Chapter 35
CHAPTER 35
SPENCER
T he sand shifted under my feet as I shifted my weight from foot to foot for the umpteenth time. I licked my lips as my eyes fell on the champagne chilling next to me. Would we open it tonight to celebrate? Or would I be using it to drown my sorrows as Eve left me behind like I’d done to her only yesterday?
I worried the fresh rejection would be too much for her.
I know it would have been for me. My features pinched as I imagined being on the receiving end of that speech.
I’d given that speech because of all the times I’d been in the exact same position as Eve. And instead of being sensitive to that, I’d treated her the way I’d hated to be treated.
With a deep, shaky inhale, I studied the rest of the preparations we’d made for this moment. From the carnations I’d give her to the tiki torches that would light her way to me, Louise had made every detail as romantic as possible.
She’d even included soft music playing in the background.
I reached into my pocket, my fingers closing around the velvet ring box before I withdrew it and took another look at the one I’d selected, suddenly second-guessing my choice. What if she hated the ring? Like, hated it enough to reject me?
No, I thought with a shake of my head. Eve wasn’t like that. She wasn’t materialistic. Though I’d still picked one that would impress anyone in my circle, it had her style.
I traced the sapphire in the center, surrounded by diamonds. I loved it in the store, just as Louise had, but now I wondered if it had been too much of a gamble.
“You ready, darlin’?” Louise asked, her cell phone ready.
I pulled my eyes from the ring, fear constricting my chest until I almost couldn’t breathe. “No,” I whispered.
She offered me a soft, supportive smile. “You’ll be okay. Remember what we talked about.”
I forced a fleeting smile. “Be honest. Be open. Tell her I love her.”
I repeated the words in my mind like a mantra as Louise nodded and fired off the first text message.
With the plan set in motion, I sucked in deep breaths, hoping my knees didn’t buckle before I had to use them to beg Eve to come back.
My mind conjured the image of the tiny arcade game we’d left for Eve at the host stand of the club. I wondered if she’d recall that special moment between us when we’d played Street Fighter or how loudly she’d laughed when she’d beat me at the racing game.
I hoped she didn’t throw it to the ground and stomp on it the moment she saw it.
Louise had told her that this was a treasure hunt to her future, alluding that it had to do with their friendship and not our relationship, but I still worried.
A text sounded on Louise’s phone, and I held my breath as I waited to see if Eve had figured it out and was returning to her apartment or not.
A picture appeared of the tiny arcade game laying in Eve’s palm.
“She got it,” Louise exclaimed, hopping on her toes as she texted her the next clue.
A few moments stretched before Eve sent a response. Got it! I know where to go!
Her second stop had been the restaurant where Louise had her first date where she’d find a miniature soup bowl, symbolizing the night we’d spent playing Mystic Realms and eating chicken soup when she’d been sick.
I waited, my heart in my throat, until an image of it appeared, and Louise sent the next clue.
We guided her from location to location as she picked up a miniature teddy bear, symbolic of the one I’d won her, a tiny lighthouse, and a miniature teacup that reminded me of the ride we’d shared at the amusement park.
“Last clue. She’ll be here soon.” Louise grinned up at me, but I couldn’t match her enthusiasm.
Instead, my stomach twisted as my knees wobbled.
Soon, Eve would arrive at my door, and then she’d start to get suspicious. I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t turn around as soon as she got here and leave.
And even if she made it to the beach, once she spotted me, would she just walk away?
I hoped I’d at least have the chance to speak to her, but if I did, would I make it better or ruin things more?
I’d probably get tongue-tied. And what if whatever I said didn’t work?
What if what I’d done yesterday was too much for her to forgive?
“Spence?” Louise asked, placing a hand on my forearm.
“Is it too late to stop this?” I asked.
Her eyes went wide, her features twisting. “Spencer Whitaker, I can’t believe what I’m hearing.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just…I’m nervous. What if she says no? What if she yells at me? What if she hates me?”
Louise shook her head. “Eve is not going to do any of those things because she’s a nice person. And even if things turn…emotional, you just keeping telling her how you feel and how you’ll prove it to her if she’ll give you the chance.”
“What if she won’t even give me the chance to say anything? Louise, I think I destroyed her trust in me yesterday.”
Louise grabbed hold of my shoulders, giving me a slight shake. “Spencer, listen to me. You hurt her, yes, but you can fix this. She’ll understand that you were scared. She was, too.”
I nodded, though I didn’t believe any of it. I still expected her not to understand why I’d done what I’d done.
I imagined me pouring my heart out to her only for her to frown, wrapping her arms around herself as she coldly turned me down.
“I’m sorry, Spencer, but what you did…it’s unforgivable.”
With a shrug, she’d turn and walk away from me, breaking my heart anyway despite my best effort.
I heaved a sigh, my familiar worries resurfacing as they always did. Things didn’t work out for me. Why did I expect this would?
Louise shifted next to me, a squeal escaping her. “She’s here!”
My stomach turned over, and I groaned.
Louise kissed my cheek and grinned. “You’re going to be great. Good luck, darlin’. I won’t be far.”
“Wait, wait,” I said, grabbing her and glancing at her phone screen. A video feed of Eve spotting a note that read “Meet me at the Beach” played.
Her delicate features crinkled as she held the note. “Lou?” she called.
Louise giggled at the phone. “Oh, she’s going to be so surprised.”
Unpleasantly, my mind added. She was going to be unpleasantly surprised. She expected Louise, probably imagining a lovely beachside evening, and then she’d find out that it was actually me here to badger at her.
On Louise’s screen, Eve followed the rose petal trail, her features still pinched as she slid open the door leading to the pool and stepped outside.
“Here she comes.” Louise bounced on her toes before she gave me another tight squeezed. “Good luck, darlin’. I’ll be waiting for the celebration.”
Louise hurried to race away and hide behind a large rock down the beach. I wish I shared her enthusiasm, but I could barely breathe.
I stared down the pathway made by tiki torches and rose petals.
A second later, from behind the beachgrass, Eve peered at me. The pink of her dress matched the rosy color in her cheeks. She looked absolutely beautiful.
The confusion on her features gave way to another emotion, but I couldn’t read it. Was it disappointment? Fear?
I swallowed hard, trying to force a smile, but it faltered, replaced by my tightening jaw as I struggled to stop it from trembling. The weight of the ring in my pocket reminded me of all the things I needed to say, but they mashed together in my mind rather than being the clear, coherent thoughts I’d practiced in front of my mirror earlier.
It had seemed so easy then. But now…
Now, it seemed like a daunting task that would end in disaster.
“Spencer?” Eve wandered down the sand, glancing behind her. “I think…I think I’m supposed to meet Louise here.”
Her eyes went wide, and she froze. I assumed it finally dawned on her what was happening. “Oh, is this…”
She leaned closer, dropping her voice to a whisper. “Is this for Louise?”
“What?” I asked.
The question had taken me completely by surprise. How had she thought I’d planned this for. Louise?
“All of this. Louise she’s been texting me, but…I’m sorry, I’m confused.”
“Oh,” I said, completely thrown and struggling to find my place. This wasn’t at all how it had gone in my mind. “Umm, no, this isn’t for Louise. But Louise, she helped me.”
Eve stood in front of me, a lock of her hair dancing in the sea breeze across her creased forehead. “I still…don’t understand. I’m sorry.”
I slid my eyes closed, realizing I’d said absolutely nothing so far except confusing snippets of statements. I reached for the ring before I shook my head. “I’m sorry.”
I opened one eye then the other, scanning her still-confused features.
“I’m sorry,” I repeated. “I, umm, wow, this is a lot harder than I expected it would be.”
Eve stuck her hand into the pocket of the beach dress and pulled all the tiny objects from it, holding them out in her hand. “Louise left all of these for me.”
“No, I…I did that,” I answered, drawing strength in the plan we’d created. “They were designed to remind you of all the nice times we had together.”
I picked up the arcade game. “When we won Street Fighter in the arcade.”
Then, I moved to the soup. “And when you were sick, and we built your house in Mystic Realms.” I grinned at the memory. “I…I really enjoyed that night–outside of you being sick. I just…I’ve never had so much fun playing my game with someone else before.”
Her features devolved into more confusion as I spoke.
“The teddy bear that I won for you, the teacup ride where I nearly puked on you, but you were so nice. And, of course, a lighthouse–you love them, and I took you to one.”
I chewed my lower lip for a second.
“I don’t understand,” she answered. “Yesterday–”
“I was an idiot,” I answered. “Yesterday, I…I was so scared you didn’t feel any of the things I was feeling that I…I did something so stupid, Eve. And I’m so sorry. I hope you can forgive me.”
Her dark eyes searched mine for answers.
“I’m…I…” Fear seized my heart, but I fought through it. I had to say the words. I had to try. “I’m in love with you, Eve. I have been for a good part of our time together. I…I just…I thought you weren’t interested because we weren’t supposed to be dating. You know? I thought that you wanted to keep that agreement in place. I thought that you’d never be interested in someone like me.”
“Someone like you?” She cocked her head. “What does that mean?”
I shrugged. “I’m…awkward and nerdy. I’m different. I’m not mainstream, and I’m not male model handsome.”
“But those are all the things that I like about you,” she said, her voice soft.
Her words lifted me a little, though I felt heat rising into my cheeks. Maybe I had a chance to claw my way out of this one. And if I did, I’d spend the rest of my life proving she’d made the right choice.
“Really?”
She nodded.
I licked my lips. “Is there any way…any way at all you’d consider giving me a second chance? I messed up big time yesterday, and I…I was scared. But from the time we shared that kiss in Vale, I just…”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ring box. “Eve, I know this may seem sudden, especially given my behavior yesterday, but…”
I eased my way down to one knee, rising my hopeful eyes to hers. “If you’ll give me the chance, I’ll spend every day of the rest of our lives proving to you that you made the right choice.”
Her eyes went wide as she stared at the ring, her lips parting. She raised her eyes from the ring to mine, her gaze questioning. “Spencer…”
“I know. I know this is overwhelming. But I can’t lose you.” I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to make this all about me. If this is too much, I’d take anything. The rest of the summer, a week, one date, one hour. Whatever you’re comfortable with. Whatever you–”
“Spencer,” she said, her voice a little breathy as she stopped me from babbling.
Tears formed in her eyes, and she wrapped her arms around her midriff, her lips pinching together.
I held my breath, waiting for the brush off I was certain was coming my way.
A second later, her head started to do something I hadn’t expected. She nodded.
Her trembling lips tugged into a smile before she swallowed hard, her grin broadening. Then, she said the single word I’d been longing to hear from her from the time we’d nearly kissed at the arcade. “Yes.”
My heart pounded so hard, I thought it would burst. “Yes?”
“Yes!” she exclaimed, a laugh mixed with a sob escaping her.
I wasn’t certain what to do, but I figured putting the ring on her finger was a good next step, so with trembling hands, I slid it on.
She beamed down at it before she flicked her happy expression my way.
I rose, still finding it hard to believe that this was happening. I wondered if I was dreaming it.
She slid a hand against my cheek. “I love you, too,” she whispered before our lips met.
The kiss was as sweet as the one we’d shared in Vale, though this one had none of the doubts or misgivings in it. This one was filled with the promise of a new life, a happy life, a shared life.