“I love you.”

“Say it again,” Spencer said with an intoxicating grin.

“I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. Spencer Carlin…I love you,” Ashley replied, finally slipping her fingers inside Spencer’s warmth.

It was finally time for the unavoidable. Spencer had invited Lindsay over to her new apartment for dinner. They had left things unsettled and as temperamental as Lindsay was, Spencer missed her friend.

“Hi,” Lindsay said as she walked inside Spencer’s apartment, subtly surveying the living room as Spencer closed the front door.

“Hey, you’re right on time. If you don’t mind, I ordered Chinese. I didn’t get to leave school until an hour ago.”

“No, it’s cool. You know Chinese takeout is my religion.”

“I know,” Spencer replied happily, “so what have you been up to?”

“The usual, going to work at the museum, coming home, feeding my cat, reading a trashy book in the bath, and then turning in for the night.”

“Sounds…”

“Depressing? Pathetic? Horrible?”

“Um, I was going to say ‘good.’”

“Oh.”

“Linds, it doesn’t make sense that you’re not meeting people! I mean, look at you. You’re hot!”

“Yeah?”

“Of course, you know that.”

“I don’t want to meet people. People suck.”

Spencer raised her eyebrow, “Some people suck.”

“Most people suck.”

“Fine, whatever.You need to get out of your apartment.”

“Speaking of apartments, I like this place. Good location, decent size…it’s nice.”

“Yeah, I like it a lot. I was really lucky to find it on such short notice. Luckily my mom had performed open-heart surgery on the landlord’s wife. Well, not luckily…”

“I get it, Spence,” Lindsay said with a smile.

“It’s cool. And it’s not too far from school.”

“I’m glad that everything worked out for the best.”

Spencer nodded, “Are you ok? I mean, with the fact that I didn’t move in with you?”

“Um…we need to talk about that actually.”

“Oh, ok…what’s going on?” Spencer asked, sitting on the couch.

Lindsay followed behind her, “I want you back.”

“What?”

“You heard me, Spence. I want you back. I can’t find anyone because I’m comparing everyone to Spencer Carlin. I have awful timing when it comes to you, I know. But I can’t help the way I feel. That’s why I went out with Rachel…to make you jealous. I don’t know, I guess I thought that if you saw me with her you’d realize that you want me too.”

“No, it’s not going to happen.”

“I know, but I needed to tell you that. I hope we can still be friends.”

“Talk about freaking déjà vu, Lindsay! This is exactly what you did in high school!”

“Like I said, I have horrible timing.”

“Get out.”

“Spencer, I wouldn’t have said anything if I thought it was going to make you this upset.”

“Get out.”

“No,” Lindsay said, walking sliding over to Spencer on the couch, “I’m not leaving.”