023, eye of the beholder
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AFTER THE interaction with Duncan, Aspen and the other four girls drive back to Rosewood agreeing to talk about the male who knew of Vivian— Alison.

Aspen walks outside of Lucky Leons Cupcakes to sit with Spencer, Aria, Emily and Hanna explaining what Duncan told her a few hours ago.

"Well, he recognized the coat. But when he saw it at first... he thought it was Alison— Vivian." Aspen explains while sitting down holding an ice coffee in her hand from inside the store.

"When we noticed you didn't come back. He was gone." Emily voices, "He was cute from the back." Hanna shrugs smirking.

"So was his front. Under different circumstances. Jason's still cuter," Aspen responds with smile.

"He's been in Florida for, like, a year." Aspen explains getting back to Duncan and what they two of them talked away, "What did you tell him exactly?" Spencer questions.

"Uh... I told him that I was a friend of Vivian's and that I hadn't seen her since she gave me the coat." Aspen explains.

"Can I see that number again?" Spencer asks pointing at the card sitting on the table.

"Yeah." Aspen states handing the brunette the card, "Thanks," Spencer smiles looking at the card, "Duncan Albert?" Spencer reads aloud.

"He said he met her in Brookhaven?" Emily wonders looking at Aspen, "Yeah. In a bookstore... couple places down from that creepy doll hospital." Aspen finishes.

"Well, whoever Duncan is... he's connected to Alison and what she wanted in Brookhaven." Spencer reveals.

"How do we know that he wasn't just some guy she flirted with in a bookstore?" Emily wonders.

"I don't think Alison wasted Vivian on flirting. When she put that wig on... she wanted something." Spencer mutters.

"She was looking for A." Hanna states with a shrug, "Duncan was apart of that trial." Emily voices.

Aspen looks at the card with Duncan's number on it, "I'll call him." Aspen voices without looking up from the small piece of paper.

"Aspen, you don't have to." Spencer mumbles, "Any one of us could've been wearing that coat." Emily says.

"But it was me." Aspen utters looking at her cousin before noticing a car pulling off to the curb.

Aspen widen her eyes noticing Jenna and Toby getting out of the car alongside another brunette Aspen is all too familiar with.

Aspen inhales seeing the bandage on Jenna's eye and Toby and the familiar brunette looking over at them, "She had the operation." Hanna states.

Toby helps Jenna inside sending a small nod towards Aspen as does the brunette receiving a small nod in response from said girl, "Who's the other brunette?" Hanna questions confused.

"Jemma. Jenna's twin sister." Aspen explains looking at the others surrounding the table before looking at Spencer looking at the ground sadly.

"Spence?" Aria voices while Spencer turns towards the table and sits down with a sad huff.

✹

THE NEXT day after spending the rest of the day with her boyfriend and Bowie having a lazy day watching movies snuggled together.

Standing in the hallway of the high school Aspen smiles seeing Mona handing Hanna one of her old phones.

"It's really old. Like six months. But it works pretty good for an antique. The number bills to my account. Your mom never has to know." Mona explains smiling while grabbing some hand sanitiser.

"Oh. Mona, you are a life saver." Hanna states while Mona gives all of them some sanitiser in their hands with a cheerful smile.

"Well, what's the point of doing something for someone if it doesn't make you look good? I'm already number one on the speed dial. Ciao!" Mona voices while walking away receiving a wide eyed look from Aria and confused and smiles from the others.

"If only we could harness Mona's sense of entitlement... we could light the eastern seaboard." Spencer utters.

"Yeah. Well, I don't care. I got a new phone and didn't have to go through Caleb. He's safe in Montecito." Hanna says.

Spencer gives Hanna a look before looking at Aspen hearing her giggle softly, "Did you get through to Duncan yet?" Emily questions standing beside her cousin.

"Yeah. He's coming after school. I'm gonna meet him in the courtyard." Aspen explains looking at the others.

"That sounds safe." Spencer confirms while the bell rings signalling classes are about to start.

"Later." Spencer speaks looking at Aspen walking beside her since they have classes near one another.

After class Spencer looks at Aspen, "Have you told Jason about Duncan yet?" Spencer wonders.

"Yeah. And trust me... he's not super happy about me meeting a stranger." Aspen groans smirking at Spencer.

"Makes sense." Spencer nods coming to an abrupt stop confusing Aspen before realisation hits her in the face seeing Toby and Jemma standing beside each other in front of the office.

"Hey." Aspen greets lowly to both step siblings, "Hello Aspen." Jemma smiles while Toby shares a quick hello with the blonde before Aspen excuses herself and walks away to the courtyard to meet up with Duncan.

Duncan sits beside Aspen while they look through some photos, "So, were you looking for Vivian in Brookhaven?" Aspen questions.

"Can I ask you a question first?" Duncan wonders looking at the blonde.

"Sure." Aspen nods, "Is Aspen your real name?" Duncan asks, "What? Yes. Of course it is. Why would you ask that?" Aspen questions confused.

"Because Vivian's real name wasn't Vivian and if you're her friend... you'll know her real name." Duncan mumbles, "Alison." Aspen says quietly.

"We have a winner. So where is she?" Duncan asks smiling, Aspen sucks in a breath looking at her feet before looking up at the male.

"Duncan, Alison's dead. I'm— I'm sorry. She disappeared Labor Day weekend year before last." Aspen explains sadly shocking the male who looks around sadly.

"Disappeared? What happened?" Duncan wonders getting emotional, "Look, I— maybe..." Aspen starts but Duncan interjects.

"What happened to her?" Duncan questions wanting an answer, "She was killed and... they didn't find her body for a year." Aspen replies taking a deep breath.

"Do they know who did it?" Duncan asks with his back turned away from the blonde, "No." Aspen denies.

"The cops must have some ideas." Duncan states, "Yeah. We— we don't really trust the cops." Aspen utters, "Who's we?" Duncan asks.

"Me and some of Alison's friends." Aspen voices, Duncan looks at Aspen's face and the way she's dressed realising something.

"You're the one who designed some of her favourite dresses. The fashion designer— she talked about you a lot. There are five of you... right?" Duncan questions looking at the stunned and teary eyed blonde girl.

"She talked about us?" Aspen mumbles, "Yes. She talked about you guys a lot. Mostly you." Duncan explains.

"Did she ever— talk about anyone else? Someone that she might've been afraid of?" Aspen questions biting her lip trying not to cry at what the male just told her.

"Look... maybe we shouldn't be talking about this here." Duncan suggests, "Did you only meet her in that bookstore?" Aspen wonders.

"No. No... we spent a lot of time together that summer." Duncan explains, "In Brookhaven?" Aspen asks, "Near Brookhaven." Duncan reveals.

"Well, I— I could meet you there?" Aspen suggests, "I'll call you." Duncan firmly states turning around to leave before facing the blonde.

"The weekend you said she disappeared... I saw her that weekend. And for the record... she was right about one thing. You're very beautiful." Duncan reveals shocking Aspen who nods and mumbles a thank you watching him leave the high school's courtyard.

Aspen gasps standing up to go find the others to walk home together, "Duncan saw Ali that weekend?" Spencer repeats looking at Aspen shocked seeing Aspen nod.

"Are we sure we believe him?" Hanna wonders, "He— he was all torn up when I told him she was dead. He couldn't have been faking that." Aspen responds remembering the sad look of despair on Duncan's face.

"Em, you okay?" Hanna questions noticing Emily walking behind them with quite a distance.

"Sure." Emily says with a shrug before a cars engine starts and begins revving ahead of them seeing Garrett rushing off in his car making his tires screech on the road.

"Why is Garret in such a hurry?" Spencer wonders while all five of their phones chime with a text message.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE,
THERE'S PAYBACK.
— A

Emily reads from her phone while the others stare at their phones annoyed hearing a door opening in the distance seeing Toby, Jenna, Jemma and the fire department's chief talking about something.

"Wait... what's going on?" Hanna asks, "I don't know." Spencer responds, "What are they talking to the fire department about?" Aria asks.

"They're talking about that night." Emily reveals in realisation, "The Jenna thing." Spencer mutters watching Toby lead the fire department around the yard pointing at certain things.

"Are you serious?" Hanna hisses panicked, "What could Toby be telling them?" Aria wonders for everyone surrounding one another.

"I did such a good job of screwing him up. He might say anything Jenna wants him to say." Spencer sighs.

"That we were the ones who blinded Jenna?" Aspen suggests staring at the three ahead of them.

"Alison and us." Emily states watching a police officer walking towards the Cavanaugh household.

Aspen returns back to her apartment passing out for the rest of the day due to exhaustion and knowing her boyfriend has a spare key and can just let himself in if he needs.

✹

ASPEN WALKS into the courtyard spotting Emily and Spencer straight away sitting with them.

"Have you heard from your dad? What about you Speny? Have you heard from your uncle?" Spencer questions.

"He emailed us on a layover in Germany." Emily explains grabbing a hold of Aspen's hand, "Are you two okay?" Spencer asks.

"You never get used to it if that's what you mean. My mom's gonna be back here next week." Emily responds with a small smile.

"He might just be my uncle. But I still worry and like Em said... it never gets easier." Aspen explains.

"Have Maya's parent's heard from her?" Spencer wonders, "No. They haven't. I have." Emily states shocking both Aspen and Spencer.

"Wait... what?" Aspen exclaims, "Yeah. What?" Spencer repeats in a much calmer tone, "Yeah. She's all right." Emily explains.

"Where is she?" Aspen quizzes, "She hasn't told me yet." Emily voices looking at both Spencer and Aspen.

"Are you gonna tell her parents?" Spencer inquires, "She asked me not to. But I keep thinking how my parents would feel if I was missing... you know, I don't know," Emily vents while the bell rings.

"Better go." Emily mumbles seeing Aspen throw her head back in annoyance following beside her two best friends.

"Asp. Spencer and Emily." Jason voices from beside them seeing the three of them walking inside from the courtyard.

Aspen smiles seeing her boyfriend who pecks her cheek in greeting, "Hey. I'm so sorry that I haven't called you back. My reserves have been really depleted, and..." Spencer rambles.

"Spence, breathe." Aspen suggests looking at the brunette, "This isn't about... that. Um, I've got some of Alison's things. I've been through them. But... I'm not really sure what to do with them." Jason states seeing Aspen look at him in shock.

"What kind of things?" Emily wonders looking at the male holding onto Aspen's hand wanting her close.

"They're in a bag that was left in the house when we moved out. Your friend Maya said her family found them." Jason explains.

"She said that they packed up some of Ali's things by accident." Emily nods remembering Maya mentioning packing some of Alison's belongings in mistake.

"Maya dropped them off at the house." Jason reveals, "Maya did? Did you talk to her?" Emily quizzes in panic.

"The bag was on the porch and then I saw in the paper Maya was missing and I remember Asp mentioning it as well, is it true?" Jason questions gently.

"Yeah." Emily mumbles sadly, "We'll find her Em." Aspen responds gently seeing Emily nod glumly.

"So the bag has Ali's stuff in it?" Spencer repeats coming back to the bag.

"Yeah. Some of the things from her room. I just thought you guys might wanna have a look?" Jason suggests seeing the three of them nod at him and Aspen smile looking up at him.

"I've gotta get to class. See you later handsome." Aspen voices kissing Jason's lips before walking off towards her next class leaving Emily and Spencer smiling at how in love the blonde is with the dirty blonde male.

Aspen finishes her class seeing Hanna talking to Toby in a classroom towards the entrance.

Toby walks out stopping seeing the blonde young woman looking at him with a glare before scoffing and turning around and leaving him in the hallway.

"Aspen! Stop." Toby pleads chasing after the girl, "I heard what you said Toby. I get that you and Spencer are done... but treating us— me, awfully won't get you far. We're suppose to be brother and sister. But that bond left a while ago didn't it? I have to be somewhere." Aspen snarls slamming her car door shut and driving towards Spencer's house meeting up with the orders and Jason in the kitchen.

Seeing Aria walking around the side of the house, "Thank you so much for doing this Ria." Aspen smiles seeing Aria nodding at her.

"It's all good." Aria smiles knocking on the side door letting Aspen walk in first and greet her boyfriend standing by the kitchen counter.

"Bye bye Speny! You owe me!" Aria calls out, "Thanks again Ria." Aspen responds seeing Jason looking at her confused before a song starts playing coming from Alison's jewellery box.

"She had that when she was a kid." Jason mumbles staring at the item once belonging to his little sister.

Aspen lays her head on his shoulder comfortably trying to comfort the male staring at the object.

Jason sighs looking at his girlfriend and the others noticing Mrs Hastings walking into the kitchen staring at the male annoyed.

"If there's anything you guys find in here you wanna keep... take it. You can bring the bag back to the house when you're done." Jason suggests.

"Okay." Spencer nods, "If I'm not there... just drop it on the back porch." Jason explains walking out of the kitchen.

"Thank you, Jason." Spencer says following him to the door smiling at Aspen, "I'll be back in a second." Aspen explains leaving the house with Jason towards his.

"Gabbie has Bowie and I have to go to Scranton tonight. I'll see you tomorrow?" Jason wonders seeing Aspen nod and give a goodbye kiss before walking back into Spencer's house seeing Mrs Hastings staring at her with a squint.

"Mom stop staring at her like that just because she's dating Jason. Leave her alone!" Spencer exclaims annoyed seeing her mother walk off into another part of the house so the three of them can start going through the bag.

Aspen sighs rolling her muscles due to sitting on the floor for the last few hours since saying goodbye to her boyfriend.

"I thought we'd find something." Spencer mumbles seeing Aspen and Emily playing with items from the bag.

"Me too." Aspen groans, "I don't know why. But I did too." Emily voices looking at a metal from one of Alison's competitions when she was younger.

"It's just stuff. Disconnected stuff." Spencer utters disconnecting a magnetic wooden rope looking at the other sitting beside her.

✹

ASPEN SITS in Spencer's bedroom while Spencer takes the bag back to Jason's house.

Aspen walks downstairs seeing Hanna sitting at the kitchen counter eating peanut butter and milk.

"Wait... so he wasn't there when you dropped it off?" Hanna wonders.

"No. The house was dark. So I just left it on the back porch... then I came back here and I found you lurking in the hydrangeas." Spencer explains.

"Okay, I was not lurking. I was just working up the nerve to tell you about Toby." Hanna mutters looking at Spencer who scoffs sitting on the couch beside Aspen.

"Did I mess it up even more?" Hanna questions, "I don't see how that's humanly possible." Spencer mumbles sadly.

"Okay, so there was nothing important in that bag?" Hanna quizzes.

"I don't know what we thought we'd find. Just a bunch of kid stuff." Aspen voices biting down on one of the cookies while sipping on the milk.

"Man, times are tough. Michele Obama wore this same blouse two years ago." Hanna frowns holding a piece of newspaper up.

"Wait, where did you get this?" Spencer asks taking the paper from Hanna.

"I was sitting on it." Hanna responds, "That stuff in the bag was wrapped up in newspaper from July, 2009." Aspen voices reading the date on the newspaper Spencer's holding.

"So?" Hanna shrugs, "So we thought Maya's parents wrapped that stuff. But Ali did... before she disappeared." Spencer reveals.

All three of them look at the newspapers noticing highlighted parts on some papers, "Spence, look." Hanna mumbles pointing at the highlighted parts.

"Yeah. This one's highlighted too." Aspen voices showing the two girls her paper before Spencer gasps looking at Aspen.

"Wait, Aspen. Go through the back yard and take that bag off of Jason's porch. I'm gonna call Aria and Emily." Spencer demands seeing Aspen nod and get off the couch.

"Did something just happen?" Hanna asks confused, "We were looking in the bag for clues but we should've been looking at the whole bag as a clue!" Spencer exclaims snatching the papers from the rubbish bin while Aspen goes to grab the bag from Jason's back porch.

Aspen walks up the back steps of Jason's house grabbing the bag before hearing a smashing inside the house freezing seeing and smelling smoke coming from inside the house.

A figure suddenly lunges at the door startling the blonde who gasps not even hesitating going inside the house.

"Jenna!" Aspen exclaims picking Jenna's unconscious and weak body up from the ground and dragging her outside noticing Hanna and Spencer looking at her alarmed.

Aspen coughs panicked seeing how quickly the house is going up in the flames.

"Oh my god... Jason!" Aspen screams going to run inside only for an explosion and glass to be broken over her body.

Aspen sobs while Hanna and Spencer hold onto her stopping her from going inside.

"His not here Spenny. It's okay." Spencer states revealing to the distressed blonde that her boyfriend isn't inside the house.

Aspen sobs wincing from the deep cut on her forehead and hand noticing the blood pouring from both of them.

The paramedics take both Jenna and Aspen to the hospital to treat their wounds and to make sure Jenna is okay and not choking on any smoke.

✹

ONCE THE blonde is calmed down in the emergency room sitting across from Wren while he treats her wounds.

"Did you get this in the fire?" Wren questions taking glass out of the wound on Aspen's forehead said girl groans feeling the pull.

"She got the girl out of the house and was caught in the explosion." Spencer explains for the shocked blonde.

"Alright well. Good news is that your hands cut isn't that deep and won't need stitches but the bad news is the one on your forehead will." Wren explains grabbing the stitching needle and thread and stitching up the deep wound on Aspen's forehead.

Wren also makes sure she doesn't have a concussion in the process, "You also have a slight concussion. So be careful over the next few days." Wren states.

Aspen nods and winces while he puts an antibiotic cream on both wounds before dressing them with bandages and moving onto Spencer's cut on her palm.

Aspen spaces out looking around the white walls of the hospital sniffling not having any updates on Jason's whereabouts.

"How about you. Did you get this in the fire?" Wren repeats taking a piece of broken glass from Spencer's palm.

"There was something that I needed on the porch and there was glass." Spencer mumbles.

"Well, you're not gonna need stitches. So, I'll just clean this up... put a dressing on it. And send you home with some antibiotics." Wren explains sending a soft smile to the brunette.

"Watch out for her too okay?" Wren suggests motioning to the disoriented girl wiping away a tear on her cheek.

Spencer nods and looks at Aspen back to Wren, "Thank you." Spencer says looking at the wound on the palm of her hand,

"How's Melissa?" Wren wonders, "Um... she's in Philadelphia." Spencer voices quietly.

"Oh. I see that the carpenter is back." Wren says keeping the girl talking and distracted from the stinging sensation on her palm.

"And his sister's." Spencer huffs, "She's not what I was expecting. Although I haven't met the other one. What was she doing in that house by herself?" Wren questions.

"I don't know." Spencer responds truthfully, "Spencer, I hate to break this to you. But you have a very complicated life. As do you Aspen." Wren utters looking at Spencer and Aspen who bites her lip anxiously before letting out a laugh with the other two.

"Is that your medical opinion?" Aspen questions finding her voice after the shock is slowly leaving her body, "Yes. Yes... it is, actually." Wren responds nodding with a smile.

"Well, the condition is hereditary. So there's really not much I can do about it... I'm afraid." Spencer voices.

"All right. Well, don't be so certain of that. Cause modern medicine's made great advances in this field. You have to agree... fate keeps shoving us into the same path." Wren mumbles.

"Don't confuse fate with just— really bad luck." Spencer replies, "As much as I hate to do this. I have to ask you both a direct question." Wren announces looking at both Aspen and Spencer.

"Do you want to agree that certain things between us never happened?" Wren questions, "No. Because it did happen and I don't regret it." Aspen states shaking her head.

"No. I also wouldn't take back anything." Spencer responds quietly knowing that Wren and Aspen actually slept together and her and said male just kissed a few times is completely different.

✹

JASON RUSHES back to Rosewood after receiving the phone call from the police.

The officers call him to explain that his house and two people were caught in the crossfire of the explosion.

Arriving at the hospital after Hanna sent him a text message saying that Aspen was injured and in hospital being treated.

Jason walks into the emergency room seeing Hanna, Emily and Aria all standing together without Spencer and Aspen.

Hanna explains to him that Spencer had to get a wound on her palm checked out and Aspen had to get to some stitches and that they haven't heard anything else since arriving at the hospital.

Sitting in the waiting room alongside Aria he frowns, "What was Jenna doing in my house?" Jason asks.

"Don't you know?" Aria frowns shocked seeing Jason shake his head.

"No. I was halfway to Scranton then I got a call from the police saying there had been a fire and that two people were injured." Jason voices looking at the dark haired girl.

"How bad was it?" Aria sighs looking at the male she once had a crush on.

"First floor is pretty much damaged in the back. But I won't really know much else till morning. Not that I really care about the house right now... I wanna know if my girlfriend's okay." Jason states.

"I'm so sorry," Aria says noticing Mrs Hastings walk into the waiting room and Emily and Hanna begin talking to her.

"I should probably go talk to Spencer's mom." Aria says standing up and leaving Jason seated in the waiting area.

Aspen and Spencer walk together side by side towards the waiting room noticing Jason and Spencer's mom talking together.

Aspen grunts annoyed more so at Spencer making sure she doesn't fall or anything due to her concussion.

"Spence, I'm fine. I just wanna see my boyfriend." Aspen mutters frustrated with the constant shadow of Spencer's figure.

"Spencer, Aspen. Jenna wants to talk to you— all of you." Toby demands gently stepping out towards them.

"Okay." Spencer nods following the male who stops and faces her and Aspen.

"Are you all right? Both of you?" Toby sighs looking at the bandages on Aspen's hand and forehead, "I think so." Spencer responds looking at the blonde who hisses.

"Just tired. But yeah, I'm fine." Aspen mutters not forgetting about the way Toby has been ignoring her for the past few weeks.

Aspen stands beside the others beside Jenna's bedside in the hospital room of hers.

"Jason was miles away when the police called him. He didn't send you that text." Aria explains now knowing Jason was on his way to Scranton when the fire started.

"Somebody did." Jenna responds, "Meaning one of us." Spencer mutters, "You can't blame this on us." Emily states firmly hearing Jenna sob.

"I don't." Jenna mumbles sobbing, "You should go." Toby suggests seeing Aspen and the others nod and walk towards the door.

"Wait. Aspen... are you there?" Jenna questions weakly, "I'm here." Aspen responds.

"Toby said that you were the one that dragged me out. Is that right?" Jenna wonders.

"Yeah. That was me." Aspen confirms looking at the others before stopping meeting eye contact with Jemma who's looking at her old friend's wounds.

"Why?" Jenna cries, "You're welcome." Aspen responds walking out of the room towards the waiting area looking for one person who takes away all of her nightmares and pain.

"Baby?" Jason voices noticing the blonde standing nearby.

Aspen releases a massive sob lunging into his arms holding onto him tightly.

"Don't let me go." Aspen pleads hearing his heartbeat and sighing in relief, "I won't. I promise," Jason whispers embracing her tightly.

"How about we go pick up Bowie and spend the night at your apartment since my house isn't an option?" Jason suggests seeing Aspen nod and step away from the embrace.

"I've gotta go to Spencer's. We're looking at that bag again but I'll meet you at our place." Aspen states firmly seeing Jason nod and kiss her before walking together towards the others.

"I'm ready." Aspen states pecking Jason's lips once again and following the others out of the hospital so they can drive to Spencer's house.

✹

SITTING TOGETHER on the floor of Spencer's bedroom looking through the bags belongings.

"They're all from that summer." Emily realises once finishing reading the newspapers, "There's gotta be some kind of key." Spencer mumbles.

"We're the key. I mean Ali said we know more about what happened than we think we do." Hanna states firmly.

"Who tricked Jenna into that house?" Emily quizzes, "If it was anybody but Jenna. I think it'd be A." Hanna shrugs looking around at the others.

"Garrett can't be happy that Toby's back in that house with Jenna." Aria states, "She was supposed to die in there. Wasn't she?" Emily wonders looking at Aspen.

"Yeah... and then that would've been another thing for Jason to have on his back." Aspen mutters picking up the old jewellery box of Alison's and opening it hearing a chime play and stop.

"That's everything." Spencer mumbles tiredly, "No. It's not!" Emily exclaims grabbing something from another part of the bag seeing a postcard.

"Does anybody recognize this?" Spencer questions holding up the postcard, "Is there anything on the back?" Hanna wonders.

"Yeah. Number 1." Spencer explains handing Aria the said postcard, "It's just half a postcard." Aria frowns flipping the cardboard observing it.

"How do we find out where it's from?" Emily asks, "Yeah. Where's the other half?" Spencer quizzes.

Hanna frowns noticing one of the dates on the newspapers, "Wait... this isn't from July. It's from the end of August. Look." Hanna reveals handing Aria the paper so the brunette can look at it.

"It's— it's Labor Day events from Philadelphia, Brookhaven and... Rosewood." Aria realises.

"When did Duncan say he left Ali at the airfield?" Emily questions looking at Aria, "Before noon on Sunday." Aria says.

"Well, is this where she was when we thought she was on that bus?" Spencer questions.

"Who did she plan on meeting?" Aspen quizzes while the song on the jewellery box starts playing scaring the living daylights out of Aspen and the others.

"Oh. By the way Speny. Duncan was confused why you didn't meet him. I think he really liked your company." Aria states shocking the blonde.

"He did call me beautiful." Aspen mumbles looking at the others who are looking at her stunned by the sudden information.

After a while of sitting around discussing the bags items and the newspaper over and over.

Hanna, Emily and Aspen all leave together since the blonde gains a ride off her cousin back to her apartment where her handsome boyfriend is awaiting for her return with their puppy.

Walking into the apartment Aspen groans at the pain radiating from her head seeing Jason's placed pain medication and a glass of mineral water beside the bed where he's passed out with Bowie sleeping on the foot of the bed.

Aspen smiles running her fingertips along Jason's jawline and hairline gently not wanting to wake the male from his slumber.

Before getting changed into her silk pyjamas and snuggling into her nice warm bed and feeling an arm find its way over her waist bringing her closer into a spooning position.

"Go to sleep baby." Jason groggily mumbles kissing her neck and hearing her breathing relax before soft snores are coming from the young blonde woman.

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TO BE CONTINUED...