Chapter 2 I've Noticed
Spencer stared at the mirror at her reflection, Wren came up from behind her and wrapped his hands around her. He pressed his lips softly on her. "See I told you, you would look much better in this dress".
"Yea your right", Spencer admitted. She could feel herself blush getting embarrassed for unknown reasons.
"How did you know this Toby guy again"?
"He went to my high school", Spencer replied quickly. "Well sort of he was in and out of Radleys Psychiatric hospital for the mentally unstable".
"Oh, so I invited a looney to dinner, this should be interesting". He gave Spencer a longer kiss on her cheek and slid his hand to cup her breast.
"I really wished you wouldn't have, he's a wild card and I don't like the idea of him knowing where I live".
"Oh come on he saved your life", Wren argued. "Cut him some slack".
"You don't understand in high school he tried taking Emily to homecoming and she ended up in the emergency room that night". Spencer turned to face him pleading with her eyes.
"Well it's too late now", Wren replied. He might have over stepped with the invitation, but it was too late to resend it now.
"He was put in Radley for killing his own mother". Wren let go of Spencer's breast his face grew serious. For the first time he was questioning his ability to judge people. He had thought Toby was a solid guy. He didn't in the slightest degree get that type of vibe. But aren't all killers good at hiding that side of him, he asked himself.
"Yes, he went to trial and everything since he was so young and he was able to get a plea bargin claiming to be mentally unstable and got a reduced sentence at Radley.
"Why did he kill her"? Wren asked. He was now sitting on the edge of the bed, spence standing in front of him.
"No one knows, besides what's a good enough reason to kill your own mother"?
"Oh my, I invited a killer into our home". Spencer sat next to Wren and ran her fingertips through the hair on the back of his head.
"What do we do"? Spencer asked.
"Look you safe with me", Wren faced Spencer now his eyes locked on hers. "We be polite avoid any awkward tension keep it friendly we avoid any conflict".
Later at the dinner party
"Spencer what's your secret?" Hannah asked.
"Lots of weed", Spencer replied. The entire table laughed including the blonde haired girl with blue eyes. Spencer has known Hannah and most of the people around this table her whole life. But it wasn't a normal chorus of laughs it was a nervous laughter as if trying to avoid the awkward silence. The only one who seems to be having a truly good time were Toby and Ezra.
"So Toby what is it that you do"? Ezra asked Toby.
"I'm a carpenter", Toby responded proud of his job.
"Yea I thought I recognized you, your company did a great job on the extension on the east wing of the school" Ezra Fitz spoke up. Aria and Fitz had been together ever since she graduated Rosewood high, the school he currently teaches.
"Yea in my free time I also work at the Furniture store I specialize in wooden furniture" Toby continued.
"Really, what's your best work"? Aria asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
"Uh chairs of any kind really".
"Really I bought a chair swing from there a few months back I got some of my best work done on that chair", Aria responded. "I don't know if you made it but it's great".
"Yea, I pretty much make anything wooden that you can sit on in that store" toby replied. Light laughter move out through the room.
"Wait does that mean that the book is done"? Emily asked Aria.
"yep", Aria responded proudly nodding her head. Ezra leaned over and gave her a light peck on the cheek proud of his Fiancé. The room exploded with congratulations from all round to Aria. Minutes after the congradulations died down Spencer stood up holding her glass high with a proud smile on her face she looked around the room and her heart swelled.
"Well guys we all made it, Aria for writing what's probably going to be a best seller knock on wood. Ezra being able to take Rosewood's writing program to a higher level. Hannah for opening her own fashion boutique ,and for Caleb creating a program to help the government make cyber security more efficient. Emily and Paige for creating the Rosewood youth outreach center that are helping kids that really need it. And Wren for being an amazing doctor that saves lives everyday. If I am able to be half the doctor you are I know I will be ok". Spencer suddenly remembered Toby. An awkward silence stretched out. "And to Toby and his carpentry" Wren quickly chimed in. The clinking of glasses quickly filled the room. Spencer quickly sat back down and avoided making eye contact with him for the rest of the night.
Sitting around the living room the crowd had broken into groups of two with there spouses. Spencer was curled up on Wrens lap who was sitting in a recliner as smooth music softly filled the room with the constant humming of voices and laughter. Toby sat awkwardly by himself leaning on the outer wall of the fire place taking in the view of everyone. It was a like an old fantasy of high school for him had come through. Except Spencer wasn't cuddled up with him, but he was with the in crowd laughing talking and kind of fitting in.
"Hey Toby so did you graduate from Rosewood high, because I don't remember seeing you"? Ezra asked. Aria lightly smacked Ezra on the leg. "Ouch", he looked at her confused. "What"?
"No it's fine", Toby assured everyone. He stole a quick glance at Spencer before turning back to Ezra. "I was in Radley's at the time".
"Oh", Ezra spoke dumbfounded and embarrassed.
"Yea but I did manage to get my GED". The room grew quiet. The only one who didn't seem to be uncomfortable was Toby. "Yea, I did somethings that I'm not proud of so ". The room remained uncomfortably quiet.
"To wrong the one that wronged you leads to a place where the kismet monster dwells." Toby randomly spoke trying to kill the silence.
"Wow who said that"? Ezra asked.
"Vincent Del Petrova", Spencer answered her eyes now on Toby.
"Uh yea what does that mean"? Hannah asked.
"an existence with one bigoted exploit not vindicated is a fabricated existence", Spencer directly spoke to Toby. "Paul Towin".
"Ok seriously can we have a conversation in English please", Hannah spoke up annoyed.
"Nicely put, but I'm going to have to stick to Petrova. There it was Wren who saw it for the first time. The way Toby looked at spencer, he recognized it easily. It was like looking in a mirror, he had looked at her the same way.
Wren tighten his grip around Spencer. Spencer felt his grip tighten and quickly moved closer to Wren resting her head on his chest. The smile remained on Toby's face. Wren could see it in Toby's eyes that he more than knew her. He recognized her features. How clear her skin was how radiant it glowed. How perky her breast were. How her dress hung close enough to show her subtle curves. How pink and soft her lips were, how she smelled amazing. Even now Spencer still had an amazing scent.
Wren could see that Toby had already thought about what she would look like naked, what sex would be like with her. How her voice would sound saying his name in ecstasy. Wren couldn't have this. Was it really a coincidence that he saved her? He was more than eager. He was definitely trying to get on Spencer's good side talking quotes with her. It was like her kryptonite, he would know.
Spencer's eyes dropped, Toby sure did know some literature. How was this possible? Spencer was sure he was a psycho and here he was giving her a lesson on taking the higher road and justice. Maybe Toby wasn't all what she thought him to be, but then again he still killed his own mother. Knowing a good amount of literature couldn't change that.
"So what happened to Emily on the homecoming night"? Paige asked. Now it was Emily's turn to hit Paige. Toby's face grew grave.
"That was Noel and his band of followers, they were waiting for me in the hallway. They didn't know Emily was with me and had set a trap in the hallway. Emily walked into it instead of me".
"Why didn't you tell me"? Emily asked.
"At the time in the emergency room I didn't even know, everything happened so fast I didn't think anyone would plan such a thing. I tried talking to you when you got home from the hospital but your parents wouldn't let me see you. Then my mom was killed and I was already a suspect.
"Oh _". Everyone noted how he said his mother had been killed.
"Well now that all this tension is cleared up how about some music to lighten the mood". Wren spoke for the first time in a while. He held the remote in one hand while his other was securely entwined with Spencer's hand.
Quickly the tension left the room in one quick vanishing movement. Emily and Paige continues talking to Toby. As Hannah and Aria talked about Aria's outfit, Caleb and Ezra talked about some changed that would be happening in the government.
Thoughts of Toby quickly left Spencer's mind as Wren softly pressed her lips against her cheek. She turned to fully face Wren now and saw an all too familiar smile. That when she heard the song for the first time. "I will be the one you say good night to", the speaker sang.
"Are you going to be the one I say goodnight to"? Spencer teased.
"Ha ha very funny, it worked didn't it".
"What are you two laughing at over there"? Hannah asked. The attention of the room turned back to Spencer and Wren.
"Spencer and I first told each other how we felt while this song was on", Wren replied. Spencer couldn't hold back a laugh thinking about the memory. "It was the 29th time I had ever seen her. She was wearing this dark blue sun dress with the red belt". Wren paused and looked at Spencer a loving smile wiped across his face. In that moment Spencer felt her heart literally stop, he loved her in that moment. In that moment she knew that no matter what he did she would always love him. "It was the first time I saw her with her hair down, she looked lovely".
"Aw", Hannah gawked at the couple. Caleb took Hannah's hand in his thinking about the first time they met. Aria rested her head on Ezra's shoulder and Paige wrapped her arms around Emily. Toby shifted himself in an attempt to mask his emotions.
"What happened"? Aria asked. Bringing Wren and Spencer back to the room. The two lost eye contact and Wren at first cleared his throat.
"Well I had the whole night mapped out, but Spencer here wouldn't have that. No I couldn't keep her still for more than a second".
"Well yea I was avoiding you", Spencer chimed in.
"What? Why?" Wren asked.
"Because I knew once I allowed you to swoon me, that would be it I would be yours forever", Spencer admitted. Spencer looked into his eyes and she knew in her heart that every word was true. " I wanted to hold onto to the freedom for just a moment longer".
"Well apparently she was avoiding me", Wren laughed. "I mean we went on a few dates before but our relationship wasn't quite defined so I was hoping to do that, that night. I had to get her alone somehow. So I was able to trick her into going to the far end of the east gardens. There I faked having an allergic reaction giving me only an hour to live. She was going through her bag pulling out all sorts of crazy apparatus" Wren paused to glance at Spencer who was already blushing.
"I always have a kit ready to go", she defended.
"Wait Spencer how does one manage to get tricked into believe that"? Hannah asked.
"I had been drinking earlier that night", Spencer defended. The room exploded in laughter most of it genuine others more forced.
"I stopped her and asked how she felt about me. It was the first time I saw her speechless then well." Spencer and Wren shared a knowing smile. Hannah wore a sly grin happy for her good friend.
"And what"? Emily asked clueless.
"Spencer got to play doctor with Wren", Hannah answered. The clueless look remained on Emily's face. "Wren put his thermostat in Spencer's _".
"Ok Hannah", Caleb chimed in. "I think everyone got it". Emily looked around the room still lost.
"That's when they did adult things", Paige finally spoke up she ran her hand over Emily's back.
Wren tighten his grip around Spencer, not liking the way Toby watched her. Toby's eyes dropped to the fire to the side of him. Wren could feel a victorious smile growing on his face, he had won this round. Spencer mistaking his new smile for one of joy, she had already forgotten the Andrew incident for the moment.
