Innocent: Spencer Reid ✔️

{15}

f i f t e e n   .   o n e
S p e n c e r
E m i l y

Actions speak louder than words. I guess that's why Avery decided to wake me up with the smell of burnt toast and uncooked eggs on a plate with an attempt to make it all look advertising and edible. I smile through it as I take my first bite, although I can practically taste the salmonella. She pretends to clean the sides as I hesitate every mouthful, but I know she's watching my reaction. There's hopefully no way she's uncooked and overcooked my breakfast on purpose. "Well?" She says, brushing off her hands, "I haven't cooked in a while but, I think I did pretty well." She grins, leaning against the countertop. I smile warmly at her but push the plate away, barely touched.

"I'm just not that hungry." I state, watching carefully as she takes a seat opposite me and grabs the plate.

"Well if you're not, I certainly am." Oh God. Sorry in advance, sorry in advance, sorry in advance. She takes a bite of the eggs on toast and her whole face and demeanour changes. She turns away and grabs a tissue, spitting out her mouthful with her back to me. I hold off my laugh for a better time where Avery won't be upset she's ruined breakfast. When she turns back around to face me, she looks distraught. "I am so sorry...I thought I cooked it well..." Avery takes another look at the plate and realised how bad it looks, "enough to be eaten..."

"It's fine, Avery. I don't mind I'm honestly not that hungry." And that's the truth, I'm not hungry, but I'm extremely thirsty for some coffee. "But I could do with a hot drink." Might as well take extreme advantage of Avery being so nice today. She nods and boils coffee, rushing to do things while she waits.

I watch as she does so, patiently waiting for coffee. She re-cleans the sides, and puts all the cutlery away from the draining board. Usually I would have done it the night it was dirtied, but I had other things on my mind. She finds two mugs and fills them with coffee and milk. "How much sugar do you want?" She asks, blatantly unaware of my answer.

"A lot." I mutter, resting my head on the table in front of me. "Just, a lot. I need to wake up." She nods and turns back around to sweeten my coffee. I notice easily how Avery only puts half a sugar in hers. "You don't like sweet coffee?" I ask, causing Avery to give a big smile. She sits opposite me at the table with two mugs of coffee in hand.

"When all this is over, I want to start running without being afraid someone is coming for me. You'll run with me, won't you?" I hesitate - no I can't run to save my life. "Or do you not run? You look like you're in good shape." Avery compliments, kicking me gently under the table.

"Thank you, and no I don't run. Does it look like I run?" I joke in amusement. She laughs with me, sipping her coffee. I watch as she drums her fingers on the side of her mug, thinking of something to say. Neither of us say anything though, instead we sit in comfortable silence.

I don't mind it, and neither does she. Every few minutes we make eye contact and smile to each other. Other than that, we sit and drink our coffee until my phone chimes with a text. Think we got something - new victim but also something else, let's get to work. Avery notices that it isn't a private message sent separately, it's from a group chat Penelope made a few months ago for better communication. "Better get going. Do you want me to drive you to your hotel for a change of clothes?" I ask, gathering our mugs and dumping them on the side.

"Yes please, thank you." Of course she can put please and thank you in one sentence in less than a second. She gathers her jacket and shoes and follows me out of the door once I grab my own things for work. "What do you think they've found?" She asks as I unlock my car.