Normal People - Strange Encounters Book Two

Chapter 16

Spencer stepped out of the conference room, picking up his phone to call Amelia only to realize he still didn't have a number for her. He made a mental note to himself for them to figure that out later. Walking back into the conference room he dug through Gladys's file until he found her contact info, appreciating that she still had a land line. He slipped into his coat as he listened to the phone ring.

"Hello?" Spencer's stomach still did a flip hearing her voice, as it had done when he first found her in the cabin.

"Uh, hi Lia. It's-"

"I know your voice, Spence" she said, letting out a quiet laugh. "Did you need to talk with Miss G, or.."

"No actually, I was calling for you. Listen, you and Gladys are staying by the house all day right?"

"Mhm, she was happy about my extra day so we've just been baking all day. I don't think she needed to go anywhere."

"Good. And the cops are still there?"

"What's going on, Reid?" His jaw twitched, at both the nickname and the hardness that quickly covered the voice that was so soft only moments ago.

"Smyth killed two employees of Gladys's company. A deputy is on their way now to inform her. Now, are the cops still there Amelia?" He didn't mean to match her tone, but some of the unresolved anger was resurfacing and he was having a hard time keeping it at bay.

"Yes, Spencer, they're here. The employees.. how are you sure?"

He hesitated before responding. "Well, we're not entirely. But it'd be uncanny for three murders to occur here in a matter of days." There was silence on the line, and Spencer wished he could've been at the house to see her face, read how she was registering this new information. The silence stretched longer than he liked. "Uh, Lia?"

"Yeah, I'm here. Listen, the deputy just got here. I've gotta go check on G."

Spencer rubbed his brow, wishing she'd just let him back in. "Alright. I'll, uh, be over tonight. I mean, if that's okay.."

Amelia felt a pang of guilt, realizing she had been sharp with him. "Of course it is" she said, softly again. "I'll see you tonight Spence." The line disconnected, and Spencer was left wondering if things would ever return to normal between them again.

♡

As evening rolled around, Amelia leaned over the Gladys' laptop on the kitchen counter. She felt giddy, excited to log into her Spotify for the first time in months. As the home screen appeared, she scrolled through the home page, seeing new singles and albums she hadn't even known were released. She glanced to the side of the screen and smiled, seeing Spencer had last listened to the Mamma Mia soundtrack, which she used to play constantly. She smiled, thinking of blaring it in her kitchen dancing around in her underwear while she cooked them breakfast, Spencer sleepily drinking coffee as he'd watched her adoringly. Out of curiosity, she navigated to his profile. When she saw he'd made his own playlists she picked up the laptop and walked over to the table, slowly taking a seat.

There were only two playlists, both created only days after she'd left. One was titled 'Things you've missed' and the other 'For You'. She scrolled through the playlists, realizing the first was all new releases from bands and artists she loved. The second was a mix, some things she knew, some she recognized, and some she'd never heard of. Amelia realized Spencer had made these, the only playlists he had ever created, for her, even after she'd left as she did.

She didn't realize she was crying until Gladys walked in.

"What are you blubbering about?"

She quickly wiped her eyes, standing and facing away from the woman. "Oh, nothing. Just.. nothing."