"Hope is not dead, it is just larger than our imaginations; it's purpose extending far beyond our comprehension." -Kathy Hobaugh
Aria
A wave of surprise washed over me as I read over the message for what felt like the billionth time. I typed a quick response.
Sounds good.
Spencer and Hardy were fast asleep and hopefully I could easily get out by myself the following day to meet with him without them knowing. I lay in the foreign hotel bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying to figure out just when things started in the downhill spiral that was my life.
It wasn't that hard to place...it was the ski lift conversation that had taken place seven years ago. I shuttered at the memory, I wouldn't think of that before I dozed off. I refused to, no matter how heavy my eyelids felt, I blocked it off as I stood and went into the bathroom, carefully closing and locking the door before flipping the light on.
I stared at the reflection in the mirror. It stared back with judgmental eyes. It looked so exhausted, yet I knew it was impossible to get more than four hours of sleep a night. I was slowly, but surely, dying in my own sea of emotions and I had been ever since that cold, bitter night when I was exposed to the truth about Ezra Fitz....
"Aria! Please, wait!" I sat behind a tree with my hand over my mouth, desperate not to make a single peep.
"Aria?" He called again, but this time I heard him rustling around in his pocket. My phone let out a shrill beep, and he took off towards me.
"Just listen!" He screamed, it wasn't heinous, just a scream.
"I hate you, Ezra Fitz!" I yelled back. Just before my eyes was a clearing, the cabin. I found my car and juggled around looking for my keys. When I finally found them, Ezra was just making his way towards me. He was jogging and I was already in my car.
I looked in the rear view mirror to see him running his hands through his hair, and if it were any other moment in time I would've stopped and kissed him, maybe even felt bad for him. Today wasn't that day. But over my car engine and my sobs, somewhere in between, you could just barely hear him, crying softly.
I splashed cold water on my face before sighing and going back to the bed. I laid down and slept. Forgetting my sad, pathetic life just for a little while.
The Next Morning
I awoke to the sound of Happiness by The Fray, echoing throughout the somewhat small hotel room. I jumped out of bed, clicking answer before I could look twice at the caller I.D.
"Hello?" I sung, half expecting it to be Riley or Ezra.
"Aria." My heart dropped to my stomach when I heard her velvety voice through the receiver.
"Alison..what can I do for you?"
"You know what." She challenged.
"What?" She scoffed.
"I want you to stay away from him, and if you can't do that and you end up hanging out or whatever the hell you two want to call it, DO NOT tell him the truth. You know why? He's finally happy with what he has, I'm happy. We have a daughter. Do you understand?We both know exactly what I'm capable of...and I hope you've learned by now...I always get what I want."
"I understand." I choked, unsuccessful in the tear department.
"Perfect, now if you'll excuse me, I have a husband," She emphasized husband just to make me squirm. "and daughter to tend too."
And just like that she hung up.
I couldn't wrap my head around it. I received a phone call from Alison, threatening me. She had some nerve, I'd give her that. I had no choice but to obey her commands. Bringing me to tears, I hung up with her and sniffed shortly. Spencer and Hardy were watching me carefully, but they were sympathetic at the very least.
"Was that Ali?" Spencer asked quietly, all I could do was nod before a whole new wave of emotion overcame my body. I was drowning.
Ezra would never remember me...never remember the realness of our past, and the worst, he would never remember the love he had once felt for me. Spencer came over and embraced me, holding me as I cried and sobbed and shook. I was a broken girl, I was finished. Why was I even going out with Ezra? Was it even worth it?
Ezra...
I didn't stop crying until that afternoon.
Ezra
It was ten o'clock before I woke up to an empty bed, but I knew Alison was lurking somewhere not too far away. I stretched and strolled to the bathroom, washing my face with cold water and brushed my teeth. I was allured downstairs by the aroma of Alison's pancakes and she smiled as she saw me erupt from the double doors to our kitchen.
"Hey, you!" She kissed me once on the lips and I kissed her cheek as I wrapped my arms around her from the back as she stood at the stove cooking breakfast for us.
"This smells amazing," I complimented her cooking and got the dishes and silverware necessary to help her out.
I needed to tell her about my plan for lunch..I wouldn't keep secrets from her like I felt she was. Part of me hoped if I was completely honest, she'd fess up.
"Babe?" I tried, clearing my throat once and running a hand through my hair quickly.
"Yeah?" She answered not turning away from the stove.
"I'm going out today, around lunchtime. It will only take me an hour, maybe two. Tops." I spoke. Just as she was about to reply, Marley came through the doors carrying Priscilla. She smiled when she saw me and ran to my arms as I picked her up.
"Good morning, angel," I kissed her forehead and she giggled. I put her back on her feet and she walked over to Alison, holding onto one of her mother's legs.
"Is this about Aria?" Alison then asked, quietly so Marley wouldn't really know what we were talking about.
"Come on, Alison! I don't even know the girl! I just want to make sure she never upsets you like she did yesterday. She had no right to say those things in our home. I just want to put her in her place."
"Okay..but be careful, Ezra...she's no good for you." I nodded at her, but I was so confused. Why was she so dead set against me talking to this girl?
Aria
I redid my makeup for the third time, trying to look nothing less than perfect for this. My hair was pulled back into a styled ponytail and I was wearing a pair of earrings that I often wore when we were dating, hoping to remind him of who I was.
Finally I emerged from the bathroom door and found Hardy and Spencer looking at me funny.
"What?"
"Where are you going?" Hardy questioned, narrowing his eyes at me. Spencer raised an eyebrow as I looked down and blushed.
"You're going to meet him, aren't you?" Spencer chimed, smirking a bit.
"Before you say anything, he contacted me. I just agreed to this. And if you'll excuse me, I have to leave now, because I don't want to be late."
"Good for you guys. Good luck, Ar..you deserve some closure at the very least." She came over and hugged me once and I was out the door.
Ezra
I arrived at the restaurant extremely early and waited for Aria. I felt the picture inside my pocket, making sure it was still there like it would disappear along with all of my memories. Almost an entire decade was erased from my mind after the accident. At the very least, frustrating would be the word to describe it.
Then she came inside, the light breeze blew a few loose strands of her hair around her face, though her hair was pulled up. She looked around before spotting me and I waved her over, politely smiling.
"Hi, Aria. I don't think we had a chance to talk yesterday, so I thought we could talk today," I said as she sat across from me.
"What do you want to talk about?" She asked, I looked into her hazel eyes and there was something off about her. She seemed...dead.
"Well, first of all, I wanted to ask you not to talk to my wife like that in our own home or at all, for that matter. I don't know your guys' past, but you both need to let it go," I said quietly, not wanting to sound rude or mean. She winced when I said wife and I couldn't help but feel guilty.
"I know. I was out of line; I'm sorry you had to hear that." She responded, avoiding my gaze.
"It's fine, really," I added sympathy to my tone. What made this girl so...so sad? I couldn't help but feel like I was at fault, but that was impossible; I didn't even know her.
"Anything else you want to say?" she asked, looking down at the table, turning her napkin around with one finger. She seemed so anxious to leave.
"Well I was wondering...how did you know my name?" I pursed my lips, she looked up at me for the first time during our meeting. She looked at me like I held the key to her utmost desires, like I was her world with legs.
"Oh, um....Alison told me about you," she hesitated before saying her name. I narrowed my eyes at her and she raised her eyebrows at my expression.
"You think I'm lying?" She challenged. I shook my head, letting it go.
"Well...what did you need to talk to me about?" I took a sip of my raspberry iced tea.
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, well I heard you ask Alison if you could talk to me...it sounded important," I searched her eyes as she shook her head.
"It was nothing," she sniffed and looked away again, trying so hard not to look at me. But why? Was she afraid?
"Oh. Okay. But I have one more thing.." I cleared my throat awkwardly. Should I really ask her about this? Who else could I go to? Alison wouldn't tell me the straight truth and I didn't really have any good friends I could talk to. Aria would have to do.
"What?" she looked back at me, but still didn't make eye contact with me.
I took the picture from my pocket and slid it across the table. She unfolded it and looked at it, I studied her reaction.
She looked as if she'd seen the picture before, her eyes lighting up just for a split-second. But then she looked up at me confused.
"What am I looking at?" She was lying. I had no idea how I could read her so well. I studied her from across the table.
"You see...I had a dream, well it was actually more like a memory. I found this picture in a box in my garage and there is something so familiar about it...I don't remember who this girl is...I was, well kind of hoping you might be able to tell me..." I trailed off, realizing how stupid I was being. How would this girl know anything about this picture? She obviously didn't know me.
"You remember doing this.. Just not the person you took the picture with?" She questioned, there was a sparkle of something in her eyes now...maybe hope?
I just nodded my head in response waiting for her to actually answer my question.
"I'm sorry...but I don't know who this is...maybe Alison will remember. It was nice meeting you, Ezra." She stood and shook my hand, a thousand fireworks went off when she touched me. She looked me straight in the eye before leaving hastily. I turned around in my chair to watch her leave. I saw her through the window, wiping a tear from her face.
She knew something...she knew exactly who was in this picture.
Aria
I ran out of the little café as quickly as I could, trying to get out before I let something slip. It was so hard lying to him--he honestly didn't remember anything! I thought, more like hoped, that he might actually remember me and that's why he wanted to meet up. But of course not. He wanted to scold me for belittling his..wife. It made me nauseous that he actually loved Alison. Not me. Not anymore.
I quickly wiped away a tear on my way to my car; I could feel him watching me. I wanted so badly to just tell him everything, to hug him. To kiss him, But I couldn't. Not now. Not ever.
The only thing that could ever turn this whole mess around is Ezra remembering me on his own. He had already started.
Maybe, just maybe, he would remember me. Maybe.