winter wonderland

chapter 5

At 7:50pm Sunday night, Ezra was waiting outside the book store, praying Aria was still able to come. Byron was furious; Ezra wouldn't be surprised if Aria was locked in her room with Byron guarding her door.        At 8:15pm Ezra was now leaning against the window of the book store. He was in a thick coat and beanie, but the cold from the snow was beginning to take its toll on him.                                                                  "Where are you Aria?" Ezra said to the wind.                                                                I'm here," he heard her respond in just louder than a whisper. She was only a metre behind him. As he turned, the space between them was immediately closed in, and they wrapped their arms around each other in a hug.                                                   "Ezra," Aria said against his chest as he enclosed his face in her hands. She gave him a tight smile. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she had obviously just been crying. As he held her face, Aria started bouncing the heels of her feet, as she tried to keep herself together. Ezra could see she was on the brink of crying, and so was he. He bought her face into his and kissed her forehead lovingly.                                              "Byron said," Aria said as her voice cracked, her nose beginning to run which made her sniff loudly. Ezra's thumbs stroked her cheeks as the tears from her eyes spilled over. "He said if he sees me with you again, that he is going to send me back to Iceland. We were there a few years ago as a family, but he said with this situation, that he would have no problem in sending me back there to boarding school, alone." Aria choked and cracked, the tears spilling larger down her cheeks.                                                            Aria grabbed the collar of Ezra's coat and asked "Am I crazy?" Ezra started shaking his head, "no, you're not crazy. There's something once-in-a-lifetime here my beautiful Aria," he said as he quickly pecked her lips, before kissing her cheek and down the side of her neck. Aria sighed and curled herself into him more.                   "Ezra, we're going to make this work," Aria said before Ezra returned his lips to hers. They kissed each other fiercely, like this could be their last kiss together. As the separated needing air, Ezra shifted his head to the right.                                      How did you sneak away so you could be here tonight? Does Byron know you're…  "I'm staying with my mum, Ella. When Byron dropped me back there last night, he told Ella I'm to stay away from you. He didn't tell her why, and they don't like talking at the best of times since they split, so she didn't ask any more," Aria said. "She's out of town having dinner with friends tonight, so I won't see her until tomorrow afternoon."                                                                                                      Ezra kissed her nose and held them there for a while. They took in every second. "Aria, why was your father suspended from Hollis?" Aria sighed and responded.      "He was having an affair with one of his students. She was much younger than he is, so when her parents found out, they demanded he either be suspended for his actions, or they were going to go to the police. That's why my parents split too."     So, it truly is completely his fault, this whole situation? Then, why does he hate me so much?" Ezra asked a little hurt.     Aria tilted her head and pulled her cheeks into a tight smile, "because you're a kind of man he could only dream to be. You're moral and kind and you're just the brunt of his anger caused by his mistakes. It isn't actually you he has a problem with," Aria replied staring into his eyes with adoration.              "Come back to my place," Ezra asked as Aria nodded. He grabbed her hand as they walked into the falling show. As it turned out, Ezra's apartment was on the block between Ella's apartment and the bookstore where they had met. Perfect for sneaking around at night Aria thought as a soft chuckle left her mouth.        "What?" Ezra asked with a smile.   "You only live one block from me, Ezra. This could work out quite nicely" she beamed at him as they entered his apartment building.                                                                                                                His apartment was just as she had imagined it; small, modest, covered in hundreds of books. Aria immediately left Ezra's grasp and went to inspect the books on his bookshelves. They were floor to roof; absolute heaven, Aria thought.                          She turned around to Ezra and smiled as he bought out two coffees so they could warm up.

"What do you think of my apartment?" he asked.                         "I really like it, Ezra. I think I could live here very comfortably," she said with a wink before walking towards him as he let out a small laugh. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

"What?" she asked with curiosity.

"Nothing, Aria, it's just; I was just thinking that I could see you living here with me one day, at the very same moment that you said that. Then I reminded myself that I only met you yesterday, and how amazing this all is."

"It is quite, isn't it?" she said against his lips before pressing her lips to his. They kissed each other firmly, knowing this was a feeling neither was going to be able to live without again. Ezra pulled her in close before putting his hands either side of her face, deepening the kiss. Aria moaned and a similar sound came from his throat as his tongue danced with her own.

This, right here, was all either would ever need; each other, the books, this apartment. This was the start of their story, however complicated it was going to be; they would make this work. They had to.