Close | A Spencer Reid Story

29. Doorstep

Y/N's POV

About 200 yards away from Spencer's apartment, I began searching around for my phone. I couldn't see a cab. Uber or lyft would be my next bet. The problem was that I couldn't find my phone for then life of me.

Arghhh. I remember that I left it on the table at Spencer's.

I make a U-turn and head back the way I came.

I seemed to be walking in the opposite direction than the crowd now. It was just after nine pm. It looked like the night owls of the city were head out.

In the distance, I searched for the familiar steps that led up to Spencer's apartment building. With my speed walking I made it there in record time. I began to bound up the steps until I saw a petite blond curled up, sitting on the steps, her head in her hands. "Are you okay?" I asked crouching down beside her.

She looked up, and I recognised the red bloodshot eyes.

"JJ? What's the matter?" I sat down beside her.

JJ wiped her eyes, trying to hide her tears from me, but it was too late for all that.

I wrapped my arms around her shoulder.

"Are the boys, okay?" I queried. To me the only rational reason for her to be upset was because of her sons.

"Yeah. Yeah. They're fine."

"JJ, something is obviously upsetting you. It's okay if you don't want to tell me, but maybe you could speak to Spencer about it." I assumed given her plight that she hadn't made it up to the apartment yet. "Do you want to come up with me or would you like me to call Spencer down?"

"NO!" The volume of her voice alarmed me.

Behind us the door slammed open. A dishevelled Spencer emerged.

His eyes were wide already, but the only out wider and more frazzled when he saw me and JJ.

"Y/N, you're still here... and with JJ." Why was he stating the obvious?

I rose from the steps. "I'm glad you came Spencer. JJ seems to be quite upsets."

Spencer stepped down a step.

"You came back?" Why was he still stuck on that when we had mor pressing matters at hand?

"Yeah. I left my phone upstairs."

Spencer took another step down. "In my apartment?"

"Yes, where else?"

"I'm leaving," JJ proclaimed, sprinting down the steps.

"Wait," both Spencer and I called out in unison.

"I have to go." JJ repeated in a state of panic and mania.

On cue, Evan pulled up.

"Evan? Your supposed to be at home." I glared at him disapprovingly.

"I put Amelia to sleep. It didn't feel right to leave you to make your own way home."

"Well, as luck would have it. I do need a ride and so does JJ."

"I'm fine," JJ mumbled. "I'll get a cab."

"It's no problem. Evan doesn't mind. Do you?"

Evan shook his head.

"Sorted." I motioned for JJ to get in. "I'll just grab my phone and then we can go."

"I'll get it," Spencer offered. He was sullen, like a lost puppy.

I cornered JJ into the car and the slid into my seat.

I watched JJ from the corner of my eye. She had her head against the head rest and rolled to the side to face out the window.

"JJ?"

"I don't want to talk about," she snapped at me, before regretting it and biting her tongue.

"I was just going to ask if you wanted some water. I pointed to the stash of water bottles that Evan always had ready for me. Evan glanced at me in the rear-view mirror in surprise. I didn't have much time to dwell on it as I spotted Spencer hurtling down the steps. I rolled down my window and Spencer handed me the phone. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I whispered back.

Spence's gaze slid to JJ. But he quickly looked away and stepped back, allowing Evan to drive off.

We drove in silence. It didn't seem appropriate to converse with Evan while JJ was wallowing away.

But it was JJ who broke the silence when I caught her staring at me, as I scrolled through the messages, I had been putting off replying to.

"I'm a terrible person," JJ whimpered.

I locked my phone, causing the only light form inside the car to stop illuminating my face.

"No, you're not, JJ," I squeezed her hand in consolation.

"I am," tears began streaming once more. "I'm knowingly hurting someone who hasn't done anything to me. For what.... For selfish reasons."

"At least you recognise that. Now you just have to find the solution or action to make it right."

"How?" She leaned forward eagerly.

"Well, that depends on what you think you've done. Either you could stop the hurtful action and use that as the solution. Or you could find a way to showcase reparations to the person you've hurt and show that you've reformed." I retracted my hand. I stretched it. In her eagerness JJ had squeezed my hand a little too hard.

"I don't want to hurt them." JJ rubbed the space between her eyebrows.

"Think about it this way. Will it hurt more them finding out on their own or from you telling them."

JJ contemplated, but she knew the right answer, but she didn't want to admit it. "What if I just stop and don't say anything." Her feeble attempt at justifying herself wasn't even convincing her.

"If that's what you think is best." I sensed this conversation wasn't going to go anywhere. I went back to staring at the blur outside as we sped down the roads, reaching JJ's house.

"Thanks for the ride, Y/n."

"Anytime," I beamed back.

"And I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry for what?"

But she was already gone before she could answer me.