Playing with my Heart | A Spencer Reid story

Ring Ring

Inside the apartment, Sophia leaned against the door in the darkness, her chest rising and falling. Adrenaline was still coursing through her.

She kicked off her shoes and flopped down on the couch, mindlessly scrolling through her phone. Somehow, she ended up staring at the message from Spencer.

She deeply exhaled. Closing her eyes.

"Hello," she heard in the distance.

Her eyes shot open. She looked around but in the darkness she couldn't see a thing.

"Hello?" she heard again.

She fumbled to turn on her torch and then it dawned on her. In her slump she had accidently returned Spencer's call.

"Shit," she silently mouthed. She didn't know what to do. She was awkwardly flapping about trying to decide. Finally, she took in a deep breath. "Hello?"

"Hi," Spencer weary but cheerful voice filtered down the phone line.

"Hey."

"Is everything okay?" It sounded as if Spencer had been awoken from sleep or at the very least almost on the cusp of sleep.

"That's debatable," she mumbled.

"What?" Spencer queried her senseless murmurs.

"Nothing. Yeah, it's all good. Everything's all good." But she wasn't convincing anyone. Then she realised she didn't want to lie anymore. "Actually, no. No it's not."

Then for moments it was just their shallow breathing that haunted the line.

"Thank you for not lying," Spencer whispered back, an alertness to his tone.

Sophia silently sniffled on her end of the phone. "I'm sorry for disturbing you. I dialled your number unknowingly."

"I'm glad you called," Spencer reassured her. He may have been trying to sleep. But he had been failing. He could only think of his conversation with Derek. "I haven't told many people this but I think more people should hear it. Sometimes talking to someone can help you in more way than you think. I found that out the hard way. That's all to say, that you can be sure that if you ever want to talk about anything I'm all ears, because that's all I needed. I just didn't know it at the time."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. Sorry again for disturbing your sleep."

"Ah don't worry about it. I wasn't gaining much success anyway."

"Do you want to talk about it," Sophia flipped his own words back on him.

"Ha. I wish I could. But I have no idea what the root cause is." Spencer had picked up his dishevelled body from his bed and ambled towards the window, looking down on to the quite street below.

"I might be able to help with that." Sophia had propped her phone up against her mirror with the loudspeaker on. She slipped into her pyjamas, braiding her hair and tucking the short pieces behind her ears.

"Really?"

"Are you doubting me?" She teased back, perching on the edge of her bed.

"I know better than to do that."

"So you'll play?"

"Play?"

"Yeah. It's an expression. Like... saying that you'll go along with it.

"Oh... then Yes. I will play."

"Why are you teaching?"

"What?"

"You said you would go along with it."

"That I did." He was regretting that now. "I'll answer only if I get to ask you something too."

Sophia twisted her ring around and around her finger. "You drive a hard bargain Dr Reid. But.... why not. Fine. But you have to answer first. So again. Why are you teaching?"

"Am I not a good teacher?"

"That's not my question."

"I know. I'm just curious."

"So, is that your question?"

"No."

Sophia waited.

"The things I've seen. The things I have... been through... have taken their toll. It was only a matter of time before I needed to take a step back. That and... apparently people learn better from people closer to their age."

"Closer to our age?" Sophia attempted to sound surprised.

Spencer stuttered.

"I'm just joking." She giggled back.

"Alright, alright. My turn. How long were you staring at my message before you 'accidently called'." Sophia couldn't see him, but if she could have seen the way the corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled, she would have been speechless.

"It was by accident," she protested.

"So you don't deny it."

"Well, you're the one that called me first."

"Oh thank god I was worried for a second." Spencer dramatically sighed in relief.

"What?"

"For a while there I thought you were a 50-year-old stuck in 24-year-olds body. But that petty tone is unmistakable for a college girl."

"Alright old man," Sophia scoffed.

Then silence.

"What?" Sophia asked.

"Nothing... it's just... why does it feel like I have known you for years."

"I have that effect on people." She added extra sweetness.

Spencer was finding it difficult to articulate. "No. You are different. It's hard to explain. You know how to listen, and you know exactly what to say and how to say it."

"Is that not what friends do?"

"Is that what you are. I mean... my... friend."

"Ummm.... I guess." Sophia sighed, she heard the sound of the rattling from the front door. "I... umm, have to go... oh before I go. You said that your team wanted research data. I got the relevant permissions. I'll send them through as an encrypted file. You have someone who can decode right?"

"Yeah... errrr. Thank you. I will see you tomorrow." It was hurting Spencer that the call was ending.

"Bye." Sophia ended the call just as Charley poked her head around her door. "You're back early?"