Hold Me Close: An Ezria Story

Not Again

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Spencer's POV:

Emily, Hanna, and I were walking out of the hospital when we heard a bunch of doctors shouting and running around. A few nurses turned the corner to Aria's room. Oh no. I looked at Emily and Hanna as the same thought crossed their minds. We ran back inside. Was Aria okay?

Ezra's POV:

The nurses wheeled Aria's hospital bed out of the room. I heard her whimper my name as they pulled her out. I ran up to the side of her bed as they kept on wheeling her.

"Ez-" Aria started to say. But I interrupted her.

"Shhh. You're ok. Everything will be fine Aria. You'll be ok. You'll pull through. Don't worry. I love you. I love you so much." The words started flowing out of my mouth. What if this was the last time I would ever speak to her? What if I would never see her beautiful face again? I could see how much pain she was in. All I wanted was for it all to be taken out of her and for me to be in her place. I hated seeing her like this.

"Sir, please wait in the waiting room." A nurse said sternly as they wheeled Aria into another room.

"I love you Aria!" I cried as the door shut in front of me. I walked back to the waiting room to see Aria's friends still here. They were standing by Aria's parents, who were crying into each other's arms.

I walked to a chair in a daze. I couldn't help myself. I collapsed into the chair and sobbed. Kind of loudly. Loud enough for Aria's parents and friends to hear. All of Aria's friends and her mother came rushing over. My body started shaking and I put my face in my hands.

I knew what had happened. The bleeding had started again. The doctor said that if she got too overwhelmed that could happen. Her dad had yelled at us and she just got scared. The doctor also said that if the bleeding starts again, there's a very slim chance she'll make it. I couldn't think about it anymore. My brain was buzzing in a million directions. Aria's mom put her hand on my shoulder. I shrugged her off as I stood up and started walking towards Byron. She walked away to talk to a doctor.

Hanna stepped in front of me and blocked me from him. She wore a confused expression on her face.

"Mr. Fitz... What is going on...?" Hanna said. I looked from her to Spencer to Emily. They all wore the same confused expressions.

"I told you to call me Ezra." I said angrily trying to step around Hanna. I needed to talk to Byron.

"Yeah, no thanks." Hanna said moving with me. She was not going to let me leave until I explained.

I sighed as I carefully sat down in a chair. The three girls surrounded me with anxious and expectant faces. I took a deep breath.

"Aria's dad saw us... um kissing... and he got really angry and he started yelling at me. And Aria just got really scared I guess. She was crying and trying to talk to her dad and he was yelling at her. Then he pushed me and he told Aria that I didn't really love her... I guess that sent her over the edge." My voice trailed off at the last sentence.

"What do you mean over the edge?" Emily asked me with wide eyes.

I sighed and rubbed my palm across my face. "I'm assuming the bleeding started again..." I half whispered as my eyes filled with tears once again.

Aria's mom walked back over as she finished talking to the doctor.

"He said...that her stomach kept clenching when she was crying, so that caused the internal bleeding to start again and..." Aria's mom began, but she fell short. We all knew what the doctor had told us when she came out of surgery.

"If the bleeding starts again, there's a very slim chance we'll be able to save her."

I didn't want to imagine what my life would be like without Aria. Without Friday evenings eating Chinese take out and watching movies, without snuggly Saturday mornings with coffee and more movies, without her warm comforting body next to mine.

I got up again and stormed over to Byron. This is his fault. If he hadn't scared Aria so much, she would be healthy and recovering right now.

"You did this to her." I cried through clenched teeth. "Why couldn't you just keep your mouth shut until she was better!" I shouted at him even louder. I couldn't control myself. He just stood there staring at me with wide eyes. He looked like what I had just said hurt him.

Spencer walked over and put her hand on my shoulder. I shrugged her off and took a step closer to Byron.

"This is your fault. If I never get to see her face or hear her voice again, I'll know who to blame." I said pointing a finger at him. I walked away before I could read the expression on his face. Spencer followed behind me. All of a sudden I was overcome with guilt.

"Ezra, you need to calm down. This isn't anybody's fault. Aria's dad is just as heartbroken as you are right now." Spencer said.

It was true. Her parents loved her just as much as I did. I couldn't blame anyone for what happened. If I should be blaming anyone it should be myself. I'm the one who let her get kidnapped in the first place.

"Yeah...I know...I-I don't know what came over me." I said sadly.

"You're just afraid. We all are." Spencer said reassuringly. "But I think you know what you need to do." She said as her eyes flickered to Byron, who was now sitting on the opposite side of the waiting room with his face in his hands.

I got up and walked back over to Byron. I hesitated for a minute, but I had to say it. "Mr. Montgomery, I'm- I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I guess I'm just scared for her. And I just needed to vent. I- I'm really the one to blame for all this." I finally said, looking at the ground the entire time.

Byron looked up at me. "It's not your fault Ezra. It's not anyone's fault. But I shouldn'tve said those things back there either. After everything we've been through tonight, I can tell you really do love her. I can see it in your eyes, the way you look at her..." Byron said, trailing off at the end.

I just nodded slowly. I didn't know what else to say. So I just walked back over to a chair in the waiting room. I looked over at the three girls. They were talking with Aria's mom. Everyone's eyes were red and puffy. Emily walked over to me.

"We have to head home now, we have some volunteering thing to do tomorrow morning. But we'll be back before we go to that. Mrs. Montgomery's gonna let us know what happens." Emily said solemnly. I watched the girls walk out of the building.

I sat back down and stood back up and paced the waiting room and I sat back down again. I didn't know how long the surgery would take this time around, but Aria had to pull through. She's a fighter.

I dozed off in the waiting room chair, and I dreamt of the moment I knew I was in love with her.