He knows exactly what she means and god, he hates that. He hates that they both know, that they've both gone through the kind of trauma people don't just get over in a week or two. It's not as if Raleigh had simply twisted her ankle or that he'd fractured a few fingers in an accident; they'd been attacked with purpose even though they'd both been entirely innocent, and Spencer tightens his grip on Raleigh's had as he lets out a shuddering breath because even though Joel has been the best support system he could have asked for, he knows he still hasn't let what had happened with Mark go.
"I--" It's not a smooth movement, but he brings his injured hand to his throat where the bruises that Mark had left are no longer visible but Spencer can feel them all the same. "He had his hands around my throat and he wouldn't stop squeezing. Joel was there but I couldn't see him, and I thought, I really thought, the last thing I was going to see was that face. He was so happy, he wanted me dead, he wanted to make Joel suffer." He looks up at Raleigh and there's pain in his eyes, pain and confusion that he can't hide. "I've tried to make sense of it but I can't. I guess that's probably for the best."
He's getting better, though. He's gotten better, thanks to Joel and friends who haven't left him to suffer alone, and that's what he wants to help Raleigh do. She's a strong woman, one of the strongest he's met which he thinks is really saying something in a town like this, and he hopes he can succeed where he's failed so many time--in being there for someone, the way he hadn't had the chance to be there for his mom or his brother.
"Yeah. Yeah, it might take awhile. Good days and bad days, right? But you take those bad days and turn them on their heads, you call me or Joel or whoever you want to call and make the rest of it good because the man who took you can't take that away from you. He can't take your friends away because we're all still here, and we're here for you. Try not to lose sight of that, even if it's easier said than done."
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"I--" It's not a smooth movement, but he brings his injured hand to his throat where the bruises that Mark had left are no longer visible but Spencer can feel them all the same. "He had his hands around my throat and he wouldn't stop squeezing. Joel was there but I couldn't see him, and I thought, I really thought, the last thing I was going to see was that face. He was so happy, he wanted me dead, he wanted to make Joel suffer." He looks up at Raleigh and there's pain in his eyes, pain and confusion that he can't hide. "I've tried to make sense of it but I can't. I guess that's probably for the best."
He's getting better, though. He's gotten better, thanks to Joel and friends who haven't left him to suffer alone, and that's what he wants to help Raleigh do. She's a strong woman, one of the strongest he's met which he thinks is really saying something in a town like this, and he hopes he can succeed where he's failed so many time--in being there for someone, the way he hadn't had the chance to be there for his mom or his brother.
"Yeah. Yeah, it might take awhile. Good days and bad days, right? But you take those bad days and turn them on their heads, you call me or Joel or whoever you want to call and make the rest of it good because the man who took you can't take that away from you. He can't take your friends away because we're all still here, and we're here for you. Try not to lose sight of that, even if it's easier said than done."