𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄- 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐃

𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐎𝐍𝐄

"𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐀?" Alana questioned, smoothing down her red dress as she stared at herself in the mirror. She put on a pair of earrings on her newly-pierced ears, glancing at Spencer's reflection as he stood behind her, sliding his belt through the loops of his pants. "What do people even do at these kinds of things?"

"It's a dinner party," Spencer said with an amused smile on his face. "It's very casual. It's not brain science, Alana." Logically, she knew it was true, but she couldn't stop herself from adjusting the hem of her dress, pulling it down slightly. "They already love you. You're far beyond needing to impress them at this point."

"Do you think my dress is okay?" She hummed, tilting her head to the side. She wasn't used to going to these kinds of things, and neither was Rhiannon. Rossi had invited everyone on the team over for dinner, including their partners. Which meant that Mallory was bringing Rhiannon along. Which meant that Alana would have to pretend like her best friend for the last decade was a complete and total stranger to her. She couldn't exactly explain how she knew someone who was a suspect in a murder case, not without anyone asking questions. 

"You can wear whatever you want," Spencer mumbled, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. She wasn't used to being told that, even after all these years. She was taught to always ask for permission before leaving the house in an outfit. She felt like she was fifteen again, with Mrs. Mitchell double checking to make sure her fingertips didn't extend past her shorts. "No one is going to care. You can wear sweatpants if that'll make you comfortable." Alana cracked a small smile, feeling her nerves ease up slightly. "But I think that the dress is gorgeous. And I think that the girl wearing it is gorgeous, too."

"You always say that," Alana said, rolling her eyes as she playfully shoved at his chest. 

"And it's always true," he pointed out, resting his hand on her hip as he smiled down on her. Spencer always had this way of making her feel happy, but lately things had just felt different. It was like they were in a constant state of giddy feelings, and Alana wasn't used to that. 

"Do you think Rhiannon will be okay tonight?" Alana asked nervously. Most of the time, when she felt nervous in situations, she gravitated toward Rhiannon, but she couldn't do that tonight. She'd have to rely on Spencer to be there for her whenever she got anxious from being in a crowded room for too long. "She's not used to these kinds of things, and I know that the team thinks it's strange that she's dating Mal."

"I mean, Rhiannon was a suspect in a case," Spencer pointed out. "And all Mallory could talk about for weeks was how much they hated each other. I don't think anyone saw this coming, if I'm being honest." Alana hummed, because she knew it was true. She just didn't know how to not depend on Rhiannon all the time. 

Maybe the two of them were in some unhealthy codependent friendship, but Alana didn't care. Before Spencer, she truly didn't know how to stay afloat without Rhiannon. If not for her best friend, she'd have given up on swimming a long time ago, and she would have been content to let the current sweep her away until she drowned in it. Rhiannon, however, was stubborn enough to wrap her in a life vest, so she'd stay on the surface, even when she didn't want to. That was just the kind of relationship they had. 

Spencer must've sensed the shift in her energy, because he leaned forward, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder again. His eyes met hers in the mirror, steady and soft.

"Everything is going to be fine," he promised. "And if it's not, I'm going to be there. I'll protect you."

Alana smiled at him and nodded her head, not even trying to resist the urge to tease him. "I don't need you to protect me," she hummed, toying with the collar of his shirt. She took a step closer to him, glancing up and batting her eyelashes. For a moment, Spencer watched her with rapt fascination before he chuckled and took a step back from her.