"Aria, what happened?" Ezra repeated, this time more stern. He really did sound sincere toward Aria. He sounded like he did want to hear what she had to say. "Hold on, come in." Ezra stepped to the side giving enough room for Aria to walk in while holding Amelia.
"My step-dad kicked me out of the house."
"What!? Why'd he do that?" Ezra motioned for Aria to sit on the couch.
"Because I wouldn't let him watch Amelia, because I don't trust him with Amelia."
"Why don't you trust him? Did he do something to you to make you feel that way?" Aria was tempted to tell Ezra everything. She felt she could tell him everything without him judging her, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him.
"He just drinks a lot. Sorry, but I have to go to school."
"No Aria, I won't let you go. You aren't okay enough to go; I can see it in your eyes. Stay here."
"I need to find somewhere to live; I need to find a job. Oh my God, I have so much to do. Fuck."
"This may sound extremely weird, but you can stay here for a while. We just can't let anyone know, that would look extremely suspicious. How much money do you have?"
"I have what I took from the safe and whatever is in my wallet, so maybe six-fifty."
"Okay, okay. Well, I can help you with that; I can pay for food and all of that. You just need to buy Amelia's diapers. Okay?"
"Mr. Fitz…"
Ezra interrupted, "Call me Ezra."
"Ezra, I can't live here. It isn't right."
"Where else do you have to live? I didn't think you had friends," Aria shot him an offended glance, "I don't mean it that way. I just mean, I never see you with anyone anymore. Not since you got pregnant."
"Well, that's true..."
"Aria, I promise you can be stay here. I won't do anything to hurt you, or abuse your trust. I promise."
The problem Aria had with this proposition is that the only guys she's ever lived with either died, left her, or abused her. Well, and because he used to be her teacher. She used to see him every day in a classroom. Now she would see Ezra every day, but at home. That'd be strange.
"Uh, well I guess I could stay here until I find a place of my own. Only until then, I promise!"
"Aria, you can stay here as long as you want to, well, as long as you need to. I don't mind. It'll be refreshing to have someone else here. I won't be as lonely."
Aria adjusted uncomfortably on the couch, "I just need somewhere for Amelia to sleep."
"Well, you both can sleep on my bed," Aria's eyes widened and Ezra chuckled, "No; I'll sleep on my couch. Unless you'd rather have the couch."
"It doesn't matter to me. You sleep where you want to sleep."
"Aria, you need to stop doing that if you're going to live with me."
"What am I doing?"
"I'll say 'Do you want the bed or couch?' and you'll say 'Oh, whatever one you don't want.' That is what I am talking about. You need to learn not to be so timid and to stand for what you want."
"Sorry, but the last time I wasn't timid was in tenth grade."
"What happened in tenth grade?"
"That was around the time my dad died, and when my mom started dating my stepdad."
"Oh, I didn't know your dad was dead, I am so sorry."
"It's fine. One night he was driving home from work, he worked at Hollis, and he was unusually late. He always came home at seven on the dot. We automatically knew something was wrong, he was never more than a minute late. He was the most punctual person I knew. Then the police came up to our door and said he was driving down Maple Road and then two drunk assholes were racing and they ran straight into my dad. My dad's car flew straight into a tree, he died on impact." By now Aria was in tears as she always was when someone brought up her dad. She missed her dad, he was the most amazing person she knew. They were as close as parents could be with their child. They shared books, and shared short stories with each other. It was perfect.
"Aria," Ezra put his arm around the sobbing girl and rhythmically rubbed her shoulder, "I'm sorry. You didn't have to tell me that."
"It's okay. My therapist said I should share the story with a lot of people because it would help me get over it, I'm not so sure about that."
"Well, I'm here for you through everything. You can think of me as your best friend. I'll listen to anything you have to say. I will help you through all of your problems. I won't judge."
"Ezra…" Aria tried to tell Ezra what has happened to her, but she couldn't, "I should go get the stuff from my car."
"Do you want me to help you?"
"No, I'll handle it." Aria stood up, her leg was still in so much pain from Thomas. She limped to the door.
"Aria why are you limping?"
"Oh, because I last night I ran into the banister on the stairs and it hurt my leg really bad." Aria then continued to walk down to her car. She managed to pick up all of the filled bags, which was probably twelve, and she walked back up to the apartment. She got to the door and kicked on the door to tell Ezra she needed help opening the door. She stood there for five minutes until she decided to put the bags down and open it herself.
When she opened the door, there Ezra was with his pants around his ankles, and member out for all to see. "Oh, uh…"
"Aria! Shit shit shit!" Ezra jumped off of the couch and struggled to pull up his pants.
"Uh.. I can come back later, and you can, uh, finish."
"No, I'm done. Shit. This is awkward."
"Yeah… But, just asking, why did you think it was a good idea to do that now? Did you think I would take long to get my stuff?"
"Well, I figured I'd be able to get done quickly."
"Uh, well okay. Where do you want me to put this stuff?"
"Uh, yeah, you can put them right there in that closet. There's not much in there."
"Well, I'm gonna go get a cup of coffee." Aria picked up Amelia who was sleeping on the couch and started toward the door.
"Can I go with you?"
"You don't want to finish what you were just doing?"
"No," he laughed nervously, "I'll go with you."
"Uh, well okay." They both walked out the door, "I need to get the stroller from my car." Aria walked to her car and grabbed the stroller and put Amelia in it.
"Alright, so where are we going to go for coffee?"
"Well, my place is Poor Richard's. It is nice and quiet; it's a perfect place for me to bring Amelia. I like to sit there and write."
"You write?"
"Yeah, it's more like fantasies I write about."
"Fantasies about guys or what?"
"No!" Ezra was laughing, "Just what I wish my life was like."
"Do you regret have Amelia?"
The question hit Aria, hard. She doesn't regret Amelia; she just wished Amelia would've come later in her life. Also, that her father wasn't an ass. "I don't regret her entirely. I regret not having her later in my life. I regret having sex with her father."
"If you don't mind me asking, who is her father? Do I know him?"
"It's To… Noel Kahn. I guess you would know him. I don't know if you had him in class. But that's her father."
"If her father's last name is Kahn why is her last name Montgomery?"
"I wanted to honor my father, since he would never be able to meet her."
"Oh, well that makes sense." When they got to Poor Richard's, the group sat at a table in the back and Ezra paid for the coffee, but not without a fight from Aria. "This is really good coffee. I rarely come here, but it is really nice."
"Well, if we're going to be friends, you're going to end up coming here so much."
"I'm fine with that." Then Ezra winked. He winked at Aria. Never has a guy made Aria feel weak in the good way, but Ezra just did that. But she couldn't have a crush on him, could she? No, of course not! He was her teacher. But they are living together, for now. Ezra wouldn't feel the same way as her, would he?
"Uh, well then."
"Why did you get uncomfortable all of a sudden?" At that moment, Thomas and Aria's mom walked into Poor Richard's.
"Uh. My mom and stepdad are here." Ezra turned around right when Ella noticed Aria.
"Aria!" Ella ran up to the group. "Why haven't you come home?"
"Because your husband kicked her out."
"Ezra, what are you two doing together? My husband didn't kick her out, he said she ran away."
"That's bullshit."
"ARIA LANGUAGE!"
"No mom. I will not watch my language. Your ever so loving husband kicked me out and now he is lying straight to your face about what really happened. Why the hell would I run away and leave all of my shit there? Why would I leave all of Amelia's shit there? Did you ever think that through?"
"You didn't leave Amelia's stuff there? Nothing but your bed covered in clothes is in your room. Everything else is gone? Which by the way, I paid for that furniture."
"You didn't pay for that furniture, Dad did. You remember him right?"
"Of course I remember your father."
"Really? Because you didn't waste any time after he died to find a new husband."
"I will not take your attitude young lady." During this fight, Ezra sat in the middle of the two woman, and held Amelia.
"Shut the fu-"
"Aria, don't talk to your mother like that. You left our house." Thomas felt he had to butt into this fight which was obviously about him.
"Shut up Thomas," Aria picked up her purse and grabbed the stroller, "Can we leave now Ezra?" He nodded his hand and immediately stood up and started for the door.
"Thomas, Ella, we don't want you invading into our life right now. Aria is still recuperating from whatever Thomas did to her. Thank you for listening, and we'll be on our way now."
Aria was turned on by Ezra authoritive actions, but not in the sexual way, just in the way she was oddly attracted to him.
"Oh my God! He is such an asshole. FUCK!"
"Aria, calm down. We can go back to my apartment and talk."
"Fine, we can do that." The two walked down the street silently with only the cars passing by to fill the void. When they got back to the apartment building, Aria stormed into the quant apartment, and Ezra was right behind her.
"He is such a fucking asshole. I can't believe him!" Ezra was putting Amelia on his bed while Aria yelled.
"Aria, what happened between you and him? Did he hurt you in anyway?" Aria was silent. "Did he rape you?"
"Yes."
