Chapter 24
CHAPTER 24
SPENCER
I cringed as the tires squealed against the pavement of my driveway. Louise’s car tore down the drive. She hadn’t said it straight out, but I knew she was headed to Audrey Dawson’s apartment for a showdown.
I shifted my weight from foot to foot as I stared at my own car, wondering if I should hop inside and follow her.
Confrontation was not my thing, though, and I was fairly certain I’d somehow make things worse. How, I wasn’t sure, but I had a tendency to do just that.
As I closed the door and shuffled in the living room, my mind went over the conversation I’d had with Louise. Eve had suggested we’d fall in love.
I laughed out loud at that implication. Louise was a wonderful woman, kind, caring, beautiful, but she couldn’t have been more wrong for me. Us falling in love was like going to the desert and hoping to see a polar bear–it wasn’t going to happen.
For fun, I ran an internet search to determine how many romantic comedies ended up with the fake marriage couple falling in love. I puffed out my cheeks as I saw hundreds of them.
No wonder Eve thought it would happen. She’d been shovel-fed this narrative in every Christmas movie Hallmark made.
“Not going to happen,” I said again, this time aloud as though that would make it more real.
With a sigh, I let my head fall back against the cushion behind me. “And neither is a relationship with Eve.”
The words shattered my heart despite my best efforts to steel myself against it.
“Stop grieving a relationship that never was, Spencer. You’re setting yourself up for pain again with another relationship that never was and likely never will be.”
I grabbed the remote and flicked on the television before I snatched my game controller from the coffee table. A few hours in Mystic Realms should distract me from my heart sickness.
I waited for the game to load, drumming my fingers against my thigh as I waited, mentally logging a note that I should address the too-slow loading page.
Finally, the world populated on my screen. My nose wrinkled as I spotted my character sitting next to Eve’s on the couch. Her eyes were closed, indicating that she wasn’t playing right now.
My thumb hovered over the buttons on the controller before I set it aside, deciding I didn’t want to play the game after all.
With the remote in hand again, I flipped through the hundreds of stations I paid for yet never watched. Bypassing the game shows and raunchy talk shows, I landed on something that looked emotionally intense.
A woman, her features pinched and tears rolling down her cheeks, hugged herself as she sniffled. I wondered what had happened. Did her dog die? Her husband?
The camera flicked to a lanky man standing opposite her. Outside of the shaggy haircut, he reminded me of me. “That’s not true. Ava, I’ve seen you at your best, and at your worst, and everything in between. I love all of it. I love how you’re just as comfortable in that unicorn onesie as you are a designer evening gown. And I love that you are smart and savvy.”
“I love how you always have my back no matter what. And how you unapologetically admit you can’t cook. And the way you get this little crease right here when you concentrate.” He gently poked at a spot between her eyebrows.
“I love your love for orange soda. And how you cry at those stupid rom-coms. I love everything about you, Ava. I just…love you.”
Surprisingly to even me, I sat there through the entire monologue, glued to it. What had prompted this outpouring of emotion? And would he get the girl? She was way out of his league.
As the scene continued on the screen, I grabbed my phone and searched the title to determine the premise of the movie, reading it aloud. “Still under fire from a shadowy organization called The Board, a tech billionaire seeks not only answers, but love in a marriage that was supposed to be fake.”
With a scoff, I snatched the remote and turned to another station. Another couple declared their love for each other. “I’ll never let you go again, Sera. Marry me.”
The redhead grinned up at the man, agreeing to the wedding.
He seemed surprised. “That was easier than I expected.”
“Chris, I left Heaven for you. What did you think I would say?”
“What in the world is this?” I murmured before I searched the title Chris Gets the Girl to read another synopsis. “When an angel falls for a jaded doctor, Heaven knows what will happen.”
I pursed my lips. “Cute, but no. Things don’t work that way.”
With a sigh, I shut off the television, more content with the silence than all the happiness people inexplicably found in books and movies. The real world didn’t work like that. I wouldn’t find my happy. Not with Louise, not with Eve.
As I resigned myself to a life alone, my phone jangled on the cushion next to me, vibrating across the sleek fabric.
I glanced at the caller. Louise.
My heart hammered against my ribs as I grabbed it to take the call. “Lou? Hey, I hope you don’t need me to bail you out–”
“No time, Spence. Meet me at the hospital. Eve’s been in an accident.”
The words sliced at me like a butcher’s knife. How hurt was she? Hurt enough to be in the hospital, I thought as I leapt from the couch and raced to grab my keys.
Seconds later, I was in my car, aiming for the local hospital, my mind whirling over what I’d find when I got there. Panic twisted my insides into knots.
I had to face the fact that Eve mattered to me. And that scared me more than anything. Because eventually, I was going to end up with a broken heart over this.
I swung into the hospital’s drive, spotting Louise’s sports car in front of me. When she screeched to a stop outside of the emergency room, I spotted Audrey with her, too.
Louise exploded from the car like a shot, her face pale and her eyes wide with terror. I recognized it as full-blown panic mode for her.
The security guard informed her she couldn’t park there, and she responded by firing the keys at him and telling him to keep the car.
I slipped a few bills to the man, asking him to park our vehicles before I entered the emergency room.
Louise screamed at a nurse that she was Eve’s sister to gain admittance to the back.
We were buzzed back, though told we shouldn’t all be heading back to the room, but Louise wasn’t hearing any of it.
I followed her as she raced down the hall, whipping into Eve’s cubicle. My racing heart settled a little as I spotted her alive, awake, and in fairly good shape outside of the swollen ankle.
“Lou?” Eve asked, her features pinched with confusion.
“Eve! My word, are you alright?” Louise asked.
“I’m okay. I’m just a little maimed. But I’m fine,” Eve assured her.
Louise collapsed on the edge of the bed as I shuffled inside next to her sister, who complained that Louise had been threatening her when she’d received the call about Eve being in the hospital.
Eve’s defense of Louise incensed her sister, and before long, Audrey stormed from the room.
Eve collapsed back against her pillow as I skirted around the bed to stand on the opposite side. “I hate to say it, but I’m sort of glad she’s leaving.”
Louise grinned at her. “I’m so glad you’re not mad at me. I did tell her to stay away from you. But only because she’s so awful to you.”
“I know,” Eve answered. “And my painkillers haven’t kicked in yet, so tolerating her is difficult.”
Louise stared down at the angry bruise on Eve’s ankle. “Oh my word, does it hurt terribly?”
“It’s not pleasant, but it’s not too bad.”
I frowned down at it. It didn’t look very good. “Is it broken? How long do you have to stay off of it?”
She winced, and I picked up on a deep-seated worry. “Yeah. Six weeks. At least I don’t need surgery. I’ll barely afford this.”
She could afford it because I’d pay the bill before I left tonight. I patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about that.”
Her eyes went wider as she realized what I meant. “No, I can’t–”
“You can and you will,” I insisted.
“Thank you. I’ll repay you somehow. I promise. Just as soon as I’m back on my feet. Literally. I don’t know how I’ll make it six weeks with one leg.” She shook her head.
Next to her, Louise grinned. “Well, I know just how that’s going to happen, sugar. And it’s going to be so simple.”
I glanced at my current wife, wondering what idea had formed in her brain. I could hire a nurse to help Eve, maybe that’s what she had in mind. But when she opened her mouth and said it, my mind exploded.
“You’re going to move in with us. Spencer and I will take care of you.” The grin on her face broadened as my eyes went wide.
Eve’s did the same. She shot me a fleeting glance before she refocused on Louise. “Lou, I don’t think–”
“Shhh, stop your bellyaching, I won’t hear it.”
“I’m not…complaining,” Eve answered, her voice almost pleading, “I just…Louise, I think this is too much of an imposition?”
“Imposition?” Louise gave her a dismissive wave before she grabbed her hand. “Darlin’, it’s hardly an imposition. First, you need the help. You can’t be in that apartment all by yourself on crutches, trying to cook for yourself. If you stay with us, you’ll have everything made for you and you can focus on your work.”
”But–“ Eve started before Louise cut her off.
“Second, how could you see this as an imposition? You’re my best friend, and Spencer is your boyfriend. Now, if you think you’re imposing on the two people who love you most in the world, then you just need to change how you think.”
Eve let her gaze fall to her lap, her forehead creasing before she shot me a glance. I couldn’t read the emotion in her eyes. Was she begging me for help to ensure she didn’t have to live with me or searching for validation that I wanted her to stay with us.
“Tell her, Spencer. Tell her that this isn’t burden at all.”
“It’s not a burden,” I answered, meaning it. Eve was the least obtrusive person I’d ever met. She probably wouldn’t upset the balance of the house at all. “And it’s probably for the best.”
I added the second part because I knew my wife well. I’d never hear the end of it if I didn’t make it sound like I wanted her to stay with us.
I wasn’t opposed to it, actually. It would be nice to help Eve. She’d helped me out enough, I owed it to her. Plus, it would make scheming about Louise’s dates much easier.
We could easily talk, and we definitely needed to. It looked like this date was going to be a bust and judging by the message I’d spotted on the dating app when she’d been late, I doubted he’d be up to reschedule.
Plus, I could now avoid that date where Louise expected me to kiss her.
“See?” Louise encouraged, taking her hand.
“I don’t–”
“Really, you should listen to Louise on this. Six weeks is a long time to be hobbling around, trying to do it all. But I have a chef and a butler, so it’s no worries. Plus, I promise a seaside bedroom so you’ll have a nice view during your recovery.”
“The doctor recommends some time by the sea,” Louise added.
“I, uh, I guess it makes sense. I just…I’m sorry, I feel a little bad. I mean it’s not a bad break.”
“Doesn’t matter what it is, you need help. Now, let us help you.” Louise patted her hand.
With the agreement in place, we waited for Eve’s ankle to be set in a cast before she was discharged with pain meds that I’d tasked my butler with picking up immediately while he gathered her things from her apartment.
Louise chattered away as we wheeled her outside, and I slipped the security guard a few more bills to retrieve our cars. After helping Eve into Louise’s coupe, I climbed behind the wheel of my own and followed them home, my mind whirling.
Suddenly, living with Eve didn’t seem like such a good idea. With every mile closer to the house, I worried more and more.
It wasn’t that I thought she’d be a problem, but I was convinced that I would be. I’d already grown attached to her, and I knew this would only make it worse.
My heart launched itself into my throat as we pulled up the drive. Louise parked her car and raced from behind the wheel, skirting the car and pulling Eve’s door open. “Now, don’t you move.”
“Lou, I can use the crutches to get into the house. It’s not that far.” Eve reached for the metal objects as Louise slapped her hands away.
“No. Spencer? Spencer, get over here.” She pointed at Eve. “Carry her inside and get her settled on the couch.”
“Louise,” Eve said, a warning in her voice that did little to dissuade Louise.
“Dut, dut, I don’t want to hear it. Spencer.” She waved a hand toward Eve who offered me a penitent smile as she slid an arm around my shoulders.
I lifted her easily.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “I’ll use the crutches when she’s not home.”
“I heard that. I will not be leaving this house until you have recovered,” Louise called from behind us.
I didn’t mind carrying her. In fact, I felt like the hero in one of those bad romance movies I’d watched earlier. Too bad it wouldn’t last.