Chapter three

Five minutes after the girls had left Mike went over to Aria's bedroom. He knocked and entered the room when she said he could come in .

"Do you want to tell me what's really going on here?" Mike asked her.

"Tell you what?" Aria asked carefully, fidgeting with some stuff on her desk.

"Don't play dumb, I know that there's something going on with you." Mike argued.

"There's nothing going." Aria shrugged, trying to drop the conversation. "I'm going to take a shower and go to bed early."

"No you're not. You're going to tell me why you've been acting so strange." Mike insisted.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Aria said. She went to her dresser and picked up a top and a pair of pyjama bottoms.

"I'm talking about the fact that last night when I went to the park to play some basketball with my friends, you told me that you were going over to Ezra's. But when I almost got at the park, I ran into someone. Any idea who it might have been?" Mike asked.

Aria's eyes grew a little bigger. 'He couldn't have run into Ezra, could he? Damn, I thought he would be too busy with Malcolm that he wouldn't leave his apartment.'

"I don't know Mike. One of the girls?" Aria sighed and dropped the clothing back in her dresser. She wondered why Mike couldn't just drop it and go back to his room.

"No, I ran into Ezra," Mike said as a matter of fact. "and he told me that you said to him you were hanging out with me, trying to beat me at air hockey once again even though we haven't played it in years."

"Your point is?" Aria asked as she went to sit on her bed.

"Why did you lie to both me and Ezra?"

Aria sighed, realising that she had to tell him now that she was caught. "Guess I don't have any other option but to tell you right?"

"No you haven't" Mike said. He went to take a seat on the other end of Aria's bed. " So what happened?"

"Remember two weeks ago when I went over to Ezra's to grab some of my stuff?" Aria started to tell.

"Yeah, you told dad and me you left a notebook there." Mike remembered.

"Well while I was over there something happened." Aria continued, her eyes starting to tear.

Flashback:

While Ezra was in Delaware attending Malcolm's karate tournament, Aria went over to his place to grab another T-shirt of his for her to sleep in. When Mike had asked her where she was going, she'd said that she was going to pick up a notebook she had left behind, not wanting him to know why she was really going over there. When as Aria was leaving Wesley stumbled in.

"Wesley," Aria asked, surprised to see him there, "what are you doing here?"

"My mom and I got into a fight," Wesley slurred, "so I thought I'd spent the night here since Ezra's in Delaware."

"Okay. I, uh, forgot my notebook here so I was coming to get it. Don't mind me, I was just leaving." Aria said. She didn't want to be alone with Wesley, especially when he was drunk. He always tried to make a move on her while he was sober, so she didn't trust him at all at the moment since he was drunk as a lord. (In this story Wesley and Aria have only talked to each other.)

As Aria was walking towards the door Wesley started to come on to her.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Home." Aria replied bluntly.

"Why? Don't you want to stay here?"

"No, Wesley I don't want to stay here. I need to go home, my dad is expecting me to be home." Aria said. She noticed that Wesley had started to come closer to her and she was starting to feel trapped.

"But I don't want you leave. Wesley said as he closed the space between him and Aria. He pushed and pinned her to the wall while kissing her.

"Wesley stop" Aria cried, trying to push him off of her but she failed as Wesley was much stronger than her.

He took both of her hands in his left and pinned them above her head. His right hand caressed her cheek while he was sucking on Aria's neck. Wesley's hand slid from her cheek down Aria's body towards the hem of her shirt and Aria started shaking more. Tears kept running down Aria's cheeks as she tried to fight Wesley.

"Wesley, I need to go home. Please let me go." Aria begged but Wesley didn't respond.

When Wesley loosened his grip on Aria's hands to lift her shirt Aria managed to kick Wesley in the stomach with her knee. He loosened his grip completely and clenched his stomach. As soon as Aria felt that Wesley's grip on her hands had loosened, she pushed him off completely. Wesley stumbled backwards and fell to the floor landing on his elbow. Aria quickly picked up her stuff and ran home leaving Wesley groaning in pain behind.

End of flashback

By the time that Aria had finished telling Mike what had happened, she was sobbing uncontrollably. Mike had come over and sat next to Aria. He pulled her closer to him an wrapped his arms around her.

"Ssh Aria," Mike soothed, "everything's going to be okay."

"No, it's not Mike." Aria whimpered, "What if he's going to try it again?"

"He won't Aria, I promise you"

"You don't know that. Earlier today while I was at Ezra's he showed up and acted like nothing happened. He sat beside me but way too close and I was starting to feel trapped. I actually thought that he would try to do something again when Ezra wasn't looking." Aria said as she brushed her tears away.

"But he didn't try anything right?" Mike asked, needing to be sure.

"No, but that's because I left after half an hour."

"I think you should tell Ezra, he has to know what his brother did."

"Mike, I can't." Aria cried, wiping the few tears that started to fall from her eyes, "I'm not ready to tell him yet."

"Aria," Mike argued, "you can't just not tell him because you're scared you'll run into Wesley or he will try something again. If you won't tell him I will"

"No Mike please?" Aria begged as tears started to run down her cheeks again. "Don't say anything to Ezra. I'll tell him when I'm ready."

"Okay, and when is that?"

"I don't know." Aria mumbled.

"Why don't you want him to know that his own brother tried to rape you?"

"Because he has a lot on his mind already and I don't want him to constantly worry about me."

"And you don't think that he's worried about you now?"

"Can we just drop this? I'm tired and I want to go to bed." Aria said as she brushed away the tears with the sleeve of her shirt.

"I'll drop this if you promise me you're going to tell Ezra." Mike insisted.

"Mike …" Aria sighed but before she could finish her sentence Mike interrupted her.

"Or else I will to go his apartment and tell him myself." He threatened.

"Fine, I promise I will tell him." Aria gave in. "But I get to decide when and you don't say anything to him in the meantime."

"Okay, I won't tell him" Mike agreed, "but only because I know that you won't stop until I promise not to say anything."

"Thanks Mike." Aria sniffled, giving him a small smile.

"Do you want me to there when you do tell Ezra?" Mike suggested as he wiped away a few dried up tears.

Aria nodded "Yes, please. I don't think I can tell him without someone there for moral support."

Mike leaned over and gave Aria a big hug. "I swear if I ever run into Wesley, I'll kick his ass." He said, trying to cheer her up.

"Do you even know what he looks like?" Aria asked, smiling a little.

"I'm guessing he looks like Ezra seeing as they are brothers." Mike grinned.

Aria chuckled. "I starting to get tired. Do you mind leaving? I haven't slept well in the past two weeks."

"No problem" Mike said, giving Aria another hug. "Good night sis."

"Good night Mike" Aria replied.

"Morning Mike" Aria said to Mike when she walked into the kitchen.

"Morning. How are you feeling? Did you sleep well?" He asked her.

"I'm fine Mike and I've slept like a baby." Aria lied. She didn't want Mike asking her how she was the entire day. Truths was she had woken up a dozen of times during the night. The image of Wesley pining her to the wall, his hands sliding to the hem of her shirt flashing through her mind.

Mike gave her a strange look, he wasn't really sure whether or not to believe Aria.

"Anything special you want to do today?" Mike asked. "Actually beat me in a game instead of making it up?"

"Ha ha" Aria fake laughed. "We both know that the last time we played air hockey I won."

"Well why don't you choose a couple of videogames after breakfast and we will settle this once and for all." Mike suggests.

"All right! Let's do this."

The rest of the day Mike and Aria actually spent some time together and having some brother-sister bonding like Aria always claimed she was doing while she was actually sitting in her room. Now and then, Mike asked Aria how she was doing and if she wanted to tell Ezra. Every time Aria said that she was fine or that she wasn't ready.

"Mike could you please stop asking me if I want to tell Ezra." Aria said annoyed. "I promised you that I would tell him on my terms meaning when I'm ready." It was after the fifth time he had asked her and it started to annoy her.

"I don't get why it's so hard to tell him. It's more likely that he'll be mad at Wesley than he'll be mad at you."

"Can we just finish this game? If not I've got better things to do like hanging out with the girls or something else." Aria complained.

"How about we make a deal. We play all those games you picked and the winner gets to decide when you'll tell Ezra?" Mike proposed.

"What's in it for me if I win?" Aria asked.

"You win and I'll stop asking questions and I won't bother you anymore about it."

"And if you win I'll have to tell Ezra, right?" Aria asked already knowing what his answer would be.

"Yes, tomorrow after school." Mike replied.

"What, why tomorrow?"

"Because otherwise you'll keep putting it off." Mike grinned. "What is it, scared you're going to lose?"

"No, I just don't want you to be depressed when I beat you."

"Oh it is on" Mike said reaching for the console.

When they got to the final game, it was Aria's turn to pick one. She decided to choose a tennis game, hoping that she still remembered some tricks to win the game. As the game went on, the scores moved up equally. It was Aria's turn to serve for the match point. Two minutes later the winner was known.

"Guess I'll see you after school tomorrow huh?" Mike beamed with happiness.

"Yeah, yeah. We'll see." Aria shrugged.

"Oh no! You agreed that if I won, you'd tell Ezra. Well I won so you're telling Ezra once school is over." Mike said.

"Fine, I'll tell him. I'm going to bed, all these games wore me out." Aria said.

"Someone is a sore loser." Mike teased.

"Good night Mike." Aria replied.

"Night Aria."

The next morning Mike made sure that Aria was still on with telling Ezra the truth after school. Aria said that she was and the both went to school. When Aria got to her locker, the girls were already waiting for her.

"Hey Aria," Spencer greeted her, "are you okay? What happened on Saturday? We never heard back from you."

"Oh, it's nothing." Aria shrugged "I kind of talked with Mike about it."

"Did you end up going to Ezra's?" Emily asked.

"No, Mike and I decided to figure out for once and all who the best is at videogames so we ended playing videogames the entire day."

"Did you win?" Hanna asked.

"No" Aria mumbled.

"Anything we can do to cheer you up?" Emily asked, right as the bell rang. The girls all went to their English class. Aria pulled her phone out of her bag and decided to text Ezra.

Can I come over to your place after school? There's something I've got to tell you. x

A few minutes later Ezra texted her back saying he would be waiting for her.

Once school was over Aria walked to the front entrance where she saw Mike waiting for her. They went over to his apartment but before they went in Mike told her that he was there for her. When they entered the apartment Aria gasped and tensed immediately as she saw Wesley sitting on the couch. Mike squeezed Aria's hand for moral support and moved a bit so he stood in front of Aria.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Wesley, trying to control the urge to punch him.

"Ezra had to go pick something up, he said he wouldn't be gone too long." Wesley replied, shooting Aria a quick smile. "I just stopped by to catch up with my brother. We haven't talked to each other in a while."

There was an awkward moment between the three. Soon after Ezra walked in and is surprised to see Mike.

"Hey babe, sorry I had an errand to run." He said to her. Aria stood on her toes and gave him a quick peck.

"It's okay."

"Oh hey Mike, Aria didn't tell me you were coming over as well. Is everything okay?"

Before Mike could reply Aria interrupted him.

"I need to talk to you." She whispered to him.

"What is it?" He whispered back.

"Alone." She whispered while pointing to Wesley with her eyes.

"Okay, I understand." He kissed her front head. "Wesley do you mind if we catch up another time. I forgot that Aria and I made plans tonight."

"Sure, no problem." Wesley replied. He picked up his jacket and gave Aria another smile. Aria and Ezra took a seat on the couch and Mike sat on one of the opposite chairs.

"What is it that you wanted to tell me?" Ezra asked Aria and then he looked at Mike. He didn't understand why Wesley had to leave but why Mike could stay.

Aria eyes were starting to get teary when she thought about how she would tell him that his brother came on to her, kissed her and then tried to rape. Mike flashed her a smile and started telling him what Aria had told him on Saturday night. While Mike was telling Ezra the story Aria started sobbing harder and harder and leaned into Ezra's chest. When Mike was finished, Ezra stood up from the couch.

"Dammit!" He said frustrated, "This is all my fault."

"No, Ezra it isn't your fault." Aria said sniffling.

"Yes it is!" He shouted while shaking his head. "If I wasn't in Delaware, nothing of this would have happened!"

"Ezra …" Aria started to reason with him but he interrupted her.

"No Aria, I wasn't here when you needed me so it's my fault." He pulled her up from the couch and in for a hug and cradled her face.

"I'll always be here for you, you know that right? You don't have to be afraid to tell me anything." He whispered to her. "Is that what why you left so suddenly on Saturday? Because Wesley was here?" he asked her while wiping away the tears that were still running down her cheeks. Aria nodded her head.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I was scared. I thought you'd be mad at me or something." Aria offered weakly.

"Why would I be mad at you. You didn't do anything wrong. God I'm going to beat the living daylights out of him." Ezra exclaimed. "How long have you know Mike? " Ezra asked him, having forgotten that he was sitting across from him.

"Since Saturday." He replied. "The girls came over looking for Aria. I told them she was at your place but they said that they had just went to your place and Aria wasn't there and you had said that Aria went home. We went to her room to check but she wasn't there either. Then we heard her walking in and after the girls left, I confronted her about it. As it was the second time that she bailed on one of us while saying she's hanging out with the other I figured that something was up." He explained to Ezra.

Ezra faces Aria "I was planning on asking you what was going on with you on Saturday after Wesley left but …" he trailed off.

"I left before you had the chance." Aria finished his sentence.

"Hey Ezra," Mike interrupted "next time Wesley shows up here and you want to beat him, please call me. I would be glad to help. No one gets away with trying to her my little sister."

"Do I have to remind you that I'm older as you?" Aria said to him.

"I meant literally." Mike teased back, pushing his tongue towards her face.

Aria punched his shoulder "Just shut up! Okay?"

The tree of them spent some more time at Ezra's place. Aria showed Mike the photo album that Malcolm gave her. Ezra and Mike agreed if Malcolm wanted to, Mike could teach him the basis of lacrosse.

Once again thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites!

I decided to make Mike the person Aria would tell what happened because I love the brother/sister bond they have in the show and I'm really happy that Mike will be back in Season 4.

I hope you all liked this story. If you want to follow me on Twitter, my username is Twinkle_Lauren. Whenever I come up with another story I will post the link on it.

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