Aria woke up from another nightmare, and bolted upright on Ezra's bed, and breathing heavily. Ezra took his eyes away from his laptop to look at Aria. Her knees were up to her chin, and her face was buried in them. Her body was shaking. He got up from the chair, walked over to his bed, and sat down on it. He picked her up, and placed her gently on his lap. "Another nightmare?" He whispered soothingly in her ear, and she nodded her head. "What was it about?"

"I can't tell you." She whispered, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I want to, so badly, but I can't." He breathed in, and started rubbing circles on her back with his thumb.

"You can tell me anything, are you still scared of Jake?" She shook her head, as an indication of no.

"It's not just him who I'm scared of." She said into his chest. They were silent for a few moments. "I'm scared of what might happen if I tell you, or anyone else who doesn't know. I'm petrified every time my phone rings, and what they'll do next, to me or the girls." Ezra swallowed. Secretly praying that what she was telling him wasn't true.

"Who's they, babe?"

"-A." Ezra fought the urge to put her down on the bed, and punch the wall. "-A is back." Ezra sighed heavily, and adjusted Aria's sitting position so they were looking into each other's eyes.

"How long?"

"You know when Ali's body was taken." She wasn't going to spill the beans about that night when they were at the graveyard. It was a secret between her and the other three girls. Ezra nodded. "Well, we got a text saying show me your boobs. We thought it was a joke, but it wasn't. We knew that when Spencer's Mum called the lake house in the morning saying Ali's body was stolen. And, it's been carrying on ever since."

"Did –A put you in the box." Aria nodded.

"-A was the person who put me in the box, and anything bad that happened since this year's labour day was probably –A's doing."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did it to protect you, you have to understand that. I couldn't get you hurt. I can't let you get hurt."

"You could've told me, Aria."

"No I couldn't. I had to keep you safe, but it's only fair you know."

"Why's it only fair I know." Aria sighed, and looked down at her hands.

"Because Paige, Caleb and Toby know. But, in all fairness Paige almost died, and Caleb was shot."

"Then what about Toby?"

"Well, I don't know about him yet. Emily and Spencer believe him, it's just me and Hanna are unconvinced."

"What do you mean unconvinced."

"Spencer found out on their anniversary that Toby was –A, and then the whole lodge incident happened."

"What is the lodge incident may I ask?" Aria sniffled.

"I don't know it exactly, but Spencer joined the –A team, and then we went to the lodge because they wanted this to be all over, they set the lodge on fire, but Spencer wasn't in the lodge. She was in the woods with Toby. Mona was in the lodge with us, and we passed out. Hanna, Mona and Spence saw Ai. But Em and I didn't." They were silent, as she relived the horror of that night. "We came back to Rosewood, and opened the trunk to Wilden's trunk, where a dead pig was. Then the next day we found Wilden, and he's dead." She trailed off, and rubbed her eyes.

"You don't have to say anything, all that matters is I know now, and I'll protect you."

"Ezra. Please Don't. I can't have you getting hurt."

"I can't have you getting hurt. Like today, he hasn't done anything like that before, has he?" Aria grew silent, and closed her eyes. "Aria?" He said, his voice in a softer tone. "He has, hasn't he?" She nodded her head in his chest, and he brought her closer to him.

"I wouldn't kiss him, and then he slapped me." Ezra lifted her face up so he could examine her cheek, but there was no trace. "I-I slathered it with concealer. I'll go take it off to show you." Aria scurried off to the bathroom, and took off her make-up with the make-up remover she had stashed in his bathroom. She came out with a purple cheek, and pale face.

"Lay down, I'll put some ice on it." She did as she commanded, and he went off to get ice. "When did it happen?"

"A few days ago, I didn't tell anyone."

"You should've." Aria nodded, as Ezra came back over with the ice. She winced, as he carefully put it on her swelled cheek. "Does it hurt?"

"It stings."

"It'll get better, I promise."

…

"J-J-Jake w-w-what are you doing here?" Aria stuttered. She was walking into school, but Jake pulled her, hard, by the wrist so she would talk to him.

"I'm starting a new karate class here, after school." Jake replied, folding his top lip over his bottom lip.

"Why? I thought it was going great down at the place where you work."

"I'm keeping an eye on you here, so that teacher won't get in the way."

"Way of what?"

"Us." Jake captured his lips with Aria's, and forced his tongue into her mouth. She pulled away, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Ezra passed by, stopping when he saw my arms around Jake's neck. He bit his bottom lip, and we kept our gaze. Jake pulled away from the hug, and saw Ezra looking at me. "Oi! What are you looking at?" He shouted to Ezra.

"Nothing." Ezra replied, smiling weakly at me, his eyes pleading for an explanation. I shrugged.

"Keep walking." Jake roughly kissed Aria's forehead, and it made her stomach churn. God, she hated Jake. "Let's go to my apartment."

"I've got school. I can't miss it for a whole day." He chuckled.

"It will only be half a day, come on. Just us."

"There is no us."

"Yes there is, Aria. We're not done until I say we are, and if you break up, I'll expose your affair with a certain English teacher." He whispered in her ear, and dragged Aria to his car. They began the journey of the excruciatingly awkward car journey to Jake's apartment.

…

Spencer, Hanna and Emily walked into Ezra's classroom, right before the bell went off. He was busy grading some papers that had to be done for fifth period, and being distracted last night with Aria he couldn't or wouldn't do them.

"Ez-Mr Fitz?" Emily said, getting Ezra to look up from his desk.

"You can call me Ezra you know?" He replied, and the girls nodded their heads.

"Do you by any chance know where Aria is, we can't find her, and we're kinda worried." Spencer said.

"She's with Jake."

"I thought you guys got back together." Hanna said.

"That's what I thought too, but apparently not, and I have no idea where she is with Jake."

"Okay, thanks Ezra." Emily said.

"Bye girls." The girls exited the classroom, saying goodbyes over their shoulders.

…

"Jake, no, I don't want to do this." Aria said, as Jake lifted her shirt up over her head. "Please, Jake, you don't want to do this." She pleaded.

"I told you, Aria. We're not done, until I say we are, or I will expose your secret." Jake whispered in a deep tone into her ear. He unbuttoned her jeans, and slipped off her pants, roughly. Nothing like Ezra, Aria thought. "Unbutton my jeans." Aria didn't do what he said, and he held her wrist tightly until she whimpered, and followed his command. She took off his boxers, as he unclasped her bra.

Aria Montgomery is a victim of rape.