Aria
No matter how many times Aria tried to contact him that weekend, she didn't hear a word. She'd texted, called, left messages but still there was no reply. Today it was Monday and thankfully Aria would be seeing Ezra at work today. His shocked and very confused expression was still swimming around in her mind from Saturday morning and all weekend she had been worried about how she was going to explain everything. The story was very, very complicated; a story that Aria wished she never had to repeat. In many ways she hated what had happened, but then again her beautiful daughter was the result of it and Aria could never hate or wish Summer never happened. Aria wouldn't change Summer for the world.
All weekend she had been trying to plan out how she would explain. How could she explain? The story was so complicated and Aria had acted so foolishly. Even after being in her mind all weekend, Aria still hadn't managed to come up with a plan. Since Ezra hadn't spoken to her since, that made it even more complicated. Aria was definitely scared. If Ezra was mad at her now when she hadn't even explained everything yet, then how mad would he be after she did? Would he ever want to speak to her again? Would he leave yet again? Though the two weren't back together again, Aria had finally realized that she now felt complete again - a feeling she hadn't experienced since 6 years previous. It was as if Ezra was a little jigsaw piece that she'd lost and finally found again to finish the jigsaw.
After dropping Summer of at school that morning, she anxiously headed to the school she worked at. Throughout the journey she was bouncing nervously in her seat and was thankful to the morning traffic they got caught up in, in New York. Unfortunately though, Aria still made it to work with an hour to spare before school started for the students, meaning that gave her enough time to talk to Ezra and do some final preparations for her classes today. Here goes...
In a slight fluster, Aria headed to her classroom, only just managing to lift all of the heavy paper work she was carrying. Once she'd spent longer than necessary in her classroom nervously planning how she was going to explain everything, she hesitantly headed down towards Ezra's office. Through the opaque window on the front of his office door, Aria could see that the light was on in his office, meaning he was in. So with a light knock she opened the door and walked inside. For a moment Aria just stared down at the floor, before she abruptly realised that Ezra wasn't the only one in his office. Eyes widening, Aria took in the slim figure of a woman she'd never met before.
" Aria," Ezra said, his eyes lighting up slightly as she entered the room. The woman stood in front of him turned and eyed Aria unpleasantly, looking her up and down as if she was assessing her.
" Hey...um, I can come back later if you're busy?" Aria replied awkwardly, shifting uncomfortably under the woman's gaze.
" Oh no, I was just about to leave," The woman spoke for the first time in a sharp, slightly posh tone and her cat like eyes locked with Aria's innocent ones.
" I don't think we've met before... I'm Aria Montgomery, it's nice to meet you," Aria spoke to her politely, unsure to why the woman was being so negative to her.
" Oh sure, I'm Olivia Clark," Olivia responded, not looking at all pleased to see Aria here at all. " Are you a student here or something?" Aria laughed uncomfortably as Olivia said this.
" No, I'm a new English teacher here," Aria answered.
" It's just your that small that you look like you could be one of the older students here," Olivia said, smiling brightly as if she hadn't just insulted Aria. Now that Aria looked at Olivia properly she could see that Olivia was strikingly beautiful; she was tall and slim with a model type figure and she wore clothes that accented this, her facial features were sharp and her brown eyes seemed quite dark and enigmatic. From the minute Olivia had introduced herself, Aria knew they would never get along.
" Uh, yeh... So do you work here?" Aria questioned, glancing at Ezra quickly who was now stood up awkwardly, watching the conversation between the two.
" I'm the head of the Art department here," Olivia replied, looking quite smug. Of course, she would never be a teacher of something academic, Aria thought to herself.
" So Aria, what is it that you came here for?" Ezra said suddenly, interrupting the conversation between the two. His eyes were watching Aria warily and for some reason he seemed a little annoyed. Who his annoyance was aimed at, Aria didn't know.
" Oh... Um I just came to ask about some of the work I need to do with some of the younger students this term, they seem to be struggling a little," Aria lied smoothly and she frowned slightly as a smirk formed on Olivia's face.
" Well they say a student only struggles when the teacher doesn't teach it properly," Olivia said and Aria felt anger rising within her, but she held it back and instead smiled at Olivia. " Anyways, I best be going, lots of work to do. Thank you for last night Ezra, we should do it again some time," With a small wave and an annoying smile, Olivia exited Ezra's office, strutting as if she was walking down a catwalk.
" Last night?" Aria asked once the door closed behind Olivia. The jealous feeling now bubbling inside of her was strange and unfamiliar, but it overtook her body in a matter of seconds. Had Ezra managed to move on that quickly?
" Olivia invited me out for a drink with her and another teacher from school... she's a friend of mine," Ezra answered and Aria's jealousy died down a little as he said this. Olivia was only a friend. But still, Aria couldn't understand why Ezra was friends with a woman like Olivia, she seemed like a bitch to Aria.
" Oh, she seems lovely," Aria replied sarcastically, her eyes locking with Ezra's soft blue ones as she said this. For a few moments they stood in silence, neither of them knowing what to say. It was obvious that Ezra knew that Olivia had for no reason been rude to Aria, but Aria could tell he didn't want to pursue the conversation.
" So... why did you actually come here? I really doubt it's because your younger students are struggling since-" But Ezra instantly stopped himself from speaking and instead awaited Aria's reply. Aria hoped that he was about to compliment her teaching, however it was probably only a piece of her imagination.
" Why haven't you answered any of my calls of texts?" Aria demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. Still there eyes were locked on each other, there gaze never breaking.
" I'd lie and say I've been busy... But I've had a lot to think about Aria, you've got to understand that. But I'm ready now," Ezra said in a calm tone, a small smile forming on his face.
" You've had a lot to think about? I've been stuck inside all weekend worrying how I was going to explain everything to you! It didn't help that I thought you hated me or that you were made at me... You could have at least texted back saying that you needed time to think or something!" Aria exclaimed in an exasperated voice, throwing her arms around a little.
" Aria this is big news that I've just found out... How can you not understand that I needed time to think? I could never hate you after what's happened, in fact its all my fault. I should never have left in the first place... You should have told me or tried to tell me before I left!" Ezra said, his tone raising slightly but he still tried to stay calm.
" Tell you what?" Aria asked after a few moments, confused to what Ezra was saying.
" That you were pregnant!" Aria's expression dropped as she said this and her mind instantly panicked. Ezra thought Summer was his child. Immediately her anxiousness grew worse and worried thoughts began to swim in her mind. All she could think about was how disappointed he would be when he found out Summer wasn't his child. He was taking the news that well that Aria knew he was actually happy about this, but mad at himself for not being there for so much of Summer's life. Now telling him the truth would be so much harder than she had first believed.
" Ezra..." Aria began but he interrupted her.
" This is all my fault Aria... you should never have been alone throughout all of this," Ezra said, a pained look forming on his face.
" Ezra..." Aria began again but paused as Ezra spoke.
" I wish I could take everything back and I wish I could have been there with you through all of this-"
" You're not Summer's father," Aria said hurriedly, worriedly watching Ezra's expression as she did so. Confusion filled his face and he looked down at her with a small frown.
" What?"
" You're not Summer's father... I'm sorry..." Aria repeated again, looking down to the floor.
" But she looks like me... She looks as if she's our child," Ezra said in a sad voice, his eyes gazing at Aria's worried figure.
" I know... and I know you're going to hate me after all of this, but please here me out..." Aria begged, bravely tearing her gaze away from the floor and looking back up at Ezra.
" I've already said I could never hate you Aria," Ezra mumbled quietly, his hand lightly brushing over Aria's arm - It was a habit he'd always had when they were together 6 years ago.
" It happened a year after you'd left... I- I was still broken from you leaving and I was out in a bar by myself in Phili when... when I met him," Ezra's face twisted in jealousy slightly as Aria spoke and no matter how much he tried to hide it, it was still visible in his smooth features.
" When you met who?" Ezra muttered. It angered him that whoever this person was had obviously not looked after his Aria very well and had abandoned her in her most time of need. How could a man now want his own daughter at all? Ezra know knew that Aria would never stoop low enough to never actually tell the Father that she was pregnant with his baby.
" It really surprised me at first... how much he looked like you. For a moment I actually thought it was you and I was so happy. I was already slightly drunk and he was the one who came over to me. He introduced himself and it disappointed me that it wasn't you, but I ignored this and carried on talking to him. One thing led to another... and he kept buying me drinks..." Aria explained, her green eyes dulling as she spoke about the father of Summer. It worried Ezra - the look in Aria's eyes- it made him think that whoever this man was, was someone Aria now despised a lot.
" He looked like me? But that could only mean..." Ezra trailed off as he said this, his eyes widening as he came to realise who the man most likely was.
" Your brother, Ezra... your twin brother, Will." Aria said and Ezra froze, his eyes widening in shock and anger. Though Ezra and Will were twins, they had never managed to get along. They resembled each other a lot but they weren't quite identical. Though their personalities were completely different, which was why they'd argued a lot when they were younger. It had been a long time since Ezra had spoken to Will and his hatred for him had died down over the years. But now... Now he loathed Will for what he'd done to his Aria.
" He... Does he know?" Ezra asked in a slightly strangled voice after staying silent for a moment or so.
" Yes... I told him the minute I found out that I was pregnant. But he didn't take the news too well and basically said that it would ruin his life... his mother... your mother decided to get herself involved and bribed me with money, telling me to leave and not tell anyone that Will was the father... I didn't take the money but I made sure never to see Will again," Anger was beginning to rise in Ezra and Aria spotted his jaw clenching in anger.
" My mother paid you off?" Ezra asked angrily, his voice raising to almost a shout. Aria jumped slightly at the sudden loudness and Ezra's eyes softened slightly as he saw this.
" Well she tried too... But I refused to take the money... the only thing I don't regret is Summer, everything else I wish had never happened," Aria mumbled. The minute she looked down to the floor she felt Ezra's warm arms wrap themselves around her comfortingly and she leaned her head on his firm chest. Small tears began to dribble from her eyes - as this was the first time she'd ever told anyone the story - and Ezra let her cry silently into his chest.
" I'm so sorry Aria... My family should have never done this to you and Will is a coward and a bastard for what he's done... But unlike him, I'm always going to be here for you Aria... I'm not letting you go again," Ezra whispered softly in her ear, holding her petite body tightly against his chest. These words comforted Aria more than anyone could imagine and for the first time in a long time, Aria felt at home.
So I planned this story out before I actually watched season 3 where Wes appears, so I know William Fitz doesn't actually exist since Ezra doesn't have a twin brother, but I felt Wes wasn't right to fit the character I planned Will to be like. So I hope you still like the story line and please review and tell me what you think about everything that's been revealed in this chapter!
Thank you so much for reading and thank you for all the continued support! More updates coming soon...
-DareToDream