A/N: Thank you for all your reviews it really means a lot of to me and everybody who favorited or followed.
Thanks again Oh Sparkly One...
"It's so great to finally meet you Ashley. I've hea d so much about you. Spence here talks about you nonstop." I'm still stunned into silence. I hadn't realized she had out stretched her hand for me to shake. I finally snap back to reality and shake her awaiting hand.
"I'm sorry but I haven't heard anything about you." I try to hold back the hurt in my voice. Why hadn't Spencer told me she was dating somebody? Let alone while she was London and on top of that why hadn't she told me she was engaged? I'm her best friend; we're supposed to tell each other everything. "But it's nice to meet you too." I reward her with the best fake Ashley Davies smile I can muster up.
I look at Spencer who seems to find the floor a lot more interesting. I'm so hurt by the fact that she had kept this from me. Who keeps an engagement from their best friend?
"We should get our bags cupcake." Heather says intertwining her fingers with Spencer's. Spencer looks up and locks eyes with me but I look away. I'm too upset with her right now.
"Um… yeah." Spencer says softly. They head towards the baggage claim carrousel while I stand there completely and utterly shocked, dumbfounded. What the hell just happened?
"Who are those roses for?" Spencer steps in front of me with a soft smile playing at her lips. I look down at the roses; I look back up at her again and back to the roses.
"I…uh… I found them." I say and toss them in the closest trash.
"Oh." She says again finding her feet more interesting. I watch her as she nervously wrings her hands together.
"We're all set." Heather says pulling two bags behind her. Crap, I forgot I had to drive California's newest engaged couple. Had I known this I would have sent Kyla to play chauffer while I hid under the covers of my bed wishing this day had gone a lot differently.
"We'll lets go." I take Spencer's bag from her and start to wheel it out myself.
"Uh…thanks." She whispers out unsurely.
"Yeah, sure." I'm still hurt but I wasn't going to make her carry her own luggage after she's been flying all day. As we start walking towards the parking lot I could feel Spencer's eyes on me. Don't make eye contact Davies, just keep walking. Those baby blues will see so far into your soul, you won't know what hit you.
We all walk quietly to my awaiting vehicle. They're lucky I drove the SUV today or else I don't know how I would have fit their entire luggage in my Lexus. I pressed the unlock button and opened up the trunk lift once we approach my vehicle. I try to gently put Spencer's luggage in but I guess I was a little more forceful than I needed to be. I can't help the aggravation that has come over me.
"You okay Ash?" Spencer leans in towards me and whispers in my ear. I can't help it when my breath hitches has her soft vibrations of her voice sends shivers down my spine. Why have I never noticed this before? Why all of sudden does she makes me feel this way? Maybe she's always made me feel this way and I'm just now consciously aware of what she's doing to me. The effect she has on me, the effect she has on my body. I wish my stomach would stop making me feel like swans were swimming around in there.
"Just peachy." I whisper out through gritted teeth. Heather then places her luggage into the car and we all jump in and to head to our destination, which I'm not exactly sure of at this moment. "Where to?" I say my hands gripping the steering wheel and looking straight ahead. My emotions are screaming, begging to come out but I'm doing as best I can to keep them inside.
The tension is so thick you couldn't even cut it with a knife, maybe a chainsaw. "You can take us to Heather's."
"Great." I try to sardonically. Knowing well this would diminish any time I could spend with Spencer. Currently Spencer lives with Kyla and I in our three bedroom loft. We've all lived there since graduating from high school.
The rest of the car ride is spent with Heather giving me directions to her house and Spencer looking over at me from time to time. I can feel her eyes burning holes on the side of my head but I keep my eyes on firm the road in front of me. I knew that if I didn't, all my emotions would seep in and I'd lose it.
"This is it up on the left." Heather says from the back seat. I pull into the driveway of a large house located in a Los Angeles suburb. It's nice. Okay, it's more than nice, beautiful actually but I've seen better. Oh great, my friend Mr. Jealous returns.
We all exit the car and start to unload the luggage. "Thank you for the ride Ashley. I really appreciate you picking us up." Heather tells me after I shut the trunk door.
I nod at her. "It was nothing. I guess I should be going." I start walking towards the driver side door trying to get out of here quickly as possible. I don't want to be here any longer than need be. I need to get in my car raise up the radio and sing terribly loudly.
"Hey Ash wait up." Spencer says catching up to me before I am able to get into the car. "Heather, I'll meet you inside in a few."
"Okay cupcake, don't be too long." Heather says before grabbing her luggage and wheeling it towards the house. I'm glad I'm wearing my sunglass to hide my eye roll at the seriously bad term of endearment.
After Heather is out of ear shot Spencer turns to me, "listen Ash, I'm…"
"Not now Spencer." I'm way too hurt right now to listen to this.
She sighs. She's not done. But I know I don't want to listen to this right now. Maybe I'm being too stubborn. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before…"
"Why didn't you Spence? I'm your best friend. I thought we were closer than that. We tell each other everything. You go away for four weeks, one, you don't even tell me you were already flying home and then you show up with a fiancée. How do you think I feel right now Spencer? I had plans for us tonight. I stopped and got you flowers. I was going to take you to dinner. I had something really important to tell you and now I don't even get to spend any time with you after you've been away for four weeks?"
I can feel the burn in my eyes as tears start to build up.
"So the roses were for me?" She asks shyly.
"Not the point. I haven't seen you in four weeks Spence. I've miss my best friend. And as of right now I don't even know who she is right now." And with that I open the car door but I'm stopped when she grabs my wrists and turns me around.
"I'm sorry Ash. I…I…"
"Yeah, well sorry seems like the only thing you seem to know how to say." I get into the car and she moves to stand in-between me and the car door, I give her credit for not giving up so easily.
"Ashley, please, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was scared. And it's not something I wanted to tell you over the phone."
"Scared of what Spence? What could you possibly be scared of?"
"I don't know, scared it was going to change us." She says intensely looking into my eyes. "Wait, what was it that was really important that you were going to tell me?"
"It doesn't matter now. I'm going to go. I guess I'll see you around." I say as she moves out from the doorway and I close the door and drive off. Leaving Spencer in the driveway looking confused and hurt, but she's nowhere near how hurt I am right now.
Once I entered the loft I see Kyla in the same place that I left her still in her pajamas, most likely watching reality television still.
"Hey you're home early, where's Spencer?" She asks when I shut the door with no Spencer in tow.
"With her fiancée." I say taking a seat next to her on the couch.
"I'm sorry what? I could have sworn you said Spencer had a fiancée."
"I did." I put my face into my hands. I can't believe what has transpired today. "Apparently, Spencer and I aren't as close I thought we were. When I picked her up at the airport she introduced me to her fiancée and I drove them both to her fiancée's house."
"Oh Ash." Kyla throws her arm around my back and pulls me into her and can't help but let the tears that can no longer contain themselves, fall down my cheeks.
"Ky I don't understand what just happened today. I'm more hurt at the fact that Spencer has kept me in the dark about her engagement. I mean I don't even know how long she's even been engaged! How long has she known this person? Were they together before she left for London? I have so many questions and all Spencer seems to know how to say is I'm sorry. But to give her credit I haven't exactly given her a chance to explain." I curl up into a ball on the couch and lay my head into Kyla's lap and she starts to run her fingers through my hair.
"I'm sorry sis. I'm sure she has her reasons, whatever they maybe, give her time." Before she can say anything else there is a knock at the door. "I'll get it." I move so Kyla can get up and answer the door.
"Hey baby." He says pulling her into a hug and a kiss. "So where is she? She sent me a text saying she was going to be home today. Hey Ash." He says once she sees me lying on the couch. I quickly dry my eyes.
"Hey Glen."
"So?" He says looking around the apartment for his younger sister.
"Uh well…" Kyla looks at me waiting for me to tell Glen the news on his baby sister. I give her the 'I'm not going there look'. "Ash picked her up from the airport an hour or so ago."
"So where is she then?" Glen looks at us confused.
"She's at her fiancée's house." Kyla says softly breaking the news to her boyfriend of three years. They never got together in high school and it wasn't till Kyla started attending family functions with me at the Carlin residence that they really got to know each other and hit it off.
Glen starts to laugh. "I'm sorry but I thought you just said something about Spencer having a fiancée." We probably aren't supposed to be the ones to tell Glen is sister is engaged but how do we answer the question of where she is when she's lives here and isn't home?
"She's right. I picked them both up at the airport and drove them to Heather's house." I finally speak up.
"Heather? Who is Heather?"
"Glen, aren't you listening? Heather is Spencer's fiancéee." Kyla says leading them towards the love seat and sitting them down.
"What?' Spencer is engaged? How come she hasn't told me?"
I snort. "Join the club."
"You didn't know Ash?" Glen confusion clearly written on all his face, the same face his sister makes when she's confused.
"I'm just finding out today… like you."
"Wow. This isn't like Spencer, and for her especially not to tell you. You guys are best friends. Hell, I always thought Spencer had a thing for you."
"Ashley was going to confess her love to Spencer today." Kyla tries to whisper to Glen but I hear her and give her a death stare.
"Kyla." I say through gritted teeth.
"I knew it! I knew you guys would end up together."
"Were you not here a second ago when we told you Spencer is engaged? Meaning there is no ending up together." I'm a little agitated with Glen's words.
"Technicalities Ash, just tell Spencer how you feel."
"I can't do that. I'm not going to break up an engagement." I could never do that. I'm not that person.
"Just be true to yourself and tell her how you feel."
"Yeah well I was going to today and see how well that worked out." I'm interrupted by a phone ringing.
It's Glen's, he pulls it out of his pocket. "Hello… hey, yeah well I'm here at your place and you're nowhere in sight….Oh yeah? Congrats sis…." Glens gives us a knowing look. At least she was able to tell him over the phone. "Oh well Kyla and I were just talking about having a dinner here at the loft, how about you guys come over here?...Ok see you in a few."
Glen hangs up the phone and sighs before speaking. "Spencer invited Kyla and I out to dinner to meet her new fiancée but I thought it would be a better idea if we just had dinner here." Glen gives me apologetic look.
Geez I guess I wasn't going to get an invite to dinner with the four of them. I might as well be a hermit and sulk in my room while they're here. I know self-pity is the worse, I'm just still trying to process this all.
"Tell her tonight Ash." Glen says giving me a serious look.
"What? I wasn't even invited to this so called dinner." I get up and retreat to my room, the one place I feel safe, the one place I hide when things seem to be more than I can take.