Chapter 9

"Nothing?" Alison asked a bit disappointed as the girls sat at a table at the grille. It was the morning after Ezra had slept over and he was over at Ella's with Lilia, Jake, and Juliette.

"Nothing happened. He slept in the guest room and I slept in my bed." Aria said and she smiled knowing it was not a complete lie considering the bed Ezra slept on was technically her bed, she did buy it herself.

"You mean to tell me that Mr. and Mrs. Can't keep our hands off each other didn't even sleep in the same bed?" Emily asked clearly wanting to say everything that she knew.

"Emily" Aria warned and Emily just rolled her eyes and slouched down into her chair.

"What do you know Emily?" Spencer demanded not looking at Aria.

"Why does it matter anyway?" Aria asked before Emily could say anything. "Ezra and I are not getting back together we are just parents to Lilia now."

"Yea parents that make out in the principal's office" Emily blurted out and Aria's glare would have killed her had they been daggers in her hands.

"What?!" the other girls exclaimed as they turned to look at Aria.

"When did this happens? Details" Hanna said as she was always the one who wanted to know everything like this.

"It wasn't that long ago it was the day he showed me the papers he wanted to file for joint custody." Aria replied still glaring at Emily who clearly felt bad for letting it slip out. "We were talking in his office and it just happened."

"I said I wanted details not to be bored to death." Hanna reminded her and Aria rolled her eyes and stood up placing a twenty on the table to cover her part of the bill.

"Look you guys. I love him you know that. I love him more than anyone except Lilia, but he has made it clear we are never getting back together like ever."

"Had to bring Taylor Swift into this?" Alison remarked and Aria just shook her head in defeat.

"No more talk about Ezra please I honestly do not think my heart could take it anymore."

"You know he loves you Aria. He sent you flowers, that message, everything. He loves you. He may be angry with you now and probably for a while, but it is you we are speaking of and that will not be the case for long" Spencer assured her as she began to walk away.

"We have been around him the past eight years Aria and not, but once did he even go on a date and that is when Hardy forced him too. Hell he hasn't even looked at a girl until you came back to town." Hanna added as Aria reached for the door to leave. "Remember that"

Aria nodded and left the building. She needed her daughter back and she needed her back now. All these feelings were far too much on her. Racing down the road she headed for her mother's house, but something stopped her and she stopped her car in front of a building. It was the bar, the very bar she had met Ezra in when she thought he did not even know her. That building it reminded her of all the anger she had for Ezra and she sped off to her mother's house in search of him. He was there sitting on the front porch with the kids.

"Aria" he said when she got out of the car. She was angry and he could tell. "Kids why don't you guys go inside Aria and I have to talk."

"Do we have to dad?" Lilia asked and he nodded yes and grudgingly they all trekked inside.

"You. You knew everything and you played like you didn't know." She said as soon as the kids were out of sight and out of ear shot. "I trusted you for far too long back then and you played me like a fool" She reached up and slapped him across the face something Ezra had expected to come years ago. "I loved you and you lied to me more than anyone in my life had, more than Alison and that is saying a lot."

"Aria I don't know how to apologize for what I did, but I am not the only one at fault here you lied to me too."

"I technically never lied to you, everyone else lied to you" She said not wanting him to calm her down. "Besides I went to San Francisco because I thought if I was there you would find us."

"San Francisco is a huge city" He said, but he knew Aria was a hopeless romantic who believed in those things.

"I saw you once while you were there ya know?" she said as the anger began to simmer down and she sat down on the bench out front with him. "You were doing a book signing and I went to it while Lilia was at daycare. I wore these huge sunglasses and an awful blonde wig and when you spoke to me it felt like you knew me somehow, like deep down in you, you could see through it and knew it was me."

"Aria I saw you everywhere I went."

"Look I am sorry for blowing up at you, but the girls and I were talking and they brought up some things and I just kind of let everything get the better of me."

"I can't say I don't deserve any of this." He smiled and looked at her "How about a deal?"

"What kind of deal?"

"When we go to New York tomorrow with the students when they are all in their rooms that night we go out somewhere and have fun together."

"But we have to stay there with them." Aria reminded him and he just smiled.

"There is no rule saying we can't leave for a few hours. There will be six other chaperones there one of them is Emily who I know will cover for us."

"So is this a deal or a date Mr. Fitz?" She asked a smirk on her face as he leaned in closer to her.

"Whatever you want it to be Ms. Montgomery" He asked as he inclined his head a bit almost closing the gap between them.

"I think I will take a date" she said as he closed the millimeter of space between them with a passionate kiss.

"Seriously your house is across the street get a room" Mike said as he walked out onto the front porch a sandwich in his hand.

"At least I have a house and don't live with my mother still." Aria reminded him as she broke free from Ezra unwillingly.

"I live with dad too" he added reminding Aria that her mother only had the house during the school year.

"You seriously need to grow up and stop living off our parents"

"You need to grow up" he retorted and Aria just rolled her eyes at the lame come back. "Mom said the kids all want to go to your house."

"OK tell them to hurry up I will cook them some lunch. You should probably get home Ezra"

"Are you sure?" he asked a bit disappointed her couldn't spend any more time with Lilia and Aria.

"Yea, we should probably not keep doing this. One of us will get hurt"

She didn't wait for him to say anything she just brushed past Mike and went into her mother's house. It was hard for her to say those words especially since she had practically just said yes to a date in New York, but she had too. Lilia was more important and she knew she could not have him as a distraction and Mike brought her out of that daze when he walked out onto the front porch. It did not take the kids long to come down knowing lunch was coming and the four of them left Ella's for Aria's just as Ezra was getting into his car to leave.

"Daddy please don't go" Lilia begged as she ran up to Ezra and hugged him.

"I will see you in a few days I promise and then you and I can go with Aunt Spencer to pick out everything for your bedroom?"

"Can it be pink?" Lilia asked excitement showing clearly on her face as she thought of what she could get for her bedroom at his house.

"It can be anything you want it to be." He promised her as she let go of him and he closed the door.

"Can mommy come with us?"

"Only if she wants to" He said as he drove off not wanting to know what Aria would say to Lilia.

"Can you go with us mommy?" Lilia begged as they all crossed the street to Aria's"

"If you want me to I will Lilia."

Preview:

"She is fine you know" a voice said and Aria looked up to see Noel standing there.

"Yea, but I am a mother I worry too much." She said a smile on her face as she thought about her daughter.

"She is with Hanna how much trouble could she get into?" Noel asked and the two burst into laughing together. "Ok never mind it is Hanna we are speaking of."

"Yea I know, that girl is a trouble maker" Aria agreed as she looked around and saw Ezra standing across from them on the boat glaring at Noel. She rolled her eyes and ignored him. "How is married life?"