When I finally got home it looked just like I left it months ago. There didn’t even seem to be a speck of dust lying on anything. The refrigerator was a whole story in its own. I definitely had to make a trip to the grocery store. Suddenly my cell phone started ringing as I was staring into the mess of a fridge. I picked up the phone, knowing it was Spencer, I was wondering when you’d call.”

“Not soon enough.” She laughed.

“Yeah that’s a definite. I miss you.” I walked around my apartment, trying to get used to being alone again.

“Aww…I miss you too. This place seems so empty without you.”

“I know what you mean. My apartment is empty.” I could hear Madison yelling “Hi” in the background as I spoke.

“Oh yeah, Madison says hi.”

I started laughing, “I kinda noticed.”

We talked for around an hour and finally I had to go. I had to be up at five-thirty and it was already going on midnight, “Spence, I hate to say this but I gotta go.”

“Oh, sorry. What time do you have to get up?”

“Five-thirty plus I have a newbie at the museum that I have to train.”

I could hear the disappointment in Spencer’s voice as she spoke, “Alright. Have fun. I miss you.”

“I miss you too.” Every time I said it I smiled a little more, “Alright, good night Spence.”

“Good night. And Ashley, uh…I love you.”

I froze. What did she just say? Did she really just say that she loved me? “Um…thank you.”

There was silence and then I heard Spencer speak through tears, “Thank you?”

“Sorry, you caught me off guard.”

Spencer was still crying, “It shouldn’t be a brain teaser Ashley.”

“I love you too.”

“Ash, save it for when you mean it.”

“Spence, I’m sorry.”

“Just…good night Ashley.” And then Spencer hung up the phone.

I stared down at the phone, “Thank you?! Why the hell did I just say thank you?! What the hell was I thinking?! And now I’m talking to myself!”

When I arrived at the museum the next day I was introduced to the new intern, “Ashley, this is Aiden Dennison. He is our intern and will be working with you for the remainder of the year.”