Save Us - An Ezria Story - Discontinued

Chapter Four

Aria's POV

Ezra unlocked his apartment door and held it open for me to walk through with Anastasia in my arms. Ezra was gone for two years, but his apartment looked exactly the same as it did before he left.

The couch was still in the center of the room with three chairs sitting across from it in front of a small coffee table with a chess board in the middle of it. Two steps leading to the doors that lead to the balcony. A telescope still sitting in front of the wooden bookshelf in the living room that was filled with books. A guitar sitting in front of the window. The cabinet still had the photo that he had re-framed after I'd smashed the old frame. The small kitchen with the caged light hanging down in the middle of it and the dining table with two chairs. His desk with the typewriter that he uses as a paperweight sitting on it next to his diploma. The bookshelf filled with books built into the blue wall behind his bed, and the TV in front of it, beside the bathroom door.

Well, one thing has changed; the bed sheet and covers.

"This place hasn't changed at all since I last saw it," I started as I continued looking around the room, "well, except the bedding."

"Yeah, I covered everything with plastic sheets to prevent dust settling, and as for the bedding, I changed those when I got back," Ezra replied as he closed his apartment door.

I smiled internally as I reminisced the events of the night before Ezra had left. The night I conceived Anastasia. I felt tears forming in my eyes when I realized how much I missed being here, in apartment 3B, with Ezra.

"Aria," Ezra said softly, "what's the matter?" 

"Nothing, I just missed this place," I started as I sat Anastasia down on the couch, "and being with you."

"Well, you can stay here as long as you want to," he said with a smile, "and as for being with me, I'm completely fine with that."

"Andrew's out of town until next Monday, so I'll stay for a while," I agreed. There was a long pause before I spoke again.

"I want to be with you," I told him before sitting next to Anastasia on the couch and looking at the floor, "but, I can't."

Ezra came and sat down next to me and lifted my chin with his index finger so I was looking into his eyes.

"Why not?" he asked me, pouting slightly.

"Because I'm with Andrew," I said. A lump formed in my throat and a tear fell down my cheek just by saying the words.

"Aria, I know you don't love Andrew, you told me that earlier, so why do you stay with him?" Ezra asked me as he wiped the tear away with his thumb. I sighed and took a deep breath before answering his question.

"Because I'm scared to leave him," I admitted before looking to Anastasia then back at Ezra again, "he's never actually hurt her, but he threatens her all the time. He says if I don't do things for him, he'll hurt her. I'm afraid that if I try to run away, he'll find us and hurt her, so I stay with him."

Tears began staining my cheeks again. Ezra pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead. He started running his fingers through my hair and I lay my head on his shoulder.

"I'll get the both of you away from him," Ezra whispered, "I promise, Aria."

I nodded in response and we sat in silence for a little while as I stopped crying.

"Okay, what do you want to eat?" Ezra asked me after five minutes of silence. There was at least a minute of silence before I said anything.

"I don't mind," I told him hesitantly.