VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION IN AUTHOR'S NOTE AT END OF CHAPTER!!!
Spencer turned on his phone after arriving home and found a missed call from Amelie as well as a text.
'if you get bored during the party come over to mine and we can netflix and chill ;) '
Spencer winced at the message. If only she knew where he was the night before. Spencer felt terrible. He felt very, very shitty. Madeline had said something during the fight that stuck with him; She compared him to Oliver. Oliver! Oliver who had cheated on Nora with Madeline in high school. Oliver who went clubbing and told his girlfriend that he was working. Oliver who was nothing but selfish!
Never in a million years would Spencer have thought he would be compared to Oliver. But the more he thought about it, the more he realised just how eerily accurate the comparison was. As much as he loved his best friend, he had to admit that Oliver was as selfish as they come. But what Spencer did the night before was selfish. He lied to Madeline about being single and cheated on Amelie even though he was the one that suggested being exclusive. And he couldn't even blame it on being drunk because the truth was, despite the glass of champagne, Spencer was more sober than ever before. He was in his right mind and therefore should have known better.
But perhaps the worst part was that he felt worse about being rejected than he did about cheating. That was what made him like Oliver.
He had been waiting for that moment for so long that he was convinced it would go perfectly. Heck, he always imagined fireworks going off as they kissed to the background noise of everyone applauding them. Then he'd whisk her off her feet and they would fly off into the sunset like Sandy and Danny except Madeline wouldn't have to change for Spencer. It would have been glorious.
But, alas, he failed to take into account the 'small' issue of both of them being in relationships.
It wasn't that he didn't like Amelie. Nor was it that he didn't want to be with her. But seeing Madeline made him lose his senses. He wasn't thinking. The fact was that the moment his eyes landed on Madeline he forgot about everything and everyone.
But clearly she didn't feel the same way.
Spencer sighed and threw himself onto his bed, burying his face into his pillow. He groaned dramatically and flung his phone to the opposite side of the room. After hearing it land and crack, he groaned again.
It just wasn't his day.
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Spencer decided that he would be productive instead of moping around about Madeline and Amelie. After leaving the 'Apple' Store with a new phone in his leather satchel, Spencer made a beeline towards the quiet Italian café he loved for a day of editing and writing.
Perhaps Spencer's biggest flaw was his inability to confront his issues head-on. He avoided his problems like the plague and usually either ran away to a foreign country or plunged himself into work. This time he chose the latter. As soon as he ordered his large macchiato with a slice of tiramisu on the side, he whipped out his laptop and began typing.
By the third page of his script, Spencer's eyes began to strain so he had to look away for a few moments to recover. However, whenever he wasn't thinking about his script, he was thinking about Madeline and her rouge shade of lipstick that stained his clothes from the night before and the way she still called him 'Spence' and how soft her lips were. Then he'd remember Amelie and audibly groan, not because he didn't like her but because of his terrible sin. He stretched and took out his phone which had buzzed for the umpteenth time that day.
"Hello?" He sighed. He only answered because he knew who it was.
"Bro, where are you?" Oliver asked.
"Caffè Florence. Why?"
"Okay, cool, I'm coming now. Two minutes."
"Wait, what? I'm busy-"
Oliver hung up before he could object. Spencer sighed and pushed down the screen of his laptop, silently waiting for his friend. He didn't want to see him. Not because he was 'busy' but because Spencer truly was afraid he had become like him. He was afraid meeting Oliver would be like looking into a mirror and being forced to confront his actions, even though the reason he was working was to avoid them.
True to his word, Oliver entered the café a few minutes later and took a seat facing Spencer. Superficially, he looked fine and well-composed. But Spencer knew his friend. He had a distressed look in his eyes.
"What's up?" Spencer asked.
Oliver combed his fingers through his hair and sighed. "I did something bad last night."
"Last night? You mean the same night as your engagement party? God, Oliver, what did you do!"
He shook his head erratically. "I just... Ivan was there and whenever Ivan is with me I tend to act stupidly. And now Nora's angry at me."
Spencer rolled his eyes. "Well of course she's angry at you! Last night was meant to be a special night for both of you and you blew it off to go get high-"
"I never said that-"
"You didn't have to! Oliver, you're my brother but even I have to admit that is so cruel. Poor Nora!"
"I sent her flowers! That should fix everything!"
"Man, you're so stupid sometimes," Spencer groaned.
"Whatever. How did your talk with Madeline go?"
A squeak escaped from Spencer's lips as he opened his mouth to reply. He couldn't tell the truth. No one could know what went down between them.
"Uh... yeah, not great. But it had to be done..."
"Oh, what happened?"
"Stuff... I don't really want to go into it."
"Okay... But you can talk to me, you know that."
Spencer nodded. Of course he could talk to him. Birds of a feather stick together. As much as it pained him to admit it, Spencer knew Oliver was perhaps the only person he could speak to about cheating on Amelie without judgement. But he just couldn't bring himself to confess so he remained silent.
"I am so hungry!" Oliver exclaimed as he slid Spencer's tiramisu over to his side before digging into it.
Spencer glared at him. "That's mine," He said petulantly.
Oliver winked at him before lifting the plate closer to his face and licking the top layer off. "Not anymore."
Spencer rolled his eyes and beckoned a waiter over to order another one.
âââ
The next day was more productive for him. He sat in the same seat in the café and purged nearly eight more pages. However, he still couldn't get rid of the guilt. He walked back home with his headphones on trying to drown himself in music. Maybe that would distract him. But, alas, even 'Kendrick Lamar' couldn't help him as his mind kept darting back to that moment when Madeline kissed him. It was like her lips were still on his. Heck, he could even smell her if he closed his eyes tightly enough. Then he would open his eyes and feel a rush of remorse.
He walked past a campaign office where one of the runners for mayor was situated. However, what made him pause and stare into the window was the sight of Amelie in a suit speaking to the candidate. Of course! He had selfishly forgotten that it was her first day in her new internship. She was holding up a flyer and pointing at something. The lady nodded at what she was saying and took the flyer off of her before walking back into the office. Amelie rubbed her head in frustration and sighed before suddenly looking up. As her eyes met Spencer's and she paused.
Spencer's heart pounded nervously as her lips curled into a smile. As she walked towards that door, Spencer's eyes got wider and wider as trepidation and dread took over. He wanted to curse and run away but she had that magnetic magic that attracted him towards her. His feet wouldn't budge.
She looked beautiful and Spencer was reminded why he liked her so much. She was stunning and she made him smile and he didn't feel in distress with her. Madeline was a mistake. He was sure of it now.
"Kingsley! How are you? You didn't answer any of my calls."
Spencer turned to eye the remaining one hundred metres to his house. She was wearing heels so if he made a run for it he could probably outrun her. Who was he kidding? Amelie would outrun him in any scenario. But Spencer didn't know how to reply without blurting out what he did. So instead he did what he always did best; he was awkward.
"Uh, yeah, I mean-I was-but then-so I- but maybe you-and-"
He really hated himself.
âââ
A/N;
So, cutting to the chase, would you guys be interested in an 'extras' book where I publish deleted chapters or scenes from the past few books as well as extra, off-screen stuff. For example, I would like to write Madeline's letter that she sent to Nora and Spencer from rehab. Or maybe the moment when Angel tells Nora Oliver is cheating on her in Opulent Glory. Or maybe even a chapter through the eyes of a filler. Or interviews with Nora from various magazines. And you can all make requests as well.
So what do you think?
As always, LOVE,
-hexed
xoxo