Unhappily ever after

Chapter 4 - I'm not your doll

Jason sat down across from her and she folded up her newspaper and placed it on the table.

"So, your back in Rosewood?" Wow, she actually managed to speak to him. Thank god she didn't make her a fool of herself looking like some broken toy. She was doing her best to keep her cool.

"So are you, I heard you've been in Paris." Jason replied.

"Yeah, it was nice."

"Nice?" He let out a small laugh. "Not many people say Paris is just nice. I guess you've always been a mystery." He looked deeply into her eyes, and she felt his intense stare, it was like he was searching into her soul. She did her best not to break. At least not in front of him.

She cleared her throat. "Are you back for good?"

"For now... I heard about your dad. I'm sorry."

Hm, he actually seemed genuine. You see that was what was different between him and his sister, he actually had a heart.

"Thanks."

"How long has it been?"

"13 months today actually."

13 months since her dad went missing. Still it felt like it was yesterday. Olivia and her mum came home one day to an empty house, it was 2 weeks after Ali went missing. No one knew where he was. He hasn't been seen since.

Jason reached for her hand on the table and held it in his. She felt the comfort of his hand, and held it tightly, not wanting to let go, afraid that if she did, she would truly be alone.

"Coffee for Jason Dilaurentis?"

They both looked up, interrupting their moment. He let go of her hand and walked to receive his coffee. She felt him let go and that was it, that was all she needed, to know that she really was alone this time.

Jason came back over to the table but stayed standing. He looked at her, only showing sympathy in his eyes. But that's not what she needed, she needed peace and she needed strength but she knew she would never get that in Rosewood.

"I better go." He said to her quietly. "Can I offer you a ride home?"

She thought about it but she knew that would only lead to a mistake, and she wasn't willing to make another one.

"No I'm alright thanks, I'm just going to sit here for a while."

"Call me if you need me, you know I'm always here." He placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled sweetly at her.

She attempted to smile back. "Thank you."

And then he left. And that's when she finally broke.

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That night she lay in her bed, staring at her ceiling, with her headphones on, listening to some good old heartbreak music. (All we do by oh wonder, another love by Tom Odell, High by James blunt and I to you by Leona Lewis)

She bought a ceiling wallpaper just over a year ago, and it was dark blue and scattered with white dots all over it but when the lights were off in the room, the white dots lit up, and they became glowing stars. It was beautiful and it was her favourite thing about her room, as if she was in an entirely different world.

Her phone buzzed, interrupting her music, to see that she had a new text. It was from Becky. She sighed. What could it be now?! She opened the message; 'SOS'.

She took off her headphones immediately and pulled a jumper over her head, slipped a pair of boots on and grabbed her handbag with her phone, money and keys inside and rushed out of the house, to head to Becky's.