I'm updating quickly because I have some other stuff I want to start publishing, but I don't want to be juggling too many stories. So enjoy the frequent updates, guys. :p
Thanks as always to Runawaybaby555; you're one of my favorite people and your reviews always make me so happy. (I apologize for the trauma this story is making your Sparia heart endure.)
And thank you to insertnameherex, it's always great to hear people are enjoying my work. And no problem, I'm glad you appreciated it; as writers I feel like we should all be encouraging each other, you know?
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February 14th
At first McDonald doesn't know what to say. He's been cheated on before, and he knows how much it stings. But somehow he feels this isn't the end of the story. Spencer's full of too much pain for that to be the end. Which means there's more, and he's not sure he wants to hear it. He knows he's getting too personally involved in this. He's here to take her statement, to find out what happened. The story she's telling him might not have any relevance to what happened tonight, and therefore he shouldn't listen to it. But he can't stop.
"So she was there with someone else," McDonald summarizes.
Spencer nods, then shakes her head. "Sort of. I mean, they were there together, but… it wasn't what it looked like."
"What was it then?"
She doesn't answer, but her reaction is enough. Her face crumples, the tears start again, and she covers her face with her hands. He feels an urge to hug her; not only would that be inappropriate, it could well make things worse. But he can't stand to sit here and watch her cry.
"Would you like a drink?" he mumbles, suddenly needing to be out of the room.
She shrugs, which he takes as a yes. He ducks out of the room, almost crashing into Delaney, who smirks at him.
"You doing okay?" Delaney asks, and McDonald recognizes the actual concern behind the jocular tone.
McDonald rubs his temples. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replies, although he's not really. He can handle remorseless criminals, gruesome murders, difficult cases… but she's just a girl. She's not even twenty yet, and she's been through more than anyone should ever have to survive. He's reasonably confident that she killed this Winters guy – she did confess, after all – but he doesn't feel the usual rush of disgust or anger he gets with other murders. Instead he feels… the only way he can think to put it is bad. He feels bad for her.
He sighs, leading the way over to the water cooler. He fills up two cups, taking longer than is strictly necessary. On his way back to the room he glances at the other girls; they're both asleep, Emily with her had on Hanna's shoulder, Hanna with her arm around Emily. He almost smiles, until he remembers why they're here. He uses his leg to nudge the door open and goes back in.
One way or another, he's going to get to the bottom of this.
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This was kind of a filler chapter, but something very big happens next chapter (which I will upload first thing tomorrow). Stay tuned, guys. :)