A/N: Okay, so, I wanted to experiment with a Jaria (Jason/Aria) story. I really adored their hot chemistry in the show! I have normally written Spoby fics, so I decided to try out a new pairing. I've really lost interest in Ezria after how the writers destroyed him in season 4. Ezra became such a deceitful character. I thought he was such an honest, good guy until how the writers decided to randomly destroy him. Now, I would much rather see Aria with Jake or Jason. Maybe even Wes! Anyways, here's my story.

Chapter 1

New York City—it was a place where so many people's dreams came true... and also died. Aria Montgomery had a mix of that. Majoring in English at NYU was always her biggest dream, but a part of them dream involved being happily married to her first love, Ezra Fitz. She always imagined growing old with him, and having an easy, loving life in college while living with him. Never had she ever thought everything would become so hard for them. Never had she ever thought she would start to fall out of love with him. Wasn't he supposed to be the love of her life?

Technically, she wasn't even with him anymore. They had a sort of fall-out, which she knew was completely his fault, yet he argued with her. She was devastated after it happened. He wasn't the type of guy to do something like that. She felt like ever since she became older, she wasn't enough for him. It was like he wanted more. Was she not good enough for him? That was what it felt like to her.

She was hoping they'd work things out later, but she wasn't sure she could forgive him for what he did. She wanted to, but it was so out of character. She felt like she didn't even know him anymore if he was willing to do something like that to her, and then try to justify it. She would have went softer on him if he didn't try to justify why it wasn't even that bad.

"It's like a dream to see your pretty face again, babe."

Her eyes widened. She knew that voice all too well. It was one she heard during her teenage years quite frequently. The brother of the dead girl, AKA her former best friend who was murdered. Jason DiLaurentis was his name, and he was a rebellious drinker... who happened to be devilishly handsome.

"Hi," she greeted awkwardly. "You're in New York! What brought you here? I thought you were planning on driving wherever your heart wanted to go. That was the last I heard of you. A week before graduation day for me..."

"Pennsylvania wasn't my place to be," Jason DiLaurentis explained with a small smile on his face. "I did drive. Then I got tired of driving. It was too much change for me. I needed a place to stick with. I ran into my ex Cece, and I'm staying with her here. Plus, she provides me with action every now and then, you know what I'm saying?" He winked at her.

"You're a dirty man," she playfully commented. "So, you and Cece are back together, huh? I always thought it was over for good."

Jason scoffed and said, "No way in hell that I'm getting back with that bitch, Montgomery! Never said I was with her again. We hooked up. I like her body, not her personality. Well, I like her personality as a friend. I know what she's like as a girlfriend, and I don't want that."

"That's a little sleazy, isn't it?" Aria asked.

"I stopped caring about shit a long time ago," Jason responded. "I don't think love and relationships are my thing. I'm more of a do 'em and ditch 'em kind of guy."

Aria laughed nervously and commented, "That's wonderful."

"You don't really believe that's wonderful, Princess," he read her mind, sipping a drink. "What the hell are you doing at a bar, anyways? I thought Prince Charming would keep you locked up in the bedroom for frick-fracking all night long. A girl like you is the type of girl a guy would wanna do all day."

"Okay, you got dirtier over time," Aria said, furrowing her eyebrows. "I'll assume you're talking about Ezra, so no, he didn't ask me to stay at home with him because... because we're on a break. Things happened, we're separated for the moment, but I know we'll work things out. I just need time to forgive him for what he did."

"Yeah, you guys will fix things," Jason agreed, nodding his head. "You always did. It was just the type of couple you guys were. No matter how big the problem, you found a way back to each other every time. I admired that about you guys. I envied it. I wish I had a relationship with perfect love like that."

"It's not perfect, trust me," Aria told him. "I don't know how we made it look that way, but our relationship is rocky as hell. That doesn't mean I don't love him, though. I do love him, it's just... I can't seem to get over what he did to me."

"What did he do to you?" Jason asked, raising his eyebrows. "Did that bitch hit you? That's not something you should forgive, Aria—"

"Jason," she stopped him, "I know you're trying to be a good guy, but my problems with Ezra are going to remain confidential. I respect his privacy, and I'm sure he doesn't want anybody snooping on our problems. I think our problems are better left with us."

"Okay, I get it, but if it's something serious like abuse, you've got to speak up—" he tried.

"Jason, please," she sternly said his name.

"Alright, fine," Jason muttered, sighing softly. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'm your guy. I may seem like a bag of shit, but I can be a pretty great listener, especially if I'm listening to someone like you." He winked at her.

"I don't get you. Is this your way of flirting with me?" Aria directly asked, folding her arms. "Jason, you're not a bad guy or anything, but I won't stand to be the next Cece in your life that you use for sexual pleasure."

"Whoa there! Slow down, tiger," Jason calmed her down. "I flirt so much that it just comes out when I normally speak. I wasn't trying to make you the next Cece in my life. All I wanted was to let you know that I'm here for you, but I guess it came out in a more flirtatious way than I expected."

Aria smiled and said, "Good, because if you were trying to make me your do 'em and ditch 'em bed buddy, I don't think this friendship would last much longer."

"Friendship?" Jason asked, raising his eyebrows. "Babe, we stopped being friends after that one day during your junior year. Back when you were still dating Fitz. Remember I kissed you? We practically never spoke again, except for a few minor conversations when you and your posse were interrogating me about Alison. The only person in your posse that I really kept speaking with after that day was Spencer, and it's only because she's related to me."

"Jason..." she muttered.

"Oh, I forgot the time when you waved at me!" Jason sarcastically exclaimed. "I told you I'm leaving for good, drivin' around this shitty ass country. Part of me was hoping that you'd tell me I should stay, but none of you guys said anything. Spencer wished me the best, but she's my sister, err, half sister. You didn't even say anything. You waved at me and let me leave."

"Look, I was confused, okay?" Aria snapped. "You kissed me while I was in a relationship! I loved Ezra, but I had all these feelings for you! I didn't want to get mixed up between true love and just temporary infatuation. Don't you see where I'm coming from?"

"But you didn't need to cut me off from your life completely," Jason confidently spoke. "I didn't have to be your romantic lover, or a bed buddy. But I couldn't at least have been your friend? That's where things feel wrong to me."

"I'm sorry," she apologized weakly. "I know it's not good enough, but it's all I can say. I was selfish—I wanted to keep the truth from Ezra. He would have broken up with me if he picked up on the fact that I had feelings for you! I didn't want that to happen."

"Whatever, Aria," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "That was back then, this is now. I'm trying to build a better future for myself, and that's what matters to me now."