Chapter 13
Hi Guys, I know I've been absolutely terrible in updating this story but its still a passion of mine and I'm going to continue it even though updates may be very irregular!
The next morning Spencer is relieved to find that her father and sister aren't home and that her mom is busying herself in her office. Spencer appreciates them acknowlidging her need for space and once again forgoeing breakfast, she makes a large cup of coffee and settles in on the couch trying to catch up with her homework. Its the weekend and Spencer has so much work to catch up on that time flies past and she is startled when her mother appears out of nowhere offering to make her some lunch. Food is something that she has been struggling with so badly in the last couple of weeks since it happened. Its not like she's on a diet or she's anorexic, she didn't make a concious decision to stop eating, she just can't seem to stomach much and has completely lost her appetite. Panicked she tells her mom that she had a sandwich already and although Veronica hesitates, she reluctantly accepts the girls lie for what it is, desperation, and moves to kitchen to make her own meal.
About ten minutes later a loud knock on the front door send Spencer into her usual state of anxiety and she is even more on edge as her mother leads Detective Clark into the kitchen.
"Spencer you remember Detective Clark, don't you?", her mother asks and the young girl cringes as she flashes back to that night in the hospital room.
"How could I forget", she angrily whispers and demands to know what is going on.
Veronica gently informs her that she called the police to update them about the new evidence but Spencer sees red screaming, "New evidence, is that what you call it?", she rages. "Pictures of me naked, private pictures, that he...he used to stalk me" , she croaks out on the verge of tears before finishing "Well you can fill her in all you like, but I'm not sticking around to be humiliated even further", and running out the back door slamming it in her wake.
Spencer runs as far as she can but is out of breath quickly and weak from lack of food. Looking around she realise that the nearest safe place she can think of is Hanna's and a flash of the strong words of Ashley Marin from the other day compounds her decision as she desperately knocks on the big white door of the Marin house hoping somebody is home. Hanna opens the door and is shocked to see her fragile friend in such a state. The girls had thought that Spencer was doing better and yet here she was, panicked and out of breath at Hanna's front door. Allowing the shaking brunette inside, Hanna leads them to the kitchen where her mom is cooking and the older woman, startled to see Spencer in such a state, rushes to her side.
"Spencer honey are you alright?", Mrs Marin questions
"I'm sorry", Spencer cries looking up at the older woman, "I just had to get out of there and I didn't know where else to go".
"Sweetheart it alright, your safe here" Ashley assures.
"Ye Spence, you know you can come over anytime you like", Hanna encourages.
The two Marin ladies comfort the broken girl but are careful not to ask what happened as not to upset her and Spencer is happy to just forget for a while as Hanna fills her in on all the latest celebrity gossip and Mrs Marin continues her cooking. She knows that they are there for her if she wants to talk and that means the world to the frightened young girl who sometimes wonders who she can really trust.
Two hours later having calmed down and ready to face her mother again, Spencer returns home and is alarmed to see not just Detective Clarks police sedan but also several others parked in the drive of her home. Panicking that Ian had come back and hurt her family, she rushes inside, relieved to see her mother sitting at a kitchen stool she sobs, "Mom I'm so sorry about earlier, are you okay, where's Dad and Melissa, did something happen?"
Her mother is unfazed by her rambling and gently taking her hands in her own she tells her the truth about the last couples of hours, "Spencer everyone's okay, your Dad and Melissa went out for the day to give you some space, but...the police, well they found cameras hidden in the house".
"What", Spencer whispers, still in tears.
"Ian hid over 10 cameras in your bedroom and bathroom, honey I'm so sorry", Veronica explains.
Too tired to even try and be angry anymore, the young girl deflates on to the stool next to her mother and puts her head in her hands. Feeling her mother gently rub her back, Spencer once again wonders how she is going to get through this and get back to living a somewhat normal live.
Later that night when all the police have gone and its time for bed, Spencer gingerly climbs the stairs to take a shower, her body aching from both mental and physical pain. Washing herself is agony, thinking of Ian watching her and she has so little energy she quickly tries herself off. She feels dizzy but hopes its just from the roaring steam of the shower. However, as she makes up the small distance to her bedroom she leans heavily on the wall and eventually sees black fainting on her bedroom floor.