Pretty Little Liars: 16 & Pregnant (Sequel)

Double Dose

Two Days Later
Aria's Pov

My cellphone starts to ring, a number I don't recognize displayed on the screen. Hesitantly, I answer it.

"Hello?" I say.

"Hello, may I speak to Aria?" The woman asks.

"Yeah, that's me." I reply.

"This is Kate from Bolen Books, I'd like to offer you the job." She says.

"Oh." I stammer "I'm sorry, I'm unable to accept. My—uh—my situation changed."

"Okay that's fine." Kate answers "Have a good day."

"You too." I say before hanging up. I set my phone down beside me, before picking my book back up.

"Mommy look," Piper says, walking into the room carrying Gatsby "I put my dolls bow on him!"

"Wow, he looks so pretty." I chuckle.

"You look so pretty Momma." She replies, putting the dog down and climbing up on the couch beside me.

"Wow Pipey, how smooth." I laugh.

"But you're pretty just like a princess." Piper continues "I wanna be like you."

"Well thank you, that's very sweet baby." I smile "But what's wrong with being like you?"

"I don't know," She starts "I just want to be like you more. It's better being you I think."

"Don't get me wrong Piper, I like being me, but you should like being you." I say "What's wrong with being you?"

"Nothing I guess, I just wanna be pretty like you when I'm bigger." Piper answers. I smile and pull her close to me, then lift her chin so her blue eyes meet mine.

"How about you be pretty like you?" I suggest lightly "Because even though you're my daughter and that may make me a little biased, I think you're so beautiful. Inside and out."

"Okay Mommy." She nods "But what's biased mean?"

I chuckle "It means that my opinion isn't exactly neutral."

"Oh." Piper chirps "I get it."

"Good." I smile "Now we should probably start getting ready for the 4th of July barbecue at Auntie Hanna's."

"Yay!" She exclaims "Is Daddy coming?"

"He is." I nod "He'll meet us there." Since coming back to Rosewood a couple days ago, Piper, Stella, and I have been living in our house without the company of Ezra. Just to clarify, we're not broken up, I just thought it'd be better that we settle back into life one step at a time. On one hand it's a little weird, because for so long Ezra's been my shoulder to cry on, the one I would turn to when things got tough, but right now it would just feel like too much to jump back into everything as if that blip hadn't happened. Ezra's explained everything to me, so it's not like I don't trust him or anything, I just need a little time. He understands—it's why he agreed so easily to stay at his brothers for a bit. I don't know when he's gonna come back, but I'm hoping sometime in the next week or two. The girls miss living with their Dad.

By the time we arrive at the Rivers'—after waking Stella from her nap, dealing with her toddler tantrum, and finally getting both kids ready—quite a few cars are already parked in or near the driveway. I recognize Spencer and Emily's, as well as my neighbour Jess's, but no Ezra yet.

"Hey," Hanna smiles, engulfing me in a hug as soon as she opens the door "How are you?"

"Good." I nod "Happy to be here." I don't know if it's because she's so happy I'm back in Rosewood or just the pregnancy hormones, but these past couple days Hanna has been greeting me like it's the last time she'll ever be able to.