winter wonderland

chapter 12

"Aria, will you marry me," he said presenting a ring clearly antique, a family heirloom. His eyes read only love and confidence, but his bare frame read a man terrified as Aria realised she'd probably left the poor guy waiting for a few seconds too long for his nerves to handle.

"Of course," she said giggling and throwing herself into his arms. "Yes, I'd love to marry you," she said before attacking his lips as they smiled into their kiss. Their arms circled around each other lovingly, as it dawned on them that their missing puzzle pieces were almost legally theirs.

They pulled apart absolutely breathless and hazy as he removed a strand of hair that had stuck to her cheek. He removed the ring from the box before pushing it onto her finger. It fitted perfectly and he kissed the ring, her hand and up her arm to her neck where he continued to kiss as she giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck once more before they re-found the bed.

For right now, life was perfect. It was simple in Ezra's apartment. The upcoming events would see considerably more complications arise. For right now, they had each other, unconditionally; and that was all that would ever matter.

"Aria?" Ezra said in a panic as his girlfriend froze absolutely still. It was early in a new day and they were still wrapped up in bed when Aria's phone had rung from her jeans pocket on the floor. She still wasn't moving which prompted Ezra to shake her shoulders slightly trying to coax her out of her state.

"Please, Aria, what's wrong?" He asked cupping her face in his hands, drawing her attention to his eyes. Her eyes were petrified, like her world had been ripped out from under her as she began having quickened breaths and going into a panic attack.

Ezra pulled her body tighter into his and cradled her as her body began to shake as she cried uncontrollably.

"Aria please, tell me what's happening,"

"That was the hospital. Oh her um… on her way to Byron's, a car crashed into the side of Ella's vehicle."

Before Aria could continue, panic swept over Ezra as he feared the rest of Aria's announcement.

"She's unconscious, but it's serious. They're monitoring her to see if um…" Aria paused to take a moment, "to see if she'll ever come back to us," she concluded beginning to cry again. Ezra kissed her forehead repeatedly while his arms were still around her; unsure of any other way he could try and help her right now.

After a few moments, but to Aria felt like an eternity, she got her phone again and dialled Mike.

"Hello," a crackling voice answered.

"Mike, its Aria. How's, how's mum?" she asked in not much more than a squeak.

"No change. Aria, where are you?"

Aria's silence raised Mike's suspicions.

"You're with him now aren't you; the guy Byron doesn't want you to see?"

Understanding her pause itself had confirmed who she was with, Aria admitted defeat. "He told you about that, huh?" Aria asked letting out a soft chuckle of 'of course he did'. "Please Mike, I'm trusting you won't tell Byron." She replied pleadingly as Ezra started to hitch himself up so he was sitting close next to her, fearful of the words she had just pleaded to her brother.

"Of course I won't Aria. But you should know, he's going to force you to live with him until Ella is out, you get that, right?"

That hadn't even dawned on Aria. Her thoughts quickly raced to wondering how she was going to see Ezra. The two people she loved the most; one was unconscious, the other she couldn't see.

"Yeah, I guess," she replied glumly as she pushed her self tightly against Ezra's chest as he wrapped his arms around her, snuggling his head into her shoulder while Aria continued to hold her phone to her head.

"Mike, is that Aria?" Aria heard Byron shot on the other end of the phone.

"Yeah, it's her, do you um…" Mike said as Byron snatched the phone out of his son's hand.

"Aria, you weren't with your mother, where are you?"

"Look, I'm coming now Byron," she responded defensively as she hung up her phone. Ezra's hand briefly rubbed her thigh as she scooted to get out of the bed before proceeding to collect her clothes.

"I'm going to shower, freshen up, um.." she paused before continuing as Ezra softly stared into her eyes, pretty certain he knew what she was about to say.

"So Mike knows. But I think he can help us. So, I'm sorry, but for right now, I need to be with Ella. And I have to stay at Byron's," she said in a scoff.

Ezra's face began to frown as he stood and walked to meet grabbing her hands in his.

"I'll find a way to see you," she said forcing a smile with her eyes sad. She raised her hand to rub his cheek as his mouth too attempted to present a genuine smile.

"I'm spending Christmas with you. I don't care how, but I will be here. But, I probably won't be able to see you for a few days," she said with a pain aching in her chest as she lent up to kiss him tenderly. He held her cheeks as he kissed her softly a few more times before they parted; aware that this was going to be a goodbye for longer than either wanted.

"Mike!" Aria shouted as she found him waiting outside Ella's hospital room. They threw their arms around each other and held each other as their tears fell. Byron came out from Ella's room to see the kids in their embrace. Aria's eyes immediately glared at Byron as she brought her hand up to brush the hair out of her face. Her engagement ring glistened against the bright hospital lights, piercingly obvious to Byron what was on her hand. He grabbed Aria's hand and yanked it toward him, causing her to let out a gasp of pain.

"WHAT IS THIS?" Byron screamed at his daughter, whose face just exploded into more tears.

"DAD" Mike screamed. "Don't shout at her, I..." he took a short breath before continuing, "I found this the other day, just on the side of the road, and I thought it would beautiful on Aria. There's nothing to it, so stop shouting at her," Mike said before grabbing back Aria's hand from Byron's grasp.

"Sorry, I…" Byron said apologetically "I overreacted, I'm sorry," he said to Aria who was still shaking. Mike wrapped his arm around his sister and led her away from Byron.

"Sis, you're getting married?" he asked softly, his voice brimming though with enthusiasm.

"Yeah," she said with a genuine smile before breaking into laughter through the tears. "Mike, I… I didn't know it was possible to feel this. My whole world has changed and is perfect," she said before looking back at Byron who was watching them from a distance, too far away though to hear what they were saying.

Mike's eyes followed Aria's "And he's not letting you see him," he said looking at Byron. "I'm so sorry Aria."

"Yeah, well mum was going to help with that. I have date with 'a great guy named Josh' on Friday that Byron arranged. He's really trying to kill me," she said with her head lowered.

"Well, we're going back to his place now, right? Why don't you just go and meet Josh and say now's not a good time cause of Ella. Byron can't be mad at that."

Realising her brother was absolutely perfect, she smiled at him widely "Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks Mike," she said before realising they were still in a hospital, Ella unconscious.

"She was going to tell Byron to back off, you know?" Aria said to Mike slowly and pained. "She was going to tell him where to shove it and to accept Ezra. God I hope she'll be okay," she said crying again as Mike wrapped his arms around Aria.

They held onto each other as they went into Ella's room, uncertain of what they were going to see.