Hey Guys! I'm so so sorry about the delay in publishing this chapter, i was in Nashville for CMA fest for a couple of days and then I graduated (YAY!) so my life has been hectic to say the least. I feel like i haven't been taking as much time with the chapters lately and so i really want to make sure they're as good as they can be. I hope you enjoy this chapter I know it has been much anticipated, it was inspired by the song "Longest Night" by Howie Day.

Chapter 14: Longest Night

Is it dark, where you are?
Can you count the stars where you are?
Do you feel like you are a thousand miles from home?

As the dark night transformed into a peaceful morning, Spencer stirred slightly in Toby's muscular arms. She held him tighter, not ready to face the world yet. Suddenly she heard a soft thud from down stairs. She figured it was just some animal outside and closed her eyes once more, memorizing Toby's scent. It was musky and dark, yet sweet and charming. Spencer took a deep breath, happy at last, when her door creaked opened.

"What the hell is this?!" her mom yelled eyeing Toby and Spencer cuddling naked in bed.

"Oh my god!" Spencer cried, bringing the blanket up to cover her completely.

It almost looked as though steam was about to shoot out of Mrs. Hastings ears, like an animated cartoon character. She narrowed her eyes on Toby, "You, out in five minutes," she pointed at him, turning around quickly on her heels and disappearing down the long hallway. As soon as she left, Toby jumped up from the bed, throwing on his jeans and quickly buttoning his shirt.

"Have you seen my other shoe?" he asked Spencer looking around her room frantically.

Spencer threw on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans when she eyed one large black converse in the corner. She picked it up and handed it to him, "I'm so sorry about that," she shook her head, embarrassed, "if I had known they were coming back early, I would have never…."

"Hey, it'll be ok," he assured her, resting his hands on her shoulders, finally facing her since they were interrupted, "but I should probably go before I make things worse."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best" she agreed, she was already mortified about her mother's intrusion, she could only imagine what would happen if Toby stuck around a moment longer. Her mom was clearly furious and Spencer had never done anything so reckless before to disappoint her parents. Jason on the other hand had no problem going against their parents wishes and expectations, she had seen how they had reacted to his little stunts and she was not looking forward to the same treatment.

It was only last summer when Jason had gotten so drunk at her parents anniversary party they held every year, he could barely walk. As he slurred his words, Spencer's distant relatives gossiped in the corner, speculating he had some strange disease. But Spencer could only laugh at their reaction, it was ridiculous how oblivious they were as if it was in the Hastings genes to avoid the truth. When she asked him later why he felt the need to medicate himself with bourbon, he simply told her he was sick of their parents pretending everything was perfect all the time and how they put on a show for the public, so he decided to put on his own show this time. Their parents practically disowned him that night they were so furious. He hadn't been home since.

"Whatever happens," Spencer continued, "Last night was worth it," she smiled up at him leaving a kiss on his cheek. She meant what she said, that night had been so unexpected and so thrilling. She got butterflies in her stomach just thinking about it.

Spencer walked Toby down the stairs and quickly toward the front door, rushing to avoid her parents. She watched as he drove away on his motorcycle down the lengthy driveway until he was out of site completely. Scared to face the wrath of the Hastings, she took a deep breath, preparing herself mentally before heading toward the kitchen where they were waiting.

Are you lost, where you are?
Can you find your way when you're so far?
Do you fear, where you are?
A thousand nights alone

Her dad was reading the paper, drinking a cup of coffee, while her mom had looked much calmer than she did only a few minutes earlier. Spencer was not expecting her parents to seem so composed about the whole situation. She anticipated pacing and shouting, not two people having breakfast on a Saturday morning.

"Have a seat," her mom instructed.

Spencer followed orders, taking a seat across from them. Her dad put the paper down, in an attempt to give her his full attention.

"You should know that you're lucky Andrew's parents didn't drop us from the case after the little stunt you pulled –how things ended with him," Mrs. Hastings started, "I hope you know it took a lot of convincing and a lot of hard work."

"I'm sorry, but…" Spencer started but was cut off by her dad.

"Spencer, let your mother talk," he ordered sharply.

Her head sunk as she nodded in a silent reply. She felt as though she was a puppy being scolded for chewing a pair of shoes, with her tail tucked in and guilty rounded eyes.

"We know that you've been skipping school. Mrs. Montgomery called me, worried about your new… habits…she said that you've been spending a lot of time with this Toby Cavanaugh boy. Was that who spent the night?" she questioned rather calmly.

"Yes," Spencer nodded, embarrassed.

"You haven't been acting yourself lately, we're worried about you. First you cut class, now this. You're never going to get into an ivy league if you stay on this track."

But for some reason, Spencer wasn't sure if she could believe this that her parents were really concerned for her. Her father was only half-listening to the conversation, still trying to be discreet as he skimmed the newspaper and sipped his coffee. "We think he's a bad influence on you," her mother continued, "You've never cut class before, you barely even miss school unless it's doctor's orders. Did you know Andrew never has skipped school before?"

Spencer let out a muffled sigh at this remark. Andrew was a jackass. Simple as that, sure he had never skipped school, but he had done plenty of other things that Spencer was sure her parents' wouldn't approve of if they knew.

So here we are set into motion
We'll steal a car and crash in the ocean
You and I, caught in a fading light
On the longest night

"Did you know that he's going to Harvard?" Spencer's mom said.

"How does he know already?" Spencer puzzled.

Even with his parents influence, the Harvard waiting-list for early admission is a mile long. There's no way Andrew could know that he's in already, it took usually until late spring to hear back from them.

"His parents talked to the dean, they gave a very generous donation for a new addition to a library and set up an appointment for Andrew to talk to the head of admissions on their last trip to Massachusetts. You should be so lucky just to be associated with him, maybe then you'd have a chance in getting in," her mother mused.

But the thing was, Spencer didn't care. Sure it made her mad that Andrew had gotten in based on his parents, not on his merits, but she didn't want Harvard. That was what her parents wanted, Spencer wanted something all her own.

"Maybe if you had internships like Andrew did this summer you could have gotten in already too. Instead you wasted your summer with that boy," Mrs. Hastings spat, "Andrew was so good for you. He never slept over and was always so respectful. You were so driven when you with him, now it's like you've given up on your dreams. That boy has brought out a side of you that we're not sure we like. You're being rebellious and careless." She made Toby seem like she was talking about the devil.

It's enough, just to find love
It's the only thing to be sure of, so hard, to let go of
A thousand times or more I was close to a fault line
Heaven knows, you showed up in time
Was it real?
Now I feel, like I'm never coming down

Finally, Spencer had enough. "How can you say that?" she whispered at last.

"Excuse me, I wasn't finished," her mother stated, ready to continue her rant.

"…but you're wrong," Spencer said timidly, "Andrew may have already gotten into Harvard, but Toby is so much more than that. He's the kindest person I know, he makes me feel important," her voice was growing less and less muffled as she built up steam. "Toby is so many things that Andrew will never be. Maybe I should start with how things ended, Andrew cheated on me and then called me a whore when I was nothing but loyal to him. You think you know him but you don't! You only know what his parents want you to know. Oh and it was my idea to skip school, not Toby's. So if you're going to fault anyone for the way I've been 'acting out' lately it should be me. Don't blame him when he did nothing wrong except make me feel better when Andrew made me feel helpless and pathetic!"

She took one look at her parents, and after all they had said and the years that they had spent telling her what to do and how to do it, Spencer realized for the first time that it never matter what she wanted. They only cared about what they wanted for her.

"You probably don't even care about what I want though," she continued, "If it's not in the plan it doesn't matter, does it. I don't get a say in anything that I do or say or my future!" Spencer was full on screaming now, "Why can't I have what I want?"

It was like these feeling had been building up for as long as Spencer could remember and finally she had cracked. She knocked down the wall her parents had built around her, or so she thought.

"Spencer, don't talk to your mother like that," Mr. Hastings looked up from the paper to scold her.

"Why not? Because it's the truth," Spencer laughed darkly, not because it was funny but because she was exasperated and exhausted.

But Mrs. Hastings didn't seem fazed by Spencer's outburst. Being used to high-pressure situations as a lawyer, she had her best poker face on as she took a sip of the rich liquid in her mug.

"We don't think you should see him anymore. He's not good for you Spencer," she stated assertively.

I recall when we were together
Even now it seems like forever
So alive caught in a fading light
On the longest night

It had felt like Spencer's stomach had dropped completely. Her entire body felt numb as her mother spoke these words. How was she supposed to stay away from Toby? It had taken her so long to face her fears and to give herself completely to him and now it was all being taken away from her in the blink of an eye. She couldn't lose him, not now. She needed him like she needed air to breathe. He was her best friend, the only one who truly knew everything about her. He never judged her, and let her open up for the first time. How could this happen? Not now... Not yet...

Tears started to stream down her face uncontrollably as her throat burned with every word she spoke. "How can you say that?! You don't even know him!" she stood up, screaming at her parents.

"Spencer!" Mr. Hastings warned.

"No, you don't get it. You may be able to determine my future, but you don't get to decide this for me," Spencer shook her head, determined to make her point.

"We don't need to know him. He drives a motorcycle Spencer," Mrs. Hastings suggested as if that defined him.

"So what," Spencer countered, "He's a good driver and would never do anything to hurt me, unlike Andrew who only cared about himself. Toby is the most selfless person I know!"

"Spencer, you're not seeing him anymore, end of conversation," her mother dismissed, getting up and putting her now empty coffee cup in the sink.

"It's not going to happen," Spencer refused, shocking herself a little. It was the first time she had ever stood up to her parents. Ever. "We're dating, and he's so good for me! You don't get it. I really care about him and he does for me too, you can't just take him away from me!"

"Spencer, if you're not going to end it then I will," her mother threatened, "Your grounded until you can learn to make good judgment about people. Don't even think about leaving this house, and don't forget that we have plenty of friends who are more than willing to keep an eye on you...when you're home, at school, with your friends...so don't think about seeing him -ever again," she narrowed her eyes on Spencer, threatening her.

Can we go too far to find, what is waiting here?
A little fall from grace
On the longest night
Did we go too far to find, what is waiting here?
We'll take a little time, to open again

"No!" Spencer cried. How could they do this to her? Just a second ago she was holding him in her arms and now it had all just slipped away. He was like a memory she was being forced to bury away and burn into ashes, as if it hadn't existed anymore.

She ran out of the kitchen, grabbing her car keys on the table in the hall, and out the door to her car. She started it and drove as fast as she could, tears still spilling down her face, blurring her vision slightly as she found her way toward the one person she could call home.

Is it dark where you are?
Can you count the stars where you are?

So... what did you think? Were her parents a little too harsh? How are her parents going to react when she comes home? I wanna hear about your reactions and predictions!

Thank you guys so much for your reviews on the last chapter! I love hearing about your reactions and some of them make me want to cry because they are so kind!

Pssst... Who's excited for tomorrow? I'm so excited because apparently Toby is going to be leaning on Spencer when he founds out more about his past... thank god Spoby is back and stronger than ever!

xoxo Katelyn