by Kristen Echo
Licking her fingers, she sat back, patted her belly and sighed. “Those things are beyond amazing. I love croissants.”
“I remember.” He filled his coffee mug and added a splash of cream. “That’s why I asked my chef to bake some for us,” he said, sitting next to her.
“You’re mighty thoughtful. I’ll have to think of a creative way to show you my appreciation.” She placed her hand on his knee.
He placed his hand on top, leaned over and kissed her. “Have I mentioned I’m glad you’re here?”
“Only every other minute.”
He blew into his mug before taking a sip. “Out of curiosity, what happened between you and Cherie?”
Her body stiffened. “I’ve done some things she’s not happy about. I owe her. Let’s leave it at that.”
“I’m glad it had nothing to do with me,” he said.
Why would it be about him?
She wondered what he meant. Questions rested on the tip of her tongue when her phone rang. She raced to the counter, hoping it was Reba. Her smile brightened when she saw her sister’s name on the display.
“Hi Cherie-bo-berry.” She covered the mouthpiece. “It’s my sister. I’ll be back in a minute,” she said to Spencer before stepping outside onto the deck.
“Good morning Gwen. Have you found a new place? Where should I drop Wes?”
“I’m working on it, but we’re still at Spencer’s,” she admitted.
Cherie let out a frustrated grunt. “I’m glad he’s out of town. Let me see if I can find you something before he returns.”
“He’s back,” she said with a smile. “Arrived home late last night. We were… um… having coffee. If you’re done avoiding me, you are welcome to join us.”
“Oh. I see. Gwen, I need to tell you something.”
The morning sun was bright but not overly hot. She stopped at the top of the stairs. The same spot Spencer had twirled her around the night before. “You can tell me anything.”
“I’ve been keeping my distance for a reason. Don’t be mad.”
That warning usually meant the information to follow was best served while seated. Gwen sat and braced herself. “Nothing you do could make me mad.
“Spencer and I are dating.”
Gwen blinked repeatedly as the words registered. “Come again.”
“I know he’s your ex. It’s only been a few dates, but I like him. I’m certain he likes me too. When we kissed—”
The blood rushed between her ears, drowning out the rest of the words. Her sister and Spencer were dating. Bile crept into her throat at the image of them kissing.
The bliss bubble she’d been living in popped. No wonder Cherie wanted her to stay away. She hadn’t interrupted a business meeting, or friendly celebration, she’d messed up their date. Gwen covered her mouth with her hand.
Spencer and Cherie. Those words twirled and swirled, like a puzzle piece in her brain that didn’t fit. They didn’t belong together.
She wanted to vomit. She wanted to scream and ball her eyes out, but she wouldn’t. Not while sitting on Spencer’s deck. Not with him less than ten feet away. Her hands balled into fists. The asshole was playing games. Again. She should have known better than to trust him. Expecting someone to be monogamous was apparently way too much to ask.
“Cherie, I’ll call you later,” she wheezed and hung up. Her breaths were shallow. It took several minutes of sitting and staring into nothingness to calm the rage inside.
They had done nothing wrong. She had. She’d assumed things when she should have asked. Those were her mistakes. Gwen stood and marched back into the house. Spencer smiled when she neared. Those full lips had connected with her sister. Her eyes burned with tears, but she blinked them away. With her hands on her hips, she stopped in front of him.
“Answer honestly. Have you been out with Cherie?”
The smile disappeared. Silence hung in the air. He didn’t deny it. With every passing second, her heart splintered into more pieces.
“Unbelievable,” she rasped.
He arched a brow and placed his hands on the table. “We recently bumped into each other and went out for drinks a few times. It’s not a big deal. We talked a lot about—”
Gwen scrunched her eyes and held up her hand as she pictured them holding hands and laughing. “I don’t need the particulars. One last question. Have you and my sister kissed?”
She opened her eyes and read his face. His nostrils flared, and his lips pursed. A simple no would have ended the conversation, but his mouth remained shut.
Fuck. It was true. She gasped for her next breath and backed away.
His phone rang. He glanced at the screen and swiped to ignore it.
Deep down, she suspected this and had ignored the signs the other night. She shook her head. “This,” she said and pointed her finger between them, “was a mistake. A onetime mistake. It won’t be repeated.”
The phone rang again. “Gwen, this conversation isn’t over. I need to take this.” He picked up his cell. “Talk,” he barked.
She couldn’t stay there anymore. Nothing he could say would change the truth; they were over. As he spoke to the person, she left the kitchen. He didn’t follow. She went up to her room and grabbed her bag. She’d never unpacked. It had all been too good to be true. She slipped out a side door and headed for the bus.
Broke with less than two pennies to rub together, her options were limited. She checked back into the seedy motel. Spencer blew up her phone, but she refused to answer his calls. The text messages said it was nothing with Cherie. Nothing to him, but it had meant something to her sister.
Poor Cherie. Gwen didn’t know the details of their relationship, nor did she want to. Spencer could date, kiss and fuck anyone he wanted. She’d been the naïve one, thinking she was special. The image of her sister with Spencer made her stomach twist and unleashed the tears. Gross. She didn’t want Westlyn to see her like that. She picked up her phone and called her daughter.
Two rings and she answered. “Howdy.”
“Hey you. How’s your morning?”
“Great,” Wes replied. “Just finished lunch. Aunty took the morning off. Crazy right?”
“That was nice of her. Can you stay with Cherie for another night?”
“Why? You want some alone time with Spencer?”
Being alone with her ex was the last thing she wanted. “No. I’ve got a splitting headache and… I think you’d have more fun at her place.”
“Hold up. Aunty Cherie, Mom wants to know if I can stay with you tonight?” Things got quiet for a moment. “She said sure. You okay?”
Wiping the non-stop tears leaking from her eyes, she shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Have fun. I love you.”
“See you tomorrow and love you too,” Wes said and then disconnected.
Rather than call Cherie, she sent her a text. “Thank you.”
Gwen wasn’t ready to talk to her sister. She’d really messed up rebuilding their sisterly bond by sleeping with Spencer. It had never been her intention to hurt her sister or herself, but her actions had caused damage. The fallout remained to be seen.
Her phone buzzed with Cherie’s response. “We’ll talk soon.”
A massive heart to heart was due, but not today. Westlyn had a safe place to sleep, and that’s all that mattered.
“Dammit!” she screamed into the empty motel room.
Sounds of the television in the adjacent room filled the silence from hers. The thin walls provided no barrier. She quickly checked her bank account and cried harder. She shut off the phone and buried her face in a pillow. Then the walls shook as the bed next door slammed against it. Her neighbors were having sex. Their moans and grunts couldn’t be drowned by the television. The day couldn’t get any worse.
CHAPTER TEN
B anging on the door woke her at the crack of dawn. Gwen squeezed the pillow hard, mustering the courage to face him. She didn’t need to answer to know who stood on the other side. S
pencer refused to be ignored. She dragged herself out of bed, not bothering to fix her hair or clothing. There was no point in hiding her sad state.
Once she opened the door, he burst into the room looking equally haggard. He wore jeans and a t-shirt. His hair poked in all directions as though he’d been pulling at it all night.
“What the fuck are you doing back here?” He paced the tiny room like a caged animal.
She tugged at her tank top, trying to cover her bare legs. “Not many alternatives.”
The room was hot. Having an extra person so close wasn’t helping. She hadn’t been expecting company. Her bag lay open on the luggage stand and her clothing from the previous day was scattered across the floor. Gwen sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress creaked and whined under the strain.
“You should be at my place,” he said, as if that option made sense. “Why did you leave?”
The better question was why had she ever been there in the first place? All day she’d been tormented by her decisions and the consequences of her actions. With no one to blame but herself, she’d come to terms with what had happened and had forgiven herself. But that didn’t mean she had to forgive him. She narrowed her eyes and didn’t answer.
He stopped pacing and leaned against the wall next to a cheap painting of a rose. She focused on the petals and ignored him.
“For fuck sakes,” he shouted, drawing her attention. “Talk to me.” Spencer scrubbed a hand over his face as his blue eyes roamed her body.
The tank top barely reached the top of her thighs. He stared at her legs. The suggestive way he licked his lips made her uneasy. He sat and pulled her onto his lap. Holding her hostage. She tried to wriggle away, but he was too strong. After a minute, she stopped fighting.
He buried his face in her hair. “Don’t run again. Unlike when we were kids, I’ll chase you till the ends of the Earth.”
Her body stiffened. She’d run for good reasons. “You’re a piece of work. No. You’re an asshole.”
“I’ve been called worse. One doesn’t become a billionaire by always being a nice guy.”
She harrumphed and looked away. “Could have fooled me.”
“I’m not trying to.”
“Bullshit,” she snapped. “You said you don’t play games, but you’re playing me and my sister. It’s my own stupidity for trusting you. I’m not even sure why you’re here. You’re too busy for anything meaningful.”
“Don’t tell me what I have time for,” he barked. “And you’ve got things twisted around.”
“You’re the twisted one. I should have remembered you’re not the faithful type.”
He gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Explain. I’ve been nothing but honest and true with you.”
“Why lie?”
“I’m not fucking lying. What is it you think I’ve done?” His nostrils flared. “I’m not with your sister. Not the way you’re thinking. I’m not interested in anyone but you.”
“Right.” She pulled his hand from her face. “Next you’ll say you weren’t dating other women when we were together before too. I know what you were doing all those nights you were too busy to see me.”
“I wasn’t with anyone else. Is that why you dumped me? Because you thought I cheated.” He tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling. A long exhale followed. “For the record, I never cheated on you. Never.” When he looked at her again, he had the nerve to look hurt.
“You’re a really good liar. I’d consider believing you, if I hadn’t seen you with my own eyes. Hadn’t heard you confirm it. And I guess you’re calling my sister the liar.” She pointed her finger against his chest. “Well, screw you. I believe my sister.”
“Let’s conquer one issue at a time.” He cupped her cheeks. “What did you see? When we dated years ago, tell me what made you decide to skip town.”
“You act surprised, but I’d been talking about heading west for a while. Besides you, nothing else in my life was any good.” She’d met Spencer when her emotions were all over the place. Things at home had been rough. Her sister wouldn’t talk to her and her father acted like a zombie, following her mother’s death.
“Leaving without saying goodbye shocked the hell out of me. We had a date, and you left me waiting around the rink like a chump,” he accused.
“Oh, I showed up. Even got there early. Then your buddies cornered me.” Having two massive hockey players back her against the wall and proposition her had been scary. Swatting their hands had been nothing compared to their crude comments.
“What happened? Who hurt you?”
Gwen swallowed hard. They hadn’t touched her, but their words inflicted enough damage. “Tanner and Rick called me a whore and offered to pay me to sleep with them. Said they’d double what you paid. It was gross. Then they explained you were sleeping with other girls and bragging about what a great whore I was. Said you wouldn’t care if they double teamed me. The jerks got right in my face and laughed about how I gave you my virginity. I can’t believe you told them.”
“I didn’t” he seethed.
“Well they knew and claimed you boasted about it being money well spent. I pushed them away and dismissed their hurtful words.” She’d never taken Spencer’s money, but she’d let him pay for everything. Suddenly, the chivalry seemed like payment. It made her feel cheap and used.
“Those two were jealous because my girl was the nicest, most understanding and most beautiful,” he explained. “All the guys wanted to date you, but you were mine. Until you left me. Did you leave because of those dipshits?”
“No. I didn’t believe them until you walked in holding hands with another girl. I hid behind the drink machine. You smiled at each other and your cheeks were flushed. The girl was hanging all over you and hugged you tight. Not a we just met kind of hug.”
“You got it wrong. We—”
“I trusted you when you ditched me over and over for school and hockey. You had a busy schedule,” she continued. “But I’d often wondered if you were tempted by the girls at university. Someone smarter and less of a mess.”
“Never. Gwen,” he pressed his forehead against hers. “I liked that you needed me.”
“Teenage insecurities got the better of me, I guess. After that girl went to the canteen, those pricks approached you. They told you your whore was here to see you.”
He cringed but said nothing.
“You didn’t defend me. You laughed and asked which one. I was mortified. Then you all had a good laugh at my expense.” She covered his mouth when he tried to speak. “I snuck out without you seeing me. When I got home, I broke down. My dad was scared I might do something foolhardy. He bought me a ticket to visit his sister on the coast, hoping a change of scenery would shake me from my funk. I got on the bus the next day.”
The move had been tough but worked to reset her mind. Gwen ended up going to college in Vancouver and never looked back. Thinking Spencer had somehow paid for her affections had plagued her, and she’d refused to date anyone with money since. A tear slid down her cheek and he wiped it away.
She smacked his arm. “I hate you.”
He held her wrists as she tried to hit him again. “You don’t. Gwen, I swear I never cheated. Never wanted anyone else but you.”
“Then why say those things?”
He shook his head. “I said the wrong thing by calling women whores. But we were kids, and we called all the girlfriends whores back then. Doesn’t make it right, and I’m sorry.”
“The girl?”
“My cousin. She was going through a breakup and I thought introducing her to some new guys might help. She needed a friend. I figured the two of you might get along. Why would you believe those idiots? I loved you,” he said.
Her heart felt like it might beat out of her chest. “You had never said those words? How was I supposed to know?”
“I’d never been in love before. You stole my heart the second we met. You had to know I was crazy about you. We were naviga
ting those first love waters together. At least, I thought you knew how I felt.” He scratched the stubble on this chin.
“I didn’t.”
“Without the words, I showed you I loved you. It was more than sex; we made love. You should have talked to me before running away.”
All the pain and tears could have been avoided if they’d been better at communicating. Gwen closed her eyes. “You should have told me you loved me, so I wouldn’t have doubted you.” She opened her eyes and locked them with his. “It wasn’t all you. I could have tried harder. If I’m being one hundred percent honest, I needed to get away. Hating you gave me the push I needed. Dad had been telling me to go to his sisters for months. Living in the house without my mom was killing me.”
“I saw you struggling, but we could have moved together in the fall like we’d talked about.”
She dropped her arms and he let go. “Spencer, we were young. You had all sorts of big dreams. We talked about a lot of stuff that never would have happened.”
“But it could have,” he protested.
“Your life was full, and you were making connections. I would have only held you back. If not that misunderstanding, there would have been others. I needed to break free.”
“The only reason I didn’t call to check up on you was because I hadn’t wanted to wake your dad or sister. The next day your dad told me you’d moved and wouldn’t give me your aunt’s number. You left like what we had meant nothing. If it wasn’t for summer classes, I would have traveled across the country to bring you back and demand answers. I wanted to. This thing between us is real. I never got over you.”
“I never stopped loving you either,” she admitted. “But it doesn’t change things. You’re dating my sister. That’s not something I can move past when I’m here to rebuild things with her. She’s my family. Cherie and Wes are my priority.”
He gripped her face between his hands. “Nothing is going on with me and Cherie. I want you. I want the life we should have had.”
