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Chapter 10

"Spencer?" Ezra asks as the eleventh grader slips into his car. "Do you need a ride or something?"

"I need to talk to you." Spencer says, nervous about talking to Ezra after knowing him and Aria have been having troubles, but knowing how much Ezra loves Aria, she believes he would be able to convince Aria to stay away from Jason. "Okay, I need to tell you something, but first, I have to tell you something else first." She speaks slowly so he can follow her unplanned words.

"Okay.."

"I know about you and Aria." Spencer dives in, shocking Ezra.

"Excuse me?" Ezra says, needing clarification on where Aria has told her friends they stood.

"Ezra, you don't-" He gives her a surprised look and she amends her words. "Sorry Mr. Fitz. Just listen to me! Aria is in danger." Ezra looks afraid at her words, interested afraid. "Okay, she has been hanging out with Jason Dilaurentis-"

"I know."

"No you don't! Jason is dangerous and has been stalking Aria for the past few weeks! Emily and I found pictures of her drugged in his shed but she still doesn't believe he is dangerous." Spencer rushes out, pleading with Ezra to understand the danger his now ex-girlfriend is in, but she doesn't know that last fact.

"Jason is a danger to Aria?" Ezra clarifies. "Well where is she?"

"I saw her at the Brew but she was about to leave, with Jason, she doesn't talk to us anymore because she doesn't want to hear anything bad about Jason, it's like he is brain washing her."

"I'll go to the Dilaurentis house. If you find her, bring her to me no matter what she says." Ezra starts his car and Spencer gets out to go to her's.

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"The box is still up in Ali's room so just wait on the steps, I don't want you stepping on a nail or loose floorboard in those shoes." I look down at my open toe heels and nod.

"Sounds good," I reply, sitting down on his front steps and leaning against the banister as he goes inside, leaving the front door open behind him while I look out over his new front yard. I admire the new flower bed and growing plants I didn't recognize surrounding the path to the wood shed. There was still a lot to be done, and dried up plants mixing with the new ones, but all the work Jason and Toby had done on the house was looking great.

I hear the sound of a car coming down the dirt road and I mentally prepare myself for a fight if Spencer gets out of the car or if Toby is here to work on the yard, but when I see his car pull up and stop in front of the house, I go rigid, all defenses leaving my body in utter shock.

Ezra steps out of the car and walks towards me. "What are you doing here." I manage to say.

"I came to get you. Spencer told me about Jason, the photos and the brain washing, and I understand now. He put you up to breaking up with me didn't he?" Ezra asks, reaching the stairs as I stand up. "He is dangerous Aria, your friends think so too and I'm here to take you away from him."

"You don't know anything, Ezra. You need to leave now." He recognizes the fear in my eyes and mistakes it.

His eyes soften and he reaches for me. "You don't have to be scared anymore, Aria, I'll handle Jason, just get in the car." He walks up the stairs as I back towards the door and grabs my already bruised wrist.

"Ezra stop, I don't want to go with you." I hold my ground and his hold tightens.

"We'll work through our problems but staying here is not an option, Aria." Ezra orders, pulling on my wrist and making me stumble down the porch steps.