“Heisjust Spencer.”
“Well, Just Spencer just showed up on your doorstep, hat in hand and ready to woo you. I can’t even picture that image in my head,” she adds, giving an audible shiver.
“See? What am I supposed to think if you can’t even? He’s your brother.”
“That’swhat I can’t even,” Sophie wails. “He’s my brother and you’re my—are we best friends again?”
Despite my turmoil over Spencer, Sophie’s question brings a rush of warmth to my chest. Sophie had been such a big part of my childhood, and then she wasn’t. Spencer came to live at the castle, and I lost Sophie in the bargain.
We both did.
“You’re the one who stopped being my best friend,” I tell her primly. “But since that was all your mother’s fault, I suppose I can forgive you.”
I will never forgive her mother for causing the rift, not only between me and Sophie, but between Spencer and his sisters but Sophie is easy to forgive.
“Sooo kind of you,” Sophie teases, the warmth in her voice matching mine. “But back to Spencer?”
“I’ve always wanted him, Soph,” I admit, more to myself than to her. “What am I supposed to do now? I’ve got all these guys here and some of them are—I can see potential. I really can. But now that Spencer is here…”
Nothing is a sure thing, and while that’s never been a problem for me before, right now it’s making my mind race in crazy circles.
“Give him a chance,” Sophie tells me, sounding more rational and mature than your usual twenty-five-year-old woman. More rational and mature than me.
“That’s all he’s asking for,” she continues. “Just like the other guys. See if there’s something there.”
“And if there’s not?”
“Then you’ll finally know.”
15
Spencer
I
’vefinallymadeamove, and I’m not allowed to see Lyra.
I’m not invited to the cocktail party that night. After I unpack and change, I’m offered food made by one of the men, and ushered into a back room of the hotel, where the laughter of the lucky few who get to spend time with Lyra, drifts in from the lobby.
“This is the worst part,” Lucas tells me, settled beside me by the door.
There are pool, ping-pong, and foosball tables, but I refuse to join in, just sitting like I’m in the middle of a pout.
It seems like Lucas has appointed himself as my guide here. I’m not impressed since having him stuck to my side is keeping the others away. It could also be because I’m sitting like a lump, but no one initiates a conversation. They watch me like I’m about to freak out or something, but no one says anything.
It’s a little unnerving. While I’m not here to make friends, I do need to find out about my competition.
I hate that I now have competition for Lyra.
“Are there any good parts?” I ask him, watching as a really good-looking guy cleans the pool table with two shots.
Everyone here is good looking.
“Going on a date,” Lucas offers. “They seem like they’re having fun.”
We saw a glimpse of Lyra when she came back to the hotel for the remainder of her date. She had changed into a white jumpsuit, and I knew just from the quick look that it was backless.
Long and lean, prowling into the lobby like an exotic white wild cat.
