Holding Out for a Hero

Chapter 6.

Amelia was sitting on the couch, the magazine spread out in front of her on the coffee table. Her vision was blurred with tears, and she couldn't even read what the article was saying. All she could focus on was the picture of Spencer Reid and Lila Archer. She normally didn't indulge herself in celebrity magazines, but this one caught her eye as she was standing in line at the grocery store. She thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her, but when she picked it up and inspected it, there was no mistaking his face.

'A Mystery Man in Lila's Life?' The title alone made her laugh bitterly, and she checked her phone once more. She was so tempted to text Spencer. He hadn't messaged her for days, and even though she was upset with him, she was worried. She couldn't even count how many times she had typed up text messages to send to him and then deleted them. Some of the messages were angry, some were sad.

Her doorbell rang, making her jump. Looking at her alarm clock, she furrowed her brows. Who would be at her door at 8:30 at night? She wiped the angry tears away from her eyes and grabbed her robe, slipping it on over her pajamas. Amelia peeped through the hole in the door, and when she saw Spencer, she took a deep breath. She unlocked the door and opened it slightly, leaning against the doorframe. "Hey." She said, trying to keep her voice level.

"Uh, h-hey, Amelia. I wanted to talk to you." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. He was obviously nervous. Amelia stared at him for a minute before opening the door all the way. She stepped aside and let him in, locking the door behind him. Spencer wasn't sure what to do. Should he sit on the couch? Should he stay standing up? His eyes flickered to the coffee table, landing on the magazine. He internally cursed, knowing that she was probably furious.

Amelia sat on the couch, pulling her legs up underneath her and covering up with the blanket that was lying on the back. "Talk." She told him, and he sat down awkwardly on the edge of the couch.

"I know that you're mad at me. And you have every right to be." He started, and she sighed, rubbing her hand over her forehead.

"I'm not even really mad. I'm just hurt." She said, and he winced. That made him feel even worse. He could deal with her rage. He was prepared for yelling and harsh words. But he wasn't sure how to fix her broken heart. She didn't say anything else, so he continued.

"Lila Archer was being stalked, so we obviously all spent time with her. But, for some reason, we spent more time together than the rest. I was with her when she was taping her show, and I stayed at her house one evening. She was comfortable around me. But, that night, it was just me and her, alone at her house. She wanted to swim, and she pulled me in the pool, and then she, well, uh-." Spencer looked up at Amelia nervously, not wanting to say it.

"She kissed me." He said, and Amelia took a deep breath. She had a feeling that that had happened, but it still hurt to hear him say it. The tears pricked her eyes again, and she grabbed the magazine that was on the coffee table and stared down at the cover.

"And then this happened." She said, her voice quiet.

"Amelia, she didn't mean anything to me. She kissed me. I told her that I couldn't do it. That I had you, waiting for me at home. We came to an understanding. That picture is just blown out of proportion, we're friends and that's all." A tear slipped down Amelia's cheek.

"She got to kiss you before I did." The bitterness in her voice was obvious, and Spencer felt his cheeks flush.

"I've regretted not kissing you that night after our date, but I didn't want to rush things. That's not how I am." He said, feeling embarrassed.

"How long have you been home?" Amelia changed the subject quickly, wiping the tear off her cheek. He ran a hand through his messy hair.

"Three days." He admitted, and she scoffed.