I know, long time no see. My excuses for that, again. Well, this is my second chapter of my first FanFic for Pretty Little Liars. I really like writing the story, but I don't really know if you like the story, because I only got two reviews. And I really don't care about the number, but I just want to know if I should continue, or if I should just kill this story. Just let me know! Have fun reading. Oh by the way, this Chapter is written from Ezra's POV.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the rights to Pretty Little Liars. I wish I did though.

CHAPTER 2 – What's wrong with Jackie?

Aria walks out the door with the ticket in her hand. Yesterday evening I talked with Jackie, my fiancée, about the workshop. We've been in a relationship for about three years now and we've been engaged for a half-year. I can remember being completely in love with her and that I couldn't live without her in the beginning of our relationship. I still care about her now, but I don't know if I'm still in love with her. I haven't talked about this with anyone, because this is just nerves before our marriage. That's the reason I have been having doubts. Why should I bother anybody with that?

It was all very romantic. With the summer holiday we went to Rome and in front of the Trevi fountain I dropped to my knees. I got caught up with the romance and I knew she really wanted me to ask her. After a couple of conversations on the phone with my best friend, Hardy, I decided to do it. The moment I proposed, I saw a glistening in her eyes and a sincere smile I hadn't seen for a long time. That's when I knew I made the right decision. Before I even finished my question, she already said yes and we where kissing in front of the fountain.

Now, I'm starting to doubt if I did the right thing asking her to marry me. I don't know anymore if I asked her because she really wanted it or because we both wanted it. They call it 'cold feet' right?

Yesterday, I asked Jackie if she wanted to come with me to New York for the workshop. It was probably a stupid question, because Jackie doesn't love writing like I do. She teaches History at Rosewood High. I still hoped she would say yes. We could've used a trip with just the two of us. Too bad she couldn't take free time of her work and it just wasn't something for her. I should've seen it coming.

So, I had to think of someone else to take with me. I hesitated between different colleagues and students. Then I thought of Aria Montgomery. In September I started my first year as a professor English here at Hollis. In a couple of my classes there is a special and extraordinary student. Of course I think all my students have something special, but she just stands out. She always asks the right questions, gets really high grades and just puts a little bit more effort in it then the rest of the students. She is, without a doubt, the best student in my lectures. It isn't difficult to guess that she loves writing. You can see she enjoys English literature and you see her writing a lot in her notebook.

I just asked Aria to come with me to the workshop. I really hope she can come and that she wants to come. However, I will hear about that tomorrow. I put everything in my bag and walk to my office. It's only half past ten and my second and last lecture of the day only starts at two. First I will read some essays and than maybe I can grab a lunch with Jackie. I know her lunch break is at twelve. I sent her a Whatsapp-message. "Hi honey. Shall we lunch together at the Grille at 12.30? XX"

It doesn't take long before I get a reply. That takes me by surprise a little bit, because I know she's in the middle of a class right now. I let go of that thought and read the message. "I want to Ez, but I've got a lot of tests to grade. I'm busy with that in my lunch brake. Can I see you after school? What time are you done? Love you. XX"

Because Jackie can't come to The Grille, I will bring The Grille to her. I focus on reading some essays and decide to pick up some lunch at The Grille after that. So we can lunch together in her classroom. In this way we'll still be together and she can keep going on with grading tests. I decide to surprise her, so I don't send her a message back.

At twelve I get my stuff and drive to The Grille. I order a ceasar salad for my fiancée and lasagna for me. With the lunch, I drive to Rosewood High. I can't believe that we were on this high school only four years ago. Everything still looks the same and in a weird way that reassures me.

I know exactly which classroom is Jackie's, but when I arrive there, I see the classroom is empty. I check some more classrooms, but Jackie is nowhere to be found. I give up and walk to the teacher's room, but still no Jackie. I ask the other teachers if anyone have seen Jackie, but they tell me that she called in sick this morning. That's weird. In her message it said she was at school.

I try to call her, but I get her voicemail. I don't leave a message and hang up. I drive back to Hollis. I will see Jackie later.

When I get to Hollis, I decide to pay a visit to Ella Montgomery. I hope she didn't already have lunch and that she likes ceasar salads. It would be a pity if I had to throw away the salad. I knock on the door of her office and when I open her door, I see Aria sitting there. "Oh sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

Aria gets up and I see she has tears in her eyes, but I don't say anything about it. It's none of my business. "It's okay professor Fitz, you're not interrupting. I was just leaving." She turns around to her mom. "I'll speak to you and Byron tonight and then we'll talk about everything." I notice that she calls her dad Byron. She gives her mom a kiss, gets her bag and almost storms out of the office.

I give a quick glance towards the door and look back at Ella. She sits down in her chair and apologizes for her daughter's behavior. "She's in the middle of a dilemma. What can I do for you?"

"I was just wondering if you already had lunch. It seems that I've got an extra ceasar salad, don't ask me why." I put the bag of The Grille that I'm keeping in my hand, in the air. "And you're actually the only female colleague working here at Hollis that I like," I say with a boyish grin.

Ella smiles and takes the bag from me. She puts it on her desk and gets out the ceasar salad. She also takes out the lasagna and sets them both on her desk. The ceasar salad in front of her and the lasagna in front of the empty chair. "Well, I haven't had lunch yet. Sit down. We'll lunch together."

I hesitate at first. I was going to eat my own lunch in my own office and I was just dropping the salad of, but it couldn't hurt to lunch together. We get in a conversation about the workshop in New York. Ella lets me know that she doesn't think it's a problem for Aria to come with me and Byron will probably say the same. She thanks me for the fact that I invited Aria. She also asks about Jackie and informs if everything is all right with her. I let a silence drop, because I don't really want to talk about Jackie.

"I really don't know how Jackie's doing." Ella looks at me with a confused look on her face. "We're still engaged, but something weird happened today. I really don't know if I should talk to you about this."

"Why not? If there's something bothering you, you can tell me." I start to elaborate about the events that happened today. I tell Ella about the surprise that I had for Jackie, the ceasar salad, and that Jackie's colleagues told me that Jackie called in sick. I even tell Ella about the doubts I've been having about me marrying Jackie.

"I really don't know. She's nice and I care about her, but I just don't know. And than everything that happened today. This happens more often than I probably want to realize and every time she has some new excuse. I'm not saying I don't believe her, but it's just a little bit suspicious." Why am I telling Ella everything? I've never talked about this with anyone, not even Hardy. Ella just makes it easy to talk to.

"I can't really give my opinion about it, because I don't know Jackie. But, hearing you talk, I'm wondering if you still love her." She gives me a small and friendly smile. "I almost had the same conversation with my daughter just now. Just think well about if you still love her. Don't be afraid of what the outcome will be and then make a decision."

Ella is right. I didn't let myself think about it that much, because I was afraid of the things that would come out of it. But I have to think about it, before I commit myself to Jackie. I have to be honest about my feelings to Jackie and to myself. I say my thanks to Ella for her great advice and go to my own little office. I still have an hour before my lecture starts. I start grading essays, but I can't concentrate on the letters. I get my notebook out of my drawer. That's something I always do when I have to put some thoughts in order. I begin writing. I could call my notebook a diary, but that's not really what it is. I write down my thoughts to get ideas from it for stories and short poems. I only write in my notebook when I'm alone in my office. No one knows of the existence of the notebook, not even Jackie.

After writing for a while, I look at my phone and see that it's almost two o'clock. It's time to gather my things and to prepare for my last lecture. I still can't concentrate and I decide to let the class read a book. In the mean time, I try to grade some more essays.

I haven't really thought about my engagement with Jackie yet. It's better to do that at home, alone. I feel the vibrating of my phone in my pocket. Before I actually get my phone out of my pocket, I look around the classroom. Everybody is engrossed in his or her books. I let out a sigh. It's a message from Jackie. "Babe, you didn't let me know when you're done today. Can we meet up at your place at 4? Love you. Xx."

I do want to see her, because I want her to explain, but first I have to think and that's something I have to do alone. First, I send a message to Hardy. "Hey man! If you speak to Jackie, I'm with you tonight. I'll explain later!" Almost immediately I get a message back. It's fine. I can always count on Hardy.

Now, it's time for my message to Jackie. After typing and deleting the message three times, I decide to send it. "Hey! I can't today. Guy's night with Hardy. I'll see you tomorrow. Xx". I hope Jackie doesn't notice anything is wrong. I put my phone back into my pocket and the rest of the lecture I don't get anymore messages. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.

It's 4 o'clock, my lecture is finished and I can go home. While walking to my car, I see Holden, one of my students, standing in front of the school. I walk towards him and greet him with a nod. I haven't seen him in one of my lectures today. "Hey Holden. I didn't see you in the lecture. Where were you?"

"Sorry professor Fitz. I wasn't feeling that well. Did I miss much?" I certainly know that he is lying, but I let it pass. Holden is a really good and diligent student and it's the first lecture he missed from September to now. I let him know that he didn't miss a thing, because I know for sure that the book my class read, has already been read by Holden a couple times.

"What are you doing here exactly?" Usually when a student doesn't show up at school, the student doesn't show his face afterwards.

"I'm waiting for Aria, my girlfriend. You must know her." They are both students of mine, but still I didn't have a clue about their relationship. I think back on earlier today, when I saw Aria leaving Ella's office with tears in her eyes and about what Ella said about having a similar conversation with Aria to the one she had with me.

I assume that she already spoke about the workshop in New York this weekend with Holden. "Of course. You're okay with her coming with me to New York this weekend, right?" When I see the expression on his face, I realize she didn't discuss this with him yet. "I'm so sorry. I thought you already discussed it." I see Aria walking towards us. "She's probably going to do that right now. Again, I'm really sorry. You two have a nice time." As fast as my legs can carry me, I walk out of there. When I'm sitting in my car, I observe Aria and Holden before I pull out of the parking lot. They both don't look really happy and that's probably my fault.