Detrimental Dollhouse
Chapter 5
I don't own PLL
Ella's POV
It's been a couple days since Aria has returned home from her month locked away in that horrid underground dollhouse. Since my baby girl has come home she has been silent. She doesn't talk; she doesn't do anything. Aria hasn't left the living room couch for anything. It's as if the month away morphed her into an entirely different person. It has been incredibly hard sitting by on the sidelines watching her sit curled up in a ball on the couch with a dead look in her eyes.
She has been excused from the final three weeks of school due to the school board believing her presence would cause harm to the other students. As her parent I had planned on fighting the school board on the decision. However, once I laid eyes on Aria for the first time since she returned, I knew there was no possible way she could attend the remainder of her classes.
I've tried everything possible to try and get Aria to talk to me about absolutely anything. She won't look in my direction or even reply verbally. It's currently 10:30 in the morning on a Friday. I have had a substitute covering my classes over the past few days allowing me to be home with Aria. Unfortunately Aria has been crying for the past hour with no end in sight. It is breaking my heart sitting at the kitchen table watching my baby crumble.
Throwing together a turkey sandwich I head into the living room with a plate in my left hand and large glass of water in my right.
"Aria, Honey. I made a light lunch for you. Is there anything I can do or get for you at all? I cannot stand seeing you like this."
Aria is silent just like she's been for the past two days. Sighing to myself I take a few more steps deeper into the living room to sit the items on the coffee table in front of her. I linger for a moment desperately hoping she will reach out and take the sandwich. A few silent beats pass with no movement from Aria. Giving up I turn around to exit the living room feeling defeated.
"I want Ezra." Aria's low, hoarse voice cracks as she mutters her request. "I need him mom. Now."
Turning around to glance at her in awe of her finally speaking. My heart shatters the moment I see her red, irritated face. Her hair is a disheveled mess as are her clothes. Can't expect much though since she hasn't changed clothes for well over forty-eight hours.
"I'll go call him right now. Anything else, Honey?"
Aria shakes her head silently before turning away from me to tuck her head back down into her knees which are curled up against her chest.
I quickly scurry into the kitchen to dig Aria's cell phone out of the drawer I stashed it in. Aria made it clear she didn't want to hear or see her phone or anyone else's for that matter. A silent agreement feel through the Montgomery House to keep all cellphone's either on silent or vibrate in attempt not to set Aria off.
It only takes me a moment to locate Ezra Fitz's contact information. Ezra picks up on the second ring with a sense of panic in his voice.
"Aria, are you okay?"
"Actually Ezra, this is Ella. Aria is asking for you. She says she needs you now. Are you free to come by?"
Ezra pauses for a split second. "I'll be right there. Does she need anything? Has she eaten?"
Turning around I glance over to the coffee table in front of Aria to see the sandwich lies untouched.
"She just asked for you without saying anything else. She has not eaten. To be honest, she hasn't eaten a thing since she got home." I confess with dread.
"I'll be there shortly. Is there anything you need?"
Shaking my head I inform him I am okay, just desperately need his presence to fix my daughter. We soon hang up the phone. Turning the phone off I slip it back into the drawer I took it from five minutes ago. I can only pray Ezra can get Aria out of this funk. If anyone can turn her mood around 180 degrees it would be Ezra. He is my last shred of hope.
Roughly thirty minutes or so pass before Ezra arrives. When I see his silver Toyota Camry pull into the driveway I quietly slip outside. Just as I reach the driveway Ezra is finishing parking behind Aria's car. Getting out of the car I take in his appearance. While I have struggled with his relationship with my daughter, I have to admit, she did snag herself a pretty cute boyfriend. He is dressed in a simple pair of jeans and casual faded blue t-shirt yet he still manages to look incredibly handsome.
"Thank you so much for coming over, Ezra. Before you see her I need to tell you a few things first."
Ezra's face drops instantly. "What's wrong? Is she okay?"
I frown slightly and struggle to keep my impending tears in.
"She isn't doing very well at all. She hasn't eaten a thing these past two days. She hasn't even gotten up off the couch. She just sits there all day and all night curled up in a ball crying. To be blunt, she looks like a wreck. Aria isn't talking either. Her asking for you earlier is truly the first time I have heard her voice."
Ezra looks like a sad puppy at the information. "Thank you for calling me. I planned on stopping by tomorrow. I didn't want to come over too soon since I haven't heard from her."
"She doesn't have her phone. Which reminds me! Make sure yours is either off or on silent; she freaks at the sound of a phone ringing."
"Ah, good call. Thank you for the heads up."
Ezra opens the door to his backseat where he pulls out a large paper bag from Rose of Sharon.
"If you're hungry, I brought plenty of Chinese." He offers up a boyish smile raising the large back of food up.
We both laugh faintly then head on into the house.
"Aria, Ezra is here." I announce softly hoping to grasp her attention.
Her head shoots up in our direction. "Ezra!" Aria cries out in happiness with a mix of sorrow.
"Hi Sweetheart." Ezra sits the bag of food on the coffee table prior to falling down onto the couch next to her. He gently wraps one arm around the back of her waist. "What can I do for you?"
"Hold me," her voice cracks and she falls into soft whimpers.
Ezra pulls her into his lap where he wraps his long arms around her petite frame. He places a faint kiss to her forehead as he hold her close to him. My heart breaks at the scene in front of me. Ezra truly is the stable rock my daughter needs. It is evident even to the blind eye how much the two of them care for each other.
Drifting off into the kitchen I decide to give the two some privacy.
Ezra's POV
It took a little bit, but once Aria smelled the Chinese food on the table she couldn't resist my offer. I grabbed all of our necessities out of the kitchen for our lunch. Aria isn't very talkative though she seems to be emotionally drained. I can tell when she hasn't had a true night's sleep. She looks like she is ready to crash at any moment but is too afraid to drift off.
Aria must have been starving due to the unusually large portion of food she consumed. Don't get me wrong, for a very tiny woman she can eat quite a bit. However, she never eats as much as she just consumed. I can't help but smile faintly knowing she has finally gotten some much needed food in her system.
After we discard our plates Aria curls up in my lap once more. I hold her for a rather long time consisting of comfortable silence.
"How long can you stay?" Aria mumbles at a barely audible tone.
"I can stay for however long you want me to."
Several more minutes of silence pass before Aria speaks again.
"Ezra?" She mutters hesitantly.
"Yes, Sweetheart?" I respond immediately, glancing down at her curiously.
Aria avoids my gaze before daring to open her mouth. "I really need a shower to get cleaned up. My body feels gross and grimy. Would you mind helping me?"
"Of course I will. Do you want to take one now or later?"
Looking up at me sheepishly she asks if we can do it now. Nodding my head in agreement I stand up from the couch once she is out of my lap. I tell her I brought over her favorite t-shirt of mine; the yellow Hollis shirt she enjoys wearing around the apartment. For the first time since I arrived, a full smile grace her beautiful lips at the piece of information. Aria grabs the shirt out of the nearly empty bag of Chinese where I placed it earlier when bringing it inside. She says she is going to head on up to the bathroom and wait for me.
Entering the kitchen I felt it is best to inform Ella of what is going on.
"Aria asked if I could help her get cleaned up. Is that okay with you? I promise nothing inappropriate will happen."
Ella looks as if she is about to cry. "Really? Thank you Ezra, thank you so much." Ella gets up from the table to come hug me. "I don't know what you've done but thank you. It's only been an hour and you've already got Aria eating, starting to talk, and now cleaning herself up. She hasn't even let anyone get near her let alone touch her. Thank you, Ezra. I'm truly sorry for everything Byron and I put you through. I'm sorry we ever doubted your love for our baby."
"It's the least I could do Ella. Thank you for allowing me into your house to take care of her."
Ella wipes a few stray tears from her cheeks. "Get upstairs and check on her before she changes her mind."
Ella shoes me away in hopes of keeping me from seeing her cry. Nodding my head I swiftly make my way up the stairs and into the hall bathroom Aria and Mike share.
"How warm do you want it? Pretty warm like usual?" I ask upon entering the bathroom as I pull the shower curtain back.
Aria silently nods her head faintly.
Turning on the nozzle I turn it over to a rather warm, soothing temperature for her. Turning back towards Aria I notice she is still dressed and not making any move to undress herself. Before I can even ask, Aria answers my potential question.
"I was roughed up quite a bit. I have a couple bruised ribs which makes it difficult to move too much. Would you mind undressing me? It hurts to bend."
"Not a problem at all."
Closing the gap between us my hands get to work on removing her clothing. Once everything is in a pile on the floor I struggle not to lose it at the sight of her beaten body. She is covered in bruises and cut marks. What got to me the most would be what appears to be branding on her hip. On her side she has "Property of Charles" branded into her skin. It takes every fiber of my being not to throw up right here at the disgust from this monster's actions.
"Maybe a shallow bath would be best?" I whisper in hopes of not upsetting her. With how raw her skin looks I don't think it would be a good idea for that area of her skin to get wet. I can only imagine the additional pain water would cause the area.
Aria bites her bottom lip, her eyes welling with tears. She silently nods her head knowing exactly what I am referring to.
Dropping the plug in the tub I let it fill up a bit more prior to helping Aria slip down into the warm water. Aria releases a relaxed sigh while leaning back with her eyes closed. I take my time washing her body. My hands delicately dance across her skin being attentive to the bruises and blemishes.
Roughly forty mines later I am wrapping Aria up in a fluffy chocolate brown towel. Aria takes a seat on top of the closed toilet seat. Taking in her appearance she looks exhausted; she is bound to fall asleep any time now.
"I want to wear your shirt. Would you mind getting me a fresh pair of shorts and panties from the dresser in my room?"
Following her directions, I head into her room to the wood dresser just inside of the door where I locate the necessary drawers. Once I have retrieved her panties and knit shorts I return to the bathroom. I instantly help Aria slip into her clothes then retrieve her favorite bottle of body lotion from her desk. Over the past two years I have picked up on all of Aria's routines. After she showers and shaves she applies her cherry blossom lotion to her legs and arms. Kneeling down in front of her I apply the lotion to her freshly shaven legs.
"I feel so much better already. Thank you, Ezra." Aria leans up to press a kiss to my cheek.
"I am delighted to hear that. I'll grab your shampoo so we can wash your hair downstairs. Do you want to use this towel or a new one for your hair?" Due to the need to keep her right side dry we couldn't find a reasonable way to wash her hair resulting in us using the kitchen sink instead.
"This one is just fine."
Aria laces her fingers with mine before leading me out of the bathroom and down the stairs. Ella smiles brightly at us upon seeing Aria much more alive than she was this morning.
"What are you guys doing?" Ella asks curiously.
"I'm going to wash her hair in the sink. It's easier than in the bathtub." I say vaguely not wanting to share more than Aria is comfortable with. For now at least.
Ella doesn't question any further though I notice her smile growing larger.
I help Aria climb up on top of the counter. Once she is laying down with her head hanging over into the sink I turn on the water. Aria moans ever so softly as my fingers gently massage her scalp. I take my time washing her hair since it is evident how much she is enjoying this. Her big doe like eyes stare up at me following my every movement. She clearly has some thought playing on her mind due to the distracted look she has on her face. I try not to get caught staring too much.
It didn't take us long to towel dry her hair. I take the towel into the laundry room to discard the damp item before returning to the living room.
"Do you want to watch TV for a little bit?"
"No!" Aria speaks up instantly in a firm voice. "Sorry, it's just the news has taken over majority of the channels…" Aria drifts off though I know exactly what she meant.
"How about I read to you then?"
Aria loves it when I read to her. Whenever she cannot sleep at night she calls me and has me read to her until she falls asleep. I have a feeling me reading to her will be the last thing needed to help her finally get some sleep. Aria nods her head eagerly, clearly pleased with the suggestion.
"I'll run upstairs and see what I can find to read. Do want your comforter from your bed to wrap up in for comfort?"
"That would be perfect, thanks."
"No problem."
Turning on my heal I head upstairs to her room. As soon as I enter her bedroom I cannot help but collapse on the side of her bed. I hand my head in my hands and sigh heavily. The moment my eyes close the image of Aria's beaten up body flash through my mind. I don't know what the hell kind of torture she went through but clearly it was intense.
"What's on your mind?" I hear Ella ask. She slowly enters Aria's room where she chooses to lean against the desk in front of me.
"Has she told you anything about what happened? Have you seen any part of her under those clothes?" I ask brokenly.
Ella shakes her head in denial. "She has been closed off this entire time. She hasn't showed any emotion or even talked prior to you entering the house this morning. Why? What's wrong?"
Sighing I take a deep breath. "That bastard branded her." The tears I've been holding in all morning finally release.
"What?!" Ella's jaw drops. She appears she is on the verge of tears at my confession.
Nodding my head I confirm what she is dreading to hear. "She is covered in cuts and bruises. She now has 'Property of Charles' branded onto her hip. I swear once they catch this sick bastard I cannot wait to get my hands on him. Give him exactly what he deserves."
Seeing the tears streaming down Ella's face I get up from the bed to offer a hug. Ella clings to me instantly, unable to contain her sobs.
"It'll be okay, Ella. We've got her back. Just look at it that way. We finally have her back and she is safe. I will personally make sure that bastard doesn't come near her again."
Ella sniffles a few times as she steps back attempting to compose herself. "You are right. I need to look on the bright side that we finally have her back. I'll let you continue doing whatever it was you were up to. I'm sorry for losing it like that."
"No need to apologize Ella. I'm just looking for a book to read to her. I'm hoping if I read to her she will drift off and finally get some sleep."
"She couldn't have found herself a better boyfriend than you Ezra. You certainly are one of a kind."
A blush spreads over my face. "Thank you Ella. You don't know how much I appreciate your approval."
Ella lingers for a moment before disappearing down the hall. Running my finger along Aria's vast collection of novels I struggle to pick one. My finger finally lands on 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and I instantly know it is the best option due to it being one of Aria favorite novels. With the book in my left hand I reach down to pull the comforter off of the bed with my right hand.
Carrying the two items downstairs I am instantly given Aria's approval on my choice of book. Taking a seat on the far end of the couch, I stretch my left leg out straight along the back of the couch while my right leg is bent over the front as one would normally sit on a couch. I lay out Aria's comforter in my lap getting it ready for her to join me. Aria curls up in my lap with her head resting on my lower stomach. She wraps her legs around my stretched out leg to securely hold onto my body as if touching me is bringing her comfort. Her comforter is covering our bodies and bringing her an extra sense of security.
With Aria settled in my lap snuggled in I crack open the book and begin reading. Ella is still in the kitchen grading papers and assignments for her classes at Rosewood High. The house is silent other than my soft voice reading the great words from Harper Lee.
Roughly twenty minutes into my reading Aria drifts off to sleep. I can tell it is a deep slumber due to her faint snoring. While Aria will always protest this fact, whenever she is in a very deep sleep she has a tendency to snore ever so soft. I think it is adorable; Aria hates it and refuses to believe the truth in it.
Closing the book softly I place it on the end table next to the couch. Gazing down at Aria in my lap I can't help but run my fingers through her hair as well as caress her porcelain face. It has been far too long since I have been able to hold Aria like this. I don't want to waste a single minute of it.
"Ezra," I hear someone whisper causing me to wake up. Opening my eyes I blink a few times to adjust to the dim lighting. Looking around I remember I am in the Montgomery House with Ella standing in front of me.
"Hi, uh sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep. What time is it?"
Ella shakes her head with a faint reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. It is just before ten o'clock. Mike already went to bed, Byron and I are on our way up for the night as well. You are welcome to stay the night. If Aria wakes up and wants to get in bed we are okay with you two sleeping in her bedroom. Otherwise you can stay here on the couch. It's up to you guys. I put your left over Chinese food in the fridge to keep it from going bad."
"Thank you very much. I doubt she'll want her bedroom. She told me earlier she isn't ready to go in there yet after…" I trail off not wanting to dwell on the unfortunate past.
"Okay, just wanted to make sure you knew we were okay with it. I'll talk to you in the morning. Have a good night."
"You too, I'll see you guys in the morning."
Ella left the hall lamp on preventing it from being pitch black downstairs. I sit here for a few minutes struggling to fully wake up. Regrettably I force myself to check my phone for any missed messages. I have an inkling there is a rather aggravated voicemail waiting for me. Sadly my gut was right. Staring at my phone I see the red letters showing my missed call and voicemail from my boss, the Dean of Hollis.
Roughly thirty minutes later Aria begins to stir in my lap. Running my fingers through her hair I greet her quietly.
"Mmmmm I'm kind of hungry. Do we still have Chinese left?"
I can't help but laugh softly to myself. My Aria is slowly coming back to life. Aria tends to always crave food the moment she wakes up no matter what the hour may be.
"We do. How about we make ourselves some dinner and get off the couch for a bit?"
"I love that idea."
Aria and I take our time getting up from our comfortable positions on the couch. Once we both have a plate full of delicious food we exit the front door to take a seat on the porch swing. Aria curls up into my side as we eat in a comfortable silence.
"My mom goes back to work on Monday. I really don't want to be in the house by myself… I was wondering if you would mind if I hung out in your office at Hollis while you are teaching?"
Oh man. I guess I have to tell her the truth now. I was hoping to hold off and only tell her if necessary but it appears I don't have the option.
"If I still have a job Monday, I would be more than happy to have you hang out with me all day. Otherwise I can be here at the house with you or we can go to my apartment."
"Why wouldn't you have a job?" She asks in confusion.
Clearing my throat I push myself father up into a sitting position. "I may have skipped a mandatory eight hour training session. The Dean made it clear he would not accept any excuses and made it abundantly clear this training day was mandatory for the entire faculty."
"What?" Aria gasps quickly turning to look at me. "Why on earth did you skip that meeting!"
Smiling sheepishly I shrug my shoulders. "You needed me. There isn't anywhere else I would have been."
The moon light shining over her face reflects off of the tears welling up in her eyes.
"Ezra," Aria says in a broken voice. "Because of me you are going to lose your favorite job. Again! I have to talk to the Dean or see if my dad can do something. I cannot screw up your life again."
"Aria… Aria… Slow down princess. You don't have to do anything. The Dean left me a message this afternoon informing me of our meeting in his office at seven am on Monday to determine if I have a job or not. I'll tell him a personal issue came up and I had no other option."
"But Ezra what are you going to do if he fires you?"
"The school year ends in three weeks so I was already bound to be out of work for at least the next couple of months."
Aria sigh, "Ezra, you can't teach high school here and now you most likely can't teach at Hollis. There is nothing left for you."
"Maybe not here there isn't. However, if I follow you to Savannah like we've talked about there are bound to be plenty of opportunities there."
"You're still willing to come with me?"
Nodding my head swiftly I don't even take a second to think about it. "Of course honey, I couldn't imagine being away from you for four years. I love you."
"I love you, too." Aria gushes as she leans in for a deep, gentle kiss. Aria smiles with a faint blush creeping up on her cheeks. "I'm sorry. You have no idea how long I have dreamed of finally kissing you again."
"There is no need to be sorry. I've been fighting myself all day not to kiss you; I didn't want to push you in to anything you are comfortable with."
She is biting her lip which is a sign she is thinking. Aria's eyes flicker back and forth from my eyes down to my lips. After a moment of hesitation, Aria climbs into my lap with her lips attached to mine. Our lips dance together passionately. We are quickly running out of oxygen.
I am quickly getting carried away by her intoxicating kisses. She has a way to captivate me, effectively putting me under her spell. It's been damn near a month since I have held her in my arms and had the pleasure of kissing her. Aria whimpers her displeasure when I pull away from the kiss. My body is aching to fill its addiction. If I don't stop now I am going to be forced to take an ice cold shower right here in her parent's house.
"Aria…" I trail off in a pleading tone when she reconnects our lips only this time her tongue joins the party. She knows exactly how to push every one of my buttons.
"Baby, really I am struggling immensely right now." I plead desperately.
"I don't want you to stop. Let's take this inside to the couch. I need you Ezra. I missed you. Within one day you have made me go from nothing to feeling free and alive! I need to feel your touch. Please make love to me."
I can never deny Aria her desires. The look in her eyes right now tells me she needs me just as much as I need her. Grasping the backs of her thighs I lift her up off of the swing intending to carry her inside to the couch. Our plates lie forgotten on the porch without second thought.
Once inside I sink down onto the couch with Aria straddling my lap. We shift on the couch to where Aria is lying flat on her back with me hovering above her. Our clothes are off in record time despite our hands taking their time touching each other's skin. I take my time peppering every inch of her skin in kisses; I don't leave a single cut or bruise untouched by my lips.
Our bodies move together in perfect synchronization. The passion between us is nearly suffocating. It feels as if we have pressed the rewind button to nearly a year ago when we made love for the very first time. We take our delicate time pleasuring one another. Our movements are slow and deep. Aria whimpers her moans of pleasure quietly due to her whole family upstairs in their bedrooms.
I couldn't tell you how long we were intimate on the couch for but it was physically and emotionally draining. We cuddle in each other's arms afterwards basking in the electrifying sparks running through our veins.
Just before we both pass out in bliss we force ourselves to redress. The last thing we need is for her dad to come downstairs in the morning to discover our naked bodies. Aria assures me it will be perfectly fine if I don't put my jeans back on. Sleeping in denim is a real pain in the ass.
With our bodies fully redressed I lie back on the couch first then help Aria climb on top where she is safely tucked between me and the back of the couch. We pull her comforter over us and snuggle into it.
"I love you, Ezra. Thank you so much for everything you've done today. Only you could truly bring me out of such a dark place in my life. I always feel safe when I am with you. It is as if no one else can touch me or put me in any harm."
Tilting my head down I place a lingering kiss to her forehead. "I'd do anything for you. Thank you for having Ella call me. I wish I had come over sooner."
"Do you think you could sleep over the next couple of nights too? I want to try and feel comfortable going back into my room. I don't think I can do it without you…" Aria trails off slightly nervous.
Running my hand up and down her bicep I squeeze her body reassuringly. "I would love to."
It is only a matter of minutes before we both drift off in exhaustion. I fall asleep finally at ease for the first time since Aria was taken away from me. In the end, it doesn't matter what happens to me at work on Monday. The only thing that matters is that I have Aria in my arms safely at the end of the day.
The next chapter is going to be Lucian! 20 reviews on this chapter and I'll post it on Friday. More than that, I'll post it on Wednesday. I've got over a thousand readers on each chapter, I know you guys can do it if you really want it!
The next few chapters are written and ready. The more reviews I get, the faster I update. I've got some fun ones coming up that I'm excited to share.
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