Sugar & Spice

26|treading water

Eventually the chatter around campus died down around Michael and the rest but every now and then Aria could hear people whisper things that had to do with Laura and she would cringe. Although the topic of Aria's trial had completely subsided at this point and it felt nice to go back to being 'just' a normal girl, even if it was because of the newfound attention in Michael. The end of the week was here and Aria was thinking about Tom Landry. Finally the chaos in her life had calmed down enough for her to focus on what her future would hold and what on earth she'd say to Tom upon seeing him again. With her phone twirling between her thumb and index fingers she smiled at the thought of being in Tom's arms again and perhaps going further than ever before. She hoped it wouldn't feel odd to take their relationship beyond friendship considering they had only shared a few kisses and not half as many as she'd wanted them to. It had been quite some time since she had done anything physical beyond kissing and she feared she'd be rusty the first time she'd go there with Tom - because they were going to go there. 

Perhaps that's where he'd actually notice how much younger and less experience she was once they finally had each other, but she hoped not. Simply the thought of being with Tom had her blushing which was something she needed to get under control considering it was in her near future. The more excited, and nervous, she felt about Tom the more she knew that the only reason she felt this relaxed was because she knew that the storm was over. 

"What are you thinking about?" Jane asked and abruptly brought attention to herself. 

Aria smiled, "Tom. He invited me to some work thing at the end of this week and I'm thinking of going, we need to talk." She answered honestly.

"So, what is the status going to be between you two? It seems like you're both tired of the confusion." Jane chuckled.

"I think we both want to be together, or I hope so at least. It's strange because we've never actually had an honest conversation about how we feel for each other and I'm a little nervous for that." 

"I thought you'd be elated to finally hear him confess his love to you, it's what you've been waiting for. " 

"I am elated but it'll be odd to actually hear it. For so long I thought I was only imagining that there was something between us and to know that there was a chance all this time, well it is both thrilling yet scary. Finally we'll have each other, for real, but what will happen after we've talked this through? I can understand what he was anxious about, now." Aria explained.

To have her happily ever after was long awaited but what happened after they'd talked? At some point Aria would have to go back to Hudson and Tom would go to work as usual, how would things work then? These were things that Aria assumed that Tom had thought about and had him hesitating whether to be honest about his feelings at all; it was the fear of their relationship imploding. 

"You both have yearned for each other for too long to let this relationship fall by the waste side. You'll work as hard on your relationship as you did on your friendship, that's how you'll make it through." Jane smiled and made everything sound so easy, but perhaps it was.

They had gotten over many hurdles together and proven that despite Aria being away at college they wanted to keep each other close, that should be enough proof that they had put in a lot of work into their friendship which bode well for their future relationship. Looking at Jane she smiled and wondered how she'd been so lucky to gain such an amazing friend and as she obsessively thought of her own future she couldn't help but wonder about Jane's. What was in store for her? 

"Now that the story has been written and Laura's most likely looking at an arrest, what are you going to do? I credit Rebecca that question." Aria smiled.