Mr Spencer(127)

“Can you two watch Henry while I help Bree shower?” Julian asks.

“Of course.” Spencer stands and takes the baby from Julian. I watch on as he lifts him up to his face and gently kisses his little forehead, and then I melt into a puddle.

I can’t deal with this. Spencer with a baby is frying my brain.

Julian helps Bree up and leads her into the bathroom. I walk over to Spencer as he holds the precious little bundle and I pull the blanket back and stare at the perfect chubby little face.

“I can’t wait to have a baby of my own one day,” I whisper.

Spencer smiles, leans down and kisses me softly. “Me, too.”

We both smile at little Henry who is staring back at us.

“You’re going to make a wonderful father, Spence.”

“One day.” His eyes rise to meet mine. “This, angel… you and me.”

Emotion overwhelms me, my eyes fill with tears. “What a perfect day that will be.”

We kiss. It’s soft and intimate, a celebration of life and a promise of things to come. “I love you,” I whisper.

“I love you, too.”





Edward


We’re sitting in the car watching Charlotte as she walks down the street.

“This is killing me.” My father sighs.

“It’s for the best.” I watch Wyatt and Anthony follow her into a café. “She’ll come around. She won’t stay with him, I know it.”

Dad exhales heavily, a mutual sadness rolling over us. We’re so close yet so far away.

“Every week we’ve travelled to London to watch her this way. I miss her, Edward.”

“Me, too, but I have no idea what this Spencer Jones wants with her, and until I know for certain we cannot, with a clear conscience, encourage this relationship.”

Ten minutes later, Charlotte reappears with a fresh juice and a brown paper bag containing her lunch. She disappears down the street. I start the car and pull out into the traffic.

“At least she’s okay.” I sigh.

“I’m not okay, Edward. We need to start thinking about making peace with this. She’s not coming home.”

“Trust me, he will hang himself… we just have to wait.”





Charlotte


“Anthony called me,” Beth says casually as she sips her cocktail.

I gasp and look over at him standing up against the wall with Wyatt. “Oh my God, when?”

“Last night.”

“And?”

“Shh, I don’t want Lars to know.”

“Why not?”

“Because if she is getting it on with Edward like we suspect, she’s going to tell him.”

“Hmm, good thinking.” We’re in a cocktail bar on a girl’s night out. Spencer and Sebastian are at our place watching football. Lara is in the bathroom of the bar right now, but she’s staying at our place tonight.

“What did Anthony say?” I whisper.

“He asked me if I wanted to go out some time. He told me that Spencer warned him away from me a few weeks ago—said he didn’t want us to date because if we didn’t work out then he didn’t want my friendship with you to suffer.” My face falls. “What?”

“Apparently, Spencer knew that Anthony had the hots for me all along.”

My mouth falls open. “You’re kidding, he said that?”

“You know, Spencer is more like Edward than you think.” She huffs.

“God.”

Lara smiles warmly, arriving back at the table. “Another round?” she asks.

“Please.” I smile.

“Sure,” says Beth.

We both watch as Lara saunters to the bar. “I think she’s definitely sleeping with Edward,” I whisper.

“But why wouldn’t she tell us that? We tell each other everything. I don’t get it. Why is she hiding this?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “All I know is that in the last month my family haven’t talked to me, Lara has been to stay at Spencer’s house five times. That’s more than she’s ever seen me. It’s as if she’s checking on me for Edward.”

“But surely she can see how happy you two are together.” She frowns. “He dotes on you, for fuck’s sake.”

Lara arrives back at the table with three drinks.

“Thank you.”

“Tell me all about your new business venture.” Lara smiles. “Where are you up to with it?”

“It’s not a business, it’s a charity.” I smile proudly. “So far, I have the office space I wanted, and I hired two people who I was working with at the mailroom in my old job.”

“Who?”

“Sarah and Paul.”

“Isn’t Sarah a loose cannon?” Lara frowns.

“No. She’s smart, intelligent, and I adore her. As for Paul, well, he is just Paul. He’ll be good for the place until his next trip.”

“Who else is going to work there?”

“Two young lawyers straight from university—both guys. They start in February.”

Beth bounces in her seat. “This is so exciting, Charlotte.”