take it all day by day." I told him.
"I don't think therapy is working the way we thought it would." Ezra said softly.
"I don't think so either." I agreed carefully.
….
Staring out the window, I heard Ezra stirring in bed. It's three twenty in the morning and I haven't been able to sleep since I woke up to pee half an hour ago. The rain was still going strong, but at least the thunder and lightning had stopped. After my nightmare of Ezra walking away from us before I had woken up, I'm not sure I even want to go back to bed.
"Aria, what are you doing up?" I turned to face Ezra.
"Come back to bed baby. You need your sleep." He said before I could respond.
"If I could, I would." I told him as he sat down next to me.
"Just come back to bed." He said.
Before I knew it, he had me scooped up in his arms. Neither of us said anything as he laid us down, keeping me in his arms. I know it had just been a nightmare, but it felt so real. Ezra brushed his lips against the top of my head, and rested his forehead against mine. Our legs became entangled together and I nuzzled my face into his chest.
"I miss you." I whispered.
"I'm right here Ar." He said softly, rubbing my back slowly.
"Until you won't be." I said and he lifted my chin.
"Hey, I am not going anywhere... ever. You are my everything and I am not losing you again." He whispered, staring into my eyes.
"But if I do, I'm throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you out the door with me. He said and I giggled.
"Want some chamomile to help you sleep?" He asked and I shook my head.
"Just hold me." I yawned.
"Always." He whispered.
I nuzzled my face into his chest as he slowly rubbed my back. Of course, it'd be him rubbing my back that lured me back to sleep. It's always either him or tea that knocks me out, mostly him though. I slowly trailed my finger in circles on his chest, somehow fighting sleep without trying. My eyelids slowly started closing as I felt him press his lips to the top of my head.
