Picture This

Chapter 23

"At Police station with Jason," Spencer texts me, just as I'm driving home from work. I turn the car around and head to the police station. She didn't seem upset but it's hard to tell in text.

When I drive up behind Jason's parked car, Spencer is on the phone listening to a voicemail from Toby and Jason is walking out of the Police station. Spencer nods to me as I jog past her and ask Jason what's wrong, he explains about Spencer going to him about the April Rose mystery and both of them going to the city to go to the store -it was Jason's idea to turn the bracelet they found in to the police.

"How'd it go?" Spencer asks when we reach her and Jason has finished catching me up.

"As well as it could, I guess." Jason shrugs and takes my hand, smiling down at me and still having that look and his eye he had earlier just before he told me he loved me. It makes me blush and smile back. "I told them I got an anonymous tip," Jason looks back at Spencer. "They seemed to believe me." Yeah, because everyone in this town gets Anonymous tips.

"So do you know when they'll-" Spencer begins.

"Nah, he didn't say." Jason answers.
"So what do we do now?" I ask, Jason looks at me and shrugs.

"Now we wait." I nod and am about to ask if they want to come have dinner at my house.

"Um, Jason?" Spencer asks nervously, I wait for her to ask another favor of Jason. Jason was willing to do anything to establish a good relationship with Spencer since his relationship with the rest of his family was so torn up, but a relationship needs a two way street. "Do you still have those letters?" She glances at me but I look back at Jason, we had talked about his mother and biological father a lot over the summer, but I he never showed me the letters. I thought he might have burned them.

"The ones between...?" Jason asks.

"The ones that helped you figure out that my dad is your dad too?" Spencer asks, and I can tell it's still a touchy subject for her. She always develops an expressionless mask when she doesn't want to seem weak.

"Spence," I say, frowning and wanting to help her. She hasn't come to me for comfort and Emily and Hannah are still warming up to Jason so she is going through this alone. Jason glances between us, not catching on right away.

"I'd like to see them," Spencer says, looking Jason in the eye. "Please."

"Oh, Spencer," Jason says sympathetically, shaking his head. "You don't want to do that. It'll.. it'll just hurt." I nod along with him, but Spencer chuckles.

"Spencer?" I question, wondering what's going through her head.

"Sorry," she says, chuckling again. "I was just thinking that the reason you don't want me to read them is the very reason Ali would. I just think it's funny how different you two are."

I smile up at Jason, having made several mental notes about the differences and similarities between him and Ali and him and Spencer. "I wonder if Ali would have stayed like that."

"I wonder what kind of person she would have turned into," Jason adds. "I see it with the kids I work with, you know? And at first they're all attitude, but if you peel back the layers, you usually find a real person underneath."

"Yeah, but with Ali, we just keep pealing," I say.

"And we always seem to find new layers." Spencer continues.

Jason nods in understanding, rubbing my arm when I shiver. "I have the letters, Spencer, but think about it some more. Make sure you're ready, okay?" Spencer nods, getting into my car as I hug Jason goodbye.

"Thank you, for helping her," I tell him, pecking him on the cheek. "I know it means a lot to her."

"Yeah, of course," Jason shrugs, unwrapping his arms from around my waist. "Spencer seemed to think someone put the bracelet there for us to find, I mean she never told me where she found the name April Rose, but I can tell she didn't stumble upon it while talking to her mom." Jason narrows his eyes. "Is there something I don't know? Maybe A related?"

Images of Hannah crying and Caleb's mom in a car accident flash in my mind, and I smile and shake my head. "No, of course not. Mona is at Radley, basically in a coma." Jason doesn't stop narrowing his eyes but he nods.

"Okay, good night."

"Night," I kiss him again and then walk to my car, looking around the parking lot. My phones buzzes when I get in the car, and I glance at Spencer.

"Good doll." The text read, and I snap it shut angrily and drive Spencer home.