"BYRON!" I'd never heard mom shout so loud.

"Ella, don't get involved! I am protecting our child! I'm disgusted you aren't doing the same!" My eyes pricked with tears and I fought as hard as possible to stop them falling.

"Byron, that's not fair! What good do you think you're doing? Breaking her heart in two! She loves him. They fell in love. Yes it wasn't the best of circumstances but you cant change the past, only make the most of the future. This is Aria's daughter we're talking about. Our granddaughter, and although Aria is young, she isn't a child anymore." Anger built up in my dad even more. We watched as his fists clenched harder. His face turned redder.

"Ella, I am the man of the house. What I say goes! And don't call it our anything! Aria is nothing more than a surrogate. That baby is not hers."

"BYRON! I..." That was when he blew like I had never seen him blow before, slapping mom so hard across the cheek leaving a red handprint as evidence. Moms hand quickly reached up and held her cheek before running upstairs before Mike followed her clearly upset. I sat there oblivious of what to do.

"Now, Aria, you see. This is all your fault. Yours and that disgusting man." The tears started flowing more freely now and I wanted to respond but fear overwhelmed me. "Now, its up to you to put a stop to this. You're not going to school tomorrow. I don't want you near that place. I don't want you near anyone. You've brought shame on our family and until that thing is gone you are to stay indoors so no one can see!" He held his hand out. "Phone."

"What?"

"Don't question me Aria, hand over your mobile. You aren't to have contact with him and if that means taking your phone off you and stopping your contact with everyone then so be it." I reluctantly handed it over. "Now get to your room. I cant stand the sight of you anymore."

I don't know how long I must have laid in bed crying for but however long it was I must have slowly worn myself out because when I opened my eyes, mom was laying in bed next to me, her arm around me, just like when I was a baby. It was quite ironic really. "Aria, sweetie, are you ok?" I looked up to meet her eyes and nodded. The redness of her cheek had gone down but not enough for me to forget it.

"Are you? Im really sorry for causing this... this... mess."

"Shh, sweetheart, im ok. Im just worried about you. Its a lot for someone your age to take in, never mind your dad behaving the way he is. Maybe he'll come around." I knew that was just try to calm me a bit, but in reality it was just false hope. She knew as well as I did he wouldn't. I yawned loudly. "Your tired. Try and get a good nights sleep. Things always seem better in the morning." She stood up from my bed and tucked me in before giving me a kiss on the forehead. "Good night, Aria. I love you."

"I love you too," I mumbled back as I drifted into slumber.

I walked down a darkened alley way clutching my now almost fully grown bump. It was raining heavily which didn't bother me. It helped hide my tears from the world, not that anyone else was out at that time of night. I heard footsteps behind me. They got louder. And louder. Closer and closer. I sped up my pace and kept my eyes fixed on the end of the alley way where I could see light too scared to look back. Once I got there I'd be safe. With that I lost my balance and fell to the ground. As I tried to get myself back up off the cold, hard, wet floor a hand grabbed my shoulder and turned me to face my follower. The black hoodie told me straight away who it was. A. His free hand reached up to pull the hood from his face. Dad.

I woke up in a cold sweat with someone shaking my shoulder gently from my nightmare. "Aria, sweetheart, it's ok. I'm here. Mommy's here." She pulled me into a hug and I wept into her shoulder. "You don't have to worry about him now. He's gone." I pulled myself away from her embrace.

"Gone?" I asked confused. "What do you mean, gone?"

"Aria, he's right. My job is to protect you and Mike which is exactly what i'm doing. I'm protecting you from him. I asked him to leave this morning. We're over."

Sat in my room a million thought were spinning through my brain. I didn't know what this meant. Dad was gone. But he wasn't really was he? What if this just tipped him right over the edge? For all I knew he'd already informed police. Ezra could be getting locked up right that very moment. I wished he hadnt taken my phone. I needed to speak to someone but I couldn't. I quickly jumped out of bed and dressed, finally being able to wear a more fitted outfit and not worry about hiding my bump and did my hair as quickly as possible before heading downstairs. "Mom, I'm going to school."

"Aria, hunny, I don't think that's a good idea. You've gone through a lot in the last 24 hours, have a day off. I've rung in sick. I thought we could have a girly day."

"Mom, I really need to see the girls. They'll be worried about me. I told them I'd let them know I was ok but I didn't get the chance. Dad took my phone and I don't know their numbers."

"Don't worry. Just chill. I'm seeing your dad later. He's coming over to pick his things up. You can go out then and I'll get your phone back for you."

"Fine."

Ezra's POV.

Something was wrong. I just knew it. Aria hadnt given me so much as I single text. She was telling her parents the night before and now she had gone quiet. Too quiet. The entire morning passed in a buzz, I taught the students, but I wasn't really there. My brain was preoccupied. To add to the stress, Ella Montgomery wasn't in. All day I waited and waited for Aria'a class to file into the room but when they did and I scanned my way over to the girls desk, hers was empty. I mouthed to Emily, "where is she?" She just shrugged her shoulders. This wasn't like Aria. Something was really really truly wrong. At the end of the lesson, the girls hung behind.

"Fitz, have you heard from her?" Hanna asked.

"No, nothing. Nothing whatsoever, have any of you?" The girls shook their heads in tandem.

"We dropped her off at hers last night," Spencer began, "she promised she would text and let us know how it went but that's the last we've heard of her!"

End of Ezra's POV

I couldn't stand being locked in the house all day. No contact with the outside world. Mum spent all day pretending like nothing had happened. Like she still had a husband who she was actually with. Like she still had an innocent teenager who wasn't pregnant. The other downfall from being stuck in, no distractions. I couldn't help but run things through in my head, over and over. It was driving me insane. I just wanted to cry out loud. "Aria," mom called my name at about 2, "I'm going to have a bath, will you be ok on your own?"

"Yes, mom." Finally my chance to escape.

After hearing mom shut the bathroom door behind her, I worked quickly to run upstairs and pack a bag. I didn't at that point know where I was going. I didn't at that point now how long for but I had to do it. For my own sanity. Leaving the house I shut the door behind me and quickly walked until my house was out of sight. It was raining heavily and I didn't have much money. I'd have to stay with someone I knew. I thought about Ezra but if Dad had gone to the police, finding us together wouldn't do him any favours. In the end I found myself walking to Spencers. She'd be at school for a while longer, so I let myself into her barn room without anyone noticing and sat in her armchair before crying myself to sleep.

"Aria...Aria?" Spencer shook me gently awake before taking me in for a hug obviously being able to tell if been crying. "It's going to be ok, Aria."

"No it isn't! Mom and Dad have split up. He hit her because she stuck up for me. He took my phone off me. He told me he wouldn't go to the police about Ezra, under the condition I stop all contact with him and give up my baby... My baby." The tears started again and I was afraid they'd never stop. "Please don't tell anyone I'm here. The girls can know but the girls only. I don't want to be found. Please can I stay."

"Of course you can. As long as you need. We've all been so worried about you! I'll call the girls around. We should all be together tonight. What about Ezra? Should we tell him?" I shook my head.

"I have to protect him and my baby now."