Page 138 of You Found Me
“Right. We’re definitely picking this up next time we meet though. That’s what annoying little siblings are for, right?” I say, directing the last bit to Spencer, who nods with a big smirk. Turning back to Quinn, I give her a shit-eating grin and watch as she rolls her eyes.
“You’re going to be a pain in my ass, huh?”
I shrug. “Maybe. However, I think you’ll come to love me.”
She smiles before glancing at her phone. “Shit, I need to head back to the city for a meeting at three. I won’t say anything to Dad about you.Yet. Just please don’t wait too long before reaching out to him. I’m not a great secret keeper.”
“I’ll reach out within the week. Thank you for the interview and for also not freaking out about me. I don’t know what your schedule is like, I can only assume busy like mine, but I’d like to get together the next time I’m in the city. If possible.”
“That’d be great. I can send you my work schedule and we can come up with a time to meet,” she stands, grabbing her bag. “It was nice to meet you both.”
After hugging us both, Quinn exits the cafe. Spencer turns to me. “I think that went well, Buttercup. How are you feeling?”
“I feel good—a bit drained—but good. All I want to do now is go home and decompress.”
“Then let’s go. I can drive you back to your place and get your car later.”
“I actually walked here, so I’d love it if you’d give me a ride. However, I want to go to our house.”
Spencer’s eyes widen. “Ourhouse? You’re agreeing to move in with me? Seriously? I don’t want you to agree to this just after something big happened in your life. Something that could change things for you. I told you, take as long as you need to make the decision.”
“Something big did happen today and the whole time all I could think was how glad I was that it wasyouwho was with me today. You sat there, silently supporting me, and I can’t thank you enough. If you hadn’t been here, I would’ve called you or come to your office to tell you everything—because I want to share all my happy moments with you. I’mabsolutelysure I want to take this next step.”
“Emmy, I don’t know what to say, other than I love you so fucking much. We can go to the house right now. I just need you to remember there’s nothing in it and that it needs some work. Basically, just keep an open mind.”
“I love you, too. And I don’t need much of anything if I have you, Daredevil.”
Spencer smiles, wide, making his dimple pop. “That was extremelycheesy, Emmaline Eugenia Jones. It’s a good thing I’m not lactose intolerant.”
I throw my head back with a laugh as he wags his brows. “We need to go over my middle name again before I move in with you and discuss your sad attempts at comedy.”
“I know your middle name. I choose to pick a different one each time because I love it when you laugh.”
“Let’s leave so we can go christen our new place. I’m feeling rather generous.”
Spencer stands so fast that he knocks over his chair and apologizes to everyone that turned their heads in our direction. I’m still laughing when he throws me over his shoulder, patting my butt, and racing to put me in his truck.
He is all I could’ve ever asked for in a partner.
And he’s all mine.
Epilogue
Emmaline
Six months later…
To say that the first half of the year has been hectic would be an understatement.
The fallout with the Cougar Callout piece about the night of the Gala wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Unfortunately Chance can’t say the same. And I know I told Quinn I felt bad that all of this happened, but he couldn’t take accountability for his actions—instead, blaming me for everything that went wrong. For weeks, Chance talked to anyone who’d listen about the debacle. However, he wasn’t met with a warm embrace. Not when he chose to keep bad-mouthing Spencer and me.
My master’s program started up soon after my interview with Quinn, my half-sister. Two months after we met, I finally talked to my biological father. Quinn had given me his number and said maybe I should start with a phone call—which I did. That first conversation was hard.
I could tell he was upset with my mom but said that while he wished he knew about me from the start, he wouldn’t have changed breaking it off with my mom. Completelyunderstanding his reasoning, I told him how sorry I was that he had to lose someone he loved in such a horrible way.
Neither of us have had the time to meet in person and instead have a biweekly phone call. My dad has been nothing but supportive in my endeavor to get to know Rick. Even going as far as to say he’d throw a barbecue for all of us whenever Rick was going to be back in the state. When I mentioned it to Quinn, she laughed and said to count her in for the inevitable awkwardness.
As far as my love life, Spencer and I are going strong, and I fall more in love with him with each day that passes.
