"You're hungover."

I open an eye to see Kyla at the foot of my bed, then close them immediately. "Not awake."

"Someone's here for you."

Half asleep, a thought flashes through my mind. "Spencer?"

"No."

"Go away." I take a few steady breaths, hoping sleep will come to me again. I hear a curtain zip, then sunlight invades the room, burning through my eyelids.

"Close it!" I choke out, burrowing my face into the pillow. My stomach is churning.

"I'm getting you some water." Kyla says, and I hear her leave the room.

I make an infuriated noise, as I feel sleep slipping away for good, and manage to sit up. My mouth is amazingly dry, and I put a hand over my stomach, grimacing. I notice I'm only wearing one shoe.

Hungover, indeed. I bury my face in my hands and feel sorry for myself, until someone enters my room.

It's Aiden, holding a glass of water out like an olive branch. He has a thin scratch above his upper lip.

"Kyla said you might need this..."

I take it, drinking greedily. Once I'm finished, I set the glass down and stare at him, frowning. "Close that blind." I croak. He complies, then sits down uncertainly on the edge of the bed - far away.

"What happened last night?" I rub my eyes.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"You, bringing me home..." I squint at the memory. "I barfed on you."

"Yeah..." He says, cringing. "I brought you home, and then you started drinking wine. I told you not to, but..."

I wince at this. Wine is just asking for trouble.

"After a couple glasses, you passed out, so I brought you upstairs, and tried to take your shoes off for you." He explains. Typical Aiden, trying to be nice at the wrong moment.

I glance down at my one shoe still intact. He notices. "You kicked me in the face."

I laugh, and it sounds raspy, but Aiden smiles. "So, I didn't attempt the other shoe."

"Wise choice."

We stare at my wall for a minute, then I remember to ask him something. "Why were you at Spencer's?"

"She called me."

I wait for him to go on.

"She told me...that she couldn't blame me for being in love with you." His brow creases, frowning at the words, but he continues. "And that what's done, is done."

"Spencer forgave you." I say simply, letting the words echo around the room. I don't know why, but I feel like something heavy is lifted off of my shoulders. He nods.

"Yeah."

"What's done is done." I repeat, blinking. "I like that." I look at him, and he gives me the briefest of smiles.

"Me, too." The air is cleared, after what seems like forever, and I'm thankful. But something is different, something I can't quite put my finger on.

An awkwardness that wasn't there before. Something I don't think can go away. I decide to change the subject.

I pause for a second, then shrug, casually. "Did Spencer seem...mad at me?"

He shakes his head.

"Not even a little?"

He looks baffled, then shrugs. "You should talk to her." He seems like he desperately doesn't want to be in the middle of anything. I don't blame him.

"I plan to." I assure him. "I just want to know what I'm going up against."

He stands up, sighing. "Just Spencer. It's just Spencer, Ash."

I nod slowly. "Yeah." I look up at him and he looks at the door. "You leavin'?"

He glances around my room, like he's taking a last look. He looks sad. "I think I got what I came for."

I keep my face blank.

"So, I guess. Yeah." He starts toward the door, tapping his hand on the frame, then turning around. "You know, Ash, I'm leaving for university in two days."

"UCLA. I heard." I clear my throat, ignoring my oncoming headache. "Congrats."

He tries to smile. "Yeah. Well, I have to drive up there, and it's sort of a long drive." His fingers dance nervously across the doorframe as he processes his thoughts. "I thought, maybe, if you don't have anything to do..."

I look at him, and he looks so sad. At a time when he should be happy, full of hope, and looking towards his own future. "What's up, Aiden?" I urge, prodding him to spit it out.

"You wanna drive up with me?" He blurts out, throwing it out there like it's the world's worst idea. Maybe it is, but I just cock an eyebrow.

"Road trip?"

He smiles, slowly but surely. "You know it."

"Pick me up Friday at 8."

He looks like he has more to say, but he bites his tongue, nodding happily and ducking out of my doorway.

Once he's gone I let my smile fall and collapse onto my bed. Kyla trudges in a few minutes later with some aspirin, which I swallow dry.

She lays on the bed with me. "Glad you're being nice to Aiden."

"Think of it as a going away present for him." I say gruffly.

"He's a nice guy."

I don't say anything, and she comes and lays down next to me. "Saw Spencer this morning."

"The whole world revolves around that girl." I say in a hollow voice, but I know Kyla knows what's coming next. "What'd she say?"

"Lots of things."

"About me." I squeeze my eyes shut against my headache.

"She said she was afraid."

"Of what?" I demand, opening my eyes to look at her.

"Lots of things." Kyla says seriously. "She made a lot of sense."

"Then tell me." I say, glaring. Why won't anyone tell me anything?

"I think..well, I think she wants to tell you herself."

"She told me to leave her alone."

"You know she didn't mean that." Kyla counters.

I do know. "I don't know what's up with her."

"A lot." Kyla says, shrugging. "She just wanted to face some things by herself. I think she felt like she had to."

I don't like the sound of Spencer feeling like she has to do anything without me, but I can't quite articulate this. Kyla pats my leg.

"Just give her time. She has to heal, physically, yeah. But that's not even the hardest part." Kyla tells me, and I roll my eyes and turn over, away from her.

"Whatever. You drama kids..." I'm done talking about this with her. She sounds so sure of things I'm just trying to grasp.

She laughs, then hops off the bed. "Just call her, Ash."

I don't say anything, but when I'm sure she's downstairs, I creep my fingers over to my nightstand, grabbing for my phone.

I dial Spencer's number without thinking about it, muscle memory kicking in.

It rings four times before it goes to voice mail. Whether it was deliberate on her part or not, I don't know.

I sigh into the phone. "It's Spencer. Leave a message. Muah!"

Beep. "Spencer." I plaster a smile on my face, hoping it translates through the phone. "Spence. I'm calling because I'm obsessed with you, if you didn't know it yet. I, uh...I miss you already, but that's okay, so just call me when you're ready to. I hope you miss me, too."

I click my phone closed. "Crap." I say, staring at it and then flipping it over and hitting redial.

Four rings. Voicemail. Okay, that's definitely deliberate. "Muah!"

"I forgot to say I love you. So, I love you." I say, a genuine smile this time. I roll my eyes at my own lameness, then add, "Too."

Because I know her reply even if she doesn't say it.