Part Four

Three Months Later

Aria hadn't seen or talked to Ezra since the coffee shop. She figured he was in New York, maybe even California, but she told herself over and over not to care. But, like always, she did. She wondered if he had moved on, if he had someone new to love and hold in his arms. Why wouldn't he? He was handsome and quite an eligible bachelor to a single woman's eye.

But why was Aria jealous at the possible chance he had moved on? Shouldn't she? Ever since their horrid break up, she hadn't dated much. She even tried to reconnect with Jake, before she finally accepted that the two of them were simply not a connection.

She hated being single, though. Especially when two of her closest friends had loving boyfriends. Spencer had Toby and Hanna was still seeing Travis, who turned out to be more than a rebound. Her and Emily were both single, though, and Aria was glad she had someone to sob over betraying ex's with.

The four of them, Travis and Toby in toe, were all sitting in the back of the reception hall at Ella and Zack's wedding. The girls were all in fancy dresses, while Aria was in a subdued dress that was completely not her speed. The request for a flashy yet hot maid of honor dress was vetoed by her mother. So Aria sat at a table with her friends in a simple lilac colored gown without a date to her mother's wedding.

"Aria, cheer up," Hanna suggested. "Maid of Honors' are supposed to be peppy." Aria nodded and plastered a smile on her face which made Hanna scoff. "Come on, we're getting up and dancing."

The six of them got up and headed to the dance floor, Hanna leading the group. As they got closer, Aria smile honestly at the sight of her mother, joyfully dancing with the new love of her life. Aria wondered if she herself would ever get a new one.

As her mother danced with her new husband, her friends were also on the dance floor. Emily was even dancing with her brother. Aria gulped down the lump in her throat and wished that she could have someone to dance with.

Well, a certain someone.

After long talks with her overly romantic friends, she realized that if she had put her mind to it, her and Ezra could have overcome the book problem. Aria slightly even wanted to. She missed him. She missed curling up in his arms and eating one of the three meals he could cook. She missed watching old movies she had seen a million times before with him by her side. She missed being touched so gently by someone she knew and loved. She missed Ezra.

XXXX

Ezra pulled up to the address on the invitation. When he had received the card last month, Ezra couldn't believe his eyes. Why Ella wanted him at her wedding, he had no clue, but Ezra was definitely going. It was no question whether Aria would be there and he assumed that she wouldn't be as angry with him as she was months ago. And he needed to see her.

He hadn't been able to move on, even though he figured Aria was already on her second rebound. He had missed her so much in the last months that it hurt. He had started writing a lot more, but not about Alison or the mysterious Rosewood events, but about Aria. He had written an over three hundred page novel just about her and what he wished could have happened with their relationship.

And a part of him was determined to make it happen.

Once he got to the wedding, he would make her listen and fall in love with him again. As he got out of his car, he straightened out his suit jacket and prepared what he would say to Aria once he saw her. He had to be perfect if he got her to actually listen to him.

He took deep breaths as he walked into the wedding. He immediately spotted Aria alone on the dance floor, sullenly watching her friends and family. She looked so small, so vulnerable. He knew part of the reason, or probably the whole reason, she looked so sad was because of him and that killed him inside. He hated knowing what he was capable of, especially when one of the things he was capable of was breaking Aria's heart. He gulped one more time before walking towards the girl of his dreams.

XXXX

Aria felt a hand tap her shoulder, emitting a surprised gasp from her lips. As she turned she let out a bitter laugh. "You have got to be kidding me."

Ezra flinched at her words before stepping in front of her. "Aria, I know you're probably still mad, but just…" he faded off as the song switched to some jazzy old tune. "Just dance with me."

Aria sighed as she noticed concerned stares from her friends. She waved them off before reluctantly wrapping her arms around Ezra's neck. He smirked as he put his hands on her waist. "How are you?" he started lamely.

Aria scoffed, "Peachy. Did my mom invite you or are you crashing? Because I can call security so fast-"

"I was invited," Ezra interrupted. "Look, I understand that you're still angry, but, Aria, I, I'm still in love with you. I know I screwed up, but can we just try again. One more chance, please."

Aria shook her head and swallowed back tears. "Not here, Ezra, please." Before he could say anything, Aria tore herself from his embrace and ran out of the room. Who was he to just show up and start talking to her? Even though minutes ago she was thinking of how she missed him, when he was in front of her, she didn't miss him nearly as much as she expected.

She dodged caterers and guests until she finally reached the exit. Aria had no idea where she was going and was vaguely certain Ezra was right behind her. She looked to the left and then to the right before spotting an elevator. She pushed the button over and over again, willing the doors to open.

Aria heard heavy footsteps behind her before a voice called, "Aria, wait!"

She punched the up button one more time before groaning and turning around. "No, Ezra! You had no right to come here!"

Ezra was now standing in front of her as he took a deep breath. "I needed to see you."

Aria knew if she stayed, the hopeless romantic in her would overpower her stubbornness and give into the temptation that is Ezra Fitz, and she couldn't do that. If she let him talk to her, she would throw caution to the wind and forgive him, just because she missed curling up to that special someone on Saturday mornings.

An eternity later, the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Aria dashed inside the marble walled box and eagerly pressed the button to close the door, but Ezra stuck his hand in between the two, stopping them. Aria slumped against the wall as Ezra stepped into the elevator.

Ezra pressed a random number on the elevator's wall before sighing, "Why won't you let me talk to you?"

Aria felt tear form in her eyes as she pouted. She could see the pain in his eyes and realized how this was affecting him as well. She knew that he had really loved her and probably still did. Aria suspected that he hadn't moved on one bit and if she was right, that made her happy. Ezra being miserable without her gave her assurance that his feelings were real.

"I can't," Aria whimpered. "If you talk… it hurts just to hear your voice, Ezra."

Aria stopped the elevator at her floor and jumped out, fleeing from Ezra. She heard him groan before calling her name once more. She ignored him and stomped towards the room she and her friends had gotten ready in hours before.

Aria slammed her key card into the lock and opened the door as quickly as she possibly could. Once she was inside, Ezra snuck in behind her. Aria cursed under her breath as Ezra spoke up again. "Just tell me what you're thinking, please."

"You want to know what I'm thinking?" Aria barked. "I miss you, Ezra. I shouldn't but I do."

Ezra was utterly confused and watched as Aria paced around the room. He sat down on the bed as she walked in front of him. If she missed him, and he missed her, couldn't they work things out? "Aria, I miss you too. I miss you like crazy."

Aria paused her pacing in front of him and looked down at him. "Ezra, telling you to leave was the hardest thing I ever had to do."

"Walking away was the hardest thing I ever had to do," Ezra interrupted. "I loved you so much, and I still do. I know that it will be tough to get back to the way we were, I'm not saying it won't be, but there's so much we've gotten over. Please, I know I've used up all of my chances, but could you please give me another chance?" After a pause, he added, "I'll tell you everything you want to know, I'll tell you what I know about A, and I'll tell you how sorry I am every chance I can."

Aria was getting sick of how apologetic he was being. "I know you're sorry, okay? But saying 'I'm sorry' on a loop isn't going to change anything!"

"I'm sor-" Ezra stopped before he could finish. "If I can do something, anything, to get you back, I would."

"I know, but you can't," Aria explained shortly. "Sometimes, you just can't fix things."

Ezra stood up and held her small hands in his. "Yes, but sometimes it can be fixed no matter how many times it's been broken. I've never – you've never – given up on us? Why are you starting to now?"

"Because, Ezra!" Aria yelled, breaking away from his hand holding. "You used me!" Aria sighed before falling onto the bed and letting out a few stress caused tears. Ezra now stood over her and wiped them away, feeling relief when she didn't push his fingers away.

"Aria, I hate seeing you this sad. I hate even more that I know I'm why. I don't deserve to get cried over."

Aria rolled her eyes. "You do, though. You made me feel wanted and you made me feel like I was loved. That's why it was so hard, when I found out about the book. I thought all of those feelings and everything we shared was a big, fat lie."

"But, Aria, I swear-" Ezra interjected.

"No," Aria cut him off. "No, I know that it wasn't a lie now, but the thought of it almost killed me." She started crying before she could finish.

Ezra couldn't bear to watch and pulled her up and into a hug. Aria melted into his embrace and imagined, for the hundredth time, about her life with a husband that wasn't Ezra. Living in a house, without Ezra. Having babies, seeing their first steps, and sending them to school, without Ezra Fitz by her side.

And she didn't want that.

Not one bit.

She had to make a decision, now or never. Aria could tell him to go to hell and never see him ever again or she could give him one last chance. A chance for them to finally have a happy ending.

"Promise me," she murmured against him. "Promise me that if I give you this last chance, it won't end with one of us walking away with shattered hearts."

Ezra couldn't believe his ears and smiled down at her. This was all he wanted. He didn't want a bestselling novel, he didn't want Alison, all he wanted was Aria Montgomery. "I promise."

XXXX

Ella smirked to herself when she spied Ezra and Aria dancing and smiling together. Ella's plan for their coffee date might not have gone too great, but she suspected that if Ezra were to come to her wedding – aka a romantic, upsetting to heartbroken, lonely people – that they could fix each other.

"What are you smiling at? Zack questioned, following her gaze to the rest of the dance floor as music swelled around them.

"It looks like I got them back together," Ella announced, nodding towards her daughter. Maybe now she won't mope around the reception."

"They look happy," Zack commented. "I haven't seen Aria happy in a while."

Ella shrugged while they swayed to the music. "Well, I guess he's her happiness. And she's his."

~fin~