"Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it." -André Gide
Aria
"It's been forever, hasn't it?" I could hear the sarcasm running thickly in his voice.
"Jason." I whispered, in all honesty, I was still scared of the creep. He knew everything about me and everything I thought I knew about him, well...those were all lies.
"You look nice."
"What are you doing here?" I asked, ignoring his comment.
He shrugged and chuckled once. "Well, for one, I know what happened with Riley. I know who did that to your brother...and I know who's behind everything." He walked casually over and sat down next to me on the cement step.
"How? How do you know those things?" He laughed again.
"Come on, Aria...you know me." I remained silent, waiting for him to tell me what he knew.
"I don't think I do...can you just tell me what you know?"
"Oh, c'mon..you have to have some idea of who's behind this!" I shook my head, waiting again.
"I don't. I don't know who would want to hurt Mike...or Riley."
"Think, Aria. I gotta go. You should check on Mike. I'm sure he remembers something. Or someone." Jason stood and started walking back in the direction that he had appeared from.
"Wait! Jason! What do you mean?" He didn't stop or turn around, but I could hear him chuckle again.
"You know my number when you want to talk to me!" I heard him call and then he was gone.
Why the hell would I want to ever call Jason? I shook my head in disgust, that was helpless. I sighed and walked back inside the hospital. Mike was sleeping, but he was holding something in his hand. A piece of paper?
Mike Montgomery
6234 Elmwood Street
I need you to take care of this..he's trouble and you need to make sure he doesn't remember anything.
--Z
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Ezra? Ezra wouldn't have wanted Mike hurt, he didn't know Mike! He didn't remember either of us. Why would he write this? Either someone seriously had a sick mind and this was a joke, or someone was trying way too hard to make Ezra look guilty.
I left Mike in the hospital that night taking the note with me. I drove home absentmindedly. When I opened the door to the apartment it was already midnight and Spencer and Hardy were asleep in each other's arms. Seeing them just brought on more pain.
"Stay with me! Please?" She whined as Ezra started to stand. It was the night of the same day Aria broke up with Jake. Ezra and Aria had shared cake and officially gotten back together. Things had nearly gotten out of hand, but Ezra put a stop to it before they got carried away with the whipped cream.
"I just have to do something real quick." Ezra murmured, kissing her head. He had left a few papers about Alison and his book out and he just wanted to put them away. He didn't know how to tell Aria and he didn't want his past to ruin his entire present and future relationship with her - especially since they had just gotten back together.
"No you don't." Aria pouted her lip at him. "I want you with me. All night."
That was enough to make Ezra stay, forgetting about the papers, he kissed the top of her head before he readjusted them so that she was laying into his chest with her feet spread across the couch. He wrapped his arms securely around her and rested his feet on the coffee table.
"I've missed you so, so much." He whispered into her ear, kissing it, then her cheek.
"Ezra?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
"I love you too. You're my only love in this world, Aria. No one will ever change that."
I wiped a stray tear that had escaped from my eye and woke Spencer up gently.
"Spence, wake up." I hissed, she jumped and opened her eyes widely. This caused Hardy to wake up, but he was disoriented.
"Gosh Aria, If you want to snuggle with me too, all you have to do is ask." Hardy muttered. Spencer ignored him as I smirked a tiny bit, but snapped back to seriousness about the situation I was in.
"What, Aria?" Spencer whined, not wanting to get up or move.
"Mike was in an accident." I explained the story and then I showed her the note. It wasn't in Ezra's messy, cute handwriting.
"This doesn't make any sense. Ezra definitely did not have your brother beaten." Spencer said indifferently.
"I know. That's why I needed you. We need to figure out who this is!" I said, sitting on one of our chairs across from the couch.
"Aria, at midnight? Hon, I love you, but I'm tired." I heard Hardy giggling and I saw Spencer blush like a small child on the playground.
Gag.
I nodded and waited for her to speak again. She was thinking, so I remained silent.
"What happened when you went back inside when Ezra was with Hardy..?" Spencer pursed her lips, almost as if she already knew the answer.
"We kissed. And he remembered a little bit about us...about me." I bit my lip and looked down.
"Aria...it's Alison. Alison's behind this." Spencer said after a split-second of more thinking and putting things together. My eyes widened and it suddenly all made sense. Of course it was Ali...but how the hell would she have found out about their moment?
Jason..
"I have to go, I'll be back in a while." I stood suddenly and grabbed my purse quickly, rushing out of the apartment and to my car. I took my phone out of my purse and called Jason.
"That was fast..meet me at Rosewood Park." There wasn't a moment for me to say anything, he just hung up, so I had no choice but to follow his commands. I drove to Rosewood Park.
Ezra
It was nine at night in California and I was just getting ready to go to bed when I heard Alison's muffled voice from inside the bathroom. She was using a tone I had never heard her use before. She sounded angry. I stood by the door, listening intently to her end of a conversation.
"No! I said not to! Why would you even do this? And don't you dare say anything about your feelings for freaking Aria Montgomery! You are an idiot!" There was a pause. "Of course that's what you were supposed to do! You wrote the note and signed it from 'Z,' right?" Another pause, waiting for the other person to respond. "Good. And Riley's out of the picture, too?" Another Pause. "Good. At least you're not a complete screwup. So you've dealt with her brother and former lover?"
"Perfect." I could practically hear her sneer through the door. "Okay. okay..good. Now don't tell her anything, Jason. She needs to think this was all Ezra. Your fake proof better be believable. Oh, and don't let your feelings for this stupid girl get in the way of this. I'm counting on you. Understand me?" She chuckled evilly.
"Bye."
I couldn't believe any of what I was hearing. What was she doing? Who was she talking to? Who were Mike and Riley? What was she doing to Aria?
I heard the door unlock and I quickly moved so it looked like I had just walked into our bedroom. She smiled brilliantly at me.
"Ready for bed, babe?" I nodded and smiled back as best as I could. She could tell something was off. Damn females.
"What's wrong?" She asked concerned, walking over to me and rubbing my arm with one hand and holding on to it with the other. She rested her head on my shoulder.
"Nothing, nothing. I'm just tired, I guess." I led her to bed and she fell asleep quickly. She looked so innocent and peaceful. She looked like the young girl I fell in love with.
But I knew what she really was now.
She was a liar.
And she would always be just that. A liar.
When I was 100 percent positive that she was asleep, I silently stood from the bed, grabbed my phone, and raced downstairs. I opened the sliding, glass door in our kitchen that leads out to our patio and shut it gently behind me.
My thumb hovered over Aria's name for just a moment before I clicked it and waited for the ringing to stop.
"Ezra?" She asked, confused as to why I was calling her so late.
"Aria, I'm coming back."
It was now, or never.
Aria
I arrived at Rosewood Park a little after midnight and saw that Jason was already there. He was probably there when I called him. He waved me over and I walked over to where he was sitting.
"So you know, right?" He asked me, licking his lips almost nervously.His back was arched his hands were folded between his legs.
"Alison. Alison was behind it all. How though?"
"She has eyes here.." He pointed to himself and a horrified expression spread across my face. He saw me, he sent the picture to Riley, and he beat my brother. I stood up and slapped him as hard as I could across the face.
"You arrogant bastard!" I shrieked at him, starting to walk away.
"Aria! No, wait! Alison made me. She made me! You don't know what it's like working for her. You don't know what she's capable of." He pleaded as he stood and started following me. I stopped and turned towards him.
"What?" I snapped. "What did you just say to me?"
"I was just-"
"I don't know? I'm pretty freaking sure that I know exactly what Alison's capable of! She's sleeping with the only person I've ever truly loved. She has a daughter with him! She kept him away from me! I know what she's capable of, Jason!"
"I know. I'm sorry. It's just that, look, I'm telling you all of this, right? That's something. I still care about you, Aria, whether you believe it or not. You need to know what will happen if you keep going against her."
"No, I don't. I'm not stopping. She started this war, and I'm finishing it." I started towards my car again.
"Remember that Ezra could get hurt too. Just be careful, Aria. You're screwing with her family now. Her fantasy." Jason said.
"Thanks, Jason. For telling me all of this." I said, waving once and sitting in my car.
As I was about to start the engine my phone started to ring.
It was Ezra.
"Ezra?"
"Aria, I'm coming back." His voice was velvet. I missed it so much.
"What?"
"I'm driving to the airport right now. I'll be there in three hours."
"What? Why?" I was so confused. Didn't we agree that when we kissed outside of my apartment that that would be our last goodbye?
"I know about Alison. I overheard her. Is Mike okay?"
"He'll be fine." I sniffed once.
"I'm so sorry, Aria. I'm so, so, so sorry." He muttered, I could hear the stress in his voice as if he actually blamed himself.
"It's not your fault."
"I feel like it is. I'll be there soon. Bye."
"Bye."
Ezra was coming back. For me. My mouth turned up in a small smile for the first time in a long time it was genuine.
I never thought Ezra Fitz would be coming back for me.
Ezra
After a three hour flight, I drove quickly to the apartment - I guess it was my old apartment - Hardy left me. My clothes were still there so I would be okay for a week or so. I got a message from Aria asking to meet there instead of her place since Hardy and Spencer were sleeping there.
I turned the doorknob and there she was, waiting for me on the couch, looking beautiful. At this point, I had no remorse, no guilt for Alison. I didn't care anymore. She clearly was insane or evil or both things, but she wasn't for me. Not anymore, and probably not ever. I smiled at Aria and she stood, smiling at me. Her beauty filled the room, and it was all that could be focused on.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey." I sat down next to her as she sat down again. We just looked at each other for a few moments, taking each other in. I always found her beautiful, but how did I not see her this beautifully the first time she came to LA? Did she always smell this good?
"What happened, Ezra?" she asked, keeping her hands folded in her lap. I wanted to hold them. I wanted to hold her, and kiss her, and hug her. But I had to remain in control of myself.
"I heard Alison talking on the phone with someone. About her plans. How she had a fake note written, how she had someone take away Riley and Mike from you, how she didn't want us anywhere near each other...but she's not my boss, and she's not your boss, either."
"You heard her say those things?" She breathed, almost like it was unimaginable.
"Yes. I'm done with her, Aria. I'm done with her lies, and her sick games." I moved my hands to the side and shook my head at the thought.
"What about Marley?" she breathed even more quietly.
"Aria.." I loved the way her name sounded when I said it. I reached over to her and stroked her hair a few times before brushing it behind her ear. "She was never mine in the first place. Couldn't you tell? Alison had an affair with some douche named Toby." Comprehension fluttered across her expression, but she furrowed her eyebrows.
"But she had your curls!" I laughed at the statement and she smiled sweetly and innocently. It looked so genuine. She didn't look as empty as she used to. I felt so close to her. We were meant to be together. Since the first time we met - which I actually remembered last time I was here. In that bar. I needed her. And I was almost sure that she needed me just as badly, maybe even more.
I leaned towards her; her soft, pink lips were inches away from mine. She looked me up and down before pressing her lips into mine. The moment was perfect. Nothing was rushed, as nothing was needed except each other. Every soft kiss would become slightly harder, her hands were wrapped around my neck, mine were placed firmly on her waist. Our tongues glided against each other. We broke apart momentarily, staring at each other briefly, her eyes were a shade darker, and I'm sure mine were, too. She attacked my face once again, I walked backwards towards the bed. I felt my knees hit the back. I could hear her heels thump to the ground, so I followed her lead and kicked off my shoes as well. Her hands danced up my t-shirt, gliding her hands up and down my chest. My head swam from the strawberry perfume I smelled. My hands fumbled with her white plastic belt. I got it off with success. Clothes were strewn from one end of the room to the other. We focused on each other and nothing else. I flipped Aria over and paused, looking her over before proceeding in kissing her neck. She looked back at me, in the eye. We said nothing. She wiggled a bit, growing insecure.
"I'm sorry." She tried to get up but I pinned her down and attacked her again.
"You're perfect." She blushed and we went back to our previous nude make out session.
"I think.." I paused and looked up at Aria. "I fell back in love with you the moment I first saw you in California. I just didn't know it." As I was going to proceed, she stopped me. Tears brimmed in her eyes. She was having second thoughts. She wasn't ready to make a commitment like this with me again. I hurt her too much.
"I shouldn't have said that...it's too soon. I'm so-" She pressed her finger softly to my swollen lips. "What?" She smiled up at me, something that never happened with her.
"I never expected to hear those words come out of your mouth again." I wiped away her stray tear and smiled up at her reassuringly. Our moans faded into the night. And it was just us, tangled up in sheets, snuggling together.
And nothing could have felt more right in that moment of perfection.
A/N:
YOU'RE WELCOME FOR EZRIA BITCHEZZZZZZ!!!!!
LAWLS, JK, Y'ALL AREN'T BITCHES! BUT OMQQQQ WASN'T THAT JUST GREAT?!?
COMMENT YOUR THOUGHTS AND REACTIONS AND WHAT YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN NEXT!!!
READ & VOTE<3
-MARISSAAAAAA