Chapter 14

Ezra POV

He looked at the girl sitting on his couch staring straight ahead. She seemed broken and distant. What had happened since he saw her? He poured the coffee he had made into a mug and walked it over to her. She clutched the burning mug in her hand and never even flinched. Ezra sat down in the chair across from her silently. He studied her as she sipped her coffee and refused to look at him. Her tears had subsided but the streaks down her face were still evident.

"Aria?" She didn't move. She focused down at the liquid in the cup as she clutched the mug tighter until her knuckles turned white. "Aria?" he said a little louder. The slight turn of her head indicated that she had in fact heard him. Sighing, he asked, "What happened after I left Spencer's?"

For the first time since arriving, she looked up at him with defeated eyes. "I went to see Clark," she whispered. She said it so quietly he had to strain to hear her.

"Aria, did he hurt you?" Ezra asked forcefully. Aria shook her head. Ezra stared at her with his mouth slightly agape.

"Not physically, anyway," she clarified a little louder. Ezra tilted his head slightly. "I told him we had to break up and he got a little angry." Ezra nodded. Happiness at the fact that she had broken up with him filled him. He smiled slightly to himself but it soon vanished.

"Did he say something to get you upset?"

Aria looked up at Ezra wordlessly. Ezra stood up and walked around the coffee table to sit next to her. He relinquished the coffee from her firm grip and sat it on the coffee table before wrapping his arm loosely around her shoulders. "Whatever he said," Ezra whispered, "doesn't matter."

Aria looked over at him with tears forming in her eyes once again. "He said I was a slut."

Ezra clenched his jaw and firmly gripped her shoulder. "You're not a slut, Aria. You are this amazing, beautiful, down to earth girl. He doesn't deserve you." The corners of Aria's mouth tugged up slightly. Ezra smiled back comfortingly. Aria looked at his lips. She reached up and cupped his face before leaning forward and placing her lips on his. Closing his eyes, Ezra returned the soft kiss. When Aria pulled away, he opened his eyes.

Ezra was about to apologize when she swung her leg over his legs and sat on his lap facing him. Caught of guard, Ezra sat their motionlessly as Aria cupped his face with both hands and forcefully kissed him. It took him a moment but Ezra soon returned the kiss placing his hands on her hips. He pulled on her hips in an attempt to pull her closer which wasn't possible. The kiss grew heated. Aria began to lift the hem of his shirt when he pulled away.

"Aria, we can't," he whispered holding up his hands. Aria clenched her jaw.

"Why? Do you not like me that way?" Aria exasperated. "Look, I will transfer out of your class…"

"That's not it," he stated firmly.

"Miss. Sanchez?" she questioned. Ezra blinked a little caught off guard.

Sighing, he nodded, "Maria and the fact that my nephew is in the room." Ezra looked over at the sleeping toddler in his bed. Aria looked over too and closed her eyes smiling. Ezra grinned up at her.

"Right. I forgot." Aria pinched the bridge of her nose and slid off his lap. Ezra chuckled and looked down before looking back at her. "What about Maria?" she asked.

The smile slowly faded from his face. "She's pregnant," he blurted out. Aria's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. Ezra closed his eyes when he realized he had said it.

Aria looked around his room rapidly obviously unsure of what to say. "I'm- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come." Aria got up off the couch and bounded for the door. Ezra quickly reacted and followed her. Just before she got to the door he grabbed her arm.

"It's not mine," he informed her. She turned to him with confused eyes. "She was raped…before we met. She just told me a few days ago. I don't know what to do." He let go of her arm and looked down. "I mean how can I just dump her under the circumstances?"

Aria stepped forward and lifted his head with her fingers. "What do you want?" she asked emphasizing want. Ezra was silent for a moment. Aria dropped her hand defeated before sighing and turning to the door.

She opened it and was about to step out when he said, "You." Aria spun around and was met with his lips crashing down on hers hungrily. He placed his hands on the side of her face and slowed the kiss as he ran his thumb lightly over her cheeks. She hooked her arms under his armpit and rested her hands on his shoulders pulling him closer. He let go of one side her face long enough to close the door.

Smiling into the kiss, he began walking backward. She smiled too and followed. He fell back on the couch taking her with him. She giggled as she landed on top of him. He was chuckling also but held up a finger to his lips. She immediately bit down on her tongue in an attempt to calm down when he pointed over at Zane. She smiled silently and leaned down to kiss him.

Aria POV

"Awia?" she heard someone whisper. Slowly opening her eyes, she was met by icy blue ones staring at her in confusion. Her eyes adjusted to the sunlight that was seeping in through the curtains. She rolled over onto her side with her back to the back of the couch. She looked down at Ezra who was snoring softly before looking over at Zane. She stood up and smiled down at Zane. He was wearing a white tee with The Animaniacs plastered on the front of it with a pair of black pajama bottoms. Encircled by his arms was a brown teddy bear. She reached down and picked him up.

"Hey buddy," she whispered as she walked him over to the bed. She sat him down on it before she herself took a seat. She looked over and saw a blanket with The Amaniacs on it. "Isn't this a little before your time?" she questioned referring to the '90's cartoon.

Zane looked at her confused. Aria chuckled and shook her head. "Why were you sweeping on Uncle Ez?" Zane asked innocently. Aria opened her mouth to answer when she heard a grunt come from the couch.

"Ezra?" she shouted. He sat up and stretched.

"Hmmm?" he let out. He peered over at them.

Aria smiled. "Zane has something to ask you." Ezra looked over at Zane before getting up and joining them on the bed.

"What's up buddy?" he asked.

Zane looked between the pair. "Why was Awia sweeping on you?"

Ezra's eyes widened. "Well, I-we-uh," Ezra looked over at Aria who silently shook her head as she bit back a smile. Ezra looked back at Zane trying to come up with a good excuse. Not finding one, he changed the subject, "So, who's hungry? I can make something for us to eat."

Zane scrunched up his nose. "Your food is nasty." Aria let out a snort and quickly covered her mouth when Ezra shot her a look.

Aria removed her hand and shrugged. "The boy has a point." Aria smiled innocently. Ezra rolled his eyes.

"Okay, so my cooking isn't the best thing in the world but it's not the worst either," Ezra defended himself.

"Comes pwetty close," Zane whispered to Aria after Ezra started heading to the kitchen. Aria smiled at the boy and wrapped her arm around his shoulders pulling him in for a sideways hug.

"I know but try and be nice about it," she whispered in his ear. Zane looked up at her and smiled.

"Stop whispering about me as if I'm not here and don't know what you're talking about!" they heard Ezra shout from the kitchen. Aria and Zane giggled. Aria got off the bed and held out her arms for Zane. Dropping the teddy bear, Zane wrapped his arms tightly around Aria's neck and his legs around her waist as she picked him up. She walked into the kitchen and sat him down on the counter. She walked over to Ezra and placed a hand on his lower back before leaning up and kissing him on the cheek then again on the lips when he turned his head toward her.

"Ewww!" Zane shrieked. Ezra and Aria smiled at each other before Ezra turned back to the stove and Aria to Zane. She tickled his stomach. Zane giggled.

A buzzing noise was heard in the living room. Aria walked over and picked her phone up off the coffee table.

Where are you?

-Ella

Crap! Aria forgot that she had left in the middle of the night. Thinking fast, she texted back that she was at Spencer's and that she forgot to leave her a note. When Ella texted back with an okay, Aria let out a sigh of relief. Ezra came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Everything alright?" he asked. Aria nodded, rested her hands over his, and leaned back against his chest. She heard a small crash and looked over to see Zane smashing some matchbox cars into each other and making explosion noises. She smiled at the sight and then looked up at Ezra. He smiled back and leaned down to kiss her.

Ezra POV

It was mid-evening when Aria got a text from her mother telling her to come home. Aria had spent several minutes kissing Ezra goodbye before she had left. Zane had dozed off soon after. Aria had spent the whole day with him and Zane. She got along great with Zane and he adored her. Then again, who couldn't adore Aria? She was enchanting, beautiful, intelligent, caring, and mature beyond her years. He was literally falling for this girl, his student. He shook his head. He had to do something about that. Ezra sat back in the sofa with a satisfied smile.

Ezra looked over at the door when he heard a knock upon it. Grinning, he stood up and rushed over to it, whipping it open. His smile fell when he saw Maria standing on the other side instead of Aria.

"Maria," he stated surprised. She smiled at him and kissed him before pushing her way past him into the threshold. He closed the door slowly. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in Ohio."

"I told dad about your nephew spending the week with you and he put me on the first plane back so that I wouldn't miss it. Isn't this great?" she shrieked. Ezra flinched slightly. Not the words he would have chosen.

"Uncle Ez?" he heard a small voice say from his bed. He looked over to see Zane sitting up and looking over at them. Ezra sighed and walked over to him picking him up. So much for Zane sleeping. Once he was awake there was a good chance he wouldn't go back to sleep. Walking back over to Maria, he introduced them.

"Maria this is Zane. Zane this is Maria, my," Ezra paused slightly, "girlfriend." Zane looked at him puzzled. He had every right to be confused. He sees Ezra being lovey-dovey with Aria yet says this mystery woman is his girlfriend. Hell, even Ezra was confused.

Maria smiled. "Well, hello there," she said babylike. Zane narrowed his eyes much like Ezra did when he was being patronized.

"I'm three," the boy said angrily.

"I know." Maria was babying him and Zane hated that. Everyone treated Zane as if he were a baby. He was very much like Ezra when it came to intelligence. Zane was smarter than the average three year old. Sure, he talked like one but he knew things well beyond his years.

"He doesn't like to be babied," Ezra informed her.

Maria nodded and held out her hands and motioned for Ezra to hand him off to her. Zane was quick to wrap his arms around Ezra's neck and say, "No!" The smile fell from Maria's face instantly. She stood a little straighter and cleared her throat. Ezra smiled apologetically.

Ezra placed Zane back in the bed while Maria made her way to the living room. He pulled the covers over Zane. "Uncle Ez?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah?" Ezra whispered back.

"Can you sing me to sweep?" Ezra used to sing to Zane to get him to sleep when he was a baby. In fact, Clarissa had recorded him for when he wasn't around because it was one of the only things that would get him to sleep.

Ezra nodded. "What song?" he questioned knowing what song the boy would pick.

Zane smiled from ear to ear and said, "Open Arms!" Zane had definitely got his taste in music from Ezra. Open Arms by Journey was one of the songs Ezra had always loved and from the first time he sang it to Zane he loved it as well.

Grinning, Ezra began to sing softly,

Lying beside you here in the dark
Feeling your heart beat with mine
Softly you whisper, you're so sincere
How could our love be so blind?

We sailed on together
We drifted apart
And here you are by my side

So now I come to you with open arms
Nothing to hide, believe what I say
So here I am with open arms
Hoping you'll see what your love means to me, open arms

Within minutes Zane was snoring softly with his thumb in his mouth and cuddled up with his blanket. Ezra smiled and walked into the living room. Sighing, he sat down beside Maria putting a little space between them. "He's asleep."

Maria nodded. "He doesn't like me," she stated.

Ezra figured he wouldn't. Zane didn't take to people really well. Aria was an exception. "Don't take it personally, Maria. You're lucky he even talked to you. He doesn't usually even do that. He's not really a people person." Maria nodded in understanding. Scooting closer to Ezra, she cupped his cheek and leaned in to kiss him. Ezra turned his head slightly and said, "Not tonight, okay? I've been busy all day and I just want to get some much needed sleep." Maria was stunned but nodded and got up and left.

Ezra knew he had to talk to her about their relationship but he didn't want to have that discussion with Zane in the room. He wasn't sure how Maria would take the fact that he wanted to break up and he wasn't about to get Zane involved. Sighing, Ezra lied down on the couch and fell asleep.