Disclaimer: Pretty little liars isn't mine.
And the story continues…
Not all four of them break into Garrett's house. Spencer and Emily will sneak into Garrett's apartment, while Hanna will wait on the getaway car. And Aria becomes their cover and stands in front of the elevator not far from Garrett's apartment door, pretend to wait for Garrett in case he suddenly come back.
The time has passed nearly ten minutes. There is no news from Spencer and Emily. Aria and Hanna keep talking at each other on the phone. They were worried. So Aria called Spencer and Emily again. Spencer is the one that picked up.
"Ten minutes had passed." Aria said.
"We haven't found anything." Spencer said.
"Maybe there is nothing there. You have to hurry up. He could come back any second." Aria said.
Spencer sighed. She knows Aria is right. It is too dangerous to stay there much longer. "Did you check his bedroom?"
Spencer looked at her surroundings. "There is no bedroom. In fact there is no room at all. It is just one big room. I hate bachelor's pad."
"Check his bed, then. If he is really hiding something, he will keep it close with him even in his sleep." Aria said again.
"Fine, we will check the bed for the last time." Spencer hung up the phone. Aria called Hanna to keep her update of the situation. A few seconds later Aria's phone buzzed again. She immediately picked up without looking at the screen, she though it is Spencer or Emily.
"Aria? Where are you?" It is Ella who called.
"Mom." Aria immediately remembers that she sneaked out the house last night and hasn't been home since that.
"I just about to call you for breakfast and you're not in your room. Where are you?" Ella asked.
"I'm so sorry, mom. I should've written a note." Aria's mind tries to find the right reason for her mom. "I went jogging this morning and relax in Emily's house."
"You went jogging?" Ella asked. There is question mark in her tone. Ella knows her daughter. Aria didn't do sport. It is Spencer and Emily thing.
"I have a lot in my mind. Spencer thought this could help." Aria knows that doesn't make sense. But she runs out of reasons.
Ella thinks about what Aria has been through last night. She may need a time out. "Okay. At least I know that you're safe. When are you gonna go home?" Ella asked again.
Aria is busy deal with her mom, she almost forgets about Spencer and Emily who are inside Garrett's house. "We already had been too long in here, Spence." Emily said.
Spencer looked at Emily. Spencer sighed. "Come on. We have to get out of here." Spencer said. Emily nodded.
Spencer is just about to walk out when she stumbled upon a cracked floorboard. "Spencer!" Emily immediately come to Spencer and helps her to get up. She can see the bruise at Spencer's knee. "Please tell me you can walk." Emily said with panic expression.
"I can. It is not a big deal." Spencer said. When she uses her hand as leverage, she can see the open cracked floorboard. "There is something beneath the floor." Spencer tries to cracked open the floorboard, but it didn't even shifted. Spencer took out the screwdriver that she brings from home and tries again.
Hanna already reached her limit. Spencer and Emily still inside the house, and she just saw Garrett just parked his cop car in front of the apartment, and Aria is busy talking on the phone. She has no way to inform Aria. She only can call Spencer. Emily is the one that picked up. "You have to get out of there. Garrett is outside."
"What?" Emily looked at Spencer that still busy pulled the floor board. "Spence, we have to go. Garrett is outside."
"Just a little bit more." Hanna can hear Spencer in the background.
"Kick her ass out if you have to. Get out from there!" Hanna said, panicked. Hanna turned on the car engine and drive to the back to pick up Spencer and Emily.
Aria still busy talking to Ella on the phone, so she didn't noticing Garrett already standing behind her. "Aria?" Aria turned around and saw Garrett. "What are you doing here?"
"Mom, I have to go. Talk to you later." Aria immediately hangs up and looked at Garrett. She is seriously doesn't have anything in her mind. She already prepared some excuse if Garrett comes home, but right now she panicked and can't remember anything. "I-"
Garrett stared at her with an angry expression. "What are you doing in my house, Aria?" Garrett asked again, pointed it with every word he said.
Aria knows she screwed. Garrett will found out. And then suddenly, she heard his voice. "Aria!" Aria looked at the corner of the street and saw Jason ran to them.
"Jason?" Garrett looked at Jason. "What are you two doing in here?"
Jason ignored Garrett and walked to Aria's side. "I told you. Why you didn't believe me?" Jason said to Aria. Aria can't help but confused. Jason turned to Garrett. "I'm so sorry, man. Aria asked me about the girls I was dated. If any of them are serious. I told her there is none, but she didn't believe me. She wanted to ask you herself, considering we used to hang out."
Aria looked at Jason. She feels so grateful right now. She never has anyone to really lean on. Yes, she had Ezra, or has. But she still has so many secret from him. But not with Jason. Jason already knows everything about her.
Garrett looked both Aria and Jason. "So you two are dating now?" Garrett asked.
Jason smiled at him. "You know it is bound to happen sooner or later." Aria immediately turned to Jason when he said that. She wants to know what Jason meant by that, but right now definitely not the right moment when Garrett Reynolds is standing in front of them. Jason turned back to Aria again. "Come on, don't bother him any longer." Jason slipped his hands on to Aria's waist to make them more believable couple.
Aria just about to step out with Jason, when she sees the door in Garrett's apartment opened and Spencer's head shows. Aria immediately turned back to Garrett. "You haven't answered the question." Aria said to Garrett. Jason looked at Aria and then he looked at Garrett's apartment door that opened with Spencer and Emily comes out from it. Spencer and Jason looked each other for a while before Emily pulled her out to the emergency stairs.
Garrett smirked. "Trust me. He only has eyes for one girl with pink hair. Even when he was high, he only called her name." Garrett said. Aria just tried to distract Garrett so Spencer and Emily can get out of there, but heard Garrett said that, she can help but blushed.
"Thanks, man." Jason smiled at Garrett and pulled Aria to walked into the elevator and leaving the scene. The two of them immediately walked to the corner of the street to rendezvous with the others.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Spencer quickly attacks Jason when she saw him.
"I just save your ass!" Jason doesn't feel intimidated by Spencer. "What were you thinking sneak into a cop's house? You're really out of your mind!" Jason said.
"That is none of your business." Spencer said back.
"If I wasn't there, he will definitely arrest you. Do you have a thing for police station?" Jason said sarcastically.
"I didn't ask for your help. And I'm not going to say thank you." Spencer stared at Jason.
"I didn't need you to thank me." Jason turned to Aria. "Just be careful."
Spencer looked both Jason and Aria. She knows what that looks mean. Jason is worried about Aria. "Unbelievable!" Spencer shouted. She looked at Aria. "You have two minutes." And then Spencer stepped into the car.
Emily just silently watched the scene between Jason and Spencer. She didn't say a word. "Thank you." Emily said to Jason. Jason looked at her and smiled, and then she followed Spencer and stepped into the car.
Aria pulled Jason away from the car so they can talk more privately. "How do you know we were here?" Aria asked.
"I saw you leaving from Spencer's house earlier. And I followed you." Jason looked at Aria. "You sneaked out on me." Jason said.
Aria coughed nervously. "I'm sorry. I should've left a note." Aria said. She braced herself to look into Jason's eyes. "But I don't know what to say. I definitely not planning what happened last night."
Jason sighed. "Look. I know that these whole things are really hard on you. You have a lot to deal with already without me and Ezra mixed in the middle of that." Aria just silently listened to Jason. She didn't know what to say to him. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable around me and has to avoid me. I can wait."
Aria looked Jason with her sad eyes. "I don't want to hurt you. I don't know when I'll be ready to face this."
Jason shook his head in smile. He raised his hand and caressed her cheek. "I'm okay. Take as long as you need. I'll always be here."
Aria's eyes starts to well up. "I feel horrible."
"Don't. You are sixteen. Don't too hard on yourself. You know what I did when I was sixteen. You're doing okay." Jason smirked at her. Aria let out a little laugh. "You need time to figure it out. I understand."
Suddenly they heard the car horn honking. "I think the time is up." Jason smile at Aria.
"I'm so sorry about Spencer. She'll warm up." Aria said.
Jason smiled. "Don't worry about it. She just worried about you for hanging out with me." Jason said.
"I'll talk to her, I promise." Aria said. Jason just smiles. "I'll call." Aria said again. Now Jason's smile is widened. Aria smile back and walked to the car. Before she stepped into the car, she looked at Jason again. "Thank you, for saving our ass back there." Aria said.
Jason laughed. "Anytime." Jason said. Aria smiled and stepped into the car.
When Aria stepped into the car, she car hear Spencer is talking to Emily. "Did you just thank him?"
Emily rolled her eyes on Spencer. "I still don't trust him, no offense Aria." Emily said to Aria. Aria rolled her eyes on Emily. Of course it offense her. Emily turned to Spencer again. "But he did save us. We have no idea what will happened if Garrett caught us. He won't arrest us. He might kill us considering his history."
Hanna sighed. "What did you get from his house?"
"We get tapes." Spencer said.
Aria and Hanna immediately turned to both Spencer and Emily. They shared a meaningful looks with each other. They know what this mean. "Do you think –"
Aria doesn't have to finish her question. They all know. "We have to see it to be sure." Emily said.
"We can go to my house. My parents went to see Melissa today. They want to update her about my situation. So you know how long they will away." Spencer said. So Hanna drives to Spencer's house.
They are already in front of the Hastings a few minutes later. "I'll make sure that they already gone." Spencer is the first one that gets out from the car. She walked to the door. But she found somebody was waiting in front of the door. "Ezra?" Ezra Fitz turned around and sees Spencer. "What are you doing here?"
"I am looking for Aria. I've been calling her all night, but she hasn't answered me back. I just want to make sure that she is okay. That all of you are okay." Ezra said.
Spencer hasn't had the chance to answer him, when Aria, Hanna and Emily walked to them. "Ezra?" Aria widened her eyes. She hasn't prepared to see Ezra right now. She slept with Jason last night and just had a moment with him again not long ago. She hasn't think of Ezra for a while. So seeing him right now, surprise her. "What are you doing here?"
"Aria! I've been calling you all night. I'm worried." Ezra immediately ran to Aria.
"My phone died." Aria immediately said. That is best reason that she can give at the moment. Emily rolled her eyes on her. They just used their phone a lot today.
"You guys talk. We just gonna –" Hanna said.
"Yeah." Emily added. The three of them immediately came into the house and leave Aria and Ezra alone.
Ezra hold Aria's hand and guided her to the driveway. "What happened?" Ezra asked. Aria looked at him and gulped. She has no idea what to say to him right now. "I watched the news and then I went to the police station. I met Ella there. She thought that I'm with Spencer." Ezra rolled his eyes. "I saw how her reaction is. How disappointed she looks. I was afraid to make it worse if I told her the truth. So I left. But I waited in front of the police station all night." Aria widened her eyes. She knows what that meant. Ezra must've seen her and Jason that night. "You told me that Jason is just a friend of the family. That I have nothing to worry about."
"He is." Aria said.
"I never lie to you. So I expect you to do the same to me." Ezra said.
"Ezra –"
"Please don't treat me as an idiot." Ezra stared at Aria.
Aria knows that she has to tell him something. At least she owed him that. "You are right. Jason isn't just a friend of my family." Aria looked at Ezra. "He is my friend too." Aria said. Ezra just quiet and listened to what she said. "He is Ali's brother. We know each other since we were little. We grow up together. He knows me before you know me. He is my friend." Aria barely can hold her tears. She doesn't know why she wanted to cry right now. But she can't. She can't break down now. She'll lose Ezra.
But like he said, Ezra isn't an idiot. He can see it. "And what happened in the police station?" Ezra changes the topic.
"That is a long story." Aria said. She looked at the house and turned to him again. "I'll come by later and tell you everything. I have something to do right now."
Ezra just nodded in agreement. He doesn't say anything. He just pulled her on his embrace and hugs her tightly. Aria returned the hug. When she hugs him, she can see Jason pulled over on his driveway and looked at them. Without even thinking, she immediately pulled herself from Ezra. "I'll see you later." Aria just turned around and ran to the house, so she didn't see that Ezra notice Jason who walked into his house. He sighed, get into his car and drive away.
To be continued...