Chapter 7:

Spencer could not believe the rush that she was feeling as her body pressed up against his back, her arms wrapped tightly around his body while she moved her head from side to side watching the town speed past them.

She felt herself actually having fun for the first time in months, and she owed it all to Toby. If one of the girls had told her that one day she would be riding on the back of a motorcycle with a guy she just met, she would have laughed right in their faces.

Spencer knew that they were getting closer to downtown when Toby reduced the speed of the bike and a few minutes later, he was parking right next to Caleb's bike.

Once she felt him flip the kickstand down, she loosened her arms from around his body and climbed off the back of the bike. "How'd you like your first time riding a death machine?" Toby teased as he moved off the bike as well and helped her remove the helmet.

Spencer ran her hands through her hair the second he took off the helmet. "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." She smiled. "Thank you for making sure nothing happened."

"I'm a man of my word." He smiled back and laced their hands together. "C'mon, I bet they started eating without us."

"It's about time you two showed up." Caleb said as he waved the couple over to the back booth that the group had claimed.

"Yeah sorry, Toby had to do some major convincing to get me down here on his bike." Spencer said as she sat down at the end of the booth while Toby sat in the chair that was next to the table.

"Did he now? What kind of convincing are we talking about?" Hanna asked with a smirk.

Spencer shot her a glare from across the table. "Nothing like that you pervert, we just talked it out and he made me realize that I had nothing to worry about because I would be in good hands the whole time."

"Good job Toby, it's about time she let loose and started living her life." Emily said with a nod to Toby and sent a smile towards Spencer.

Toby just smiled and reached for her hand under the table, once he had a hold of it, he gave her hand a small squeeze. "Trust me, anytime that she is with me, she will be living her life to the fullest, and I can defiantly promise you that." He said directing the last part right to her with a quick wink.

"Can't wait," Spencer smiled back at him and then turned her attention back to the group with a laugh when one of the girls threw a balled up napkin at her.

"Gosh, you two are so cute together we just can't stand it." Hanna teased.

"Oh shut up Hanna." Spencer teased back and threw the balled up napkin back and the group fell into a comfortable chitchat as their pizza arrived at the table.

"So Toby, I have to ask, what's with the red roses?" Aria asked interrupting his conversation with Caleb after a while.

Toby set down the glass he just took a sip out of and smiled. "Well since you asked," He leaned forward in his seat, resting his arms on the table. "When I was a kid, my mother used to tell me a story about a young man that was hoping to find love. This young man had everything he needed in life and knew that the woman of his dreams would surly find her way to his arms without him having to do a thing. Sadly, years passed and the now old man had yet to find his true love." Toby looked around the table as he spoke, the group completely focused on his story.

"While on his death bed, the old man thought back to all his younger years and wondered what went wrong when suddenly recognition hit him with full force. In all his memories there was a young woman that he always over looked and he was shocked as to why because she was exactly the same woman that he had dreams of every night. The woman worked at the local flower shop that he visited every day when he went in to buy flowers for all his dates. He had been so blind in lust that he missed out on being with his true love."

"As it turns out, there really is a chance at love for all of us, because hours before his death, an old woman came to see him carrying flowers. Even in his old age, he instantly knew that his love had surly found her way to him and as he died, she sat beside him holding his hand and whispered her love for him that she kept for all the years she had known him."

Toby paused as he looked over at Spencer and reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together and sent her a smile before turning his attention back to Aria. "To answer your question about what's with the roses, it's simple. I do not want to be that old man that missed finding the woman of his dreams because he was too blind to see the signs right in front of him. There is a reason for everything and I will not be one to let that slip by when there is a good chance that I may have found my other half, even if the first time we met was when I almost hit her car. The roses are my way to show her that I had not missed the sign that fate brought us together that night." He said looking back over at Spencer with a small grin.

Spencer just tilted her head down to hide the blush that was making its way across her cheeks. Oh my god, did he really just say that he thinks I could be his other half? That would explain why he believes so strongly in the powers from above working to bring people together. Do I believe that though? Did fate really cause him to swerve into my lane just so I would take notice of him at the bar later?

"Aw Toby that is totally sweet," Aria said with a huge smile causing Spencer to look up just in time to see her hit Ezra in the shoulder. "How come you don't bring me roses on our dates?"

"Ow, hey, you know I love you already, why would I need to bring you roses?" He said rubbing the spot she hit him and threw a death glare at Toby who simply shrugged his shoulders with a grin.

"I think you just got them all in trouble." Spencer whispered over over to Toby with a smile, as she watched Hanna give Caleb a look that she was going to start expecting flowers from him as well.

"I think you're right." He whispered back with a small laugh.


An hour later, the group was now standing outside on the sidewalk saying their goodbyes. "That was great guys; we really need to get together again when Paige comes back in to town." Emily said as she looked around the group who all nodded in agreement.

"Sounds like a good plan," Aria said turning to look at Spencer and Hanna. "We will see you two back at the dorm?"

"Yep, see you in a bit." Hanna nodded for the pair and moved to get on the back of Caleb's bike after he sat down handing her the helmet.

"Be safe guys, bye." Emily said with a small wave and followed behind Ezra and Aria to his car.

Toby sat on his own bike and held out the black helmet to Spencer with a smile. "Here you go beautiful."

Spencer blushed again at his words, she could not believe that just a simple word could make her heart flutter and her cheeks burn. "Thank you." She replied slipping on the helmet and swung her leg over the bike, pushing her body right against his.

"Hang on tight." She heard him say as he turned on the bike, giving it a few revs as he backed out of spot and nodded to Caleb as the two of them took off down the road.

Her arms tighten around his stomach and she felt his muscles shake with laughter as he reached down grabbing one of her hands, raised it to his lips for a kiss and then placed it back down.

The pair arrived back at the dorms in less than 10 minutes and Spencer suddenly wished she had asked to go somewhere else, not wanting this perfect night to end.

Spencer pulled back and let her hands rest on the top of her legs as she waited for him to secure the bike. "I think I might be getting used to riding on this thing." She smiled to him when she moved off the back and pulled the helmet from her head.

Toby laughed as he stood up and reached out his hand to fix her hair. "Good, I'll make sure I pick you up for every date with the bike."

Spencer bit her lip while shaking her head. "Okay so maybe I'm not that used to riding on it just yet."

"Are you kidding me Spencer?" Hanna voiced from the side of the two. "Riding on the back of that bike gives me such a free feeling, I love it!" She turned to look at Caleb with a smile. "You may pick me up every time with your bike."

Caleb smiled at her as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Sure, will do babe."

Spencer just rolled her eyes at the pair and turned her attention back to Toby who was sitting on his bike, his feet resting on the curb of the sidewalk. "Thank you for tonight Toby, it has been one of the best ones I've had in a long time." She moved closer to him, shifting her body between his legs and wrapping her arms around his neck giving him a hug.

Toby quickly put his arms around her waist and smiled into her hair. "You're welcome," He pulled away slightly but made sure to keep her in his arms. "I have one more thing for you."

Spencer smiled at him and pulled one arm down from his neck, resting it on his chest. "Oh really, what's that?"

Toby leaned back with one arm and opened up one of the saddlebags on the side of his bike and a second later, his hand emerged with a beautiful orange colored rose. "The orange color represents passion and excitement, and I just want you to know these last few days have been the best ones I've had in a long time as well." He handed her the rose and returned his own hand back to her waist.

"Oh Toby, it's beautiful." Spencer whispered as she bought the rose to her nose and smiled at the smell. Pulling the rose from her face, her eyes locked with his and for the second time that night, she found herself connecting their lips in a kiss.

"Jeez get a room you two." Hanna's laughing voice broke the pair apart and Spencer blushed in embarrassment, having forgotten that Caleb and Hanna were only standing a few feet away from them. Even though the kiss was purely innocent, Spencer was never a fan of PDA.

"I should get inside," Spencer whispered to him with a small smile, when she started to pull away, Toby tugged her back with his own smile, and this time he leaned forward giving her one last kiss for the night.

"Goodnight beautiful." Toby said allowing her to pull out of his embrace. "Call me when you need a coffee break from all you're studying."

Spencer nodded smiling, "You can plan on it, goodnight." She gave him a small wave and then locked arms with Hanna as the two of them quickly made their way into the building.

"So did I just witness the first kiss between you two?" Hanna asked with a big grin as they walked up the stairs to their floor.

"Sorry to say but no, the first kiss thankfully was just between Toby and me."

"Ok, we are going to need details woman, because if the first kiss was anything like the one I just watched you two have, than you have it bad my dear." Hanna said as they approached their door and opened it finding Emily and Aria waiting in the living room. "Ladies, Spencer Hastings is well on her way to falling in love!" Hanna squealed as skipped over to the same couch Emily was sitting on and flopped down right next to her.

Spencer rolled her eyes as she shut the door behind her and walked her way towards the girls. "Hanna you are crazy, I am not falling in love with him."

"Bullshit Spence, I just watched you make out with him over a rose, by the way, why is that one orange instead of red?"

Spencer looked down at the rose that she was still holding and smiled. "He wanted to give me a color that represented how he was feeling and the orange rose means passion and excitement."

"Passion and excitement, Yeah I agree with you Hanna, she is totally falling for him. Look at that smile on her face." Aria joined in on the teasing, while Emily just sat back and listened with her own smile on her face.

"Both of you are crazy," Spencer said with a laugh and turned towards her room after calling out goodnight to the three.

Spencer shut her door behind her, and walked right to her dresser, adding the orange rose to her collection of red ones. Taking an extra moment to stare at them, she felt the familiar tickle in her stomach as her heart raced a little faster.

Walking over to her bed, she allowed herself to fall forward on her stomach and she hid her face into her pillow. I cannot believe everything that happened tonight. Toby getting me to ride a motorcycle, him admitting that he thinks I could be his other half, the rose to end the night, symbolizing his excitement for things to come. Do relationships really move this fast and I have just forgotten about it?

Spencer let out a sigh and shifted her pillow under her chin as she closed her eyes. You like him Spencer, and he likes you. No one falls in love with each someone that quickly, Toby was just explaining his beliefs on the dating world and as far as you know, he could find the one tomorrow while you are at class. Just have fun with him; you owe it to yourself after everything that has happened. Spencer opened her eyes and stood up from her bed going to her closet while peeling off her shirt.

"It's time to really move on and I just hope that Toby can help me." She muttered as her eyes traveled back to the vase but her gaze stopped on the cross that was leaned against the glass.


A/N: Just wanted to shout out real quick to everyone who has reviewed up until this point in the story. Thank you so much, you all rock! :)