Coffee, Tea // Spencer Reid

Chapter 45 - Téléphone-Moi

Lilith

A quick glance at her phone screen, and she was sighing again. Why wasn't he texting her anymore? She knew she shouldn't feel disappointed... after all, she hadn't answered to any of his messages. It was normal for him to stop. But this meant it really was the end. He'd given up on them, whatever "them" meant at that point. The regular messages made her feel like she still mattered to him, and it took a lot of willpower for her to not type a response. Now, everything was gone, and it felt like something died inside her with that last message. They had never dated and yet this felt worse than a crushing break up. Like a significant other for whom she was insignificant, invisible. She wondered if there was a word for it. Maybe a "We-never-dated-and-you-weren't-even-into-me-that-way-because-I-was-just-a-friend-to-you breakup."

And it hurt. Knowing he was so close yet so far. Everytime she saw his face it ached. And yet she'd been so hurt, she wondered how she could still have feelings for him. These feelings were now mingling with confusion and sadness. Why would he do that? Why would he ignore her? She wanted to ask him, but it had been too long since she'd talked to him, she couldn't just go back. Especially with that last message.

From: Spencer

Lilith?

She definitely couldn't go back now.

***

Penelope

She barely had the time to switch on her TV that her doorbell had already rung.

"Ugh, I can't even catch a break."

She dragged herself to the door, and was surprised upon opening.

"Spencer? That's new..."

"Penelope. I'm really sorry, I need to talk to you."

"Sure." Despite the fact that she invited her colleague to sit on her couch, she was much dryer than usual, her bubbly personality repressed. "I'm listening." Penelope took a seat in the armchair adj1cent to the couch.

"It's about Lilith." Spencer started.

Penelope sighed. "Of course it is."

"She hasn't responded to any of my calls... Or text messages. She ignores me when I see her out of her flat. It's as if being neighbours made it all worse."

"Don't you think you deserved it a bit?"

Spencer ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe, yeah. But I can't help it if I don't like Jeanine."

Penelope furrowed her brows. "Wait, what? What do you mean, 'you don't like Jeanine'?"

"I broke up with Jeanine a few weeks ago. That's why Lilith has been ignoring me."

Penelope was in shock, both at the fact he broke up with the girl he'd been kissing barely a month ago, and by his inability to understand Lilith. "I think it was more about the text message she sent to you at Halloween."

"Now I'm confused. What text message?"

Her jaw nearly dropped. She was piecing everything together. This entire situation was based on a huge misunderstanding.

"It's...it's not my place to tell you about the text, I think. Why did you and Jeanine break up?"

"We just didn't really click. Besides, I think I've been avoiding a truth for a long time now."

Penelope's heartbeat was going mad. She couldn't believe it. "And are you sure Lilith knows about you and Jeanine brekaing up?"

"Well, I assumed Jeanine told her. I mean, aren't they good friends? Up until now I thought that was why Lilith wouldn't talk to me."

"For a genius, you're very stupid sometimes..." The woman paused for a second. "Listen, go home. I need to do something right now."

"But...Penelope... I still don't know what to do about Lilith!"

"You need to give her time, that's all. Now shoo." She said as she gently gestured for him to leave the apartment,her bubbly self resurfacing.

As soon as the doctor had left her apartment, the woman jumped on her cell phone, and quickly dialled a phone number.

"Hello?" The voice at the other end asked.

Penelope sat down on her couch, pressing the phone firmly against her ear. "Hi. Jeanine ? Yes. We're gonna need to have a few words."