Spencer sat in her living room in her condo, fighting the tears that were bound to spring to her eyes at any second.
Her boyfriend of 2 years had cheated on her with someone she had thought was her friend.
Jonathan and Carmen were having an affair while Spencer was away at work. When Spencer walked in on them, Jonathan at least had the intelligence to act sorry about what happened but neither could deny that it had long been over.
They had been having their problems, with Spencer working all the time and not spending much time with Jonathan. To Jonathan, it seemed that she only made time for her best friend, Ashley.
But that was not the reason Spencer was trying her best not to cry. While Jonathan was packing his things, Spencer was struggling with not feeling anything.
This was a man that she had been with for two years of her life. Why didn't she feel sad or angry? Was it because she saw their relationship's demise from a mile away or was it something else?
Jonathan picked up on this. He walked out of the bedroom and dropped his bags by the door. He looked like he was going to open the door when Spencer whispered, "Why?"
"Spencer, I'm sorry it ended like this. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you but we were drifting and I suspect that I wasn't the only one that had eyes for someone else."
This sparked a feeling in Spencer: anger.
"What?! Unlike you, I have been faithful, not that that means anything now. I am not the one that pushed you to cheat!"
Jonathan retorted in anger as well.
"Really? Well I wouldn't know that by all the looks you and Ashley throw at each other! It's like there is no one else in the room! When she comes into the room, you light up and you give this smile in that you have never given me in the two years we've been together!"
He inhaled deeply and opened his mouth to speak again.
"Look, I'm not shifting responsibility for what I did. I cheated and there is nothing that can change that. I fucked up. But you have never made room for me in your heart because Ashley takes up most of the space there. Maybe you haven't realized it yet but there is something there stronger than anything we've ever had. You may be absolutely pissed at me right now but one day, you'll see it and see that I'm right. I'm sorry, Spence."
He kissed her on the forehead and gave her his key.
She had been sitting there since he left two hours earlier. She thought about what he had said to her. Was there something different about her friendship with Ashley?
Her stomach maybe flipped a little but she always chalked that up to her excitement of seeing her best friend. Whenever her and Ashley would hang out and talk, she always felt lighter. And there were things that she told Ashley that she never told anyone. She never let Jonathan in like she let Ashley in.
Was he right? Did she feel something more than friendship for Ashley? The better question was, did Ashley feel the same way?
She picked up her phone and dialed her number. It rang twice and then a raspy voice picked up the other line.
"Hey Spence! Are you off of work yet? I really wanted to hit the bar tonight. Jonathan can come along, if he wants."
Ashley said the last part with little emotion. It wasn't that she disliked Jonathan but she knew that he wasn't right for Spencer.
"Ash, I need you to come to my place. Now."
Ashley was worried a little.
"Why? What happened? Are you okay?"
Spencer didn't know how to answer that. Maybe blurt out that her boyfriend cheated on her because he thought she was in love with her best friend?
She thought it would require a little more finesse than that so she just replied:
"I'll tell you when you get here. I'm okay, I think but please get here."
Ashley didn't bother to question Spencer anymore. He grabbed her car keys and darted in and out of the LA traffic to get to Spencer's condo.
When Ashley knocked on Spencer's door, all she heard was a soft voice telling her to come in.
When she walked in and saw Spencer's red rimmed eyes, she quickly sat beside her and placed a protective and comforting arm around her shoulder.
"Spence, what happened? Why are you crying? Did Jonathan hurt you?"
Spencer couldn't force her heart to stop hammering in her chest so she just nodded. Ashley was seeing red.
"That bastard! I'll kill him, Spence. What happened?"
She inhaled deeply.
"I found him and Carmen together in bed."
That set Ashley off.
"Carmen?! I told you I had a bad feeling about that bitch! Two pieces of crap combine to make one giant heap of steaming crap. Spence, you're better off without them in your life."
Spencer nodded but decided she needed to be honest with herself and her best friend.
"You want to know the funniest thing? I was with him for two years and when I found him in bed with Carmen, I didn't feel the sadness or anger that comes with getting cheated on. I felt relief. Relief that one of us found a way out of this relationship. I wasn't meant to be with him."
She looked into Ashley's brown confused eyes and felt something she never felt with Jonathan. She felt the warmth of love wash through her. She continued speaking.
"He told me that I'd see it one day but I wasn't expecting it to be today. He told me that there wasn't enough room in my heart for him when there was someone else inhabiting all the free space in there."
Ashley didn't break eye contact with her or rather, she couldn't. She was mesmerized by Spencer's blue eyes to look away. She'd always love Spencer but she knew that she couldn't return those feelings, right? She breathed out her response.
"Who?"
Spencer placed her hand on Ashley's cheek and glanced down at her lips and then back into her eyes.
"You."
Spencer leaned in and kissed Ashley. Fireworks had nothing on this kiss. Ashley built up the courage to move her hands from her side to cup the side of Spencer's face and deepen the kiss. They continued kissing until they had to separate to breathe. Both of their chests were heaving. Ashley leaned her forehead against Spencer's and looked her in the eye.
"Spence, what does this mean? I love you but I don't want you to do this if this isn't what you want..."
Spencer cut her off.
"Ash, trust me. I want this. And I know what you're thinking. I'm not using you as some rebound or something."
Ashley looked down, confirming what Spencer said.
"We might have to take it a little slow but I want to be with you. I love you and I have no clue how I didn't see it before."
Ashley looked back up and beamed at Spencer.
"I love you too Spence."
Ashley kissed her with everything she had and Spencer was doing the same. They had found their reason for getting through.
