Page 39 of You Found Me
Groaning, I put my head down. “What did I say?”
“Well, he drove us home because we both had a bit to drink. You ended up falling asleep in the back seat of his truck and didn’t stir when he parked or when he cut the engine. I innocently suggested he should just carry you upstairs.”
“Mia! You know I would have woken up with a little effort. I can’t believe you had him carry me up two flights of stairs.”
“But if he hadn’t done that, Spencer wouldn’t know how ‘yummy’ you think he is. Nor would he have had his biceps squeezed while you told him how dainty he made you feel.”
I’m trying to decide where the nearest bridge is so I can fling myself off of it.
“Oh. My. God,” I groan. “I mean yes, he is attractive, and I’ve always thought so, but I never wanted him to know Istillthink he’s attractive.”
“Even though you were very clearly drunk, his cheeks managed to get as red as that day in the diner when he turned into a cowboy. Though,” she pauses then says, “watching him be so gentle with you was sweet to watch. He definitely cares about you as a person. And that’s more than you could ever say about Chance.”
“Maybe I’ll take a little time to think.”
“That’s a good idea. Are you going to talk to the girls about it?”
I shake my head. “No. I think that if I do go through with it, the less people that know it’s not real the better.”
“I promise to keep it to myself,” she raises her hand with a peace sign. “Scout’s honor.”
Chapter 12
Spencer
I’ve spent the last week wondering when Emmaline would get back to me.
She text me saying she needed a little more time to think everything over, before ultimately making her choice. I can only imagine how Mia told her everything she said and did in her drunken state that night when I took them home. And in the meantime, I’ve still been dodging questions from my mom about when I plan on seeing Shiloh again.
Currently, I’m out at a sports bar in the city with Theo watching a few football games when my phone rings. I look down and grin at the contact photo that Mia took of me carrying Emmaline.
I get up from the table to answer and head outside. When I answer and say hello, she doesn’t say anything for a bit, causing me to huff out a laugh.
“Shortstack, you do remember that you’re the one who called me, right?”
The line is quiet for a few more seconds before I hear the sweetest “hi” I have ever heard.
“It’s nice to hear from you, Emmaline. I was getting worried I’d have to find another woman in need of help in exchange forgetting my mom off my back. But as you can imagine, the list of potential women available was tragic.”
Laughter fills my ear. “Sorry. No, I still need your help. I guess it works in my favor that your list was so pitiful.” I hear her sigh. “Chance started sending me photos of dresses he thinks I’d look best in for the gala and no matter how many times I tell him no, he’s relentless. It’s maddening.”
Before I can respond, she continues on, “No one can know it’s fake. I mean besides Mia. But I need you to promise you won’t tell Theo because if he finds out, hewilldo something drastic and I’m trying to avoid that.”
Now probably isn’t the best time to tell her that Theo knows about everything. Her coworker, Faith, sent him a text at some point during dinner about the interaction with Chance.
After I took them home, I called to let him know they’d been dropped off safely, and he told me all about it. I had to let him know about the bruises I saw and of her proposition slip. I told him how I’d planned to help her out and he thought it was a good idea. I really don’t want to lie to her since Theo already knows, but I feel like it’s not completely lying. We just both want to look out for her.
“I can do that. I really think I should drive you to and from work. Just in case he shows up again at the end of your shift, but also in case he switches it to mornings.”
“Spencer, you don’t—”
“Emmaline, I am going to do this. He didn’t care that the hospital was covered by cameras when he confronted and grabbed you.”
“Okay, fine. I need to be at the hospital by 6:45 a.m. on the days I’m scheduled to work. And um, thank you for doing this. I’ll let you get back to whatever it is you were doing.”
“No problem. And before you hang up on me,” chuckling, I add, “let’s go ahead and plan a date for some time this week. You know, to help sell the whole dating thing.”
“True. Umm, I work the first part of the week, so any time after Wednesday is good for me.”
