spence❣ is calling...

My breath caught in my throat. Spencer was calling. That meant he landed. That meant he was here. My hand hovered over my phone. The ringtone I'd set for him (Lowlife by That Poppy) drifted through the air, reminding me of the dwindling amount of time to answer his call. I rushed to pick up the phone and answer, my heart hammering in my chest.

"Emma?"

A smile spread across my lips. "Spencer. You're here."

"I'm here," he said, sounding joyful. I bounced on my heels, shaking the kitchen island I rested my back upon. Spencer was here, in Miami. I could finally meet him. I felt like I was going to be sick. My nerves were frayed, thoughts racing through my tired mind. This was it. The make or break moment.

I cleared my throat. "Can we meet for lunch?" There was a moment of muffled noise. I chewed anxiously on my bottom lip, raking my fingers through my hair. The cool marble of the countertop met my bare back as my tank top had ridden up thanks to my nonstop squirming. I counted clouds as I waited.

"I don't think I can," Spence finally replied. His disappointment soaked his words and sent a thrill through me. No one had ever been disappointed about not seeing me. This was a first, and I loved it. I pursed my lips.

"You're not leaving Miami without seeing me," I ordered, desperation straining my voice. "I need to meet you, Spencer." Tears formed in my eyes. I'd never wanted something more. We were two weeks away from an entire year. It was insane that we hadn't met yet. It was insane that I'd never seen his face in real life and yet I would die for him. I was so pathetic.

Spence hesitated. "Em, I will do everything in my power to see you while I'm here."

*

I sighed. Peyton sat opposite me, her nails tapping on her phone screen. We were out at lunch. I tutored her daughter Annabelle in English and babysat for her on occasion, and so we quickly became friends. Normally, we'd be laughing up a storm. However, I was more than a little distracted. What if I didn't get to see Spence?

"How's your mom?" Peyton asked, looking up from her calendar. She was one of those moms who did just about everything. She was stretched thin, and it was rare we got to meet for lunch like this. Still, I'd rather be sitting across from someone else. Someone else named Spencer Reid.

"She's a little better," I said, smiling softly at the thought. "She got the mail today and made us breakfast. There was a moment when she couldn't place my name, but otherwise, it was normal. It was nice." I surveyed the menu once again. I hadn't eaten much of breakfast or dinner last night. I was hungry, an admittedly odd sensation for me.

"Oh my god, you're that guy from the news!" the hostess's voice rang out. I twisted in my seat. "Yeah, Jenny totally worked here. It's like, so sad what happened to her." I furrowed my brows. The hostess, who'd identified herself as Nina, was batting her eyelids at a pair of people who stood with their backs to me. I turned to Peyton, whose jaw had dropped.

Peyton looked at me with awe. "Did you see? This girl Jennifer Hawkins was murdered. Her body was found just a few blocks away. The M.O matches this serial killer. The BAU was called in!"

"Yeah, I know," I replied slowly, not sure what she was getting at and why she was beaming.

"You're an idiot," she said plainly, her smile dropping. "The BAU gave a quick little interview. The guy they interviewed is your guy, you fucktard. Aka, he's right over there!" I straightened up, eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. No way. Out of all of the restaurants in Miami, the victim worked here? At my local taco joint? Shut the fuck up.

I twisted back around in my seat. My hands shook as the pair of people turned around, eyes darting around the restaurant. Oh my god. It was him. It was Spence. Spencer Reid stood before me, side by side with a blond that had to be JJ. Behind me, Peyton slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"Go to him," she hissed, poking me with her index finger. I stood up, catching the attention of JJ. A smile spread across her lips and she whacked Spencer on the arm as he waited for Nina to fetch her manager. Spence's gaze flew to JJ, scrunching his face up in displeasure. She let out an annoyed sigh and pushed his head so he was looking straight at me. His eyes widened and momentary terror flooded my system.

You know those movie moments when the couple runs toward each other in slow motion and then they meet at the middle and embrace? It was kind of like that, except we walked towards each other, staring all the while. We met in the middle and stared some more.

I squirted coconut-scented hand sanitizer in my hands, rubbed in it, and held out my hand. "Emma Aragon."

"Spencer Reid," he said quietly, shaking my hand. "You didn't need the hand sanitizer."

I shrugged, casually intertwining our fingers. "Just wanted to be safe. It'd be awkward as hell if-" I didn't get to finish my sentence because he kissed me.

*

a/n: arareid is fucking rising fam! thank you guys for everything and for loving these two dummies as much as I do. also pay close attention to this entire chapter bc it's the start of a certain thing ;)

anyway thank you thank you thank you!! and I'm sorry bc I apparently didn't update last week ??? oops. so look forward to another chapter in an hour or two. love you all and thanks once again for everything. until next time!