Forbidden love

Chapter 3: We are, after all, just pretty little liars

Aria POV
It's been hours since the fight with my parents and I know I should call or text Ezra or my friends and tell them I'm fine, but I just can't bring myself to feed anymore lies to anyone- especially not them- because I'm not fine. I'm breaking apart. I read through the book Ezra gifted to me to "escape Rosewood" but I've been reading the same page for over an hour without actually moving my eyes from the first word, so I eventually give up and put it back on my side table.
I hesitated going to sleep for a while, trying to find things to do around my room, but there's only so many times you can make your bed and sort your book and cd collection out alphabetically. I haven't eaten anything today but my mind isn't on my stomach, it's somewhere else entirely. That's probably what helps the sleep to come so quickly.
The next time I wake up, it's a little after midnight and my parents are still up, they're in a heated discussion about me, I can tell from their raging whispers and agitated tones.
The glow from the street's lampposts are casting shadows through my window, I look out and manoeuvre my head so I have a better chance of seeing the actual street rather than a monstrous tree that's blocking my view. I change my mind, my neighbourhood isn't what I want to see right now and so I head to my shower.
My en-suite is icy cold, but I switch the shower on at a high temperature and it soon fills with warmth. I shower extra quick as I don't want to draw too much attention to me from my parents by having an hour-long shower in the middle of the night.
I put on my pyjama bottoms and Ezra's jumper which completely buries me- but having his scent on me is like him being there and it calms my nerves and makes me feel okay for a little while, even if I do have to hide it under my bed so my parents don't see it- and just pretend for a minute that everything is okay, that it's perfect, in fact, and somewhere in between thinking those impossible things and crawling beneath my bed sheets, I fall into another deep sleep.

Ezra POV
The rain has stopped completely and replacing it is a cloudless, blue sky with the sun blazing down. I haven't heard from Aria since Saturday but, coincidentally, a text pops up on my phone from her and it reads:
Hey, sorry I haven't called or texted you. My parents took my phone when I got home and only gave it me back today for school. I will be coming to yours later, if you still want me to? I love you.

I text back; Of course I still want you to, I love you too.

I pick up my briefcase and head to work, hopefully my job at Hollis can distract the 100% of me that's filled with nothing but a constant unease for the most important person in my life.
As I arrive at school I see Byron. I walk up to him, but I'm not really sure why; I mean, he doesn't know about me and Aria so I can't even defend her to him.
"Ezra" he says nodding his head as a polite greeting.
"Everything good?" I ask as a conversation maker, although I know deep down I just want to hear him say her name.
"Funny you should ask that actually. I'm having a little trouble with Aria at the minute. Staying out all night, lying to us, you know all the apparently normal teenage stuff." He puffs a breath out like something more is bothering him. "You haven't noticed anything unusual about Aria have you?"
"Um...I'm not sure why I would?" I can feel myself colouring and I swallow hard with nerves. I hope they don't show as much as I can feel them brewing inside of me. My voice falters but he doesn't seem to notice.
"I mean, you were her teacher Ezra. Did you notice anything while you were teaching her?" He says, turning to face me outside my office door.
"Oh, yeah, um, I mean no I haven't noticed anything about her, I haven't seen her since she was my student. Like you said, it's probably just normal teenage stuff."
"Well something seems to tell me it's more than that."
"Okay, well I've got to run, my class starts in five minutes." I cut him off, but I couldn't stand another second of that; it felt like more of an interrogation than a conversation.
He nods again as I turn into my office.

Aria POV:
Spencer, Emily and Hanna stand gathered around my locker and I half walk half run up to them. I've missed them a lot.
"Hey guys!" I beam, in the middle of all this I'm still smiling.
"Where have you been? We've been worried sick!" Spencer says pulling me in for a hug.
"I've been on lockdown."
"For getting it on with Fitz?" Hanna says smiling and wiggling her eyebrows.
"Han? Shh." Spencer says warningly, looking around to see if anyone heard; although it doesn't matter because it's not true. But in Rosewood someone will always twist the truth.
"Sorry, Aria, it was just a joke."
"I know Han. But you weren't far wrong. I stayed the night at Ezra's..No we didn't do anything!" I say, rolling my eyes as I see their wide eyes, questioning looks and open mouths. "But I didn't tell my parents where I was and they freaked."
"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean when you say 'freaked', they came round to my place distraught on Saturday, they honestly thought something had happened to you and, after that, so did we!" Spencer stresses.
"Guys I'm sorry, I had no phone until this morning." I explain.
Emily smiles at me sympathetically, "We're not mad at you, just glad you're okay. If you need us to cover for you and Fitz we can, I mean it's nothing we can't do easily, right you two?" She suggests to Hanna and Spencer.
"We've had plenty of practise at lying after all." Hanna smiles weakly.
They both nod and we leave each other to go to our first classes.