Ezra's eyes filled with sorrow "Aria, what is it? You're starting to scare me"
Aria breathed in heavily and exhaled heavily. She couldn't meet Ezra's eyes. She bit her lip so hard she drew blood.
"Ezra. I killed someone".
Ezra stared at her. His eyes wide.
"What?" he breathed. Aria looked to the ceiling with tears in her eyes.
"I killed someone" Aria repeated.
Ezra's head was buzzing, killed? She killed someone. His Aria?
Ezra took Aria's shaking hand in his. "what… what?. H- How?"
"I…I….It was in Ravenswood. I. Well. He. He broke in… and he had a gun. He was going to shoot me. So I… I… got a knife and… uh… stabbed him" Aria cried. Her body shook from the waves of emotions hitting her.
"Oh, Aria. It was self-defence, it was NOT your fault, he would of killed you if you hadn't done anything!." Ezra exclaimed rubbing Aria's hand.
Aria shook her head. "I still killed someone. He was a living breathing person and I took that from him, even after he did what he did I…-" Aria trailed off not wanting to finish her sentence after she saw Ezra's face.
"What did he do Aria?" Ezra asked calmly. "Who was he?"
Aria took a deep breath. "H… He wa…was my… boy… Boyfriend" Aria stammered
"Wait! Hold on a second. Aria, If he was your boyfriend, why was he pointing a gun at you?." Ezra asked in bewilderment.
"Because… he didn't want anyone knowing the truth" Aria mumbled.
"Truth what truth ?" Ezra prompted.
"He was bad" Aria whispered.
"Bad?" Ezra asked.
Aria nodded sadly.
"We… dated for a couple of days before deciding to make it official, he started off being really sweet to me, he bought me things, he kissed me, told me he loved me. But at some point things changed…"
Ezra pulled Aria closer to him because she had started shaking as tears threatened to spill.
"He… he started to hit me-" Aria could feel Ezra tense underneath her. "He would push me into things and yell and scream at me"
"Oh, Aria I'm so sorry… Nobody is going to hurt you now" Ezra started. He was horrified, how could someone who loved her, do that to her? Did he love her? Was he using her? Did he do anything else to her?
Aria shook her head and tears rolled down her face. "I broke it off with him, but he came back to me…"
Aria trailed off due to physically not being able to carry on, her breathing became irregular and yet more tears slipped done her face.
"Aria… please tell me?" Ezra begged "I want to help you".
"He came back… a week after we broke up. He broke in and came to my room. He… He gagged me and forced me to undress him… he… he… he… he… took my clothes off and… he… he… he" Aria's tears overpowered her speech, but Ezra knew what she was going to say.
He breathed in heavily. "Aria. Did he… make you do things you were uncomfortable with? Did he force you to do things with him?" Ezra asked begging for it not to be true.
Aria nodded;
"He would do it all the time he said… he would do it again… unless I got back with him-" Aria cast her gaze to her feet. "-So I did. But… he wasn't the same guy I fell in love with. He still abused me, he… raped me whenever we were in my room or his…" Aria sniffed and rubbed her eyes.
"But I still l killed him. Ezra. I'm such a bad person. I deserve to die I-"
"ARIA! Don't say that. It WAS NOT your fault. He was an abusive rapist and he deserved it. But I'm so sorry that happened to you. I love you. I will make sure nobody ever hurts you again".
•••••
"How long were you together?" Ezra asked stroking Aria's back.
"Four years" Aria replied quietly.
"Oh, Aria" Ezra groaned, he felt physically sick; how could he do that to her? He was her boyfriend, he was supposed to love her, not scar her.
"I'm sorry" Aria whispered.
"For what sweetie?" Ezra asked.
"We were happy together and now we can't be together"
"Why ever not?"
"Nobody wants to be with a murderer" Aria cried.
"Aria. I don't see you as a murderer. I still see you as the girl you were this morning and the girl I met on Monday. You need to understand we all have a past, but I don't base my decisions on the past. I base them on the present. Right now, and right now all I want to do is tell you it will be okay"
Aria smiled weakly. "I try to forget. But it is hard, the marks will be a part of me forever."
Ezra's face portrayed pure sympathy. "Can… can I see?" he asked unsurely.
Aria hesitated before nodding before and pulling off her dress.
Ezra gasped at the sight black and blue bruises filled every inch of her beautiful skin, traveling up her arms and down her legs. Bruises on her collar bone and thighs.
Ezra's eyes came to rest on the bandages on her wrists. "A-Aria?" his voice shook.
"He cut me with a knife… no biggie" Aria lied.
"And this. This is what you have nightmares about… him?" Ezra said.
Aria sniffed and nodded. "All different yet all about him"
"And does your mum and dad know?" Ezra asked.
Aria shook her head. "Aria! You should tell them!" Ezra exclaimed.
"Tomorrow, I promise" Aria whispered.
Ezra reached out to touch her and she coward away from him scooting to the end of the sofa, Ezra snapped his hand back like the air was on fire.
"What's wrong?" Ezra asked.
"D-D-on-T don't touch me please – don't hurt me please no more no" Aria whispered.
Ezra's face softened "Aria I would never hurt you!" Ezra said softly.
Aria stared into his brown eyes "Promise?" she asked.
"Promise" Ezra whispered.
A\N: I'm so sorry that I did not update sooner. I don't really have an excuse other than the fact that I wanted to make this a long chapter, I didn't succeed, but I didn't want her telling Ezra about everything that has happened to her yet. That being said I couldn't think of anything else to write.
Please review, and give me any criticism\ feedback you may have.
Thank you for reading.
