Mr Spencer(137)

“When it was my brother’s wife, I do actually, Beth,” I hit back.

She rolls her eyes at me, choosing not to respond.

“Everybody will know. For the rest of my life, everyone will know that he fucked my brother’s wife. It’s been in every tabloid for a week.” My eyes fill with tears. “I can’t be with someone who’s done that, no matter how much I love them. I can’t get past it.”

“Then go talk to him and break up with him like a real adult.”

Guilt fills me.

“Why are you hiding from him?”

“Because if I see him, he’ll talk me down.”

“Because you know he’s fucking right!” Beth snaps.

“Oh, just shut up, Beth.” Lara sighs. “She can’t be with him after this. She’ll be the laughing stock of society.”

Beth scowls at us both and stands in an outrage. “Lara, I would expect you to bow down to society and suck their balls. But you...” she points at me, “are being fucking ridiculous. Spencer is a wonderful man, and I don’t care what he’s done before he met you because I see how happy he makes you now. If he fucked her now it would be different. But he didn’t, it was years ago. Wake up and smell the damn coffee.”

I stare at her through tears.

She points at me. “You’re going to lose him, and in ten years’ time when Penelope is long divorced from William, and Spencer is happily married to someone else, you’re going to kick yourself for throwing away the best thing that ever happened to you.”

We both stare at her and fear runs through me. What she’s just said is a real possibility.

“Now, I’m going to bed, because you two and this society-shame bullshit is pissing me off.” Before she leaves, Beth turns to me. “I thought you wanted to marry for love, Lottie?”

“I do.”

“You’re not acting like you love him. You’re acting like a selfish little girl—”

“Fuck off, Beth. She is not, she’s being smart, for once,” Lara interrupts.

“Imagine how he’s feeling right now.”

Tears roll down my cheeks.

“You know what? I wish Spencer Jones had fallen in love with me because there is no way in fucking hell I would be sitting here in this fucking prison with you.”

I stare at her.

“Your father didn’t talk to you for eight weeks because he didn’t get his own way, Charlotte.” She throws her hands in the air. “What does that tell you about this fucked up situation? How can you not see it?”

“Stop it, you’re upsetting her,” Lara demands.

“Where was Spencer?” Beth snaps. “Where was Spencer when you needed him?”

I drop my head into my hands as my emotions boil over.

“That’s right, Lottie, Spencer was right by your side the whole fucking time. Never once have you doubted his love for you.”

Wyatt walks around the corner after hearing our raised voices. “What’s going on here?” he asks.

“Nothing.” Beth sighs in disgust. “I’m going to bed. These two and their lack of priorities are making me sick.” The door slams behind her as she disappears.

Wyatt frowns, and his eyes flick to me in question.

“You go to bed, too, Lars. I’ll be up in a minute.” I sigh.

She kisses my cheek and walks inside the house.

“Are you okay?” Wyatt asks softly.

“I hardly know anymore,” I whisper.

He sits on the step at my feet, and we both stare out over the property and into the darkness of the night. He doesn’t say anything, and he doesn’t try to talk me into his way of thinking.

He just stays, and in this moment, that’s all I need.





Spencer


Bang, bang, bang!

What on earth?

It’s two days after Christmas, and after possibly the most depressing Christmas I’ve ever had, I’m packing for Santorini.

She’ll come.

I know she will. Our love was too strong. She won’t forget that, no matter what’s happened.

She’ll come.

I have to believe that. I have to believe that she’ll be able to move past this because the reality is that if she doesn’t, it’ll be more than I can bear.

Bang, bang, bang!

I open the door in a rush.

“Where is she?” Edward growls, looking past me and into the room.

“What?” I frown. Him and Harold barge past me and walk into my apartment. “Please, do come in,” I mutter with an eye roll.

Assholes.

“Where is she?”

“What are you fucking talking about?”

“Don’t act dumb, you know exactly where she is.”

“I haven’t seen her since the restaurant, you know that.”

Harold pinches the bridge of his nose. “She could be anywhere. She’s taken off.” He falls onto the sofa.

“Her guards aren’t with her?” I ask in confusion.

“She’s… Charlotte is completely alone,” Harold stammers in a panic. “She snuck out in the middle of the night.”

“This is all my fault.” Edward groans. “Why did I…?” His voice trails off.