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Chapter Thirteen: Time
She bit her nails absentmindedly, standing outside Quantico.
She had arrived 45 minutes early and stood for the past thirty minutes. She was rooted in the same spot by nerves. She tapped against her notebook. Even though she wasn't here for work, she'd brought it with her anyway, for comfort. And familiarity.
The moment finally came when Harper stepped into the FBI building. The air was thick with anticipation, and her heart raced, every beat echoing in her ears. She clutched her notebook tightly, as if it were a lifeline, her pulse quickening as she approached the conference room.
As she turned the corner, she froze. There, standing at the far end of the hallway, was Spencer. He looked up, his gaze locking onto hers, and for a moment, the world around them faded away. Time stood still. His expression shifted, a mix of surprise and something deeper - an aching longing that mirrored her own.
Harper's breath caught in her throat, and she felt her heart clench. She took a hesitant step forward, her legs almost trembling. Spencer was motionless, eyes wide as if he were afraid to move, afraid this was just a dream. She could see the shadows under his eyes, the way his hair fell slightly over his forehead. It made her sad to know how much he'd been through.
"Spencer," she finally breathed, the name coming out as a whisper, laden with all the emotions she'd kept bottled up. It felt like an apology, a declaration, and a plea all at once.
He blinked, breaking the trance. "Harper," he replied, his voice high and unsteady, a tremor beneath it. "You're here."
"I had to come," she said, forcing herself to take another step closer, her pulse racing.
"I didn't know if I'd see you but I wanted to." The honesty in her voice surprised her, but it was too late to take it back. The confession hung in the air between them, heavy with unspoken words.
Spencer took a step forward too but then hesitated, his eyes searching hers for permission, for something more.
"I've missed you," he admitted - his voice barely above a whisper - filled with a vulnerability that struck her like lightning. "I've been worried."
Her heart swelled at his words, but the guilt quickly returned. "I'm sorry for not responding. I just, I wasn't ready to talk." She glanced away, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. "I wasn't ready to talk to anyone."
He nodded slowly, the understanding in his eyes piercing through her defences. "I get that. But I wanted to be there for you. I wanted to help." There was a weight to his words, a silent hurt hanging in the air between them.
The tension crackled, charged with everything they hadn't said. Harper glanced at the ground, feeling the weight of her emotions pressing down on her. "I thought... I thought you might hate me."
