Dont own anything except for the characters I create. ENJOY!
"So you're leaving tomorrow?" Ezra asks taking the popcorn from the microwave. He walks over to sit next to Alice on the couch, handing her a bowl in the process.
"Aww, going to miss me?"
"Actually… yeah. It was fun spending time with you." Ezra says, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
"Thanks." Alice observes his current state of dress. Black slacks, buttoned up long sleeved shirt, and tie. "You can't possibly be comfortable in those clothes."
Alice, on the other hand, was wearing one of Ezra's old shirts that covered the short running shorts she had on.
"Haven't had time to change."
"Well you have time now." Alice says motioning to his bedroom. There's a knock at the door. "I'll get it. Go change."
Alice straightens out the shirt a bit before answering the door.
"Aria?" Alice is surprised to see her here of all places.
"Aria" Ezra comes from behind dressed in sweatpants and an old t-shirt. Aria recognizes the shirt Alice is wearing immediately. It was Ezra's old college shirt
"I shouldn't have come." Aria turns to leave but Ezra takes hold of her arm.
"Wait." He users her back into the apartment. Alice stands there in stunned silence before snapping out of it to close the door.
They were whispering when she walked over.
"I have to check on Lucas." Alice says taking out her phone and walking into the other room.
"She's only a friend." Ezra says as soon as Alice disappears into the next room.
"Apparently you have a lot of 'friends' I don't know about. And why do I even care what you do anymore?"
"You care just like I do. Don't tell me you don't" He says pulling her into a kiss.
Alice walks back into the room to see Ezra and Aria in a lip-lock. She ducks back into the bedroom just as they pull apart.
Aria pulls away sadly. "I can't do this anymore. Coming here was a mistake."
Alice walks into the room as Aria is walking out the door. Ezra is about to go after her when Alice calls out to him.
"Ezra, let me. But we will talk when I get back." The seriousness in her voice causes him to turn to her in question.
Aria is at the front door of the apartment building when she hears a voice call out to her.
"Aria, wait!" Aria turns to see Miss Palladino standing at the bottom of the stairs.
"I'm sorry I interrupted."
"Aria, we both know that is not what you'd like to say or even ask me."
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"I saw the way you looked at him not too mention the look you had when you saw me in his apartment." Alice says walking towards Aria.
"Its none of my business what he…."
"We're just friends." Alice calmly reassures.
Aria remains silent.
"Have a seat." Alice motions to a bench.
"I'm fine standing." Aria says curtly.
"Well okay I…"
"Friends?"
"Since high school. Best friends in fact." Alice says, avoiding the fact that she and Ezra were once a couple. A very seriously involved couple.
"I can't believe you were 'just friends' with him." Aria admits momentarily putting aside the fact that she was speaking with her teacher.
"You're right we weren't 'just friends'. And I won't lie to you by telling you that my relationship with Ezra was not serious. Because at one point it was serious."
"What happened?"
Alice sighs and walks around a bit before answering.
"I met someone else as did he. And we broke it off." Alice says looking at Aria. "It was not long before I heard he was getting married."
"To Jackie."
"I never really liked her." Alice and Aria share a smile. "Look I may not approve of Ezra's actions. I don't even know what he did that cause this tension between you two now. I can see that he cares about you. So much that jealously is not an option."
"It was Jackie." Aria admits. Alice gives her a sympathetic look.
"Look it took me a long time to realize that jealously will get you nowhere. You have to trust that he will stay true. And if I know anything in the ten years that I've known Ezra, it is that he is. Whatever you think about Jackie or me for that matter put it aside and follow your gut."
"Follow my gut?" Aria asks curiously.
"Its awkward enough talking to my student about her social life without telling her to follow her heart."
Angie had just gotten off the phone with Alice. She had not had much time to ask her what she really needed to know when Alice had abruptly ended the call.
She really hoped Alice wasn't in any trouble.
Trouble always seemed to follow her. And it wasn't always Logan's fault. The girl could find trouble in a utopian paradise.
Angie would have to admit that besides Logan's affinity for trouble he was a decent guy for her sister. Logan was there for her before and after Ian. He picked up the pieces and brought her out of a deep depression.
Logan was a good man and a good father to Lucas. She will be eternally grateful to him for taking up a such a responsibility. When she first met the laid back Logan, she didn't think he had a responsible bone in his body. It goes to show you that first impressions are not always accurate.
"What are you thinking about?" A man whispers into Angie's ear startling her.
Angie turns to see her boyfriend of six years smirking back at her, clearly amused at the startled reaction he got out of her.
"Don't be scared. I don't bite…much."
"I have half a mind to knock that smirk off your face, James."
"Will you take pity on this povera anima pietosa il cui amore per te è più profondo del più profondo degli oceani?"
Angie smiles then responds, "Credo che avrà pietà l'uomo che ha rubato il mio cuore"
"My heart warms at your words."
"You are a charmer."
James pulls her into a warm embrace. "I went with Alice that night."
Angie turns in his arms to face him. "How was did she seem to you?"
"I'm worried about her. She nearly lost it that night."
Angie pulls out of his arms to pace around.
Alice paces around the small apartment after listening to what Ezra had just told her.
"Are you serious? She's only 16 years old!"
"She means a lot to me."
"If she did, why didn't you tell me yourself instead of hiding it like some dirty little secret?"
"Its not a dirty secret."
"Could have fooled me."
"What do you want me to say?" Ezra yells in frustration.
"I want you to say…want you to say that you'll get your head out of the clouds and look at the situation you are in."
"Don't you think I haven't thought about it. I have…many times but I can't and will not stop caring about her."
"What do you think her parents will say? Ella was your co-worker and friend. How do you think she would take the fact that you were spending alone time with her daughter in your apartment?"
"You act as if you were jealous of my relationship with Aria."
"Oh please, Ezra. Don't be ridiculous."
"I'm very serious. Your anger is proof that you are jealous."
Alice lets out a sigh of frustration. "You can think what you want. I just don't like seeing you get hurt."
"I'm not going to get hurt." Ezra says solemnly.
"That was the same thing you said about Jackie. And I wasn't happy about that either." Alice walks into the other room.
She comes back carrying a packed suitcase.
"I thought you were leaving in the morning."
"I think its better that I leave tonight."
"I am sorry for the things I said I …" Alice holds her hand up to stop him.
"I know. But you must know that I only want your happiness, Ezra. You are my best friend. I don't want to see you hurt." Alice says brushing the side of his cheek tenderly. "Don't worry about me. Logan is waiting outside for me."
"That was quick."
"You know me well enough to know I like to do things quick." Alice pulls him into a hug before walking out the door.
There was hardly any people inside The Grill when Alice walked in, which was odd since it was almost noon. The place should have been crawling with hungry patrons instead of an odd rendition of a ghost town.
The lack of people would suit Alice just fine. She had enough on her plate to worry about without worrying about an audience during her 'lunch meeting'.
"Its nice to see you again." says the other woman with a smile.
"Too bad I can't say the same, Jackie." Alice says barely cracking a smile. The smile faded from Jackie's face.
"After what happened between Ezra and me I understand how you feel about me." Jackie holds up her hands in front of her.
"So telling you to stay away from him won't be that difficult to comprehend, right?"
Jackie pushes off the chair to stand in front of Alice.
"Are you ordering me to stay away from 'your man'?" Jackie says getting into her face.
"Yes and it be in your best interest to do so." Alice says pushing her away.
"I don't scare easily."
"Give it time, Jackie. I'll show you." Alice lunges at Jackie only to be caught by Logan.
"Easy Ace." Logan says trying to calm her down.
"You haven't changed, Alice. Always in the company of men. Who knows what kind of diseases you acquired over the years."
Alice pulls out of Logan's grasp and decks Jackie in the face, sending her crashing to the floor.
"Alice, lets get out of here." Logan says practically dragging her out the door kicking and shouting. The patrons in the room rush to the fallen Jackie who was still nursing the side of her face.
"This isn't over." Jackie mumbles under her breath as she struggles to her feet.
That it for this chapter. I hope you liked. I wrote the particular scene between Aria and Alice for crazy4jb24 in response to the review. I hope you like it. Funny thing is that I had already planned to have Aria show up at his door and her come face to face with Alice I just had to tweak the scene a little to fit in the chapter. I guess we were thinking the same thing. Lol. Well anyway what did you all think about the chapter? What did you think of the scene between Ezra and Alice then the scene between her and Jackie? Do you think she is jealous or just trying to help Ezra like she claims? Let me know. And remember to review please. Oh that convo between Angie and James was in Italian. Below is the translations.
* povera anima pietosa il cui amore per te è più profondo del più profondo degli oceani
(poor pitiful soul whose love for you is deeper than the deepest ocean)
** Credo che avrà pietà l'uomo che ha rubato il mio cuore
(I believe will take pity on the man that stole my heart)
Until Next Time,
Ancient 85