Ethan's Pov

Melissa drove Spencer and I somewhere private so she could talk to us about what she wanted to.

Spencer was sitting in the passenger seat while I was sitting in the backseat.

"It wasn't like I went running to the cops" Melissa said.

"You lied to me and then you got in a car with Garrett Reynolds. I saw you" Spencer said.

"I didn't want you to worry. If you knew I was talking to the police-" Melissa started but Spencer cut her off.

"Why him?" Spencer asked.

"Garrett was lan's friend. And he's been really kind to me since the funeral. He checks in on me, he takes me to the doctor when he can. And I needed someone to talk to" Melissa explained.

"You could've come to me, I'm always there for you and you know that" I said.

"And what did you and Garrett even talk about?" Spencer asked.

"About Ian. I still don't believe that I married the guy who was capable of killing Alison. The night of the funeral, I wanted to talk to you both about this. I've been holding onto this feeling that something was wrong ever since then" Melissa explained.

"So you went to Garrett about it last night?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I did, but, I think it was a mistake. I shared a lot with him. Maybe too much" Melissa sighed.

Me and Spencer looked at each other before looking back at her.

"Like what?" Spencer asked.

Melissa sighed and leaned her head against her seat. She released another sigh before looking back at us.

"Do you both remember that summer? It seemed like Mom and Dad were constantly fighting. The day Alison went missing, it stopped" Melissa said.

This made me frown, getting more interested about what she has to say.

"And I don't think it was a coincidence. Dad, he had a really strange reaction when he heard the news. It was, it was almost like he was relieved" Melissa said.

"We're listening. Go on" Spencer urged her.

"One night before she disappeared, I came home late. Dad was up, something was bothering him, but I didn't notice at first. I was a wreck myself. I had caught Alison flirting with Ian again. I sent texts to-" Melissa started explaining but I cut her off.

"To Ali?" I asked, sparing Spencer a glance.

"Telling her to back the hell off. I told Dad everything. I didn't know what else to do" Melissa said.

"Did you sign these texts?" Spencer asked.

Please tell me she didn't. Please tell me she didn't.

"I didn't have to. She knew who they were from" Melissa shrugged.

I gulped at that, considering it wasn't the answer I wanted, it just made her a bit more suspicious.

"Yeah. So, what did Dad say?" I asked.

"Nothing. He just had this look. Like he supported me" Melissa said.

"And you told this to Garrett?" Spencer asked.

"Ugh. I never should have opened up to him. I was venting, trying to sort through my feelings" Melissa said.

I groaned and tugged at my hair in slight frustration before looking back at my sister.

"This is not good" I said and Spencer nodded.

"Why?" Melissa asked, confused.

"Melissa, we're not the only people who know about Jason. Dad might have been blackmailed" Spencer said.

"What? By who?" Melissa asked, shocked.

"Alison. Jason found cash, a lot of it. Ali was hiding it" I said.

"I asked Dad about it, the blackmail, and he told me that he never paid Alison a cent" Spencer said.

"Do we believe that?" Melissa asked.

I shrugged my shoulders before leaning against the seat, throwing my head back as I closed my eyes.

This was all so messed up and confusing that I'm not sure what's real at this point.

The Next Day

It was the next day and the girls and I were at school and we were reading a message that we all just received from A.

"Do Mom and Dad know you're watching murder movies? Bet it would kill them to find out. A" Spencer sighed.

"ls A talking about the N.A.T. video?" Aria asked.

"Of course. A knows we have their cell phone" Hanna said.

I sighed as Emily made her way towards us.

"Did you guys get that text from A?" Emily asked.

"Yes. Now Melissa's threatening to kill our parents" Hanna angrily said.

"Buttercup, we already told you Melissa can't be A" I said.

"No, bubs, Alison was getting texts from the law firm your sister interned at" Hanna argued.

"Yes but she explained that. Melissa just wanted Ali to leave Ian alone" Spencer defended.

"So what? What, I got chased by a hobo for nothing?" Aria asked in slight sarcasm and annoyance.

Spencer looked at her weirdly while I let out a loud snort.

"That still doesn't explain why Melissa got into Garrett's car" Emily said.

"Do you think Garrett told her about the video? Because if she knows that she's on it and if she's A-" Aria started but I cut her off.

"You guys, my sister is not A. We watched her fall apart when we found Ian's body. She had no idea that he was dead. She wouldn't text herself from her dead husband's phone and then lose it like that. Can we please just breathe for a second?" I desperately asked.

Spencer gently patted my back as I tried catching my breath.

Never in my life have I talked so much, I don't know how Spencer can do it.

"No. We have video of four people who could have killed Alison. They were in her bedroom the night she died. Can't we get in trouble for withdrawing evidence?" Hanna angrily asked.

"Buttercup, it's withholding" I corrected her.

Hanna rolled her eyes while Aria let out a sigh.

"Look, Spencer and Ethan are right. We jumped the gun before and we've gone to the cops" Aria said.

"And we ended up looking guilty" Emily added.

"Yeah. They already think that we stole something from the morgue. I don't think that we should give this to them" Spencer said.

This made the girls sigh as Hanna rubbed her arms nervously.

"Look, I know that we're asking alot but I think that we might have a way to find out more. So can you guys just give us a chance to get into this?" I asked.

The girls looked at each other before looking back at us as they nodded their heads.

"Ok" Aria said.

Back At Home

After school was over me and Spencer went back home to see if we can try and get more information from Melissa.

However, when we walked inside the house we saw a red box with a golden bow on the kitchen counter and there was an envelope on top of it.

Spencer and I looked at each other before setting our bags down.

We walked towards the counter as Spencer picked up the box. I took the envelope and saw dad's name written on the front.

I heard footsteps and looked up to see Melissa walking downstairs.

"I have got to find an obstetrician in the city. All this back and forth for these appointments is just-" Melissa started but stopped when she saw me and Spencer.

I gave her a small smile as she gave me one back before she noticed the envelope and box.

"From dad?" Melissa asked.

"Looking forward to the dance" I said, reading what the letter from inside said.

Melissa and Spencer both hummed at that before Spencer opened the red box.

Her eyes widened in shock as she looked at us.

"Wow. Dad went a little bit overboard" Spencer said.

She turned the box around and my eyes widened slightly when I saw a very beautiful yet expensive looking necklace.

Damn, that looked like it cost alot.

"It's called overcompensating. He still believes he can use his money to shut people up" Melissa angrily scoffed.

Me and Spencer sighed as I set down the envelope.

"Melissa, we're not going there, ok? Dad did not pay off Ali" Spencer said.

"The three of us were all lied to, Spence. This necklace is nothing but his guilt talking" Melissa said.

"Melissa, sis, we get that. But being Jason's father is not the same thing as what you're thinking about" I said.

"I'm thinking that he has a lot to cover up for" Melissa said.

Spencer opened her mouth to say something when we heard footsteps and saw dad walking in.

He stopped walking and smiled when he saw the box in Spencer's hands.

"Oh, you opened it. I wanted to see the look on your face" Dad smiled as he walked towards her.

"It's...It's just so..." Spencer struggled to find the right word.

"Speechless. You see that? Exactly what I was going for" Dad smiled.

I let out a tiny smile at that and nodded my head, Melissa doing the same.

"Come here" Dad smiled.

He pulled Spencer in a hug and she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him back.

She looked at us and we just smiled at her, shrugging our shoulders.

I know that Melissa wanted to say something, but she didn't want to ruin their moment, I didn't either.

"You have to promise you're gonna wear it to the dance tomorrow night" Dad said.

"Sure. Promise" Spencer smiled.

I sighed and wrapped my arm around Melissa's shoulders. She leaned into my touch and laid her head on my shoulder.

The Next Day

It was the next day and I was currently at the mall with Hanna. We were looking for a dress for the father daughter dance.

Hanna told me that her dad bailed on the dance because of work.

I don't buy that bullshit. I think he wants to spend more time with his 2nd wife and his annoying step-daughter.

He's an asshole, an absolute asshole. That's what he is and that's what he'll always be.

When Hanna told me that I offered to take her to the dance myself.

I know that it's a bit weird, given the fact that I'm not a father, but Hanna is one of my best friends and I know that she really wants to go to this dance.

I'm not gonna let her miss out on this night of fun because her useless dad doesn't want to take her to the dance.

"Ok, which dress should I pick. The sparkly pink one? Or the dashing red one?" Hanna asked.

I looked at both dresses carefully, trying to see which one would be better on her.

"I say go for the red one, it suits you more than the pink" I said.

Hanna hummed and looked at the red one before nodding her head.

"You're right, it does suit me more. Plus the sparkles on the pink dress aren't exactly my favorite" Hanna said.

I chuckled at that before she put the pink dress back on the rack.

Hanna sighed as she set the red dress down before looking at me with a smile on her face.

"Bubs, thank you again for taking me to the dance, you really didn't have to" Hanna said.

"I wanted to, buttercup. I know how much this means to you and when you told me that your father bailed I got so angry at him. And there was no way I was going to let you miss this dance, so I figure why not go with you" I smiled.

"Aren't you worried people will find it weird? Considering you're a teenager, not a middle-aged man" Hanna asked.

"Who cares what other people think? Let them talk, I don't care. As long as my best friend is happy that's all that matters to me" I reassured her.

This made Hanna smile before she wrapped her arms around me, embracing me in a hug.

I chuckled before hugging her back, giving her forehead a brotherly kiss.

"Thank you, bubs. I love you" Hanna smiled.

"Anytime, buttercup. And I love you too" I smiled.

Gotta love the best friend/sibling relationship between us.

At School

We have a problem.

We've got a huge problem.

When I went to pick up Hanna and take her to the dance her mother confronted her about the police report that A sent.

Hanna obviously lied about it but Ms. Marin wasn't buying it and demanded Hanna to give her her phone so she could find answers herself. Hanna ended up throwing her phone in the sink, thus destroying it, before we both left.

We were both freaking out because we know that Ms. Marin wasn't going to let this go anytime soon.

So now we're heading to the dance to talk to the girls and see if we can come up with a plan to get Ms. Marin to stop investigating.

We made it to the dance and saw the girls and their dads in the main room. Some were dancing, some were eating and drinking and some were talking.

We spotted Aria and motioned for her to come to us.

We're lucky that Mr. Montgomery walked away, causing Aria to walk towards us.

"Hanna, Ethan, what's going on?" Aria asked.

I opened my mouth to say something when Mona walked towards us.

"Woah, I'm loving the dress, Han. Red is perfect for you" Mona smiled.

Hanna smiled at her as Spencer and Emily walked towards us.

"Ethan, bro, looking handsome" Spencer smiled.

"Tell me something I don't know" I smirked, placing my hand on my hip.

The girls all chuckled and rolled their eyes at that, amused at my actions.

I shook my head, remembering why we were here.

"Look, we have a problem, Ms. Marin is hot on the A trail" I said.

Hanna nodded and this made all of them look at us in shock.

"Um, what does that mean exactly?" Mona asked, confused.

"She found the police report that A sent you. And she thinks it was sent to me. She gave it to Wilden" Hanna sighed.

Our eyes widened even more in shock and disbelief.

Of all people that woman went to freaking Wilden for help.

She could've gone to any other police or detective for help and she went to Wilden, the most annoying and perverted detective in the world.

"Why?" Spencer asked.

"Because she thinks it's a threat" Hanna said.

"It is" Emily said.

"And I don't know. She's just trying to keep us safe" Hanna said.

"Yeah, but why Wilden? She could've literally gone to someone else, I don't care who, just as long as it wasn't Wilden" I said in annoyance.

"Hanna, now your mom and my mom are both asking questions about A. And A doesn't like that. If they talk to each other-" Aria started explaining but Hanna cut her off.

"Or if Wilden comes up with something? I mean, what if they end up like-" Hanna started but I quickly cut her off.

"Ok, buttercup, just relax. We're all stressed, anxious and worried but you need to calm down or you'll spill something important" I said, whispering the last part and gesturing to Mona.

Hanna glanced at Mona before sighing and nodding her head, understanding where I was coming from.

"I agree with Ethan. We need a creative solution" Spencer said.

This made all of us start to think of a plan, anything that could help, but so far nothing.

That was until we saw Mona slowly raising her hand, a small sheepish smile on her face.

"Well, I have an idea" Mona said.

We all glanced at each other before I nodded.

"Ok, Mona, go ahead" I said.

"It's gonna require a really big lie and I'm terrible at that. Which one of you guys is best at hiding the truth from someone who's close to you?" Mona asked.

We all looked at each other before pointing to Aria.

"Her" we all said at the same time.

Aria turned to us and gave us deadpan expressions.

"Wow, really? Thanks, guys" Aria sarcastically said.

"Anytime, honey" I replied back just as sarcastically.

Aria glared at me while the others snorted.

Aria rolled her eyes and sighed before looking at Mona.

"Ok, Mona, what's my lie?" Aria asked.

All I'm hoping is that the lie works and Ms. Marin buys it.

Otherwise we're gonna be in huge trouble.

The Next Day

It was the next day and Hanna and I actually had a great time at the father daughter dance.

Just as I predicted some people found it weird that I took Hanna, given the fact that I'm not a father.

But I didn't care because I took my best friend to the dance and made her happy. That's all that mattered to me.

Making Hanna happy has been crossed off my list.

Speaking of Hanna, her and I were currently making our way to Aria's room to ask her how everything went yesterday.

"Hey" Aria said.

"Hey. Did my mom buy it?" Hanna asked.

"I have no idea" Aria said.

"Do you feel guilty?" I asked as me and Hanna walked into her bedroom.

"No. Yes. I don't know" Aria sighed.

"That's always a good sign" I shrugged.

Aria sighed and continued pacing back and forth while Hanna sighed and shook her head.

I heard my phone ring and I took it out, only for my eyes to widen in shock.

"Bubs, what is it?" Hanna asked.

"It's Jonah" I said.

Why the hell was Jonah calling me?

"Well answer it" Aria urged me.

I nodded before quickly answering the call before putting the phone close to my ear.

"Hello?" I asked.

At Brookhaven

Hanna and Aria called the others and we were in Spencer's car, driving to the location that Jonah gave me.

"Wait, Spence. Stop here. I think this is the block" I said.

Spencer stopped the car, making sure she was in a good parking space, before we all exited the car.

"Welcome to Brookhaven" Hanna said.

"What did Jonah say to you exactly?" Emily asked, looking at me.

"That Vivian Darkbloom's friend Alison was receiving texts from more than one number" I explained.

We stopped walking as Hanna glanced at Spencer and I.

"Wait. So does this mean Melissa was telling you and Spencer the truth?" Hanna asked.

"It means that she was getting texts from more than one number" I said.

"So there was someone else? Like, the real A. Spence, Ethan, you guys were right" Hanna said.

I shrugged my shoulders while Spencer sighed.

"Where exactly are we headed?" Emily asked.

"I don't know. Jonah said he couldn't find a specific address of the texts but that they originated somewhere in a block radius from here" I explained.

"Do we have any idea what we're looking for?" Spencer asked.

"Well, I'm looking for a new phone" Hanna said.

Understandable.

Her phone's long gone after she threw it in her kitchen sink.

My eyes wandered over to a doll store nearby and I walked towards is.

"Guys" I said, gesturing for them to follow me.

We all walked towards the store before stopping as we stood in front of it.

"My god" Hanna gasped.

The store was filled with lots of dolls and they were all creepy as hell.

They reminded me of the dolls we got from A when we were searching for Dr. Sullivan.

"Those look exactly like those creepy Chucky dolls that A sent us" Emily said.

Good to know I'm not the only one that saw it.

"I'm freezing" Aria said, hugging herself with her arms.

Spencer looked at her before taking the car keys from her pocket and handing it to her.

"I think I have something in the back of my car" Spencer said.

"Thanks" Aria nodded.

She took the car keys from her before walking away, while the rest of us remained where we were.

"I used to like dolls" Hanna said.

"I'm over it" Spencer said.

"Me too" Emily nodded.

"Pretty sure we're never going to be looking at dolls again because of this" I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

Because A knows how to turn the smallest things into something creepy.