𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗡 ━━ Spencer Reid

- Chapter Thirty-Four

Sitting alone in her hotel bedroom, Harper tucked her knees into her chest and wiped tears from under her glasses. It was 6am, almost time to get ready to visit Spencer again, but she hadn't slept a blink all night. Despite the thickness of her cream sweater and pants, she felt cold. 

Everything that happened since she met Spencer, it was all too much to process. Watching him get shot, shooting someone, being kidnapped. She started to understand why he'd been so resistant to relationships. Spencer himself was kind, soft, and quietly protective. But dating him, entering his life... had been a whirlwind. 

Was it worth it? 

All the love she felt for him, was it enough to sacrifice her peace? It wasn't a question she wanted to ask herself, but she knew she was at the edge of a cliff, and it was time to make a decision. All in, or run for the hills? 

But even as she asked herself the question, she knew the answer. There was no future, regardless of it's proposed 'peacefulness' that she wanted without Spencer.  She remembered a saying that he had told her once, something about the act of meeting your soulmate being 500 years in the making. 

Harper didn't know if she believed in soulmates, but she did believe in Spencer. So, in that moment - her silhouette lit up by the sunrise underneath the hotel curtain - she made her final decision - even if it killed her, she'd never give up on him. 

Most of the morning was filled with confusing legal jargon passed between Emily, the prison officers and Spencer's lawyer Fiona. Harper longed to see him, she felt like a child trailing behind Emily whilst the whole time she couldn't focus on anything but Spencer behind bars. 

She'd brought a few clothes from his apartment when she left Virginia, a brown cardigan and shirt that some guard had taken off her and hopefully delivered to Spencer. 

And finally, finally,  after hours of chatter that felt meaningless to Harper, they escorted Spencer out of his cell and into a holding room to meet Fiona. He was wearing the cardigan she had brought, and the wound on his hand was freshly bandaged. 

As he approached, he barely met Harper's eyes. She searched his face desperately, and with a little frustration as he introduced himself to the lawyer before greeting Emily and nodding at Harper. A nod? Seriously?  

Fiona suggested they go into the room to talk, saying something about client-attorney privilege when Spencer spoke, "Anything you say to me, Emily can hear." 

Harper's ears buzzed. Emily? Why won't he look at me? 

She said nothing as the three of them entered the room, Emily shooting her a look - a mixture of pity and shared confusion that made her stomach curdle. As the door closed, Harper walked away towards a nearby bench and rubbed her chest in circular motions. 

He was acting as if she wasn't there, but why? He hadn't been like that yesterday, although admittedly he hadn't been himself. Was he trying to push her away? Did he seriously think it would be that easy? She tormented herself for an immeasurable amount of time - which was apparently all she did lately - before Emily finally came out of the room, closing the door behind her and giving Harper a grim smile. 

"They're offering him a plea deal?"

Harper stood quickly, "Plea deal? For what?"

"Plead guilty and the sentence would be three to five years." 

"Guilty?" Harper said astonished, "But he didn't do it!"

Emily nodded, "I know. But it doesn't look good for him, and Spencer knows that. 3-5 years is a lot better than a life sentence."