Previously…
– Tori invited Lucy to stay at the Fisher home in order to get away from her abusive boyfriend, Bryce.
– Bree made amends with both Natalie and Marcus after Natalie was cleared of involvement in Loretta’s murder.
– Elly revealed to Travis that she was being considered a person of interest in Loretta’s murder, and Travis panicked about the secret that they have been keeping about that night.

“I think I’ve been here once,” Lucy Champlain says as she steps out of the rideshare vehicle, a red Toyota sedan.

“Travis‘s mom owns it, so we come here a lot,” Tori Gray explains, sliding out of the vehicle behind Lucy. She quickly thanks their driver and closes the door.

The two women stand outside The Wild Lady. The music from within can already be faintly heard, thanks to the open front door. Both are dressed in jeans and heels, though Tori has opted for a flannel shirt tied around her stomach, whereas Lucy wears a long-sleeved, off-the-shoulder black top.

“I thought Travis’s mom was a nurse,” Lucy says. “I swear he told me that once.”

“His other mom.”

“He has lesbian moms? I swear I’ve met his dad at the restaurant before–“

“It’s way more complicated than that,” Tori replies with a laugh. “I’ll explain after we have our first drink.”

They make their way inside the bar and push through the saloon doors that separate the entryway from the main area of the establishment. A twangy, country-tinged rock song that Tori doesn’t recognize blasts from the speakers; the bar is full, but not overwhelmingly so.

“Thanks for inviting me out tonight,” Lucy says. “I need to take my mind off things.”

“Well, my cousins all wanted to get together, and you already know Travis. It’s good for you to get out and meet some new people.”

Lucy sucks in a breath; she looks as though she is trying to convince herself that being out is okay. “Yeah.”

“You’re safe now,” Tori says solemnly. “Bryce isn’t gonna hurt you anymore.”

Lucy nods in response, her strawberry blonde hair bouncing softly as she does so. Tori scans the room until she sees the group, and then she takes Lucy by the arm and leads her over to them. Travis Fisher, Rosie Jimenez, Landon Esco, Samantha Fisher, and Tempest Banks are all huddled around one of the large barrels that serve as high-top tables.

“Hey, guys,” Tori says, quickly greeting them all with hugs. When she comes to Landon, both of them pause, a moment of wordless communication passing between them as they grin at one another; Tori feels her cheeks growing flushed.

“Lucy, you already know Travis from work,” Tori says.

“Hey, Lucy. Good to see you,” Travis says. “This is my wife, Rosie.” Rosie and Lucy shake hands, and Tori then introduces Lucy to both Samantha and Tempest.

“And this is Landon,” Tori continues. “You guys met for a second at the restaurant–“

“Yeah, I remember,” Lucy says, stiffening a little. “Hi, Landon.”

“What’s up,” he responds.

Tori leans her elbows on the edge of the barrel as she asks Travis, “How’s TJ doing? How’s your dad?”

“TJ’s okay. I went over there the other day, and he seemed pretty normal,” Travis explains. “But my dad said he gets tired really easily. They’re starting to look for a bone marrow donor.”

“We should all get tested,” Landon chimes in.

“Yeah, you never know who could be a match,” Rosie says.

“TJ is Travis and Samantha’s little brother,” Tori says in an aside to Lucy. “He has, uh…”

“Aplastic anemia,” Samantha finishes the thought for her.

“Claire says the odds are really high. Like very good,” Tempest says, making her faith in her former foster mother apparent. At the same time, she grasps Samantha’s hand.

“Claire knows what she’s talking about,” Samantha says calmly. “If we all get tested, someone will be a match. Just to start, there’s three siblings — Travis, me, Spencer — plus extended family.”

“Is Spencer coming?” Tori asks.

Samantha pushes her glasses up on her nose. “I texted him, but he didn’t respond.”

Travis expels a little puff through his nose, causing Rosie to rub his arm. But before anyone can respond, Tempest speaks up: “Looks like he showed up anyway.”

The group’s heads collectively turn to see Spencer Ragan marching into the bar. He looks left, then right, and finally spots them and marches over.

“Hey, Spencer,” Tori says, a little trepidatiously, as the dark-haired man arrives at their table.

“I didn’t realize you were coming,” Samantha says.

“Well, I have a reason,” Spencer says, his gaze fixed on Travis. “What the fuck are you hiding, Travis?”

—–

Full of teenage energy, Sophie Fisher bounces into the kitchen of the home that she shares with her father. His girlfriend, Sabrina Gage, is at the kitchen table, doing something that looks like an attempt to organize the papers scattered all over the table’s surface.

“Did a bomb go off in here or something?” Sophie asks.

Looking harried, Sabrina glances up. “I’m trying to sort out the paperwork for all my clients. I have a wedding tomorrow, and one next weekend… and two appointments for headshots this week…”

“You’re killing it!” Sophie says cheerfully.

“I’m trying my best,” Sabrina replies, blushing meekly.

“You are killing it,” Jason announces as he enters the kitchen from the other side, where a door connects it to the laundry room. “You’re building a real business here.”

Sabrina’s expression softens into a smile as Jason joins her at the table. “It’s hard to believe it’s really happening. I spent so many years making lattés and juggling my classes… and now I’m actually working as a photographer…”

“I’m proud of you,” Jason tells her before leaning in and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Sophie rolls her eyes at them. “Gross. Promise me you won’t do that while Bree is here.”

“I think Bree can handle a little affection between grown adults,” Jason retorts with a grin. “Do you have everything you need for your movie night?”

“I came down to get everything,” Sophie says as she moves to the sizable walk-in pantry.

“It’s sweet you girls make time to get together,” Sabrina offers gently.

“Yeah, I’m glad the two of you still hang out,” Jason says. Moments later, Sophie emerges from the pantry with an armload of snacks: popcorn, Sour Patch Kids, M&Ms, Cheez-its.

“Have enough snacks?” her father teasingly asks.

“I’ll be back for the rest in a minute,” the dark-haired teen tells them before disappearing to the basement.

Jason turns toward Sabrina and lets out a chuckle. “The rest?”

“They’re kids. They deserve to give themselves stomachaches while they watch a movie,” Sabrina responds.

“Totally.” Jason rotates his body more fully toward her. “And I meant what I said earlier: I’m proud of you for working so hard to get your business off the ground.”

“Thanks, Jason. I’m… I’m proud of myself, too.” Quickly she shuffles a loose stack of the papers together. “It really feels like things are settling down. Maybe even…” The dark look that comes over her speaks volumes, and Jason knows exactly what is on her mind.

“It’s been months since the last threat,” he says, placing a reassuring hand on her forearm. “Maybe whoever it was got scared off. Or bored.”

“Maybe,” Sabrina says. “I just want to put the whole thing behind me.”

“You will,” he says. “And I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

—–

Inside The Wild Lady, Samantha steps around the barrel to position herself between her two brothers.

“What is going on with you?” she demands.

“Yeah, what are you coming in here all hot in the ass for?” Tempest questions with her typical skepticism of Spencer; despite her closeness to both Samantha and Claire, she has never entirely let down her guard with regards to him.

Lucy leans over to Tori. “Who’s that?”

“That’s my cousin, Spencer,” Tori whispers back. “He’s Samantha’s brother.”

All Lucy can do in response is nod her head.

“I came here to talk to Elly,” Spencer says, his agitation clear. “But she’s not upstairs, so I thought I’d check in here, and–” Again his eyes land on Travis. “I have a few questions for this guy.”

Travis takes a step forward, though Rosie holds onto his arm as if ready to yank him backward at any moment.

“What kinda questions?” Travis asks, puffing out his chest.

Spencer sneers back at him. Then his gaze shifts and lands upon Rosie, as if to taunt Travis.

“I guess you can answer just as well as Elly,” Spencer says. “So, Travis: what kind of secret are you and Elly keeping?”

—–

The basement of Jason’s house is dim, save for the glow of the flatscreen television. Tense stings of music pop through the speakers as Sophie and Bree Halston curl up on the worn sofa, watching Smile 2. Bree uses her hands to cover her eyes, peeking out through only the tiniest sliver of space.

“Nothing gruesome is even happening,” Sophie teases her.

Keeping her hands up as a guard against any onscreen shocks, Bree swivels to face the younger girl. “Until it randomly does!”

“It’s not random,” Sophie says with her characteristic, methodical coolness. “It’s all planned out to maximize tension.”

“Mm-hmm,” Bree murmurs skeptically. She reaches for the almost-full bowl of popcorn resting between them and grabs a handful. As she chews it, she risks a few glances at the screen and is relieved that nothing too frightening is going on — yet.

“You know I’m not gonna make you watch anything super-gory.”

Bree grins. “Yeah, you’re good about that, at least. Do you ever miss when we used to do family movie nights? You, me, my mom, your dad?”

“All the time,” Sophie says. “I know it’s messed-up, because your mom did some, like, very bad things. Not, like, murder, but still.”

“Believe me, I know better than anyone.” Bree picks up the remote and pauses the film. They lapse into silence for a beat, the kind that comes easily between them after so many years of living practically as siblings. “She got herself into trouble again, and I kind of lost it.”

“Lost it how?”

“I took it out on Marcus, which I know was stupid. But he made some comment about how she’s always getting herself into trouble, and I was being sensitive and snapped.”

“Are you and Marcus okay now?”

“Yeah, I apologized and he was cool about it. Thank god.”

Sophie reaches for a handful of popcorn. “And what kind of trouble did Natalie get into?”

“The funny thing is,” Bree says, pausing for a sigh, “that she was actually innocent. For once. They brought her in for questioning about Loretta‘s murder.”

“No way! Is she a suspect?”

“Not anymore. They cleared her. But still…”

A heavy silence blankets the basement.

“Natalie might be a screw-up,” Sophie says, “but she’s your mom. At least you have a mom.”

Bree turns, stricken. “Sophie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

“I know.” Sophie offers a brave smile. “I know you didn’t. I’m just saying. She’s your mom, she does love you, and she’s still here.”

“You’re right.”

Sophie quietly munches on the popcorn.

“I’m really sorry, Soph,” Bree repeats softly.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t apologize. Just try and find a way to be cool with your mom, okay? She’s crazy but she’s… your mom.”

“Both those things are definitely true,” Bree says with a light laugh, and Sophie joins in as the tension lifts. Then she reaches for the remote and continues playing the movie.

—–

Confused by Spencer’s allegation, Rosie looks to Travis.

“What secret?” she asks.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Travis spits back at Spencer, perhaps a little too over-confidently. The others gathered around the makeshift table stare at Spencer, waiting for any of this to make sense.

“I heard you,” Spencer says. “The day you showed up at Elly’s apartment. I was there.”

“You were there?!” Travis asks incredulously.

Rosie’s voice takes on an edge as she demands of her husband, “You were at Elly’s apartment? When?”

“A long time ago,” Travis says with exasperation. “I went to talk to her about — about how she and I patched things up while you were out of town.” Now he glares at Spencer again. “What were you doing there?”

Spencer hesitates before answering. Landon slips behind Rosie and Travis so that he can stand with Tori and Lucy.

“I feel like I’m missing a couple steps here,” he whispers to Tori.

She nods. “Tell me about it.”

“I had gone to ask Elly some questions about the night Loretta died,” Spencer says. “I was in the other room.”

Travis struggles to process this information.

“And what secret is there?” Rosie presses him.

“Just — just that we talked through everything that happened while the custody case was going on,” he explains shakily.

Spencer folds his arms across his chest. “You’re telling me it has nothing to do with the fact that Elly is now the prime suspect in Loretta’s murder?”

A collective gasp goes up from the group.

“That’s a misunderstanding,” Travis says. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“A witness identified her,” Spencer counters. “What I need to know is, what do you know?”

“You knew Elly was a suspect?” Rosie asks Travis.

Before he can formulate a response, another individual comes through the saloon doors at the front of the bar.

“Oh no,” Tori mutters.

“What?” Landon asks.

Lucy indicates the man who has just entered The Wild Lady, just as he spots her. “It’s Bryce.”

END OF EPISODE 1259

Does Travis know something about Loretta’s murder?
What is Bryce doing showing up at the bar?
Are Sabrina’s troubles finally coming to an end?
Discuss all this and more in the comments below!