A door slams and we both glance in Spencer’s direction. He’s wearing a black suit and a white button-up shirt, sans tie. Sunglasses cover his eyes and his dark hair appears freshly trimmed. Immaculate. His shoes are shiny and they make a clipped sound on the driveway as he makes his way toward us, a grim look on his too handsome, too beloved face.
There are no traces of the boy I first met and immediately crushed on. Not a single one. Spencer Donato is all man, and he is beautiful. Sexy. Confident. Faintly irritated—I can tell by the set of his jaw. The firm line of his lips.
I stand up straighter, bracing myself, waiting for him to say something horrible—why, I don’t know. That’s not his style. Or, for him to grab hold of my hand and drag me back to the car so he can fly me home and return me to my family like I’m a lost piece of luggage he finally found.
He does none of that. Instead, he stops directly in front of Roland and me, his expression unreadable. I can’t even see his eyes, thanks to his sunglasses.
“What are you doing here?” My voice is sharp, unable to forget the last time we saw each other and how mean he was. His cruel words, how he so easily walked away from me.
Yet here he is, chasing after me like usual.
I think of the last words I said to him, how I called him a liar.
Looks like I was right.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he finally says, his voice a seductive rumble coming from deep within his chest.
I tell myself I shouldn’t give in, but when it comes to this man, I am weak. What makes it worse?
I know he’s weak for me too.
“Looks like you found me,” I tell him softly.
The air crackles between us, unseen sparks bouncing from me to Spencer as my body leans toward his despite my inherent resistance. I can’t help but notice how Roland looks from me to Spencer, his graying eyebrows furrowed.
He can sense it too. The energy. The chemistry. It’s probably how Spencer found me—that unseen thread between us that keeps us tethered. We’ve always been drawn to each other, despite everything that’s happened over the years.
“Did you want to be found?” Spence asks, his voice as soft as mine.
I slowly shake my head. “Only by you.”
His lips curve into the slightest smile. Barely there and gone in an instant. But I saw it. And in that moment, I know.
Nothing is ever going to be the same. For once, it’s all going my way. This is what I want.
Me and Spence.
Spence and me.
TWELVE
SPENCER
Sylvie looksthe best I’ve ever seen her—and I’ve seen so many versions of her throughout the years, the number feels infinite. I’ve seen her younger and older, and skinny and frail, and lush and brimming with health, and everything in between. Mostly the in between is the version of Sylvie I’ve witnessed the last couple of years.
Now she’s the lush and brimming with health version. Her face is flushed and strands of untamed blonde hair waft across her face, thanks to the cool breeze coming from the unseen ocean. She keeps batting them away, her little scowl adorable.
She’s wearing a white T-shirt covered by a deep brown, oversized cardigan and jeans. Not a lick of makeup is on her face. She’s the plainest I’ve ever seen her.
And by far the most beautiful.
“I can’t believe you found me.” She keeps shaking her head, her eyes dancing with mischief. I think she fucking loves the fact that I found her. “How did you do it?”
I tap my temple with my index finger. “Used my brain.”
“You’ve always had such a big one.” Her tone, her smile is suggestive, and she laughs at my scowl. “Take off your sunglasses,” she demands. “I want to see you.”
I whip them off for her, slipping them into my jacket pocket. She stares at me for a long time, her gaze roving. Drinking me in. I don’t move. I let her look her fill, until she takes a step forward and pats me gently on the chest.