Chapter Twenty Four

Three weeks passed, and things were drastically changing... for the worse? Spencer, was almost finished moving out of the tiny apartment, and into Aria's and Ezra's. While, Toby was also moving out into his own place, on the other side of town. Wren was looking for new room mates, and him and Toby weren't talking. At all. While most people were getting ready for Christmas, decorating their trees with lights, putting up wreaths, and happily singing Christmas carols. The three, that were once best friends, seemed to be at each other's throats. Well, Toby and Wren at least. But, Spencer wasn't exactly happy, more like miserable. She had no idea what she was doing. She was torn between two incredible guys.

Spencer watched from inside the small book store's cafe, the snow falling, and the people shivering in their mittens and scarves. Many we're piling in the book store, looking for gifts for their loved ones. Spencer, felt like hitting her head against the table. Why was it this hard?

Soon, her tiny friend arrived, in layers upon layers of clothing. A purple fuzzy scarf wrapped around her neck, and her hair flattened out by a knitted hat her grandma made her. Aria let out a shiver, as she sat next to her friend. Aria, took a gulp of her hot chocolate, instantly regretting the rather large gulp due to the burning of her tongue. She let out a groan of pain, as Spencer giggled at her. They made small talk, about the cold weather, that gradually became a much more serious topic.

"So Spencer," Aria mumbled sipping her warm hot chocolate. "It's taking you a rather long time to move out?" Aria pointed out.

"No it hasn't." She snapped back, biting her lip and hiding behind her coffee cup with a gulp.

"It's been like three weeks, you aren't bringing your whole apartment, how long can it possibly take?" Aria cocked her head, her hazel eyes staring at her friend.

"I have a job." Spencer replied lowering her head, and acting like it was completely obvious.

"Still." Aria licked her lips and cased her eyes downward. Aria looked as if she was hiding something, and Spencer quickly noticed.

"Aria," She ducked her head down to get at Aria's eye level. "What is it?" She asked worried. Aria, rolled her head up again, removing strands of dark hair from her face. She fumbled on her words for a second, before actually pushing them out.

"Me and Ezra we're talking. And we think-" She bit her lip, as Spencer looked at her worried as ever. "We think you're taking your time moving out because of Wren and Toby."

"What?" Spencer said smiling in disbelief. "Why would i be doing that?" Her voice trailed as she played with her shirt hem mindlessly.

"We also think that's why you're avoiding choosing one of them. Because You know, which ever one you choose, that you could possibly lose the other one." Aria said slowly, hoping Spencer wouldn't freak on her.

"Okay, no." Spencer stated dully. "I can't choose." She sighed. "Maybe, i'm putting off moving out because there's so many memories. But, there just memories. and I do want to get out of there. But, no. I have no idea what to do." She rambled shaking her head her eyes becoming glossy.

"You really don't know who you're going to choose?" Aria questioned wideness her eyes in surprise.

"No? Okay. There both." She sighed. "I like them both, and I just-" She groaned. "I wish it were simpler."

"It's your choice." Aria gulped with a small nod, her eyes distant and her mouth clasped shut tightly. Spencer, glanced at her squinting her mocha eyes.

"What?" She asked flatly.

"I just," Aria fluttered her eyes. "I think Wren would be a better choice." She said slowly and cautiously.

"Why?" Spencer spat her lips quivering, and her nose scrunching up.

"Because Spence. You've been hung up on Toby, he broke your heart." Aria said softly eyeing her friend up and down skeptically.

"Well," She gulped. "I know." Her eyes shot downwards.

"Maybe Wren's safer."

"Toby's a good guy, great." She mumbled. "He was trying to do the right thing,"

"You're sticking up for him?" Aria let out a laugh, a smile covering her face in disbelief.

"Why can't I?" She asked sharply, glaring at her friend in annoyance.

"Nothing," Aria murmured taking a sip of her hot chocolate, and letting out another small laugh. Spencer huffed with an eye rolling, and tilted her head toward the window. The snow was really coming in now, and the people were scattering around dressed in their layers off clothing. No matter how many layers of clothing they wore though mattered, the bitter wind was too strong, and the temperature was too low. They were still freezing. Although, the scarfs, mittens, gloves, coats, and hats kept them warmer then they would be without them, they still didn't do the job completely. Spencer, had put up so many walls, and Toby found a way in. Just like with the coldness, he crept past the layers.

Spencer was scared. Her whole life she was strong and independent, sure she was upset when Andrew broke up with her. But, it was different with Toby and they didn't even date. Maybe it was that. Maybe, she was scared of being with Toby. She knew he wasn't purposely hurting her, and she knew he probably wouldn't hurt her in the future. Although, there was always that chance. He could break her heart so easily.

And with Wren. He seemed perfect, he seemed like the kind of guy her parent's would approve of. Although, none of that mattered anymore to her. She didn't care about her parent's opinion. Wren was sweet, and charming. She could fall for him easily, but that was if her heart wasn't already taken. Although, she didn't realize this. Wren seemed right for her, and maybe her and Toby weren't meant to be. The universe seemed to pull them apart, any chance it got.

"I change my mind." Aria stated, which startled the brunette. She moved her mocha eyes to the tiny girl next to her, sipping her hot chocolate. "You should go with Toby. If you can forgive him, then you should be with him. Not Wren." Aria said solemnly. Her red lips forming a soft smile.

"Why'd you change your mind?" Spencer furrowed her eyebrows.

"The Spencer Hastings I know, is stubborn, and wouldn't be sticking up for the guy who hurt her. She would be trash talking him. She would take beyond forever to forgive him-" Aria rambled, as her friend gave her the death stare. "But, here you are sticking up for him." her voice trailed. "I think somebody's in love." Aria hummed smacking her lips together poking her friend childishly.

"No," Spencer scoffed, a smile of her own crawling on her lips.

"Really? Ever since Andrew, you've been so hung over Toby. Maybe Wren's a nice guy. But, do you think you guys could work?"

Spencer sighed and let her brown eyes down cast. She squinted her eyes at her much needed manicure nails, and rolled her tongue around her mouth aimlessly. "I don't know." She mumbled. "The thing with Wren, when we first met. If Andrew didn't exsist, I would have probably went bananza over him." She laughed. " I mean Toby was cute, but I don't know. I didn't see him as a more than a friend. With Wren it was hard, to just be friends." She continued. "Then Wren became just a friend, and Toby." She sighed. "He-" she gulped. "I don't know." She said lightly, her mocha eyes in another universe.

Aria was tilting her head, smiling like an idiot at her friend's rambles, which made Spencer blurt 'shut up' at her.

"So, why not just go with Toby?" Aria finally asked hesitantly.

"Cause," She mumbled. " I like Wren."

"So?"

"I don't know." She sighed with a pout, covering her face with her hands.

Aria pursed her lips, and rubbed her friends shoulder, as her eyes softened. Why did she feel bad? Who knows. Two gorgeous guys were after her, and that's nothing to feel bad about. But, Spencer was obviously upset, so, so was Aria.

"I think I'm going to be ready tomorrow." Spencer said as they left the small book store, into the dusk of the harsh cold. Goosebumps instantly traveling up their bodies, and their teeth chattering.

"Ready for what?" Aria asked shivering, and wrapping her arms around her tiny body.

"To move in." Spencer said slowly.

"Really?" Aria's lightened up, glancing at her friend. "I'm so excited." She squealed , and nearly attacked her friend with a hug in the middle of the side walk.

When Spencer got home, she knew she was going to finish packing. She had too. Although, there was a reason she ignored Aria's request to come and help her and Ezra make ginger bread cookies. She knew Wren wouldn't be home, and she had to tell Toby something. Since, Toby professed his feelings for her. She felt like a million butterflies fly into her stomach any time she saw him. She felt more nervous, than she did in high school when she made her valedictorian speech. That's what scared her the most.

Spencer called out Toby's name when she flew open the door. Toby was quite surprised, it seemed like the last three weeks, none of them said a word to each other. Toby tried to talk to Spencer, but she would always just seem in a different world. She would give him short answers, and seem to have no desire for conversation with him. And Toby sure as hell wasn't talking to Wren. Who knew the holidays could be so lonely?

"In here." He yelled from his bedroom, where he too was packing to get out of the dinky apartment.

Spencer unraveled her scarf, and pulled off her pea-coat before following his voice into his room. His room was much cleaner than normal, which was to expect, since like Spencer, he was leaving.

"You can come in." He said softly stepping off his unmade bed. Spencer, was standing warily at the door. Why was she so nervous?

"Sorry," She murmured ducking her head down as she walked in. Toby sat on his bed once again, his blue eyes locked on her. Spencer took a seat on his chair for his desk, and swiveled around in it for a good twenty seconds. Toby eyed her up and down suspiciously with a chuckle.

"Did you come in here to use my chair or?" he smiled at her, his eyes sparkling. Spencer's lips curved up into a smile, as she stopped the chair from moving. After it came to a still, she cleared her throat, and removed the foolish smile off her face.

"No," She said softly.

"Then what is it?" He asked, glimpses of hope sailing across his oceanic eyes.

"Um," She mumbled with a small cough. Her eyes fell down wards, as she looked at her hard ward floors. All the patterns, she never noticed before staring back at her. "I should have told you this a long time ago." She gulped. "but, when you kissed me at the wedding."

Toby's heart nearly skipped a beat at these words, and he looked more alert than ever. More alert than a high-caffeinated Spencer.

"That wasn't our first kiss." She said apprehensively. Her voice so soft, that it sounded to be a whisper.

"What?" He broke out into a smile of disbelief. "Spencer, I think I would remember if we kissed before that." He stated locking eyes with her. "Believe me," He mumbled darting his blue eyes away from her brown ones.

"You were drunk." She stated. "So was I, but, I was less drunk than you." She murmured.

"Who made the first move?" He asked abruptly. "When was this?" He furrowed his eye brows, his eyes dazzled.

"I don't know." She shrugged sheepishly. "It was at my twenty first birthday, one of the more earlier events. Considering how wasted I got." Her voice trailed.

"Wait, so you were with Andrew?" He asked widening his eyes.

"Yeah," She mumbled biting her lip.

"So, you did cheat on him. With me?" He asked trying to understand the new information Spencer was feeding him.

"Yeah," She nodded with a gulp meeting his blue eyes again. "I don't." She sighed. "I woke up the next morning, and I remembered making out with you. And, then when I asked you all those questions, the next day, I was just trying to see if you remembered."

"I didn't." He stuttered. " I don't."

"Yeah," She shrugged a shoulder. "I tried convincing my self, that it was me being stupid. And drunk.-" She rolled her mocha eyes. "Part of it was that, but I told my self that it didn't happen."

Toby searched her mocha eyes.

"But you're right." She declared. "About, how you can't just declare things nonexistent. They happen." She stated. "No matter how many times you tell you're self, they didn't happen. Denial doesn't make them disappear."

"Spencer," He sighed his eyes drifting away from hers. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you deserve to know." She said briskly.

"But," He swallowed hardly. "Why now?" He found her chocolate eyes again.

"Because." She mumbled, "I thought you should know the truth, and I needed to tell you one day. So why not now?" She counteracted. Which kept Toby silent, and staring off into nothing. Spencer sighed, if she was going to tell the truth, she mind as well tell the whole truth. "After that kiss, that's all I could think about, I tried to deny my self out of it, but I couldn't. So when Andrew made me pick between you and him, I chose you. Because I knew that I had real feelings for you. You can't just say things aren't there, when they clearly are." She rushed out, breathing heavy.

Instead of replying, Toby practically leaped out of his bed and cupped his hands around her face and kissed her deeply bringing her to a standing position. She grabbed his hair tightly as she leaned into the kiss farther, and farther until their bodies were practically making friction against each other. He moved his hands down her body, pulling her as close as he possibly could.

Suddenly, she resisted the urges of her body and pushed him away with all her might. He tried to find her lips once again, but pushed away again and he looked into her mocha filled eyes. "Toby, I can't." She replied softly through her heavy breathing.

"Why not?"

"Because," She mumbled her eyes boring into his. She got lost in the sweetness of his blue eyes, and her words became jumbled. "I don't know." She mumbled crashing her lips against him again. Although, it didn't last long. She pushed him away again, and looked sympathetically into his deep crystal clear blue eyes, full of angst and sadness.

"What?" He asked softly.

"I didn't come here to do this." She said getting out of his grip and stepping away from him. "I can't." She shook her head.

"Why?" He asked sharply.

"Toby," She said rolling her head in all of the other directions. "I just need time, okay? I need to clear my head. I'm sorry." She sighed before exiting his room. Toby ran his fingers through his hair, and let out a suppressed sigh. He already missed her touch. Her lips against his. The anticipation was going to kill him, before she decided.

I really like this chapter?

What did you guy's think?

Um, her decision will be next chapter. get ready peeps.

Thank you for the reviews lovelys! I'm four away from 300. this is amazing. thank you. THANK YOU.

and yes. I've had lots to do lately. so sorry if my updates are slower. My next chapter, i don't know. Either tomorrow or Sunday. So review please, because that motivates me to write!