Hey, I'm going out of town for a few days, so this story will be on temporary hiatus. Next update will be early next week, Monday-Wednesdayish.
The following morning, Spencer blinked into consciousness. Toby was still asleep on the bed next to her, his breathing soft and even. She rolled over on her back, snuggling deeper under the sheets. They felt soft and warm against her bare, naked body. She closed her eyes, thinking of the night before.
She hadn't meant to sleep with Toby. That was never what she intended to do. She was just going to tease him, kiss him at the very most. But things went too far, to say the least. As he slipped inside of her, she knew that she should hate herself for cheating on Wren, for selling her body for information, but she couldn't help it. Maybe it was because she still loved Toby somewhere, or maybe it was because she was desperate for answers, but she did it.
Suddenly, she flashed back to the night of her anniversary, the night she found out about everything.
"Wren, tell me everything," Spencer commanded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "How long has Toby been visiting her?"
"Um, I'm not sure. Since. . . . April, maybe? May?"
"Which one?" she demanded. "Be specific."
Wren thought about it, leaning backwards against the wall of the museum building. Spencer had met him here, behind the art museum, claiming they needed to talk, that their phone calls were not enough. "Mid April," said Wren, sure of it. Mona was admitted in March, and she started having regular visitors permitted the month after. "That was the first time I saw him there, anyways."
Spencer's mouth dropped open slightly as she wiped the tears from her face. "And what would they do?"
Wren didn't want to tell her, but her eyes were pleading, begging. "He would go into her room, close the door, and stay there."
"For how long?"
"Hours." Wren could see Spencer turn pale, not wanting to believe it. Her eyes were wide, completely in shock. It was then that he knew he had to deliver the final punch, no matter how much it would hurt her. "Spencer? There's something else."
"What?" she whispered.
"I don't know if I should tell you. It will just hurt."
"Tell. Me," Spencer growled, stepping closer to Wren.
Wren blushed and started to talk. "Well, one day I was supposed to go check in on Mona, but I saw Toby go in there about an hour before. I walked up to her door and was going to knock, but I could hear. . . noises coming from the inside."
Spencer looked at him. "N.n.n.n.n. . . Noises?" she stuttered, unable to ask the question.
Wren looked at her mournfully. "Moans. Grunts." He could come right out and say it. But Spencer understood.
Tear streamed down her face. "Oh God," she cried. "He was SLEEPING with her?" She started to sob, unable to breath.
"I'm so sorry, Spencer," he said, pulling in her for a hug. He wrapped one arm around her waist and one hand on the back of her head. She collapsed onto him, crying into his chest.
"How could he?" Spencer wailed. "How could he be A?"
"What?" cried Wren, pulling away. "What do you mean?"
"A is. . . b-back," Spencer hiccuped, wiping her tears. "We had no idea who it was, but we knew that they . . . they were working with Mona."
"Oh, God," whispered Wren, staring at her face. Suddenly, he just did it. He leaned in and kissed her. She kissed him back for a moment, their soft lips touching so lightly she wasn't even sure if they were making contact. But suddenly, he pulled away.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I should not have done that just now."
Spencer gazed at him, Wren. He was always there for her. She just hadn't seen it until now. "No," she agreed. "You should have done it much, much sooner." She pulled him back in, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him right back, their lips pressing together as seamlessly as two puzzle pieces that had been separated for so, so long.
Now, Spencer rolled over and looked at Toby's face, his peaceful, sleeping face. Spencer used to love him, more than she loved anyone else in the whole world. But he had to go and ruin it.
Suddenly, she thought of Wren. Perfect Wren, who held her when she cried and kissed her every day like it was the last time he'd see her. But Wren wasn't Toby.
And Toby wasn't Wren. She had no idea who to choose: the boy who broke her heart, but whom she secretly still loved, or the honest, kind, caring man who she could never love like the one who hurt her?
She had come here for answers, but she was leaving with a new question: who did she love? Where would she go from here? The whole A mystery seemed to take a backseat for a moment to her choice. And it was no easy decision to choose between the two most perfect boys in the whole world.
Spencer simply couldn't decide. It hurt to much to think about. So, instead of deciding, she quietly slipped out of the bed. She found her discarded clothing in the corner of the room and quickly slipped it on. Finally, she slipped on her shoes, grabbed her bag, and slipped out the door quietly so not to wake him.
She jogged over to her car, jumped in, and turned on the engine. She casually checked her phone, finding dozens of texts from Aria, Wren, Hanna, and Emily, wondering where she was. She quickly sent out a text to everyone: "Sorry 4 not responding. I didn't feel well so I crashed a motel."
Wren responded instantaneously: R u alright, love? Do u need me to pick u up?
Spencer smiled and quickly typed back: I'm okay. You're so sweet. See u tonight?
Of course, he responded. See you then. I love you.
Spencer nervously glanced back in the direction of the motel, where Toby was still asleep. Love you too, she typed back quickly, not even giving it a second thought, before she pulled out of the parking lot, speeding away as fast as she could before Toby woke up and realized that she was gone.