the sound of silence - criminal minds

eight. lie

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

aria was scared. she never was scared of much, but this absolutely terrified her. the message couldn't stop her from going to work, continuing cases with her team, and their current case.

their current case.

the house fires that weren't ruled accidents, including the one that took her family away from her.

aria couldn't get up for a while after her dad had left, she only got up to lock the door behind him. she felt frozen, she couldn't move, yet she was sweating, her heart racing faster than anything.

she was really lost, she didn't know what to do. she can't tell the fbi about her abusive father, or about her family, all she can do is do whatever her dad says, follow his orders until she gets her family back, her real family.

eventually, aria needed to get to work, the tall building standing in front of her, cautious when she left her apartment, and cautious when she walked to work.

a sigh escaped aria's lips, she dreaded being so tired she could barely keep her eyes open, she rushed to work after spending most of her time on the floor of her bedroom, and covering up her bruising with makeup. aria tried her best to cover the purple patch sat on her cheek, she wore her hair down today, just to add more coverage.

like usual, a specific boy met her at the elevator.

"good morning, aria." spencer said, giving aria a smile as he pressed the button in front of him to their desired floor.

"hi, spencer." aria replies, trying her best to keep calm, but turning her face forwards, trying her best not to expose herself.

spencer looked confused, aria had only called him spence over the last couple months they'd been working together, something was off, but spencer didn't want to show his concern.

the elevator was silent, until someone spoke up, "i actually wanted to talk to you about the other night, when we uh, when we were together." spencer said, turning his whole body towards aria.

aria was stressed from this morning, and right now all she could feel was the knot in her stomach getting tighter, she liked spencer, she really, really, liked him. but right now it was hard to balance her emotions with love and misery.

she didn't know it, but she had been staring at the blank door in front of her, not responding to spencer, just staring.

"aria ?" spencer speaks up, leaning a bit in front of aria, catching her attention.

"oh, yeah, spencer. sorry." she said, her words short, and her sentences choppy.

"are you okay ?" he asks, furrowing his eyebrows in pure concern for the girl with him.

aria rubbed her eyes with her thumb and index finger, slightly smudging her mascara, "yes, i'm sorry. i'm just tired." aria responded, her nose twitching, showing spencer that what she said what an utter and complete lie.

the doors opened, and aria didn't hesitate to walk out, away from spencer, to her desk, she didn't mean to leave spencer, but she needs to focus on the case, and what she has to do for her father that will benefit both of them.