Warning!
May cause extreme heartbreak!
Toby's pov
"Spencer is dead." Those three words rang through my head like a loud siren going off. It was like time stood still and the whole world came crashing down. Everything in the world did come crashing down. My world came crashing down when the doctors announced her time of death. Those words kept repeating in my head over and over again, like a taunting curse echoing in the back of your mind.
I shook my head no she can't be gone. Not my girl. Not my Spencer. This isn't real. I need someone to tell me that this is all just a terrible horrible nightmare. My friends all tried to calm me done, but I wouldn't let them. Spencer's gone and it's my entire fault. If I've done a better job protecting her, Spencer never would have been hurt. This is all my fault.
Two days earlier
Spencer and I were cuddling happily on the couch together, when her phone beeped. I watched her facial expression change when she read the text.
"Is that text from A?"
"No it's my mom, she wanted to know what she should pick up for dinner," she lied as she stuffed her phone back in her pocket.
"Spencer, I'm away too smart to believe your little white lies about A," I said.
She sighed and said "it's nothing to worry about."
"If it's nothing for me to worry about then you would've shown me the text."
She sighed and dug through her pocket to pull out her phone. She pulls up the text and then shows it to me. One Hastings done 3 more to go. Guess who's next?-A
Spencer's sister Melissa was found dead three days ago. Her parents have been a total wreck since it happened. Spencer hasn't been doing much better either. Sure Spencer and Melissa had their differences and didn't get along, but she was still her sister. Despite everything, I know that Spencer loved Melissa.
"A is going to come after you now," I said.
"Toby, don't worry about it. A is just trying to scare me, that's what he, she, it bitch always does," Spencer said while getting off the couch. I watch her as she walks over to the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee.
I stood up and said "Well it's working, I'm officially freaked out."
"You don't need to get all alpha male over me about this okay. It's really no big deal."
"No big deal? This person has been threatening your life for years and you say it's no big deal? Of course this is a big deal!" I exclaimed.
"Would you please just forget about it? A sends me stuff like that all the time," she said.
"Spencer, I think it's time we tell the police about A."
"What? No! We can't tell anyone about A, not yet at least."
"If not now, then when?"
"When the timing is right, but for now don't say a word to anybody," she warned.
"We should at least tell your mom," I said.
"And have A attack my parents? No way! We are not telling anybody anything! Promise me you won't say a word."
I hesitated before nodding and said "Okay."
One day later
Throughout the whole day I could not get that text message out of my head. Knowing that is out there somewhere threatening to kill Spencer really scares me. When I became a police officer I thought it would make me feel more useful powerful, but it doesn't. I still feel useless when it comes to protecting the girl I love. I've ran out of things and different ways to keep Spencer safe. Right now I can only think of one thing that might help keep Spencer safe. She might hate me for it, but I rather have her hate me then dead.
Today I'm going to talk to Mrs. Hastings about A. Mrs. Hastings and I haven't gotten along in the past, but lately she's been warming up to me. While I was walking, my phone beeped signaling a new text. I know what you're about to do. If you rat me out, Spencer becomes rat bait-A
I ignored the text and just stuffed my phone back in my pocket. Little did I know, A was not bluffing, when they sent me that text.
When I entered the Brew, Mrs. Hasting was waiting for me at a table in the back.
"Hey Mrs. Hastings, thanks for meeting me," I said, while taking my seat across from her.
"When I heard you say that this was about Spencer, I panicked," she said.
I was glad to see that her parents are starting to worry more about their daughter. After they lost Melissa, the two agreed they would do anything to protect Spencer.
"This is about Spencer, but there are something's in need to explain first."
"Please just get to the point Toby. Just skip to the part where you tell me what is going on with Spencer. Whatever it is, I can handle it. I've been through Spencer's drug abuse, I've been through Spencer being in Radley and her relapse, so whatever this is, just please tell me."
I took a deep breath before speaking. "You should know Spencer asked me to not say anything to you."
"What else is new?" she said.
I took another deep breath to prepare myself on what I'm about to say. "For the past couple years there have been someone out to get Spencer and her friends."
"After her you mean like blackmail?" she asked.
I nodded "yes. Their blackmailer calls themselves A and they've been threatening Spencer and her friends ever since Alison…" I stopped myself from finishing that sentence. I restart myself by saying something else "Ever since Alison's funeral."
"A is still after the girls? I thought A went away when Mona got locked up," she said.
"They thought so too. A few months later A started up again. I've down everything in my I could to keep Spencer safe, but I'm afraid I'm not enough anymore. Spencer would kill me if she knew I was telling you this," I said.
"You did the right thing. Spencer will be fine. You did this out of love and I know she'll respect that. Maybe not right away, but eventually she will."
"I just want Spencer to feel safe again," I said.
"Me too and I know as long as she has you, she will be."
"Thank you Mrs. Hastings."
"What do you suggest we do to protect Spencer?" she asked.
After my meeting with Mrs. Hastings I was walking up to my loft, when my phone rang.
"Hello," I said. All I heard was Emily's heavy breathing and her friends freaking out in the background. "Emily what's wrong?" I asked.
Her voice was shaky as she spoke "ple…please tell me Spencer is with you."
My keys were already in my hand by the time she finished that sentence. "No she's not." I heard Emily mumble a silent damn.
"When was the last time you saw her?" she asked.
"This morning at about 9 am. Why Emily, what's going on?"
"Aria and I came over to check on Spencer at noon and she wasn't here. We called Hanna and Caleb to come help us find her, but we haven't seen her for the past four hours. When we got back to her house we each got a text from A."
"Oh my god Emily, don't move I'll be right there!"
"I'm pretty sure I broke at least twenty traffic laws on my way to Spencer's house, but I didn't care. When I got there all of her friends were here, waiting with worried expressions on their face.
"Did you hear anything?" I asked.
Aria stood up and showed me her phone. "I got this right before you pulled up."
There was an A message a long with a photo of Spencer tied up somewhere. This is the last time you will see her alive –A
"Caleb have you tracked her phone yet?" I asked.
"I'm working on a location, but my computers running slow."
I groaned and ran my hands through my hair. The second Caleb got a location I ran out to my truck and raced off to find her. Caleb and the others followed quickly behind me. I ran about twelve red lights and five stop signs on my way. Thank god there weren't any cops around.
The location Caleb got led to an old broken down motel. When I got there I jumped out of my truck and then ran off to find Spencer. My heart was beating fast the whole time.
"Wait which room is she in?" Hanna asked.
I looked at all the room numbers and tried to think. All of a sudden there was a very loud scream that sounded like a girl coming from the back lot of the motel. We all scrambled to find the source of the scream.
"Spencer!" the girls all screamed when they spotted a beaten up Spencer lying helplessly on the ground. We ran over to her and I immediately untied her. Once Spencer was free she throws her arms around me and began sobbing and breathing uncontrollably.
"It's okay you're okay," I whispered while holding her as close as humanly possible. When I helped her get back up, she was still holding on to me.
"Spencer thank god you're okay," Emily said. Spencer broke away from me to join a group hug with her friends. Once the hug was over she immediately linked her arms around me again.
"Spencer what happened?" Hanna asked.
Spencer sniffled as she spoke. "When I got home I went out to the barn to collect Melissa's stuff and when I opened the door Melissa's body was hanging up by a rope. After I screamed A snuck up behind me and knocked me out." Spencer started sobbing on my shoulder, by the time she was done telling her story.
"Wait they found Melissa's body, but she was already dead," Aria said.
Spencer sniffled "she was, but A must have stolen the body and hung it up, probably hoping to traumatize me for life."
"Oh Spencer," I said while wrapping my arms around her, allowing her to cry on my shoulder more. The girls each put a comforting hand on Spencer as she cried. Our moment was interrupted by the snap of a twig. We all spun around and saw a hooded figure that was wearing a mask pointing a gun at us. I instinctively pushed Spencer behind me and felt her arms clinging to mine. Caleb did the same thing with Hanna, and Aria and Emily were clinging to each other. I watched in horror as A aimed the gun at Aria and Emily.
"No!" Spencer shouted as she pushed passed me to jump in front of Aria and Emily. A fired the gun and it hit Spencer right in the chest.
"No Spencer!" we all screamed. The girls and I all huddled around Spencer, while Caleb tried running after A. Caleb didn't get very far, because A is very quick. The girls all called 911 while I tried to keep Spencer awake. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was getting weaker and weaker.
Emily took of her scarf and said "put this over her bullet wound." I did as I was told and held it down over the wound.
"It's not working!" I shouted. Tear's started trickling down my cheeks.
"Keep adding pressure until the paramedics get here," Emily ordered.
Aria and Hanna just got off the phone and said they've be here as fast as they can, which is never fast enough. While we were waiting my phone beeped signaling a new text. I gasped in horror when I read the text. I warned you about ratting me out! Now Spencer's rat bait! -A
"Spencer I swear to god you better stay awake," I said while brushing the hair out of her face.
She looked up at me with watery eyes. "I can't feel anything," she said.
"Hang in there Spencer, the paramedics is coming," I said. The sound of sirens filled the night sky.
Spencer used every ounce of energy she could to say "I love you."
More tears rolled down my cheeks as I shook my head "No don't you dare." But it was too late her eyes were already closing. "No Spencer!" I tried shaking her awake. "No Spencer, wake up! You can't do this you can't leave me here alone. Please don't leave me." I wrapped my arms around her and rocked her in my arms as I sobbed. Hanna was sobbing into Caleb's shoulder, and Aria and Emily were hugging each other while they cried. "I love you," I whispered to her one last time.
Present time
After we waited for many hours a doctor finally came out to confirm Spencer's death.
"I'm so sorry we did everything we could. The time of Spencer's death was 2:25am."
After the doctor said that, I tried running back to see her. It took both, Caleb and Ezra plus a few doctors and a police officer, to hold me back. Once I was under control, I finally collapsed and fell to the ground sobbing. My heart literally shattered into pieces when the doctor said that. I tried so hard to have hope that Spencer would make it, but it's like Spencer always said hope breeds eternal misery.
Now I'm left here alone with nothing but a broken heart and a crushed soul.
Two weeks later
"Hey Toby this is Caleb. We just want to know how you're holding up. Please give me a call or Emily or Hanna."
I chuckled to myself softly as I listened to Caleb's message. "How am I holding up?" The love of my life is dead and their wondering how I'm holding up? I laughed to myself I'm doing fucking horrible! The women I love is gone and the only thing I have now is my bottle of whiskey! Of course I'm not okay. I've been sitting on the floor of my loft drinking my pain away, but it's not working. No matter how drunk I get, I still find myself missing Spencer.
I took another chug of whiskey and then got angry when I saw that it was empty, so I chucked it against the wall and watched it shatter into a million pieces, just like my heart. I reached into my pocket for my phone and dialed Spencer's number. Like always it went straight to her voicemail. This is the only way I get to hear her voice. Hi this is Spencer I can't come to the phone right now, so leave a message bye! Tears trickled down my cheeks as I listened to that over and over again. Each time I listened to it I kept hoping Spencer would answer the phone and talk to me like she used to. I'm about to let go and I need her here to tell me to hold on. I haven't been in this much pain since my mother died, and I don't even think that hurt as much as this did.
Spencer was my girlfriend for god shakes! She was the love of my life! I loved her I still love her even though she's not here anymore. This wasn't just a stupid high school romance I was IN LOVE with her. I was going to ask her to marry me one day. We were supposed to get married and have babies together and then grow old together. Now because of A that won't happen.
That night I got the sudden urge to end my own life right here. I got up and walked to the bathroom searching for a bottle of pills I can take. I remember Spencer telling me how painful drug use can be, but I don't care right now. I don't want to live in a world where there's no Spencer around. I want to see her again and if going to heaven is a way of doing it, then so be it.
Okay I'm not going to lie I cried at least three time while writing this. I wanted to try something a little different with my writing, so I hope everyone liked this.