When I got to the gym I threw my bag in my locker, grabbed my mp3 player and headed to the indoor track. I needed to think through too much that had happened today. Running felt like a comfort zone for me. With every hit of my tennis shoes on the track my thoughts grew deeper. What if this time Spencer was telling the truth? What if this time she was actually going to come to terms with the fact that we, in fact, were perfect for one another? When we were in high school and she couldn’t understand it all she would take little online quizzes to see what kind of a relationship we had. The funny thing was that every single one that she took pointed back to the same thing. We were perfect for one another. Our relationship was the real deal.

Suddenly I felt someone running beside me and I turned to look, I couldn’t believe my eyes. How did she know I was here? How could she? She motioned for me to remove my headphones. I did so, “Spence, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Looking for you. I called your place and Rachel said that you were at the gym.”

“Yeah I needed a good run.”

“Ironically this feels a lot like when we met.”

I smiled, “Yeah, it does.”

“Ash, I need to talk to you.”

I stopped dead in my tracks, “Look, if you’re here to tell me that you’re not sure or that you didn’t mean what you said, just save me the speech. I’ve heard it too many times already.”

She stopped right beside me, “No, that’s not it. I came here to tell you that everything that I said was true. I meant every word.”

I looked away, wiping the sweat from my forehead with my hand.

She grabbed a hold of my other hand, “I know that I’ve said so many things to you in the past and taken each one of them back. But what you never knew was that I actually meant them. I was scared. I kept telling myself that I couldn’t possibly have foundanything that deep. But now, I’m here, and I’m not running away anymore.”

I walked over to the stretch area and quickly pretended to stretch, “Do you know how complicated this all is? Yesterday I thought I was doing the right thing asking Rachel to marry me. And now the one thing that I want is right here in front of me and I’m not sure if I should take the path that I always take. Spence, every time that I make a sacrifice like this for you, you tell me that it was all a mistake. It seems like you only want me when you can’t have me. I have to know for sure that this is all real this time. That when it’s all said and done with Rachel and I that you will be there to hug me and kiss me and tell me that I made the right choice. That we’re real.”

Spencer copied my movements, pretending to stretch, “I’m sure Ash. Okay?  The fact that I could lose you completely if you stayed with her scares the shit out of me. I don’t want to live the rest of my life denying anything. I’ve already done that long enough.”

Tears were forcing in my eyes. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to tell Rachel that it was over between the two of us. I was scared of what was to come. I wanted to believe Spencer. But how could I? I felt my bottom lip quivering and Spencer became a blur behind a wall of tears. She took me in her arms, hugging me so tightly that I finally felt her genuine want and concern.

“Shh…it’s all going to be okay. I promise.” She rubbed my back, “Hey, look at me for a minute.”

I lifted my head from her shoulder and began staring into her blue eyes.

“I love you, Ashley Davies. I have always loved you.”

My eyes filled with more tears but this time they weren’t tears of sorrow or fear. They were tears of happiness. Spencer pulled me in closer again. I cried in to her shoulder with a smile on my face. After most of my tears had subsided I took in a deep breath, breathing in all that she was. I laughed a little to break the tension, “You smell good.”

We pulled apart just enough to look at one another, “I smell good? Really?”

I laughed harder and wiped the remaining tears from my face, “Yes you smell good. Why would I say that you smelt good if you actually smelt like ass?”

She gave me a wide grin, “True.” There was a moments pause, “You have no idea how great it is to see you smile.”