A slow grin curves his mouth.“That’s adorable.”
I roll my eyes softly, but don’t argue.Because annoyingly enough, he’s not entirely wrong.
Spencer is already seated in the back corner of the lounge by the time I cross the room, one ankle resting over the opposite knee while he scrolls absently through something on his phone.Perfectly tailored charcoal suit.Expensive watch.Calm confidence.Predictable in the safest way possible.
His attention lifts the second he sees me approaching, his expression softens into something genuinely warm.“Vanessa.”
“Sorry I’m late.”
“You’re four minutes late.I’ll survive.”
I smile faintly as I slide into the chair across from him.And God, this should feel easier than it does.Spencer studies me for about three seconds before setting his drink aside completely.
“Well,” he leans back slightly, “this already feels like a breakup.”
A surprised laugh escapes me before I can stop it.“Am I that obvious?”
“You’re wearing the apologetic face.”
“I have an apologetic face?”
“You do tonight.”
That only makes me laugh harder, tension easing slightly from my shoulders for the first time since I arrived.Because this is exactly why I liked Spencer in the first place.There were never any games with him.No unnecessary complications, just honesty.
“I’m sorry.”I offer with a small frown.
“You don’t actually owe me that.”
“I feel like I do a little.”
His head tilts slightly as he watches me across the table.“Is it serious?”
The question lands softly.No accusation attached to it.And somehow that makes it worse.“I don’t know yet.”
“But you want it to be.”It’s not a question, because he already knows my truth better than myself.
I look down briefly at the stem of my wine glass before exhaling softly.“I think so.”
Something knowing settles into Spencer’s expression then.Not hurt exactly.More like confirmation.“The bassist.”
My eyes lift immediately.“You know about him?”
“Vanessa, half this club recognized him the second he walked in here the first night.”One corner of his mouth lifts.“Plus, Oliver may have mentioned he asked about you.”
Right.Fair enough.Heat creeps up the back of my neck anyway.Spencer reaches for his drink again, swirling the amber liquid once slowly before looking back at me.
“You’ve been somewhere else for weeks.”
“I didn’t mean to?—”
“I know.”
And he does.That’s the thing.Spencer isn’t angry because Spencer already understood long before I admitted it to myself.
“I’ll miss you,” he admits, calm and sincere.“You are one of the better parts of this place.”
Emotion tightens unexpectedly in my chest.“You too.”
