PLEASE NOTE ALL MUSIC USED WITHIN THIS CHAPTER BELONGS TO THE RESPECTIVE OWNERS. I HAD NO PART IN WRITING IT.
Chapter 14
Aria woke up to the smell of pancakes frying and looked around. She was lying on the floor in Ezra's apartment a blanket draped over her. Looking over her shoulder she saw Lilia still passed out in his bed and was happy that the three of them had slept over; it had been too long since she got to spend a night in Ezra's apartment and she was glad Lilia got to spend it with her. She stood up and walked over to the table to sit down with Ezra who placed a small stack of pancakes in front of her for her to eat. It was nice to be eating breakfast with him she thought as she grabbed some syrup to drizzle over her pancakes, he always made the best pancakes. He smiled and began to eat with her.
"It would have been nice to wake up in your arms" she teased as they ate.
"Well I knew you would probably be hungry when you woke up so I thought I would make you my all famous vegan pancakes." He smiled and looked over at Lilia who was starting to wake up.
"Dad?" she said sitting up rubbing her eyes.
"Yea sweetheart?"
"Is it time for school yet?" she asked and they both looked at their watches and screamed.
"Oh my god we got to go we are going to be late." Aria exclaimed and rushed over to Lilia scooping her out of Ezra's bed and helping her put her shoes on. "I don't even have her lunch here."
"Here" Ezra said as they rushed out the door and he put a twenty into Lilia's hand. "That should cover lunch make sure to bring back the change that the lunch lady gives you."
They parted ways in the parking lot of Ezra's apartment building with Ezra taking Lilia to her school so Aria would not be late to her first class. She ran in just as the bell rang and her students looked up at her in shock. Ignoring their stares she started to collect their papers and start their discussion on Gatsby. It was a long day for Aria and she did not get to see Ezra throughout the whole day and she was a little bit disappointed by it. By the end of the day she was collecting her things when Emily walked into her classroom with the other girls she looked at them in shock that all four of them were here.
"So do you always come to school in that shirt?" Alison asked and Aria looked confused as she looked down at her shirt, it was the same one she had slept in at Ezra's. It was his shirt that he wore almost weekly to school.
"What do you mean?"
"It screams Ezra's, it is not something you would wear" Hanna stated and Aria rolled her eyes.
"Seriously you guys are getting annoying" she stated as Ezra walked in with Lilia who had gotten out of school early that day.
"Can Jake and I go to the park?" Lilia asked looking at her mom.
"Why not Juliette?" Aria asked giving Spencer and Hanna a glance.
"Jake and I want to go on a date"
"What?" Ezra spluttered out almost choking on his coffee.
"Honey you are eight years old you can't go on a date yet"
"But mom we are dating!" she exclaimed and Ezra's eyes got wide and the other girls couldn't help, but giggle as they saw Ezra go into papa bear mode.
"You can go as long as your father goes with you"
"But he is old mom" Lilia said and the girls burst out laughing as Ezra stuck his tongue out at them.
"I know honey, but someone needs to be there"
"You never complained before" he reminded Aria as Spencer managed to stop laughing long enough to talk.
"Lilia, why don't you and Jake go on your date in my backyard?"
"Fine I guess as long as my dad isn't there"
"He won't be" Spencer assured her as they left the room together.
"I am not ready for this" He said as they all walked out into the hallway. "I am only thirty-two"
"It will pass" Alison assured him as they all went outside. "So Aria the girls and I want to go to the bar and grill tonight want to join?"
"Sure I guess since Lilia is on a date" Aria teased Ezra who just stuck out his tongue at her. "Ummm lets meet there at five?"
"Sounds great wear something cute there might be a guy you could pick up" Hanna said with a smile and wink as she walked to her car.
"I am pretty sure I don't want to pick up any guy"
"You are young and single feel lucky you get to go have fun" Alison reminded her with a nudge. "If Fitz can't take the plunge then go for it"
"I am right here" Ezra said to her a bit annoyed.
"Good bye guys I will see you later" they waved goodbye and left her and Ezra standing at Aria's car. "So Lilia can come over to your house for dinner Thursday night"
"Ok I will pick her up from school then?"
"Yea" She smiled and unlocked her car to get in. "I will see you tomorrow at school then."
"So are we going back to formalities now? No more fun?" Aria shook her head giggling at his question. He smiled down at her relishing in the fact that he could still make her giggle like a little school girl. Ezra stretched out his arm a bit putting it on the small of her waist and pulling her in closer to him. "So are you going to try and find a cute guy tonight?"
Aria just smiled as she reached up and kissed him on his cheek before she got into her car not giving him an exact answer to his question. She drove home and went straight up to her room to take a shower. For some reason she felt like dressing up and looking good for a simple dinner out with the girls. After her shower she dressed in a simple mini white dress with a black belt the synched in her waist with the same black jacket she wore the day she had met Ezra and a pair of strappy heels putting her hair into soft ringlets. She felt great about herself and it felt good to her to go out to dinner with the girls for some fun with no worries. Once she was ready she grabbed her purse and headed out of her house to meet with them.
When she got in her car she drove to the same bar that she had met Ezra in. It was funny, she thought as she sat outside the bar, how life had come to be after all these years from that day in the bar. It had been ten years since Aria had met the love of her life in that bar and she was happy that the two had found somewhat of a peace between the two of them for the time being. Getting out of the car she locked it and walked into the bar and found her friends sitting at a table in the middle of the bar.
"Hey so it's open mic night" Hanna said excitedly her voice peaking up a bit.
"And?" Aria asked confused and Emily nudged Hanna in the ribcage making her be quiet.
"No reason" Emily said with a smile as Aria gave them all confused glances. "So how was work today?"
"The same as every other day I taught the kids literature and they tried to act interested in what I had to say to them about all of it; Oh Alison tell your brother I am sorry, but his son will be late all week he has detention"
"What did Henry do this time?" Alison sighed annoyed with yet another detention for her nephew who seemed to earn them on a monthly basis for one thing or another.
"He tried to pick a fight in class so I was forced to give him detention"
"It's ok I will talk to Jason about it" She said as someone took to the stage to sing a song. "Oh look someone is getting ready to sing" Aria looked over and had a hard time making out who it was as the lights dimmed and he wore a hat that hid most of his face. He started to strum his guitar and Aria picked up on the song instantly as if it were an extension of her.
"Happiness is just outside my window,
Would it crash blowing 80-miles an hour?
Or is happiness a little more like knocking
On your door, and you just let it in?"
"Oh my god" Aria said as Ezra lifted his head and looked right at her. "Did you guys have anything to do with this?"
"Just listen Aria, for once just listen to him"
Hanna said and pushed Aria out of her seat so she would walk up and stand in front of the small stage Ezra stood on. She stood there watching him strum the guitar as a man in the corner played the piano for him. It was like nothing she had witnessed him doing before, being so brave to sing in front of a bar full of people, to her knowledge she had been the only person he had sung to. She smiled and held her hands in front of her watching him sing to her and pretty soon she felt as if the whole bar had melted away and it was just her and him there.
"Happiness is like the old man told me
Look for it, but you'll never find it all
Let it go, live your life and leave it
Then one day, wake up and she'll be home
Home, home, home" Everyone clapped as he finished, but he just stood up setting his guitar down and took Aria's hands into his own and gave her a kiss in front of everyone, in front of half the adult population of Rosewood. It was if this was their very first kiss all over again and Aria just melted right into it. She pulled away and looked up at him in shock that he would be so bold as to kiss her in front of people.
"Ezra people are looking. What if they ask questions?"
"Aria we don't have to hide anymore" he assured her as they stood there as the whole bar watched them. "Aria we can be together now like we always wanted to be."
"What are you getting at Ezra?" Aria asked her heart racing a bit as he smiled down at her.
"I am asking you to be with me again. I want us to be a couple again, a real couple that goes out on dates and that grab coffee together, that hold hands while walking down the street" He placed one hand on her cheek and smiled. "Please say yes"
"Yes"
Soooooooooooooooo what do you guys think? Are you happy Ezria is finally together? Tell me in the reviews!