Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
SPENCER
A n incessant banging sounded at my door as I stared at the spot the car had been in a moment ago. I’d been politely told last night that this meeting was a private family matter, and I was not needed.
Louise had agreed to go alone, telling me she’d fill me in later.
My lips tugged into a frown. After the debacle with Eve last night, though, we hadn’t had a chance to discuss it further.
Louise had taken their argument hard, tears sliding down her cheeks in a steady stream. “I always do this, Spence. I always push everyone away.”
There had been no consoling her despite my best efforts. She’d locked herself in her room.
I’d tried to see her this morning, but she hadn’t answered. Instead, I’d had the pleasure of running into my less-than-sweet mother-in-law, who reminded me my presence was not required or welcome at the morning meeting.
So, I’d spent the rest of my morning pacing the floor of my room, wondering where Eve had gone. I’d waited up for hours, but she’d never returned. I worried something may have happened to her. What if she’d wandered into the wrong area of town?
I’d considered calling her, but realized she’d likely not speak to me.
Between saying I only wanted to fake date her to the kiss with Louise, I’d royally messed up everything between us. And it made my heart ache.
And now I’d have to find another fake girlfriend to date when we got home.
I kicked at a tassel on the carpet, my jaw tightening as I wished I could go back and undo that one foolish moment.
It had been Eve on my mind when I’d pressed my lips against Louise’s, but I couldn’t tell her that. Even if I wanted to, I’d likely never have the chance.
I collapsed on the edge of the bed, puffing out a breath as I wondered how we’d find Eve to take her home.
A loud, frantic banging jarred me from my thoughts. As I rose to answer it, each step felt weighted with dread. Swinging the door open, I found Eve, wide-eyed and frantic, her chest heaving with rushed breaths as if she’d run here.
“Eve,” I said, heat washing over me at the sight of her. “Thank goodness you’re okay. Listen, about last night, I can explain–”
“There’s no time for that,” she said with a shake of her head, waving her phone in the air. “We have to help Louise.”
“Help Louise?” I tried to make sense of her statement.
“Yes,” she said, her voice nearly pleading.
“Okay, slow down,” I said as I guided her into my room and eased her onto the bed. “What happened? What do we need to help Louise with?”
She licked her lips, her features pinching. “Louise’s mother is drugging her. She’s going to try to make it look like Louise is crazy, and then she’ll invalidate your marriage, take her money, and have her committed.”
The story sounded incredible, and I stared at her like she was speaking another language.
Her breathing, still labored, hitched as she fiddled with her phone, her hands shaking. A video popped on, showing a slightly open door. Disembodied voices floated in the air.
I recognized Constance’s voice. As the video played through, detailing the malevolent plan to steal Louise’s inheritance, my fingers curled into fists. “I can’t believe this.”
“Me either. I mean, Louise’s mother didn’t seem friendly at all, but this is downright evil. We have to do something.”
I rose to pace the floor, my mind spinning in a thousand directions. I retrieved my phone from my pocket. “I’m calling my attorney.”
Moments later, we were heading for a chauffeured car I’d arranged, Eve’s recording in hand and the police contacted as per my attorney’s advice.
We slid into the supple leather seats, the upscale luxury providing little comfort to me as we headed for the attorney’s office.
Next to me, Eve fidgeted in her seat, her fingers tight around her phone as she chewed her lower lip. I wanted to reach out and take her hand, to provide her some comfort–and to receive a little, too, but I realized the gesture would likely be rebuffed.
She’d been so focused on Louise’s predicament, we hadn’t had the chance to discuss the incident at all. I tried to find my voice as we snaked through the streets, but I couldn’t.
Instead, I sat there, silently admiring how, even after spotting Louise kissing her so-called boyfriend, she’d still snapped into action to save her.
Many women would have allowed Louise to suffer, considering it just desserts.
Not Eve. And Louise and I had crushed her with our silly practice kiss.
I decided to brave it and try to broach the subject, but the car eased to a stop next to a sign swinging in the breeze, announcing our destination.
A police cruiser sat in front of our car. The officers climbed out as we did, and we met in front of the walk leading to the building.
Eve showed them the video, and we proceeded inside.
A pert blonde sat behind an oversized desk as we stormed through the door.
“I need to see my wife, Louise,” I insisted.
“Oh, Mrs. Montgomery and Ms. Montgomery are with Mr. Harwood and cannot be disturbed.”
I flicked my gaze to the double doors behind her. “Are they in there?”
I stepped around her desk, heading for the doors.
“Sir, you can’t go in there,” she called after me.
“Watch me,” I said as Eve scurried behind me.
I shoved the doors open and burst into the conference room. “Stop this farce right now.”
Constance leapt to her feet, anger burning in her eyes. “What is the meaning of this, Mr. Whitaker?”
Louise sat, her chin nearly on her chest, her shoulders slumped.
“I have the same question for you. Officers, that’s her. That’s the woman on the video. I want her arrested.”
Constance’s eyes went wide. “What? Arrested for what? You’re the one who should be arrested. You took advantage of my poor, sweet little Lou-Lou. You married her to steal her money.”
“I did not. I’m not the one drugging her to steal it back.”
She settled her arms across her chest. “I have no idea to what you are referring, Mr. Whitaker, but I would suggest you leave before I sue you for slander. Jonathan, I trust you are getting all this down.”
“Every word, Constance, every word.”
“It’s not slander if it’s true,” Eve said.
“Oh, I see the mouse is back. Here to help your boyfriend claim my daughter’s money.”
“No,” Eve growled. “I would never do that to Louise.”
She tapped her phone to replay the video.
Constance’s features shifted from confident to defeated, though she tried to maintain her facade. “You have no proof.”
“I have all the proof I need,” Eve snapped as she stepped to Louise. “We are taking Louise and leaving. And you will never touch her money.”
She knelt next to a nearly comatose Louise and rubbed her arm. “Lou? Come on, honey, let’s go home, okay?”
Louise lifted her head, her features pinched with confusion. “Eve?”
“It’s me, Lou. I’m here to help you. Can you come with me?”
“Eve,” she gushed, clamping onto Eve’s arm as if to check if she was real, “oh, Eve. It’s all a mix-up, darlin’.”
“Let’s not worry about that now,” Eve answered. “We’ll talk later.”
“I hope this is all being documented. My daughter is certifiable.”
“Because you made her that way,” I answered. “And I’m taking her straight to the hospital to have her tested. You won’t get away with this.”
“You get away from her,” Constance shouted at Eve, slapping her across the face and knocking her to the floor.
I raced forward, dropping to my knees as Eve pressed her palm against her cheek. The officers rushed forward, holding out their hands to drive Constance back a few steps.
“Eve, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said as I wrapped my hands around her shoulders and helped her to stand.
“Eve?” Louise asked, tears filling her eyes. “Oh, Eve.”
She sobbed as she rose. Eve took a step toward her but before she could wrap her arms around her, Louise’s eyes rolled back in her head, and she slumped toward the floor.
Eve caught her before she hit the ground as I called emergency services to summon an ambulance. We waited five grueling minutes for them to arrive and load a still-unconscious Louise into the back of an ambulance.
Eve and I slid into the back of the chauffeured car and were whisked away to the hospital. After a brief wait in the uncomfortable waiting room chairs, we were finally called back to be with Louise.
“We ran a full blood panel on her. She had an overload of Benzodiazepine. We have her on fluids,” the doctor explained.
“Why is she still unconscious?” Eve asked, her voice weak and trembling.
I risked sliding an arm around her to steady her. She didn’t shake it off, at least.
“That’s normal. I anticipate she’ll awake once the drugs begin wearing off. May be a few hours, though. We’ll check back in shortly.”
Eve glanced at Louise’s still form as the doctor left the room, her features pinched. She slid out of my grasp and approached the bed, slipping her hand around Louise’s. “How could her mother do this?”
“Constance is not a nice person,” I answered quietly as I circled to the other side of the bed. “Looks like we’ll be here for a while.”
Eve pulled a chair closer and eased into it, her hand still around Louise’s. I did the same on the opposite side of the bed.
Only the sound of Louise’s heart monitor filled the silence between us.
“Eve–” I began.
She slid her eyes closed and shook her head. “Please, don’t.”
“I’d like to explain.”
She flicked her gaze to me. “You don’t have to. I told Louise this last night. You are married. You don’t need to explain what happens between you.”
“I do when I’m dating you.”
“Fake dating,” she said.
The words sliced through my heart like a scalpel. “I know. But I’d still…I’d like to explain what you saw.”
She sighed, her eyes falling on Louise. “I think we should concentrate on her right now.”
“She’s not going to be awake for hours. And you should know.”
She shifted in her seat, still refusing to look at me. “All right.”
I swallowed hard, celebrating the tiny win of her entertaining my explanation. “What you saw was…”
Her gaze fell to her lap as I stammered around, searching for the right words.
“Well, it was fake.”
Her eyes slid sideways to me. “Fake?”
“Yes,” I answered, my heart suddenly hammering against my ribs. “I…we…oh, this is really embarrassing.”
I blew out a shaky breath as she finally twisted to face me.
“Louise asked why we hadn’t kissed yet, and I said…well, I told her that I hadn’t kissed anyone in a while. And she suggested we practice. And that’s what you saw. Really stupid. Just one friend trying to encourage another. That’s it.”
I finally glanced up at her, trying to stop my hands from shaking.
She stared at me, confusion etched into her features. “I…I don’t know what to say.”
“I’m so sorry. It was must have looked…pretty bad. But I…there’s nothing between Louise and I. We were just…practicing, that’s it.”
Her gaze shifted back to Louise. “I feel terrible. Louise deserved so much better from me.”
I reached across to pat her arm. “She got it. Most people wouldn’t have helped her after what they saw. But you did.”
“She must have felt so abandoned by me, though,” Eve said, tears shining in her eyes.
I wanted to race around the bed and comfort her, but I wasn’t sure it would be welcome. So, instead, I sat there like I normally did, held back by my own fears. “Whenever she wakes up, she’ll know that you didn’t abandon her, and you’ll be even better friends.”
“Poor Louise. She really drew the short straw when it came to mothers, didn’t she?”
My shoulders slumped as I watched Eve’s features pinch over the misunderstanding when I was the one who had felt so guilty. If I’d only had the strength to go after her. Louise had tried and failed, but I hadn’t tried at all.
We sat in silence, the beep of the heart monitor reminding us of Louise’s life hanging between us. She had been the person who brought us together, and still did as we sat vigil at her bedside, waiting for her to awake.
After a few moments, Eve flicked her gaze to me, her features still pinched. “I’m so sorry I thought the worst of both of you.”
I offered her an awkward smile, guilt still eating at me. “It’s okay. We didn’t really give you much else to think.”
She shook her head. “That’s just an excuse. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. And I definitely should have let Louise explain.”
“It’s okay. We’ll just…do better moving forward.”
She offered me a sad smile before she sucked in a breath, stifling a yawn. “I’m sorry, I didn’t sleep much. Do you want some coffee?”
“Yes, I’d love some. I didn’t sleep much either.”
“I’ll grab us some,” she said as she rose.
“Oh, I could go. You stay with Louise.”
“No, you’d better stay…I don’t think I could handle her mother as well as you do in case she turns up.”
I winced at the words. “Oh, please. Don’t tempt fate.”
Eve offered me a tired, but amused smile. “I’ll be right back.”
“Oh, do you mind grabbing a cookie? I’m starving. Chocolate chip if they have it.”
“Coffee and cookies coming right up,” she said with a raise of her chin.
As she disappeared from the room, I slid my hand into Louise’s. “Well, Lou, time for you to wake up. Everything’s okay. Eve is back…at least for you. I’ve probably ruined things already, but…your friend still cares about you. Now, come on. It’s time to wake up.”
I patted her hand, hoping my words had some power to wake her, but she laid quietly, her heartbeat still rhythmic.
I stared up at the monitor, watching the spikes that marked her heartbeat. After a second, I noticed a marked increase in the beeps and spikes. I flicked my gaze to Louise, rising as I stared at her. “Lou?”
Her eyelashes fluttered open, and she let her gaze slide around the room. “Spence?” she squeaked in a weak voice.
“I’m here, Lou. You’re okay. Your mom drugged you, but you’re going to be okay.”
“Mama? She…” Louise’s features pinched as terror crossed her eyes. “Eve. Where is Eve? We have to find Eve. She never came home. She’s out there all alone.”
Louise sat up, flinging back the covers as she swung her legs over the hospital bed.
“No, Lou,” I tried, grabbing her arms from behind as she tried to stand.
“Spencer, we have to find her. She’s so hurt after what she saw. Poor Eve. I have to explain. I have to tell her.”
“No, Lou,” I tried again as she fought me.
The raw panic in her made her stronger than I expected, and she tore away from me. But before she could rip the IV from her arm, a voice interrupted.
Eve appeared in the doorway, waving a bag and a coffee. “They didn’t have chocolate chip, but they had chocolate chunk, so I thought that was close–Louise! You’re awake.”
“Eve?” She collapsed on the edge of the bed, her face as white as a sheet.
Eve grinned at her as she dumped our coffees and the cookies onto the hospital table. “I’m so glad to see you up.”
“I’m so glad to see you,” Louise said, her voice filled with a sob. “Oh, darlin’, I’ve been so worried. You just ran off, and I–”
“It’s okay,” Eve said as a tear spilled onto Louise’s cheek.
She eased on the edge of the bed, taking Louise’s hand in hers. “It’s okay, Lou. Spencer explained everything. I’m so sorry that we argued, and even more sorry that I thought the worst of the two of you.”
Louise’s features twisted with relief before she flung her arms around Eve. “Oh, sugar, it’s not your fault. I’m just glad you’re back and safe. And really glad you’re still my friend.”
“You need her,” I said. “She’s the one who caught your miserable mother so we could stop her before she nullified our marriage and had you committed.”
“What?” Louise pulled away from Eve, her eyes wide. “I knew Mama would do something like this.”
“Don’t worry, we stopped her. Thanks to Eve.”
“Oh, darlin’, I owe you.”
“Happy to help,” Eve said with a grin.
We settled Louise in bed again, spending time together talking and laughing as we waited for her to be cleared for release.
I smiled at the developing relationship between Louise and Eve, happy Lou had found a friend who seemed to genuinely care about her. Most people used her or mistreated her, but Eve had her best interests at heart.
The fact made me sadder than I’d been before. I was using this wonderful woman. More than that, I felt as though we’d connected–at least, on my end we had. And I’d already ruined any chance at a relationship with her by our agreement to fake date.
In true Spencer style, I had pre-ruined my entire life because of my own fear to open up to people. And I couldn’t be more sorry for that. I didn’t know how things would turn out, but I barely had a desire to find out.
A hollowness filled me as the two women laughed loudly. I forced a smile, but my heavy heart thudded dully, sinking with dread.