Y'all I'm so sorry I keep updating so quick I hope you're not sick of this book yet! Nine more chapters left!
"What?"
Spencer repeated his rash declaration again but with exponentially less gusto this time. "Move in with me."
His mouth felt dry after processing the words he was saying.
"Oh. Like... you want me to live here. With you. Together."
"Um, yeah. I think so."
"Oh." Amelie's lips curled up. "That sounds really good."
Shit.
"Yeah..."
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay!" Amelie squeaked before latching on to him and kissing him. "Honestly I thought you were going to break up with me soon with how distant you've been but I guess I was wrong! Wow, Kingsley, I'm so excited to live with you!"
"Uh huh...."
It took him twenty three years to realise it but Spencer was the biggest idiot ever.
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By the end of the week Amelie had moved in. Spencer's nerves did little to reassure him and he felt more and more regretful each day. It wasn't that he didn't want to live with Amelie. But it was just such bad timing. Literally the week before he was telling someone else he loved her. He was not ready to take such a big step with Amelie and he didn't know what even compelled him to suggest it. But he did and it was too late to back out now.
"That's the last of my boxes. My lease on my old place won't run out for another three months so I left a bunch of things there just until I find some where to put them. "
"Yay..." Spencer replied, trying his best to feign excitement.
"Oh crap! I forgot my charger! You wouldn't happen to have a Samsung charger here would you?"
Spencer shook his head, silently praying that it meant she would have to leave to get a new one. He needed a break. They had been driving up and down from her apartment all day and all he wanted was a bit of tranquility and peace. Silence.
"Oop! Never mind, I found it!"
"Yay..."
Amelie paused and looked at him. "Yo... are we good? You've been acting weird all day..."
"How?" He knew exactly how.
"I don't know. All your responses seem.... insincere."
Spencer shrugged. "I'm just tired. Sorry." He pecked her cheek. "How about some champagne? To celebrate the move."
Amelie half-smiled. "Yeah. Sounds good."
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The next day there seemed to be a cloud over Spencer's head. He couldn't sleep properly and ended up waking up just before sunrise. He laid still staring up at the ceiling for a few hours. If he shut his eyes tight enough he could see her. He wondered what she was doing at that moment. Knowing Madeline, she was probably already up, beginning her strenuous preparations for her wedding. This was the Saturday that her life would change.
He felt a whirlwind of emotions. But most of all he felt guilt. Not just guilt for betraying Amelie but also for what he did to Madeline. He should have listened to her. It was almost embarrassing to remember how selfish he was. Being so blinded by the dream of what they could be, he ignored what they actually were. The chemistry was there but the timing was wrong. It was too late for them.
Eventually Amelie woke up and kissed him before going in to shower. When she came back out, her hair was wrapped in a towel and her body covered in a fluffy white robe. Spencer hadn't changed his position.
"Kingsley? Are you okay?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah of course."
Amelie looked incredulously at him before sitting down at the bottom of the bed and beginning to rub her distinctive strawberry body butter on her legs.
At least he wasn't the only one uninvited from the wedding. Remembering Nora, he sent her a quick text.
'hope you're okay today. i know it must have been tough being uninvited'
A few seconds later, she called him directly.
"Who's that?" Amelie asked casually.
"Just Nora. I'll be two minutes." Spencer left the room and answered.
"Hey, Spence..." Nora said with an unmistakably solemn tinge to her tone.
"Hey."
"Thank you.. for the message. I appreciate it."
"It's okay... I really hope you're okay Nora." If she was feeling anything like he was feeling then she definitely wasn't okay.
"I'm not. You know, I always imagined being there. Standing beside Madeline as her bridesmaid. I imagined you as the groom and Oliver as your best man and-"
"Nora, you're not helping me feel better," Spencer laughed.
"Sorry," Nora chuckled sheepishly. "It just feels like we're losing something. Like our whole lives were going in this one trajectory where endgame was you and Madeline and me and Oliver coupled together."
She was right. It felt like the end to an era. The royal family of Manhattan were going their separate ways.
"I know. But not everything works out the way we want it to work out. We thought we were entitled to perfect lives because of our money. But all the money in the world can't fix this. We need to move on. I need to move on. I can't handle anymore heartbreak from Madeline."
"Oh, Spence... I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I'm not entitled to Madeline just because of a childish promise we made to each other as teenagers. I'm letting go."
That was probably easier said than done. But this time he swore to himself that he was at least going to try.
"I love you, Spence. I'm really proud of you."
His phone started beeping, indicating he was getting another call. It was probably Charlie.
"I love you too... I'm getting another call. Um, I'll call you back later okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, that's fine. I'm here for you if you need to talk."
"Thank you. Love you Nor."
He hung up on Nora and answered the other call. The number was unfamiliar but Charlie had so many burners that he didn't think twice.
"Charlie, I'm really not in the mood to help you, especially today-"
"Spence?"
Her voice was soft and surprising to hear.
"Maddie?" Spencer leaned back against the wall.
"Yeah... Um, to be honest I don't know why I'm calling you. I think I needed to hear your voice...."
Spencer released a long sigh. "I can't do this. I can't... Madeline, every time I start to get over you you rope me back. I'm trying to move on-"
"Yeah. Sorry. You're right," She sniffled. "Um, sorry I called. I just wanted to tell you something but it doesn't matter."
His heart soften a bit. "Sorry, that came out really harsh."
"No, you're right."
"No it's-"
"Bye Spence," She whispered.
"Maddie, are you okay?" Spencer asked, suddenly concerned at how quiet she was being.
But she hung up without replying. Before he could call her back, Amelie entered the room.
"Kingsley, did you know Madeline Lockhart is getting married today?" She asked, reading something on her phone.
"Oh, uh, yeah."
Amelie grabbed a mug and filled it with freshly brewed coffee. Spencer remained still, his mind going into overdrive. Was Madeline okay? Why was she crying on the phone? Today was her big day, she was meant to be happy.
"I think it's a good idea that you're not going. It's good that you're putting everything behind you. Leaving it in the past where it belongs-"
"I'm going to go the wedding."
"What?" Amelie put down her coffee and frowned.
Spencer couldn't stop thinking about Madeline. He had ended things so badly with her and on the phone she sounded so... off. He knew her better than anyone, despite the five year gap in their relationship. Something was wrong. He could hear it in her voice.
"I have to go-"
"No. You don't. Spencer, I thought you were over her."
"I am! But she called and-"
"She called?! Wait, are you two getting close again?"
"No. She just... Amelie, I can't explain it but there's something wrong with her. And I need to make sure she's okay."
Amelie scoffed. "You two are hardly friends anymore. Why are you checking up on her!?"
"She'll always be my friend. No matter what happens between us-"
"You slept with her the last time you saw her! So don't come at me with that friend bullshit because she'll always mean more than that to you!"
Amelie didn't know about the rehearsal dinner night. This would have been a good time to tell her. But he still couldn't.
"Amelie please listen to me. I don't want to be with her. I want to be with you. I choose you. But she's my friend. And she's in trouble. I need to talk to her. You can come to the wedding with me if you don't trust me."
Spencer held her hands and squeezed them. She sighed in resignation.
"I like you Spencer. In fact, I love you. So please don't fuck me over."
Ignoring the second sentence she said, Spencer nodded. "I won't."
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