Aria knocked on Ezra's door and waited patiently. She turned her old promise ring around her finger. She still wore it, not that it still meant the same thing anymore. A small creak could be heard from inside and the doorknob moved as it was turned.
"Aria" Ezra said as he greeted her with a confused look.
"Can I come in?" She asks and he nods. He extends his arm and she goes inside.
"Do you want some coffee or some wine or.." He trails on, picking the empty bottles off the floor and off the tables.
"No, I'm alright" She says, putting down her purse on the only empty table in the apartment.
Ezra makes his way over to the couch, moving the papers onto the side table. "Do you want to sit?"
She nods and takes her seat next to him.
"Why are you here?" He asks and Aria stares back at him. At a loss for words.
Aria wasn't really sure why she was here. She came back to town and had to see him. She couldn't explain the feeling.
Ezra must have noticed her hesitation. "It's not that I don't want you here. It's just.. it's just"
Now he was at a loss for words.
"You just don't expect me to show up on your doorstep anymore. I haven't for five years" Aria states.
"Yeah" He says.
Aria thought for a minute before responding.
"Well I came to say I'm sorry" She starts. "I'm sorry about Nicole and I'm sorry for how we left it five years ago."
"It's okay, Aria. I'm dealing with it" He said, motioning towards the empty bottles.
"I'm not here to judge but I'm not sure you're dealing with it in the right way" She said, spinning her ring again.
"I'm not but it's the only way I know how to do it" He runs his hand through his hair, picking up a glass off the side table that smelled like scotch.
"I can help you, Ezra. I can help you recover" She said, placing a hand on his. "I want to help"
"Why, Aria? Why would you want to help me?" He asks, shaking his head.
"Because I love you" She blurts out, finally realizing why she came.
"What?" He asks, surprised by her statement.
"I love you. Whether it's as a friend or much more. I know I love you and I never stopped. And I'm willing to help" She says. "If I have to fight with you. I will. You're worth fighting for and I know if anything happened to you on my watch, I'd break. So we're going to do this right. The first time."
"Okay. I'll do whatever it takes" He replies. "And Aria?"
"Yes, Ezra" She says.
"Once I recover, can you promise me one thing?" He asks and she nods. "Can we have another chance? Another chance to figure out if we're supposed to spend the rest of our lives together?"
"Of course" She says, wrapping her arms around him. "But I'm pretty sure I already know the answer"
