"As the years have passed,
the time has grown longer.
The sad truth is that what
I could recall in five seconds,
all too needed ten, then thirty,
then a full minutes - like shadows
lengthening at dusk. Someday,
I suppose, the shadows will be
swallowed up in darkness."
-Haruki Murakami
Ezra
I had just crossed the line that connected Long Beach and Riverside. My head bopping absentmindedly to the generic pop culture blasting through my stereo. Time passed quickly and before I knew it, I was turning into the driveway of the house Alison and I resided. I slid off my shoes like I always had when I got home late. Alison was sitting at the kitchen counter with wine being swished around the glass while she watched Marley color. They obviously hadn't heard me come in. My eyes locked with Marley's and she gave me a huge smile. Alison looked confused as to why she was smiling at the hallway but she turned her head and her gaze was hot, like I had done something unforgivable. For a split second, I wondered if she knew about where I was for almost a week and everything that was going on with Aria. I was having a mind tug-of-war, too. I wasn't sure if I should confide in Alison and tell her what I remembered.
"Daddy!" Marley jumed off of the stool and wrapped her tiny arms around me as tight as she could. "I did what you told me to do when I missed you, and everytime it wouldn't work." I picked her up and held her close to me. I didn't even respond, I just hugged her. I wasn't even aware of how much I missed her.
"I love you, Bug. I love you a lot." Her blond hair fell over her face and I brushed it away. I gave her a sweet kiss on the head. "If you go up to your room, I'll tuck you in. I just need to talk to Mommy." Her eyes twinkled and she jumped away from me, running up the stairs.
"Where've you been, Ezra? You didn't bother to call, or text or even send a damn e-mail." She took a sip of her wine and looked me in the eye. I was speechless, she really had the audacity to say something like that to me? After everything she lied about and did? I didn't even know anything about my past because of her. Plus, Aria didn't even answer my question about hurting her.
"You're really going to be the one to give me the speech about being a jerk? I get it, I should've called Marley..and I wanted to, but I wanted to avoid you as well. You didn't bother telling me about Marley's actual father, who made a random choice to show up one night! Marley may not have my eye color or my hair but she will always be my daughter. You can't take that away from me! You should've just told me instead of lying for so long." I rubbed my face in distress.
"I get it, okay? I get it. In my defense, I told you about Marley and you not being her biological father. I told you before I even gave birth to her! Wouldn't you hate me even more if I didn't tell you?" She sobbed. "I love you and I'm so tired of fighting. This is all my parents did growing up and it's all yours did. We love each other Ezra, and if we want what's best for Marley, we need to stop.." I didn't care if she was trying to manipulate me, she was right. I did love her and Marley, I was just blindsided by the first thing that connected me to my past in Rosewood. I wouldn't forget about it, but I had to tell Alison now while we were being honest with each other, maybe if I did, she would open up to me about what happened in Rosewood and things could maybe be the same...or at least go back to normal. I bit my lip, trying to concentrate on what was happening around me. Alison was just staring, waiting for me to say something. I sighed.
"Ali, let's be completely honest with each other. Right now, lets get everything off of our plates and be the family we used to be." I couldn't believe I was saying this, I knew I had to contradict everything she said, but I couldn't tell or show her that. I could trust her but not in an honest way. She twisted everything around...and I still fell in love with her. Letting her into my problems would be a way to fall back. I couldn't forget Aria again, ever. She wouldn't lie, but she took a long time to crack open. What she told me outside of her apartment felt like the tip off the iceberg. Alison nodded.
"You first." I nodded, I saw the bottle of wine in the corner and grabbed a new glass and poured some for myself, I never really liked wine, but for a situation like this, I needed it.
"I-I kissed Aria." Her face was nuetral but she had sort of a late reaction, almost as if she had already known. She looked down at our granite counter. "In Rosewood. It wasn't intentional we were just caught up in the moment. It was all my fault because I was mad at you and I needed a break and-" She held her hand up to silence me.
"Why were you in Rosewood?" I scratched the back of my neck, in an attempt to ease a bit more into the conversation.
"Hardy needed me for someting and it was perfect timing because I was leaving anyway." She nodded. "Your turn." She wiped her cheek. Her eyes never left the counter.
"We both used to live in Rosewood," She started. I already knew this but I had never been more eager to listen to something Alison said, "You and I dated breifly. We had something though, something dangerous but perfect and sexy...everything we ever wanted," She trailed off. "Long story short, I introduced you to my friends, Emily, Hanna, Spencer...and Aria. She had the eyes for you and I knew it. So, you broke up with me and a week later Aria was bragging about your sex life. She had this fantasy of you being a teacher and her your student. She constatly talked about it. One day, you decided that she was crazy and you two broke up and we got back together and moved here.." She paused before starting to sob again. "I know who casued that accident, baby." Her voice was delicate, like she couldn't even be saying this out loud. She walked over and put her hand on my cheek, I held her arm.
"Who?" I wanted to cry. Why was I believing this? Could this be true? No. Yes. It all added up. I played along to Aria's fantasy until it became too much, right? She had always seemed sane though..
"Aria. I found out at Marley's first birthday party but decided not to tell you becasue you didn't remember her. Don't be mad, baby. Please. I was protecting you as best as I could." I nodded.
"I won't be mad as long as you forgive me for Aria." She nodded and gave me a sweet kiss. I kissed back, not letting her escape. Not again. If Alison was telling the truth, and I believed she was, then I wasn't going to let some naive girl come in and ruin everything. I kissed hungrily, I could feel her smiling.
"I love you. I love you. I love you." She said in between them all. I smiled as she unbuttoned my shirt, I held her hands close.
"We have a daughter waiting for her father to tuck her in. Do you really want her to find out about the human anatomy at the age of four?" She smiled goofily.
"I'll see you upstairs.." She sung and winked as she swayed up the steps. Nothing felt like it used to. Everything was eerily the same even though everything was different.
My mind raced back to Aria, though. She wasn't naive at all. Just broken. And suddenly I realized why.
Me.
It was my fault. I was suddenly caught between the two people I loved most.
Alison
I didn't want to lie to Ezra, I really didn't. I couldn't stop myself from doing so though. I knew that the second Aria and Ezra connected again, all hell would break loose and my picture perfect life as a mother and wife would crumble into nothing. The only thing that tied Ezra and I together was Marely, but not really even her. He wasn't genetically bonded to her in any way. She didn't have my eyes like Ezra always said, they were Toby's. I knew I broke his heart when I lied about not knowing anything about her father. I couldn't help myself when it came to him. He needed to be mine, forever. The only way I could make sure of that was if Aria thinks he did something even more unforgivable than what he did to her. I was glad that he was putting a tad bit of trust in me, afterall I was the only thing he had after the crash. Technically, Marley and I are his only family. I was currently waiting for him to come into the bedroom but he was taking forever. I heard soft chuckling from Marely's bedroom. I quickly got off the bed and padded to the doorway of her room. My heart warmed.
"I can promise you that monsters don't exist, Bug. They're a figment of your imagination!" Marley smiled triumphantly.
"Thank you for saying that, Daddy." He gave her a kiss on the forehead and tucked her into her bed, setting Pricilla down in her arms. She gave him a half smile. Just as he was about to turn around, Marely stopped him.
"Daddy, wait!" His smiled faded.
"What baby girl?" She stuck out her bottom lip and played with her fingers, a habit she had picked up from Ezra after watching him write in his office for the past four years.
"Is Miss Aria taking you away from us?" My heart stopped beating. My blond hair fell over my face as I turned away from the doorway. I was intrigued, and Marley nor Ezra could see or hear me.
"What do you mean, Bug?" She sighed.
"Daddy, I'm not stupid. I know you were with Miss Aria when you left. You always look so happy around her. Happier than you look when you and mommy kiss and hold hands when we leave. I know, Daddy. You guys are always fighting. I know what I heard on Thanksgiving, Dada." I peeked between the door that was cracked and the doorway. Ezra kneeled down next to her so he was level with her and her bed.
"I love Mommy, a lot. Mommy hasn't been telling me the whole truth about some stuff, so I needed to go away for a little while. You know I would've taken you with me if I could. You're right, Bug. I was with Miss Aria, but I can promise you that I will tell you and Mommy if anything happens that causes me to think something could destroy us. I won't let it happen, baby girl." He kissed her forehead and rubbed her arm.
"Goodnight Daddy. I love you." He nodded and flicked off the light. I padded quickly back to our bedroom and rubbed my forehead. Thanksgiving? What happened? I was too frazzled and worried about Jason and if he did what he was supposed to do to even think about it.
It was then that it hit me how much I had to loose if Ezra actually found out what happened. Everything would fall at my feet, and I could go to prison for attemped murder. Could I? I didn't try to kill him.. It didn't matter, and I knew I shouldn't have been thinking that way but the only thing I could think of is Marley as a young girl, crying as I'm dragged off in an orange jumpsuit to cellblock H-9. I rubbed my eyes.
I can't lose them and I knew I wouldn't. All I had to do was keep Aria and Ezra far away from each other.
Simple, right?
Aria
I was carrying two coffee cups back to Riley's apartment when I unlocked the door. But before I turned the knob, I heard giggles and voices. One was Riley's, I was positive. The other sounded like a girl's voice. I barged inside the room to see Riley in bed with some college girl.
"Oh, hey Aria! You're actually here!" The girl snickered and I shot her a look. Her smile washed away and she stood, carrying the sheets with her to the bathroom.
"I'm gonna, umm, I'm just gonna go."
"No! Stay! You don't have to leave yet!" Riley begged, but she shook her head and closed the bathroom door, getting dressed I supposed.
I set the coffee cups down and waited until the girl was out of the apartment to start talking. He wasn't hearing any of it, though. He didn't care. He had already made up his mind.
Tears were swollen in my eyes as I sobbed like a child, I couldn't believe it.
"Riley, listen to me!" He shook his head, his annoying blond boy band hair fell on his face.
"I'm so done with you, Aria Montgomery. You've ruined everything we had! We had everything and all you had to do was sleep with some other prick, Who am I to you?" I wiped my eyes. Riley had gotten a text from a random number that I slept with someone else, though I didn't, it was enough proof of Ezra and I kissing in the parking lot. It felt like A all over again. Anger rushed through my veins as he said all of these things. I liked Riley, we had the potential of love yesterday, but not anymore. I was realizing just how self-centered he is. I couldn't beleive this guy. Calling Ezra a prick. I scoffed.
"You know what? I don't know why I'm defending us if you don't beleive that it was nothing but an innocent kiss. He needed me and it got out of control. I didn't sleep with with him, Riley." I crossed my hands over my chest and rolled my eyes as his hands flew up in the air.
"I thought we had a chance Aria." I wiped my cheek and waved goodbye sarcastically. My phone let out a loud beep when Riley slammed the apartment door. I furrowed my eyebrows when I realized I missed a call from Rosewood Hospital. I called the number back quickly.
"Hello, Ms. Montgomery?"
"Yes, that's me." He paused and I heard the rustling of papers. "Your brother, Mike, was in an accident. A serious one. He was left at the doors of the Emergency Room last night." I muttered something about being there soon. How was this happening? Things were fallog apart! Everything was in slow motion as I drove my car into the spacious parking lot and ran inside the hospital.
"Mike Montgomery?" The nurse pointed down the hall, I ran to the room, swinging the door open to see Doctor Segwen (SAGEWEN) checking on him with his blue clipboard in hand. Mike smiled tentatively at me and waved his fingers at me.
"You just missed Mom and Dad." His voice was hoarse, probably from screaming in pain last night. It looked like someone thoroughly beat him.
"Who did this to you?!" He simply shrugged and dropped his hands at his sides. His eyes were pure black. His lip had several splits in it. He was covered in bruises.
"I don't remember. I only remember him saying that it was all your fault." My heart pounded in my chest, 10 times as hard as it was before. I walked over to my brother and squeezed him.
"I'll find whoever did this to you..I promise," I smiled sympathetically and hugged him once more before leaving.
I walked outside of the hospital, placing both hands on my head. The tears poured down my face. What was even happening? Why was this all happening?
"Aria?" I heard someone call my name. That voice....it was vaguely familiar.
I looked up as a tall figure approached me. When I could finally make out his features, my face drained of color.
"It's been forever, hasn't it?"
A/N:
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