Big thanks to Marcia794 for the awesome beta job.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars. If I did, Ezrians would be talking just about hearts and flowers and stars and unicorns.

Chapter 4 - You Give Me Strength

Aria's POV

"There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate." - Linda Grayson

Walking out his apartment hurt me more than I ever thought it would hurt. It wasn't the first time we had 'broken up' but this time it felt real, more real than ever. It was how everything started and ended, our history repeating itself. When, at Ali's funeral we silently decided that we couldn't be apart and then after Emily's swimming event when we (okay, I) realised that we couldn't be together anymore. It was like my past was mocking me for everything I lost and will never get back.

I didn't know what to do with my life anymore, I felt like my whole world was destroyed. I couldn't breathe properly and I was sure that my legs would give up on me soon, so I crashed at the nearest bench on the pavement. The girls. They had told me to text them as soon as I got home but I never did. I had to call them now and tell them to come and pick me up. I looked at my empty hands and realised that I took nothing with me when I left home; no keys, no purse, no phone. Crap. What would I do now? I was alone in the middle of the night and the closest place was Ezra's apartment and I sure as hell wasn't going there for help. My only choice was to walk to Spencer's house, I didn't want to stay at home alone. Dad and Mike were at our lake house for the weekend, spending some time together now that Mom had left.

I started walking to find the girls as soon as possible; I felt like I needed them more than ever. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to tell them about he hurt them for learning the truth? Maybe I should keep what I found out to myself, I can't put them in danger. But God, I can't go through this alone.

I have no idea how I arrived at Spencer's house in my condition. There was dim light coming out through the vast windows so that meant they were still up. I entered the kitchen through the back door and I almost collided with Spencer who was ready to walk out the very same door.

"Aria! Oh my God, there you are!" She looked at me with relief but that abruptly changed when she noticed what was a totally grim face and bloodshot eyes.

"What's wrong, Ar?" Hanna hurried to my side and pushed Spencer away so she could look at me.

"Calm down, I -"

"What happened?" Em tried to fit in the tiny semi circle around me and I was about to pass out.

"Can you just -"

"You forgot your phone here and you never replied to our calls at your house so we were about to come and find you at -"

"Will you let me talk?" Now they all shut up and looked at me with terrified eyes. Was I terrifying?

"I was at Ezra's."

"You were where?" Hanna exclaimed.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to keep your hands off him for too long." Spencer winked at me. Had I been so obvious all this time?

"Can I sit down?" I tried to pass between them and they let me reach the stool near the table. "I broke up with Ezra." I said without looking at them.

"I thought you had already broken up with him,say, many weeks ago?" Hanna sat next to me and looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, I know. I just.. I had one last hope that maybe we could get back together." Reality started sinking in and my eyes filled with tears. I avoided their eyes again and Spence with Emily took their seats in the opposite side of the table.

"What's wrong, Ar?" I looked up to Spencer's eyes and I couldn't take it anymore. The tears started streaming down my face once more.

"I could use a hug right now," I said and Hanna quickly took me in her arms. The only thing you could hear now in the silent house was my loud sobs. The girls took me up to Spencer's bedroom; I lay on the bed but I didn't want them to go. I couldn't really make out what they were saying to me or to each other, I was just replaying the night I had in my mind. I clung to my best friend and never let her go, I think I was on the verge of a panick attack.

"Do you want us to go downstairs?" Hanna was caressing my hair and she was talking to me calmly.I think I was freaking them out. I couldn't talk though, I just shook my head and moved a little on the bed so they could all fit on it. Nobody was talking and they were trying to calm me, until Spence couldn't take it anymore.

"We are here for you and you know you can tell us anything, right?" I gave her a sad smile, because I wasn't sure about that anymore. Was it safe for them to know the truth? Would he be able to hurt my favourite people on earth? Yeah, he probably would. He had done it so many times already.

"Sweetie, why did you go to Ezra's?" Em asked looking in my eyes.

"We, uh.. Sort of kissed the other night at the brew. So I needed to see him." They didn't seem really surprised. Maybe I had been that obvious after all.

"And? What happened tonight?" I opened my mouth so as to tell them what I had just found out but my phone rang with a new text message. "Here." Em had brought it with her from the kitchen table and passed it to me. I took it, always having that terrible feeling of a new A-sign; and it was one like that, a text from the enemy.

'Aria, please. Don't leave me, you need to understand. Please, give me a chance. I love you, always -E'

Why couldn't he just sign it as A? Why should he be fooling me more? I threw my phone at the other end of the bed and hugged Hanna again. Three sets of eyes were on me, waiting for me to say something.

"It was Ezra." I paused and dried my eyes with my sleeve. "Why can't he just leave me alone?" Fresh tears came, again and again, and Spencer gave me a hanful of tissues which I dampened soon.

"Did you guys have a fight?" I realised that I had been crying in front of them all this time without them knowing why I was crying. But they had figured out that something serious had happened. "Aria?" Hanna's voice was alarmed now, I had to give them something.

"Yes, we did."

"About what? I mean, Emily told us about Malcolm. We thought.. Your problems were over now." Spencer frowned.

"Nothing is over, Spence. Nothing will ever be the same." I sounded desperate, I didn't want to be like that but I was in pain.

"I will tell you something that I've told him, too. Two people who love each other that much should be together. Why can't you see that?"

"Yeah, she's right. Aria, didn't you see him all these weeks you were apart? The man was a mess." Em was right, he had been a mess. But not because of us being apart. Probably he was destroyed because of Malcolm and it was normal, even I had loved the little boy.

"He has done something terrible, he hates me. It's over." My tone was domineering, they had to give up now or I would spill the beans about Mr Fitz and then we would all be in danger. But I needed to tell them, how would I go on with that weight on my chest?

"Do you want me to remind you that Toby was on the A-team without me knowing?"

"Yeah, Ezra couldn't have done anything worse." This made me laugh and Emily looked curiously at me. "What?"

"I wish it was as simple as that."

"Okay, I'm officially scared now."

"Hanna!" Spencer chastised her and then looked at me with a serious expression. "What is it?" That moment my phone rang again and the girls looked at me with annoyed expressions. Em gave me my phone again and my heart stopped.

'If you dare tell your bitches anything, be prepared to say goodbye to your lovely teacher. -Kisses, A xoxoxo'

Now, what the hell was that? I'm supposed to know that Ezra is A but why would he send me a text like that? He couldn't be talking about himself that way.

"Who was that?" Hanna asked.

"Um, just Jake." I lied to them, I had no other choice now. And at the moment, I wasn't afraid of Ezra. His previous text sounded so honest, he sounded so honestly hurt earlier at his apartment. What if he was being forced into doing things?

"You and your fans!" Spence joked trying to lighten the mood. "By the way, don't you think you should break up with him?"

"Why would I do that? Don't I need a reason?"

"Realising that you had been an idiot for months and cheating on him with your ex-boyfriend is a pretty decent reason, trust me."

"Funny, Spence." They all laughed and she was so content with herself. Were they out of their minds?

"Everything is gonna be fine. Whatever happened, it will pass." Em smiled sweetly at me and she gave me hope, I hoped that we would be alright, me and them. As for me and Ezra, I wasn't so sure.

"Come here, let's have a group hug for pookie bear!" This time, Hanna's words made me laugh and my best friends gave me a tight hug. They gave me strength, because they were the only people I could really trust in my life.

Don't forget to review me and tell me what you liked or didn't like, I really want to do my best and improve this story.

Love, A