Hold Me Close: An Ezria Story

Big Mistake

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Aria's POV:

"We need to talk." Emily said as as she stormed up to the side of my bed. "Alone." She finished, with a mixture of annoyance and fear in her voice as she glanced at Ezra. I didn't like where this was headed.

"I'm staying here, no matter what. The last time you needed to talk alone, you almost hurt her." Ezra said sharply as he glanced in Spencer's direction. She was leaning up against the wall by the door, her arms crossed over her chest, and she was looking at Ezra and I on the bed through shadowed eyes.

"Please Mr. Fitz. This is really important." Hanna urged.

I did not want Ezra leaving this room no matter what. The last time this happened, Spencer freaked out about. -A because I didn't have the answers she wanted. And I did not want to talk about -A anymore.

Ezra's POV:

"Please Mr. Fitz. This is really important." I heard Hanna say. There was no way I was leaving Aria alone with them again. Not after what happened last time.

I glanced to Aria's face. She was terrified. I knew she didn't want to even be talking to them right now. She tightened her grip around me, and I knew she was afraid.

"Look, maybe this can happen some other time..." I said to Emily. She was breathing hard, almost like she had run here.

"No. It can't." Spencer piped up as she walked over to the other two.

"Aria...we got a text..." Emily began. Suddenly I knew why they wanted to be alone. The other two girls look at Emily like she had just killed someone.

"Okay if this is about -A, I know all about it so you don't have to be alone to talk about it." I blurted. Aria gave a condescending look and I immediately regretted saying it.

"Wait... You told him!?" Hanna yelled at Aria as she stepped closer.

"I-I had to. He can't just sit here and not know anything about what happened last night." Aria said quietly, sitting up.

"Aria... Just look at this..." Emily said as she thrust her phone in front of Aria's face. Aria read the message out loud.

So it seems your friend survived my innocent play date. But it looks like one of you little liars felt like telling the truth, and now she's gonna pay.

Kisses,
-A

"-A must have been talking about you! I mean since you told him! How much did you tell him!?" Hanna shouted at Aria, flailing her hands in the air.

Aria clutched her sheets and pulled them to her. She looked so scared. And now I knew why. I wondered why she didn't want to tell her friends. Maybe she just isn't ready. The way they're acting, I wouldn't be ready either.

"She told me enough to know that you guys need to go to the police about this. It's become way too dangerous to be handling on your own." I finally said.

Spencer scoffed. "Please! Taking this to the police is more dangerous than handling it on our own. If we tell anyone about this, -A will take us down! Or worse, the ones we love." She shouted as her eyes drifted to Aria who was blinking away tears.

"Spencer's right Ezra." Aria finally piped in. "If you tell anyone, you could get hurt, or... or someone else could..." Aria's eyes drifted to each of her friends, then me, then the big bulge in her hospital gown where the bandages from her stab wound were wrapped tightly. A tear escaped her eye.

"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" I asked Aria quietly. I could hear the pain in my own voice.

"Because I-I couldn't... I was afraid you would get hurt." Aria said, her eyes still locked on her stomach.

I grabbed both of her hands and then lifted her chin so she was looking at me. Even through all the bruises and cuts, she was still beautiful.

"Aria... I almost lost you. Twice. I am not going to let this -A person hurt you again. I really think you should tell the police." I said. I could feel the tears forming in the corners of my eyes.

Aria's phone made a beeping noise on the table next to her. Then Emily's. Then Hanna's. Then Spencer's. They all looked at each other knowingly.

Then, I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket, as the beeping ringtone chirped. I slowly pulled out my phone and held it limply in my hands. This is not happening. I thought to myself.

Aria glanced at my phone in my hands. The look on her face told me she was more scared than she had been this entire night. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Ezra..." She whispered. I kept my eyes locked on hers as Hanna read the text out loud.

I'm watching you. And if you tell anyone, someone's precious little teacher is gonna have to disappear.

Kisses,
-A

Aria let out a whimper. More tears started to cascade down her face as she looked at each of her friends. Emily was taking deep breaths in and out. Hanna fiddled with her charm bracelet. Spencer looked like she had just seen a ghost.

"Ezra... You can't tell anyone. Promise me you won't say anything. Please." Aria begged me. Her breathing was becoming more like short gasps and pretty soon she was sobbing.

"I won't tell anyone okay? I promise. Just calm down. You can't cry." I said.

"Yeah Aria I'm sure it's just -A trying to scare us after what happened..." Emily's said, dropping off at the end of her sentence.

I rubbed circles on her shoulder as she tried to steady her breathing.

"I think you need to tell them what happened last night." I whispered into her ear after she finally calmed down.

"Ezra did you not understand the text we just got!? If I tell anyone else... I might lose you..." She said, letting her gaze fall to the scratchy hospital blanket we were both still under.

"Tell anyone else what?" Spencer asked as she took a step forward. Aria hadn't whispered back to me. She'd said it out loud.

"N-Nothing..." Aria said, not looking up.

"C'mon Aria. If you told him you can tell us." Hanna said icily.

"Look... That text we got just now? That's what -A is talking about. If I tell anyone else what he did to me, he'll hurt Ezra." Aria blurted, immediately clamping a hand over her mouth after she said it.

"Wait... He!? You know who -A is!?" Hanna shouted.

"What do you mean what he did to you..." Spencer said. I knew she would be the one to catch on.

I gave Aria a reassuring nod and kissed her forehead. She needed to tell them everything.