I KNOW-I KNOW I'm sorry this chapter is long over due. But I have a very good excuse for it... I blame Pretty Little Liars for making Ezra look so shady. I mean we already know he's supposed to be -A but why do they have to make him look so creepy all of a sudden? That is just getting to me and it's making it a little harder for me to write new chapters. I can't stop thinking about his character.
Okay, so that's just part of the excuse. But I see that my reviews are a little down for the last two chapters and it's just telling me that most of you aren't that interested in this story anymore? So...
Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with Pretty Little Liars.
But if I did, I'll say there are a lot of things I would change.
Long after dinner was over Ezra stayed down in the restaurant staring at his long forgotten drink. He wondered if he should have with-hold the truth about his true feelings. And then he wondered if the truth of how he felt was really the trigger to how Aria exploded this evening.
He looked at all the staff as they started to clear off the restaurant for the night and turned off a few lights.
"Sir, it's about time you leave" One of the guys told him, "I need to clear up this table"
Ezra nodded, "I'm sorry, yes," He stood up and gave the guy a huge tip for letting him sit there for as long as he did.
Once he was out and headed towards the front of the lobby Ezra looked up towards the clock on the wall behind the desk and saw it was close to twelve. He never even realized that he sat alone on a table set for six for the last four hours.
He licked his lips and headed towards the elevators and pressed the up button. "You're up late" A musky voice sounded from behind him, "Long night?'
Ezra turned around to see Keith Liberty behind him with a half grin, "I could ask you the same thing"
He nodded his head and ushered towards the door when it opened and let Ezra walk in before placing his key card to the penthouse floor, "Well, with Aria's newly found plans I had a few things to take care of." Ezra nodded and Keith looked at him questionably, "Is everything okay?"
Ezra smirked, "You mean you don't know?"
"Touché'" Keith laughed, "Come with me to my room" He told Ezra when they landed on his floor, "We need to talk"
LINE BREAK
Walking into the penthouse suite was nothing new to Ezra. He had seen it all before, but for some reason Ezra seemed to love this penthouse. When you get off the elevator and enter the room it smelled like sweet citrus and to the right of the room lining the walls were mountains of books. He scanned the books and pulled out a copy of the book he was very familiar with. "You read this?" Ezra asked turning to him with the book in his hand. Keith looked up and nodded, "What did you think?"
Sucking in a breath and taking off his tie he responded with the answer that Ezra found defensive, "I think it's stupid. It wasn't really my cup of tea"
Chuckling a little he placed the book back on the shelf and stuck his hands in his pocket, "I wrote that book"
"I'm pretty sure that book was written by a woman and I know that because she is a few floors below me" he replied with sarcasm "Why would you make up something like that?"
"I didn't" he waved his hand, "That book is about me and Aria. I thought you knew that?"
Looking at Ezra in shock Keith turned and sat down on the couch, "You mean to tell me that-"he paused thinking it over a little, "The person who came to me broken was actually a slut?"
"Excuse me?" He stuttered, "I never said that." Ezra defended himself, "I said that she had mixed emotions when it came to the men of Rosewood. That our troubles never really escalade until we broke up for what seemed to be a thousand time."
Letting out a scruff Keith sat back into the couch and smiled, "Which basically means that you were in so much pain and thought it would be best to put her out there. You actually told the world that this woman who you claim, you were so in love with. Kissed and paraded with other men."
Ezra rolled his eyes and sat down on the opposite chair from Keith and lent forward, "I love Aria and I would never call her a slut." He looked down at his now tapping foot, "We had our complications and we were always able to work through them." Ezra stopped and looked back at Keith who now knitted his eyes in confusions towards Ezra, "But I don't know if we can work through this."
Keith nodded his head, "You know. When you cornered me in that school and begged me to take you back to the Hotel just so you could at least have a chance to explain your side of the story. I never expected for you to take Aria away from her work. Ever since you came into her life it seems as if Aria's mind is in a million pieces. She's never walked off a job like she did when she started working in Rosewood. She never lashed out the way she did in the club. Aria was always on top of her game"
Licking his lips Ezra let out a sigh "I'm sorry."
Keith stood up and made himself a drink and offering Ezra one. But he declined and watched as Keith sat back down in front of him, "I need Aria's full attention on this job we have going on right now. If not then what is the point of adding more employee's to the work load if it's just going to be shut down by summer anyway?" Ezra tilted his head, "I need you and Aria to either cool it off for a while or come to some kind of understanding. And from an outsiders point of view-" He lent forward and placed his drink on the coffee table, "I think you have some much anger and pent up feels that just tends to explode when the timing is right. You need to think about what you want to say to her and have a sit down."
"I know what you're saying and believe me I am hearing every word." Ezra stood up, "But you just don't understand how hard it was for me." He laughed harshly, "I walked around like a zombie for months after she left. I gave up everything I believed in just to be with her." Ezra stopped his pacing and turned to look at Keith, "How would you feel if all of sudden your soul mate left you behind? First you make all these plans and change everything around and yet she still leaves. I mean she took my only daughter away from me. Not even a phone call or email," Ezra stopped as tears threaten to fall, "I would have given her the world and she just took it from under my feet. As much as I say I forgive her, I just- I just don't think I can"
"Love is about forgiveness, Love is about compromising, and it's about finding what's real and going for it." Keith sipped his drink and looked up at Ezra, "How do you think Aria felt when she left you? I'm pretty sure it wasn't all cakes and roses! I am positive that Aria had her fall out. I am positive that Aria has all this pent up anger but- but refuses to express it because what she really wanted was you! To feel your touch and to feel the love that the both of you once had," Keith licked his lips, "Jay, he is a great man" Ezra rolled his eyes not wanting to hear it, "He brought a spark to Aria that no one has ever seen when she started to work for me." Keith stood up and patted Ezra's shoulder, "Now Aria needs you to be that man. Someone who will be there for her and not judge her… She needs to know that you are willing to work through this no matter what. Because if you don't. Than what was the point of you coming to me for a chance?"
Ezra stood there dumb forth and unable to stay a word. He opened his mouth to speak but it was as if he was frozen between wanting to yell and tell him that he had it all wrong and the other part wanted to nod his head in agreement. "Talk to Aria, but first think about what I said." Keith walked over towards the door, "You know I'm right about this."
He nodded his head, "Why are you doing this now?" Ezra questioned
"This is business Ezra. I have nothing against true love. But for right now I need you and Aria to come to an understanding and for you to listen to her!"
LINE BREAK
Aria walked around the lobby area listening to the almost complete silence of the hotel. People coming in and people walking out- machines going and bells ringing as someone won a few hundred dollars.
She wondered if everything in her life will ever become normal. She wondered all of the what if's in her life and she wondered what was going to happen when Lacy returned from school.
At this point all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep through the weekend. She wanted to stay crawled under the covers with nothing to do and nothing to think about. But knew she couldn't do it. With being an adult and having all these responsibilities Aria couldn't afford to sleep.
"Hey," A voice sounded off from behind her and Aria turned around and stopped her pacing, "The last time I saw you, you were heading upstairs. Is everything alright?"
With a heavy sigh and brush of the hair Aria nodded, "My mind can't stop thinking" she smiled, "It just won't shut off"
Peyton laughed, "Well since you're here. How about I tell you some good news?" she smiled, "How soon do you need me in Rosewood?"
Aria smiled, "Seriously?" Peyton nodded, "Um, yeah as soon as next week. What did your mom say?"
Peyton licked her lips, "Well we had a few hours of talk and she agreed that maybe getting out of this type of setting would be great for my son. My mom agreed to watch him until summer and by then I hope to already have a place and school line up. But other than that she'll be joining us."
"That's fantastic." Aria grin, "So I'll let Liberty know in the morning and I'll get everything set up when I get there. I'm sure you'll fit in right away."
Peyton smiled and then looked down at her feet, "Can I ask you something?" she mumbled and then looked up to see Aria nodded a yes, "Are you and Ezra a couple?"
With a raise of an eyebrow and a shrug of the shoulder Aria gave a flat line smile, "We've talked about it. But I'm not so sure right now." She answered honestly, "There are things that we have to work on."
Peyton nodded, "Okay, I just figured I ask."
Aria nodded, "So you and Ezra dated when just before High School?" Peyton nodded, "You were his first real love"
"He-He told you that?" she whispered
"Yeah, but I don't' think he remembers that he did." Aria laughed and bit her lip before talking, "Are you having feelings for him again?"
"No," She answered without hesitation, "But it is nice to talk with an old friend. And I know that might be a little uncomfortable for you. But I hope you understand that all I want from him is his friendship."
Sucking in a deep breath Aria wondered if having Peyton transfer to Rosewood would be suck a good idea. As much as she wanted to be with Ezra, she wondered if and when things would finally hit the right track; if Peyton would stop them from moving forward. Hey is a beautiful woman, which not to mention was Ezra's first love. Would this really be the end of it? "I think you and Ezra should talk about it. I mean I'm okay with the whole "FRIENDS" thing. But- but still the same I think you should talk to Ezra about this."
LINE BREAK
Ezra sat in the sitting room of the hotel suite waiting for Aria to return. He hadn't a clue where she was and never even bothered to try looking for her. He just sat there in complete and utter silence as he watched the seconds on the clock on his wrist watch tick by.
After that somewhat argument with Keith, Ezra didn't know what to think. He only had questions. But more so, he wanted to really know what that outburst from Aria came from.
Looking at his watch again only to notice that a few more minutes from the last time he checked went by; he got off of the couch and opened up the sliding door. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and then opened them up to see the Vegas lights coming off from other hotels. He gave a half-hearted smiling thinking that it looked a bit like Christmas. So many sparkling lights all around him.
Ezra than closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath as he heard the room open and shut. He opened them up once again and than turned around. Aria stood next to the couch where he had been for the last three hours.
She looked up at him with those big hazel eyes and a tight smile; tossing the key card down on the coffee table and putting her hair up into a messy bun. "Are you okay?" He asked her in a mere whisper, "Can we talk?"
Aria knitted her eyebrows and than nodded, "Yeah sure." She answered and took off her jacket, "I think we need to talk about us." Aria started off with the sore subject, "I think we should just stay friends. I mean I know-"She stopped feeling the thickness in the room as Ezra closed the sliding down behind him, "Ezra I love you. I mean I always loved you. But being here with you is hard." She licked her lips and took a seat on the couch, "I can't help but think that maybe we're pushing ourselves into something that we're not ready for. And I don't think I can handle this- US right now. With Jay still fresh in my mind and then Lacy." She shook her head looking into Ezra's eyes seeing heart break as she spoke, "I just can't"
"I know," Ezra looked down at his feet as he balanced from one foot to the other, "I'm sorry if I came off too strong. I just didn't want to lose you again!" He stopped fidgeting, "I really want to know how you feel about the book?"
"Honestly?" She questioned and he nodded, "I feel like you betrayed me. I feel like you wrote me out to be the sucker and I can't believe you would do something like that." Aria wasn't yelling, as a matter of fact she spoke kindly and that was to Ezra's dismay, "I know you wrote it in your point of view, and I'm sorry that I hurt you! But do you really see me as a bad person?"
"No," He blurted, "I was going through a lot when I decided to get my feelings out on paper." He sighed and rubbed his face taking a seat next to her, "I never thought about how you would feel when I wrote that book. Aria, I wasn't even planning on having it published. I-"He paused and took in another deep breath, "When Wes surprised me with a contract and an interview to go forward with the book I was in shock. And yes I thought about what would happen if you read it- but I guess in a way it was to get you back for hurting me. I thought that if you read it you would have known all the drama and causes you have placed me through. But deep now it was just my bitterness, and selfishness that brought it on."
"I never wanted to hurt you Ezra," Aria choked out with tears, "Why would I have wanted that for you?" She looked him in the eyes as tears rapidly fell down her cheeks, "I'm sorry"
"No, baby" he grabbed her hands, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry for not asking you about the books. I'm sorry for being jealous of what you and Jay have. I'm sorry that I didn't fight for you when you told me you were leaving" He wiped her tears away, "I'm sorry that I wasn't there for Lacy."
Aria choked out more tears, "She wants to know more and more about you ever time." Aria smiled, "I think it's about time that you really get to know your daughter"
Ezra smiled and nodded, "I want nothing more." He wiped more of her tears, "Than to be a family when the time is right. But I think the time for US, is to just be friends."
"Are you still mad at me?"
He shook his head, "Not as much, but more so myself"
Aria lent over and gave Ezra a kiss to the cheek, "I still love you, you know?"
Ezra laughed, "Yeah, I still love you too." He squeezed her hands, "And I can't wait to officially meet my daughter!"
So next chapter will have Lacy and the re-grand opening of the Hotel. I hope people are still reading this and I'm sorry that I didn't re-read this chapter. But I hope you liked it. Please don't forget to review. I love hearing from all of you!