It's finally here! Aria's confession to Spencer!

Beverlie4055: Thank you!

nirricles-happen: Thank you!

SpariaObsessor: I'm working on it, this chapter is definitely my longest, followed closely by the last couple chapters. I'm glad you like it :)

Mona: Thank you!

cat50492: I haven't decided if I want to go there yet, but I will definitely consider your ideas!


"Wait, what!" Emily said.

I was seething. A was threatening to harm Spencer. Or at least I think that's what it was. I suppose you can't really know what A was threatening. Alison had done a lot of things, and to be following in her footsteps could mean almost anything. I was positive that A was implying her disappearance though. We never did figure out what had happened to Ali. Was she dead? I hoped that she wasn't but reason said she probably was. Had she been abducted? It was certainly a possibility. Or had she simply run away. I doubted that, but I suppose with Ali, you just never knew. Judging from the text I had just received, I would venture to say it wasn't voluntary, in fact, I would presume that A had something to do with Ali's disappearance. At the very least, A definitely knew something about it that the rest of us didn't.

Emily grabbed at my phone, which had been hanging loosely from my fingertips, threatening to fall at any moment. I didn't stop her from taking it; at that moment, I didn't care, I was lost in my mind thinking about every possible inflection those words had.

I faintly heard Emily as she gasped. It was completely asinine to underestimate A, and having been outed by A for not falling prey to the first ultimatum, I knew that A meant business.

I felt my hands clench into fists of rage, but they didn't last long. My fury was soon consumed by fear. Fear of what A could do to Spencer. Fear of what A could to do me. Fear of what I knew I had to do to ensure Spencer's safety.

I felt Emily pull me into a hug as I broke down.

"Aria," Emily said softly. I could tell she was treading lightly, obviously trying to avoid doing anything that might add to my already overloaded anxiety.

"Aria," Emily said again, "I don't understand. I thought you had already decided to tell Spencer."

It took me a while, but eventually I was composed enough to find my voice, though my speech was scattered through my erratic breathing.

"I was… but then Spencer… went out with… Alex and… she just seemed… so happy… so I couldn't… but then A… A outed me… because I… didn't tell her… and A… forced me… to tear my… family apart… and now… now I…"

I lost it again. This wasn't like me. I was usually so together. I was the one who was really good at pretending everything was okay. I was the one who could hide things to protect people. I was the strong one. Or at least I thought I had been.

The thought of losing Spencer for any reason just tore through me like a bullet, destroying any and all strength within me.

I was so afraid that I would lose her by my own doing, so afraid that admitting to her how I felt would cause her to push me away.

"Shhh, shhh, Aria, it's okay. We won't let anything happen to Spencer," Emily whispered softly in an attempt to soothe me, "You have to tell her, but it'll all be okay."

Emily took out her phone, seemingly sending a quick text before enveloping me in another hug.

I knew I had to tell Spencer how I felt. It was the only way and I had accepted that the minute I had read A's message. And I had to do it soon. A didn't tell me how long I had this time, and since I'd probably pissed A off, I knew I had to get to Spencer before A did.

"I have to… tonight… before A… has a chance…" I managed to utter.

Emily nodded. She understood.

"We'll go as soon as you calm down," Emily said.

Emily made me sit down. I didn't want to, I wanted to run to Spencer, I wanted to hold her in my arms and never let go. I wanted to make sure nothing and no one would ever hurt her, but I couldn't. My legs wouldn't respond to my need to move. And I was trying not to think about the possibility that tonight, it may end up being me who hurts her. I never wanted that.

A couple of minutes had passed, and I wasn't calm yet, but I was slowly heading in that direction.

The doorbell rang, and I jumped involuntarily.

"It's okay Ar, It's just Hanna," Emily told me.

Emily left the room, reappearing a moment later with Hanna by her side. Hanna took one look at me and said, "Shit, Ar, what happened?"

I imagined what I must look like in order to invoke that type of reaction from Hanna. My mascara would surely have run down my face. My eyes were probably a blistering red, and swollen. I could imagine bags under them. I pictured my hair being disheveled. I knew I looked a mess.

I shook my head, not composed enough to speak, but Emily quickly filled Hanna in as best she could. I couldn't hear most of what Emily had said, or Hanna's responses. I wasn't really trying, but it wasn't long before I heard Hanna gasp, "That bitch!"

Hanna gave me a hug and returned to Emily's side. And then there was silence, complete and utter silence. I could feel their eyes on me, even with mine turned towards the floor. They were watching me, waiting for me.

It took, what I estimated to be, about twenty minutes of me mentally telling myself to breathe before I finally said, "Okay, I think I'm calm now."

I heard Hanna and Emily both let out huge breaths, almost as if they had been holding them in the whole time. I hoped I hadn't scared them, though I imagine I probably looked like hell.

"Okay," Emily said carefully. She was trying to make sure I wouldn't break down again.

"I'll drive you," she said.

"And I'll meet you guys," Hanna added.

I offered up a weak smile to both of them. I knew they were coming to support me, and I appreciated it. I was lucky to have such great friends. But I knew that wasn't the only reason they were both coming. They were coming in case the conversation I was about to have ended badly, and the thought of that being a possibility filled me with absolute terror.

It's okay. Everything will be okay. Spencer's not going to flip out and disown you. A won't hurt her, just keep calm.

I wasn't convincing myself, but miraculously I somehow managed to keep calm, but only just.

"You can do it," Emily said as we pulled into Spencer's driveway, Hanna right behind us.

I forced a smile, but I was sure the panic was still strewn across my whole face.

I slowly made my way to Spencer's front door, pausing to take a deep breath before knocking.

It wasn't long before Spencer opened the door.

I tried to smile, but something in the look on Spencer's face told me it hadn't worked.

"Hey," I said meekly.

"Hey, honey, what's wrong?" Spencer asked.

"I… I need to talk to you."

Spencer nodded, "Okay," Spencer said. I could tell she was worried because of the crease that appeared on her forehead.

"Are they joining us?" Spencer asked motioning to Hanna and Emily, who were still sitting in their cars in Spencer's driveway.

"I… I don't think so," I said, "at least not yet anyway."

Spencer let me in and closed the door behind me. I sat down on the couch in her living room. She sat down next to me, putting her arms around me.

"Ar, do you want some tea? You look like you're going to be sick," Spencer said.

I felt like I was going to be sick. I was nervous and scared and this was not the circumstances I wanted to be telling Spencer in, but A had cornered me.

I chuckled, I must look about as bad as I feel. I'm not sure how, it really shouldn't have been, but the thought was comforting.

I was looking down at my feet. I couldn't bear to look at her, knowing what I was about to do. I hadn't been able to summon the courage to speak. I wanted to be able to say this without bursting into tears.

"Aria, baby, look at me," Spencer urged, lifting my chin with her fingers.

With not much alternative, I looked her in the eyes. I could see the concern in them, and I wondered what she could see in mine.

My eyes darted around her beautiful face, searching for some sort of answer, some sort of sign that maybe, just maybe Spencer might return my feelings, but all I found was worry.

"Spence," I said softly, tears welling in my eyes already.

There was no way I would make it through without breaking down, I could already feel it coming.

"Spence, I need to tell you something," I said.

The tears had started flowing down my cheeks, but I still had control of my voice.

Spencer tried to wipe the tears from my face, but they were instantly replaced with new ones.

"Whatever it is," Spencer said, "It'll be alright."

I smiled genuinely through my tears. Spencer made me feel like everything was alright in the world, which only made me fear losing her more.

"I know my timing is horrible, and I wish it wasn't, but I have to tell you now, I can't keep it to myself anymore."

I paused, looking at Spencer. I loved her so much, it wasn't fair. And it wasn't fair that A was making me do this now, when she had Alex.

This was it. The moment of truth.

"I think I'm in love with you Spencer," I told her, searching her for a reaction.

There wasn't one. Spencer didn't move. I saw her pupils dilate slightly.

"Spencer?" I said, "Spencer, please say something," I pleaded.

She didn't. It was as if she didn't even hear me. She looked catatonic, as if I had sent her into a coma.

I took her hands in mine. They didn't respond to my touch at all; there was no attempt to pull away, no attempt to hold on; they were limp, only moving where I moved them.

I hadn't expected her to take the news well, but this was scaring me. Nothing had prepared me for this.

I hugged her unmoving body, I could feel her heart beating, and the air flowing through her lungs, which assured me that she was still alive.

"I'm sorry," I whispered in her ear.

I ran out of the house crying. I didn't stop until I was back in Emily's car. I cried on Emily's shoulder, all the way back to my house. She helped me upstairs and into my bed. She sat there with me letting me cry on her until I fell asleep.


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