Ayy, sorry it's been ages since I've written anything. Things at home have been tough so I've hardly had any time to breathe. SO here is the next chapter. Italics are flashbacks. I think this chapter gets us into Spencer's head a little more.

Stolen Hearts

[Spencer's P.O.V.]

Ugh, you have no idea how sore I am from packing yesterday. It also might have to do with the fact that I didn't get much sleep last night, I was too busy worrying about how Ashley would react to going to see Aiden's grave.

It was so hard going to Glen's grave for the first time. I broke down right there. There weren't many people, but there was an older man, who was a few graves down from where I was. I remember just sitting there crying, I probably looked like a 3 year old throwing a temper tantrum.

I remember how the man looked at me, not with pity, but with eyes full of comfort. I suppose it was because he obviously has lost someone, because if not, what was he doing at a cemetery?

"You know, they water the grass every night, I don't think the tears are going to do much."

Ha, funny. Ugh, what does he know? He has no clue what I've been through.

"See that headstone down there?"

I just nod my head. I wish he'd just go away.

"It may sound crazy, but that's my high school sweetheart."

What?

"She's the one that got away if you get what I mean. If I could have just fixed everything fifty years ago, maybe I wouldn't be here right now, who knows?"

Is this what's going to come of me, fifty years from now? Standing wondering what could have become of me and Ashley?

"Yeah, I know what you mean… kind of anyway. What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

He comes over and sits down next to me, and starts talking.

"High school graduation is supposed to be one of the best days of our lives right? Well, mine was very much so the opposite. See, I was madly in love with Emily over there, but I guess that never lasts."

You can say that again.

"She wanted to go to some college in Maine, and I wanted to stay here. We got in a huge fight after graduation, and she ended up leaving me at the school to drive herself home. She was so angry, you know how it goes, we yell, say things we don't mean, and then she runs."

She must have been a lot like Ashley then. Running seems to be the only thing she knows how to do.

"I'm not sure what happened, all I remember is her Mom calling my cell, and then me rushing to the hospital. I always blamed myself, who knows what would have happened if I would have made her stay?"

"It wasn't your fault though, I mean, she made the choice to leave."

Just like Ashley, she made her choice.

"And I know that now, but then all I could think of was the last thing I said to her. 'Why don't you just drop dead?' Guess that's exactly what she did."

Ouch. I don't even remember what the last thing I said to Ashley was. It couldn't have been anything nice.

"I'd say I'm sorry, but I've realized lately that when people tell me how sorry they are it just makes me feel worse."

He's tracing the letters on Glen's headstone, and all I can do is watch.

"Well, I hope my graduation is better than yours, no offense."

He gives a nice belly laugh at this, which in turn makes me smile.

"So girly, what's your story? What's a nice girl like you doing all alone in a cemetery?"

That makes it seem a bit creepy. I did come here alone, didn't I?

"I'm sure you've heard all about King High School's prom."

He nods.

"It started off amazing. My Mom was finally accepting the fact that my date was a girl, and everything seemed to be falling into place. My brother, Glen, kept teasing me all night. He claimed that since he was wearing my Dads kilt, I'd turn into a leperacon."

I smile, and take a deep breath before I continue.

"It really did start off great. Ashley, my date, had been amazing that whole night. It was right before the last song when I saw her dancing with an old flame; I guess I can call him. I go over there to ask if she'd give me the last dance, but she was too into staring into his eyes to notice I was there. All I remember is freaking out and walking away and them both following after me."

He nods again urging me to continue on. Choking back tears I keep talking.

"He said something, then she said something, and I screamed at her to just decide who she wanted. After that everything went by so quickly."

I stop again, wipe the few escaping tears, and continue.

"Gun shots were everywhere. I remember running over to where Ashley was standing, and Aiden, screaming her name and jumping. I saw my brother try to run over to me, but I just watched him too fall down."

The man grabs my hand, looks into my eyes and I keep going.

"Aiden was shot too, he took the bullet for Ashley. He's such a jerk, he didn't take the bullet because he wanted to, he did it to show me up. To make her want him, to pity him, to do anything but want to choose me. Too bad he didn't live long enough to get that from her. It sounds horrible, but it's true. They had a history, and I knew that, but why that night? Couldn't he have waited? This was our night, it was supposed to be perfect and instead it turned into disaster."

He grabs my hand.

"And what about this Ashley, what's going on with her now?"

He's the first person to ask me about her since all of this has happened. He actually seems to care.

"She's, I don't even know where she is. Not here obviously. She doesn't deal with deaths well, I know that, but I always thought she'd be here for me. She isn't the only person who lost someone that night you know? Honestly, I don't think anyone came home that night alive, somehow we all died a little bit."

The man stands up, looks down at Glen's name, and slowly walks back to Emily's grave.

"You know, you still have another chance. You should stop her from running; I know I wish I could have."

"Hey Spencer, I think I'm ready you want to head out or—Are you okay?"

You know what, I am okay. For once, I really think everything is going to be okay.

"Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking."

She walks over to the bed and sits next to me.

"Care to share?"

"I was just thinking about a man I met when I first went to Glen's grave after everything happened."

She looks puzzled.

"He was there visiting his old high school girlfriend. He told me to give you another chance, because I still had one."

She still looks confused.

"What do you mean you still had one?"

"I still had the chance to stop you from running. To make sure that in fifty years it wasn't your grave I visit."

She moves closer to me and puts her arm around me.

"Well this must have been a really wise man then. I'm glad you didn't give up on me Spence."

I couldn't have ever let myself let her go. I couldn't become that man, living my life thinking what if.

"Me too Ash, really glad."