Echos of a Genius | Spencer Reid

The Fall

Stephie

I shoot up in bed, heart racing, sweating, unaware that it was a dream. I turn over and see Spencer lying next to me, sound asleep. I grab my phone and look through my messages, it was all a dream. I'm careful not to wake Spencer as I crawl out of bed and tiptoe to my apartments kitchen.

I grab a clean glass from the sink and fill it with water. It was just a dream, I keep telling myself as I lean against the counter. I can hear footsteps walking in this direction, Spencer's awake now too.

"Everything alright?" He yawns and I set down the water glass, nodding my head.

"Usually you're a good liar, what's wrong?" Spencer chuckles softly, his voice is groggy, it's only two in the morning. I walk over to him and wrap myself around him, his arms wrap around my body in a gentle hug.

"Just a bad dream," I mumbled into his chest and he remains silent, just holding in his arms. I let go and then he does too. We just stare at each other in the darkness of the kitchen until I grab his hand and lead him back to my bedroom. We crawl back into to bed and Spencer pulls me close to him, messing with my hair until I fall asleep.

The next morning, I wake up to the sound of my alarm. Spencer is still asleep, his face peaceful. I slide out of bed, careful not to disturb him, and head to the bathroom to get ready for the day. I find it strange that Spencer isn't awake yet, he's usually up before me. The dream still lingers in my mind, a constant reminder of the secrets I've been hiding all these years.

By the time I'm dressed, Spencer is awake and sitting on the edge of the bed. When I walk in he flashes me a soft smile and then stares at me with a look of concern

"You were tossing and turning all night," he says, his voice still not awake. "Are you sure everything is okay?"

I force a smile and nod. "Just a bad dream, like i said before."

He stands up, crossing the room to stand in front of me. "Steph, I know you. There's something you're not telling me." My heart pounds in my chest.

I look away and shake my head, in search of my bracelet. "Spence, please, just drop it. It was a bad dream."

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I can't keep doing this, Steph. I can't keep pretending everything is fine when I know you're hiding something from me."

"What do you mean keep?" I ask confused as to why he's talking like I've been acting weird for months.

"You've been on edge for weeks," He sighs. Okay copy my thoughts word for word then.

"Spence, I am not hiding anything."

"Usually you're a good liar," he says softly, mirroring his words from late last night. "But not with me, not anymore."

Tears prick my eyes, but I blink them away. "Spence, please.." I step towards him.

He takes a step back, his expression pained. "I love you, Stephie. But I can't be with someone who doesn't trust me enough to be honest with me?"

Did he just say he loves me?

The words hit me like a punch to the gut nonetheless. "Spencer, I do trust you. I trust you more than my life." I want to reach up for his face but my feet won't move closer.

"Then tell me the truth," he says, his voice breaking.

I open my mouth to speak, but the words won't come. I can't tell him, at least not yet.

He shakes his head, his eyes filled with hurt. It pains me to do this to him.

"I'll see you at work," And with that, he turns and walks out of the room, leaving me standing there, feeling more alone than ever. The sound of the door closing echos through the silence, and I sink to the floor, tears streaming down my face.