Ezra's POV
Freedom and Aria are both gone. I have spent the entire night searching the estate, but I cannot find my beloved wife. When I went to the stables and realized that her horse was gone, my heart nearly broke in my chest. I cannot believe that Aria just took her horse and left. Why can't she understand that I hit her on accident? I never meant to hurt Aria, and I'm terrified that I'm going to lose her and the baby for good.
"Father, you must come quick! It is an emergency!" I exclaim as run into his bedchamber and wake both him and my mother from a deep slumber.
"What is it?" My father asks as he sits up in bed.
"It's Aria." I say as tears begin to well up in my eyes.
"Aria? What in the world is the matter? She's not bleeding, is she? I hope she's not suffering from a miscarriage!" My mom says with panic in her voice.
"No-no, it's nothing like that. I'm afraid we got into a terrible fight and now she's gone. Aria's horse isn't in the stables, and I'm terrified that she's hurt. It's raining rather hard outside, and she rides fast when she's upset. I don't- I don't want her to fall." I say as I begin to pace back and forth frantically.
"Aria ran away? What was the fight about?" My father asks as his eyes grow wide with shock.
How do I explain this to my father? He always taught me to respect women, and he'll be ashamed to know that I laid a finger on my own wife. I certainly am ashamed. Only monsters beat their wives.
"That girl! She's gotten you all worked up, Ezra. I do not know what I'm going to do with her! Heavens, I was beginning to like her!" My mother fumes.
"Mother, Father, not now. We need to focus on finding Aria. I do not know how I will survive if her and the baby do not come home safe to us." I say as I burry my face in my hands.
"Neither do I. Dianne, you wait here with Wes. Ezra and I are going to ride down to West Point. Once they find out that one of our women is in danger, they'll search the entire state of New York until they find her!" My father exclaims as he hops out of bed.
"No! You mustn't get the army involved, Brian. A run away wife is an absolute disgrace to a family like ours. I will not let Aria humiliate us like this!" My mom says as she begins to raise her voice.
"Mother, stop. I deserve to be humiliated. The fight was all my fault, and I'll never forgive myself if Aria gets hurt." I tell my mother seriously.
"Ezra..." My mom starts to ramble.
"Dianne, enough. We're going to find Aria. End of discussion." My father says before grabbing my arm and dragging me out of the bedchamber.
I sigh and do my best to fight back tears. I can only hope and pray that my father is right.
Aria's POV
Running away was foolish. I am quite aware of that. Right now it is raining, and I am trying to keep myself dry by sitting under a willow tree. Though the leaves protect me slightly, I am still completely drenched. I would not mind being this cold and wet normally, but I am worried for my unborn child's health. What if he gets sick? Yes, running away was foolish. Still, it is not the most foolish decision I've ever made.
The most foolish decision I ever made was allowing myself to fall in love with Ezra. Momma warned me that falling in love with a soldier would end in heartbreak, but I convinced myself that she was mistaken. It was just so easy to love Ezra. I suppose I just wanted to believe that I was capable of being loved. It was foolish. I am a fool.
I rest my hand over my swollen stomach and let out a breathy sigh. What am I going to do? I am not only responsible for my own life, but for my child's life as well. Going back to the Fitzgerald estate is not an option. If I go back, Ezra will surely beat me worse than he did a few hours ago. I cannot let him lay a finger on me. I have to protect my baby boy. I do not want him being raised by a man like Ezra.
I used to think that Ezra was the kind of man who was capable of loving his wife and children. The kindness and compassion he showed during the early months of our marriage was enough to make me fall in love with him. I should have known that it was all an act. The Ezra I fell in love with is not the Ezra I married. The Ezra I married wants to kill me. He said so himself. At least I still have the baby he planted inside of me.
"I love you, baby boy. I promise I will protect you." I whisper before resting my hand over my swollen stomach and closing my tired hazel eyes.
Line Break
A startled gasp escapes from my lips when I wake from my slumber and see Caleb Rivers hovering me. What in the world is Caleb doing out here? I thought I was deep enough in the forest that no one would find me. I must get out of his sight quickly! If I do not, he will take me back to Ezra.
"Mrs. Aria, what were you thinking? You are not hurt, are you?" Caleb asks before I can stand up and run.
"N-No." I mutter as I stare down at the ground.
"Thank goodness! What has gotten into you? Do you realize that you could have been killed out here? Poor Ezra would have been devastated! Wait... Are you sure you are okay? Your eye is completely black." Caleb says as his voice begins to soften.
I do not respond with words. Instead, I nod my head as tears begin to spill out of my eyes. I still cannot believe that my own husband blackened my eye. This is not the life I envisioned for myself. I really must find a way out of here. It is my only hope.
"Did you fall off your horse? It is rather slippery out here!" Caleb exclaims as his eyes grow wide with worry.
"I did not fall." I grumble.
"So what happened?" Caleb questions.
"Ask your friend Ezra. Surely he would be honored to give you an explanation." I say as furry begins to overtake my body.
A look of realization washes over Caleb's face but it is quickly replaced by a look of shock. Why does he look so surprised? Caleb is well aware that soldiers hit their wives. I am sure he beats poor Hanna and Rosamond on a daily basis.
"Mrs. Aria, your husband came to West Point early this morning and announced that you ran away from home. He said you two got into a terrible fight and now hundreds of West Point men are searching for you. Y-you cannot be suggesting that Ezra is responsible for your black eye." Caleb says with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Yes, Caleb. That is exactly what happened. Ezra hurt me." I say as I burst into tears.
"B-But this is impossible. I've known Ezra for my entire life, and he is one of the most admirable men I have ever encountered. He would never hurt a fly, and he would most certainly never hurt you. He loves you, Aria. His eyes light up every time he speaks your name!" Caleb exclaims.
"I used to think those things about him too, but we were both wrong. Ezra is not admirable and he does not love me. Men who love their wives do not punch them. Especially not when they are pregnant and delicate." I tell Caleb matter of factly.
"Aria, you must slow down. How about you tell me what happened, and we will figure out what to do from there?" Caleb suggests.
"Fine. Last night after supper, Dianne asked me to stay in the dinning hall a while longer so we could discuss private matters. Ezra was furious with his mother's request, and he started to raise his voice. I thought his behavior was inappropriate, so I told Ezra to go upstairs and that I would meet him later. Ezra did not seem to like my idea because he gave me one of the angriest looks I have ever encountered..." I start to ramble.
"He hit you right there in the dinning hall? In front of his mother and father?" Caleb asks with shock in his voice.
"No, of course not. You must let me finish, Caleb. I had a long discussion with my mother-in-law and then she dismissed me. When I got back to my bedchamber, Ezra was laying in bed. At first I thought he was asleep, but then I realized I was mistaken. As soon as I laid down, Ezra started to shout. He said that he was going to kill me and then he punched me in the face." I say as I begin to cry even harder.
"My God." Caleb says as he shakes his head in disgust.
"I-I was so afraid. My nose started to bleed, and I thought my husband was going to hit me again. Fortunately he did not. Ezra seemed just as surprised as I was. He started to apologize and say that it was an accident, but surely it was not. You cannot accidentally hit someone. It is impossible." I tell Caleb.
"Oh, Aria. I should have known. Ezra has always had a deadly temper. When I think of the way he used to scream at his soldiers in training... Why did I ever think he was an admirable man? I should have known that had a violent side." Caleb says with a breathy side.
Wow. Even one of Ezra's closet friends knows about his "violent side." I should have known. My father should have known. Then again, when has my father ever looked out for my best interest?
"Caleb, didn't you and Ezra both work alongside my father during the war?" I ask him.
"Indeed we did. Your father was an excellent war strategist, Aria. Surely he will go down in history." Caleb says as a look of admiration washes over his face.
"Yes, I have been told that on numerous occasions. But Caleb, did my father ever see Ezra's violent side?" I ask.
"I suppose he did. I think your father was there the day Ezra broke all of the plates in camp after the soldiers forgot to clean them. Surely he heard all about Ezra's outburst at West Point." Caleb tells me thoughtfully.
"Outburst at West Point? What in the world are you talking about?" I ask as my eyes grow wide with shock.
"Ezra never told you about his history with Jake Guzman?" Caleb asks me.
"N-No. I have never even heard that name before." I confess.
"Jake was Ezra's biggest rival at West Point. They were the brightest boys in our grade, but Ezra always seemed to fall short of Jake. Jake was always number one in school and Ezra was number two. Jake was the best athlete and Ezra was the second best. Jake even stole Ezra's suitor, Jackie, about halfway through our first year at West Point. One day we were all playing football and Jake tackled Ezra right before he reached the end zone." Caleb informs me.
"Why does that matter? I thought tackling was part of football." I say with confusion in my voice.
"It is. That is why everyone was shocked when Ezra stood up and punched Jake square in the face. He was so angry, Aria. Ezra just kept punching, and punching, and punching until Jake blacked out. Poor Jake was hospitalized for the rest of the semester." Caleb says with a sigh.
"Did Ezra get into any sort of trouble?" I ask.
"No. He would have been expelled, but fortunately your father-in-law pulled some strings. Ezra was let off with a warning." Caleb tells me.
I feel sick. My father knowingly married me off to a monster. I knew he disliked me, but I did not know he was capable of hating me that much. What did I ever do other than be born without a penis?
"Caleb, my father knew what kind of a man Ezra was. He knew, yet he gave me away." I say as I burst into tears.
"Aria... You mustn't cry. Your father did not know that Ezra was capable of hurting you. Beating a fellow West Point man is far different than beating a woman. Byron probably assumed that Ezra's past aggression was immaturity. I thought the same until I learned of him laying a finger on you." Caleb says as he rests a hand on my shoulder.
"Oh, Caleb! What am I to do now? I-I have no one." I say through my tears.
"Shush. That is not true, darling. I will ride you back to The Fitzgerald estate now." Caleb tells me gently.
"W-What? You are going to make me go back to Ezra?" I ask with terror in my voice.
"No, of course not. I will keep you safe, but we still have to get you home. This behavior must be reported, and you need a roof to sleep under. Ezra might be a bad man, but Brian is not. He will take care of you while Ezra gets the help he needs." Caleb assures me.
"Caleb, no he will not! Brian is Ezra's father! He might be a good man, but he is loyal to his son. If I go back to that estate, nothing will change. Please do not make me go back, Caleb." I beg desperately.
"If you are not taken care of by the Fitzgeralds, my estate is open. Hanna and I will take care of you until your father steps in." Caleb says, obviously trying to comfort me.
Caleb does not understand that my father will never step in. Still, what option do I have? I must return to the city with Caleb. Surely my friends will protect me. Spencer would never let me get hurt. I am her son's god mother. But Ezra is her cousin...
"Okay, fine. I will return with you. But know that if I am forced to go back to Ezra, I will run away again." I warn.
"I believe you." Caleb mutters before grabbing my hand and helping me onto Freedom.
AN: What did you think? Were you surprised that Aria reacted so severely and left the estate? Caleb had some mean things to say about Ezra... What was that about? What will happen once Aria and Ezra are reunited? Will Ezra earn her forgiveness or will she leave again? Please review and tell me what you thought. Thanks for reading :)