Jaria happy after

Part 15

" so he didn't say it back?" Emily questioned the girl who was fidgeting with her house key nervously. 
" why am i so stupid, why would i say it? we've only been 'dating' for 3 months, people usually wait longer" Aria complained about herself, her voice cracking slightly. 
Emily held Aria's hand, she could see she was anxious, besides the jingling of the keys was annoying her.  She looked her in the eyes, but Aria's gaze seemed to be everywhere but on the girl, Emily lifted her chin with her finger until their eyes met. 
"you're not like most people" She told Aria confidently. "You've known him for pretty much all of your life, you know him inside out, stop freaking out, it's not like he isn't into you" Emily carried on, trying her best to confine her friend. 
"i guess you're right, but he didn't say it back and we were..." Aria's voice was becoming weaker and weaker with every word slipping her mouth. Emily pulled her into a tight hug, Aria rested her head on Emily's shoulder. 

Aria was always grateful for her friends, she knew they had her best interest at heart. And suddenly it hit her.
" wait.... " she raised her head in excitement. "Alison?" Aria just said trying to think of a good way to form what she's about to say. THe clogs were turning in her head. 

"what about her!?" Emily snapped defensively. 
"what you said about me and Jace, knowing each other for all those years and saying it's different, it applies to you and Ali right?" Aria asked not even considering that it could be an invasive question, after all Emily didn't push for answers about Jason, it would only be fair if Aria let Emily figure those things out herself too. 
" you call him Jace" Emily asked amused, trying to cover up her true feelings for Alison. 
"woahh Em's that's what you got from what i just asked you, really??" she couldn't help but let out a giggle, it was quite cute how Emily thought reverting back to Aria would work to avoid Aria's question. 
"Aria I don't know, I just don't know with her" Aria noticed how Emily's bright smile shifted into a face  over clouded by a mixture of worry, happiness and sadness all at once. That was a cue for Aria to drop it and change the topic to something more light hearted, like their fav ships and tv shows. 

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It was probably the first time Jason was happy to see his sister, it's not that he doesn't care for her or anything, she's just an ultimate tease and him going out with Aria was a perfect occasion for relentless jokes and snarky comments. But one thing was bothering him beyond belief. 

He looked at his sister who was just browsing through tumblr, he noted how she took a few good seconds before scrolling down when a picture of a hot girl flashed on her macbook screen. He announced himself by coughing, she startled and put her hand on her chest as her heart skipped a beat. "damn you!!" she whimpered. 
"so you're a girl, who dated guys before, none of them that i approved of but that's a different story" he tried to kid to make this awkward talk a little bit less tense. 
"yeah... if i were you i would get changed, I don't think Aria would appreciate those old sneakers" She smirked and turned her eyes back to her screen fighting back the angst to laugh at her own comment. 
" really?" he shook his head, that's not what this conversation was about. 

"i was going to ask you about girls and the L word" Jason stared at the floor as he explained.
" you mean the tv show?" asked Alison, was he into her, it's pretty much the gayest tv show there is, but then she realised he must have been talking about something deeper than that, judging by how he held his hands behind his back and kicked the carpet with his foot, avoiding her gaze. He looked like a small child who just got into trouble for the first time and had to go to detention. 

"Okay tell me everything" Alison jumped up excitedly, shut her laptop and pointed to the sofa as they walked over to the lounge, and so he did, he wasn't keen on telling her everything at first, but one lead to another and he realised how lonely he in fact was. He distanced himself from the world, he didn't have a best friend, not like Alison and the other girls at least, those girls were each others back bones and Jason only limited himself to acquaintances. Sure it was fun to go and have a drink with people from work once in awhile, but nothing serious enough to go to the extend of being heartbroken. Friends can break your heart too, he knew this really well, so after everything that has happened with -A, he chose the easier root of keeping to himself. It soon changed after he reunited with Aria of course, and now he was more sure than ever that he needed, he craved meaningful relationships in his life, not just smiley faces and a game of truth or dare's, but a true sincere connection, which he knew he had with Aria. He promised himself to hold onto it with all of his will.