Broken

chapter twenty-one

My mind painfully processes what Holbrook is telling me, but the lump in my throat restricts my words.

"We need you back here for the processes, because they're waiting to undergo questioning," he starts, "and we thought you'd want to be closer to home for all of this," he adds.

"Yes, of course. Okay, we'll be back. Assuming I'm allowed to bring her back," I say, sarcastic tone.

"Yes you can bring her back. There's a car on its way to you as we speak."

"Okay, thank you for letting me know."

"We'll be waiting."

He hangs up first, and I hurriedly gather all of my things off the table into my back, rushing up to the elevator in a panic. I don't bother waiting for the elevator, flying up the stairs two at a time, startling an elderly couple who were walking down them slowly. I apologise numerous times, but am out of their way before I can tell if they've heard me.

Aria POV:

"Aria? Wake up." I hear Ezra's voice, slightly muffled, as he coaxes me from sleep.

"Why?" I mumble, opening my eyes to him kneeling at the side of the bed, brushing the hair out my face that had fell from my ponytail. "What's wrong? Did I oversleep?"

"No, it's still early. But we have to go back to Rosewood today. There's a car coming for-"

"What? Why? We're not due back yet." I sit up quickly and my head spins.

"The cops called me. They have them. Alison and Nicole."

I sit in silence for a while, not sure of how to react. How can I be dissatisfied with this outcome? But how can I be happy, even now?

"Okay, let's go home, then," I say.

Half an hour later, both of our hotel rooms are free of our belongings, except for our bags waiting on Ezra's bed.

"You're sure you've got everything?" Ezra says, while checking the room himself, "I don't fancy coming back just yet," he jokes.

I search through my room one last time before locking it, feeling for my phone in my back pocket as I did so.

"Okay, the car they sent for us is stuck in traffic just outside of New York, according to Toby," he tells me, looking at the texts on his phone.

"He hasn't told Spencer, has he? I wanted to talk to her myself."

"No I don't think he's allowed."

I nod in agreement. "I'll go over there now and let them know I'm going home. If the car arrives before I'm back just text me."

"Okay." He kisses my forehead. "See you in a bit."

I knock on Spencer's door loudly before hearing faint movement behind the door. Spencer slowly opens the door, looking tired and confused.

"I thought you'd be awake before now, Hastings," I joke. "Here, I got this from downstairs." I hand her a cup of coffee and she gulps it eagerly.

"Thank you."

"Whatever happened to 'being punctual for the day ahead'? Isn't that your motto?"

"No. But it should be."

"Where are the others?"

Spencer points to Emily still under the covers of her bed. I place the other girls' coffees on the dresser, making sure they were out of Spencer's reach.