His smile, the one that usually warmed her heart, now served as a reminder of how lonely she'd been and Teddy threw her arms around him.
"Hey, Teddy."
The sound of her name on Spencer's lips made her hug him tighter and she leaned against him, relishing the feel of him in her arms. "Is it really you?"
He laughed and rubbed her back. "Yeah, it really is. Look, I'm sorry I didn't call first, but I wanted to surprise you. I-."
"Don't talk, please. Just… hold me."
To her relief, he held her closer. "Okay. Sure. Hey, are you all right?"
His concern touched her deeply, bringing new tears and she drew back, looking into his handsome face. "No… No I'm not, actually."
He took her hand and led her further into her dorm room, closing the door behind him. As they sat on her bed, he brushed away her tears and stared deeply into her eyes… or more accurately, into her soul. Sometimes it felt as though he was the only one who understood her.
"What happened?"
She sighed, afraid to tell him what was in her heart. What would he think of her? Quickly she looked away but he took her chin in his hand, turning her toward him.
"What's wrong? This isn't like you, Teddy."
"It's stupid, okay? I just… well, I love being here and all. I mean why wouldn't I? This is Yale, the school I worked my whole life to get into, so why should I be feeling like this? I-I don't understand! I'm just… I'm so lonely, Spencer! I miss my family and my friends and-."
She began to cry, unleashing tears that she never thought would be possible. She'd already cried enough to fill every river in Colorado.
He moved closer and put his arms around her, letting her cry into his shoulder. "Hey, come on, don't say that. You're not alone. "
She lifted her head. "I know. God, I'm pathetic. Even Charlie didn't cry on her first day of pre-school! What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing's wrong with you. And you're not pathetic. Look, you're far away from home, everything is new. You're bound to feel a little homesick. It happens to everyone."
"Yeah, but I bet you didn't sit in your dorm room in Boston, crying over something so stupid."
"Missing your family and friends isn't stupid, Teddy. It's human nature. It shows how much you love and care about them. When I first got to Boston, I missed my parents like crazy. I even wondered if I was doing the right thing, leaving high school early."
"Y-you did? You really missed your parents?"
"Yeah. My parents, my friends… and you."
"Me? You mean-."
"Of course I missed you. How could I not? I'd seen you all the time at school and I couldn't stop thinking about you. And I never stopped missing you. That's why I came to your party. Well, and because your dad… I mean you… invited me."
She laughed, remembering how she'd gotten her dad to invite Spencer to her going away party, in a not-so-subtle way. "You really missed me?"
"Oh yeah, Teddy. I-."
Overcome with love for him, she kissed him with everything she had. "I love you, Spencer."
"And I love you, Teddy."
They'd said the words to each other before but somehow here far away from their home in Colorado it felt different.