Beautiful One (14 page)

****

Melissa's text came in just as I was crawling into bed. Four words.

We need to talk.

Her message caused a heavy breath to leave my lungs. Melissa's many attempts to corner me hadn't worked. Aidan had never left my side, causing Melissa's no-nonsense approach to have to be put on hold. I was thankful… I hated confrontation and certainly hadn't wanted to hash it out in the restaurant. Her constant glances had me on edge, but having had Aidan within earshot had assured me that
the conversation
wouldn't happen tonight.

My fingers hovered over my cell before I tapped out my reply.

Saturday, Lantern Bay, 11:30 a.m.

The thought of having Melissa browbeat me with questions seemed more tolerable in the open air and serene setting of my favorite park.

Can't wait.

I considered answering her but just placed my cell on my bedside table and drifted off into a troubled sleep.

****

I stood on the sidewalk outside Spencer's house and inhaled a few deep breaths, desperately trying to will the anxiety to leave my body. But nothing seemed to work. I hated that I'd caused that look in his eyes. I knew I hadn't done anything wrong, but I was so riddled with guilt. I hated myself for not mentioning Aidan to him sooner.

When I moved closer to the door, I heard him playing his guitar and singing the song “
What I Know
,
”
one of my favorites. Without warning, my eyes pooled with tears while I listened to him sing.

There was no denying Spencer and I had a special bond, but that was all it was. I had never led him on or flirted with him. So why did I feel so awful? I leaned against the door and closed my eyes. Spencer was singing with such passion I couldn't bring myself to knock until he was finished. It took me a minute to blink back the tears and compose myself. I turned around and rang the bell. I swallowed hard as the door opened. Our eyes met and held for a moment before Spencer spoke.

“C'mon in, darl… Elizabeth.” His smile dimmed.

My heart sank when I realized the sweet endearment that used to roll off his tongue was gone. Being the perfect gentleman, Spencer offered me something to drink and motioned me to the kitchen. I sat on the barstool and asked for some ice water. My mind was racing
trying
to decide if I should bring up the elephant in the room. I didn't have to drag out the inevitable, because Spencer did it for me.

“How long have you and your boyfriend been together?” His frankness surprised me.

“About three months.” Spencer handed me my water, and I took a small sip. He ran his hand across the stubble of his jaw and then rubbed the back of his neck.

“The fun stage.” Spencer's expression was unreadable as he picked up his glass and filled it with ice.

Feeling uncomfortable, and in an attempt to take the focus off me, I took another sip of my water and asked, “Do you have a girlfriend?”

Spencer filled his glass with some orange juice, took a sip, and placed his glass on the kitchen island.

“Nope.”

He didn't elaborate on the fact, which left me even more curious.

Spencer leaned back against the counter, eyeing me. He pushed up his long sleeves before he crossed his arms over his firm chest. His gaze made me feel stripped bare of any conscious thought.

“We haven't talked about Sunday. How did you feel during your solo?”

“Didn't like it,” I responded.

Spencer gave me a knowing smile.

“Yes, I understand. But like I've already told you, we're going to get you comfortable. Lance didn't push you. I want to help you with your confidence.” Spencer's stance changed, and his eyes softened. “You trust me, don't you?”

There was a softness in his tone that I was thankful to hear. “Yes, I trust you.”

“Good. Let's practice next week's solo.” He gave me a dimpled grin and walked into the living room.

I followed behind. Spencer picked up his guitar and began to play. My eyes focused on what little I could see of his tattoo, a lighthouse.

Spencer and I ran through my solo several times, and when he was satisfied, we moved to the piano and practiced a duet together. I was feeling more confident and excited to sing with him. With his good looks and soulful voice, he should just scrap college and go for rock star. I smiled at the thought as Spencer glanced my way.

“What's the smile for?”

“Oh nothing. Can I ask you something?” I got up and stretched
then
plopped myself down on his comfortable couch.

“Sure.” Spencer slid his long legs over the piano bench so we were facing each other.

“What made you decide to choose the tattoos you have?”

His expression changed as his grey eyes turned from mine to the floor. He exhaled and glanced at the clock.

“It's getting late, Elizabeth, how about if I tell you about that another time?”

Sensing his apprehension, I stood. He got up and opened the front door.

“Okay.”

I walked through the door with Spencer behind me. Our walk to my house was quiet. When we arrived, our eyes met.

“Thank you for walking me home.”

Spencer seemed distant, lost in his thoughts. “Sure,” he answered. He waited on the sidewalk until I was inside. I peeked out the front window and watched him stuff his hands in his front pockets, turn, and walk away. My last thought was of Spencer walking into an empty house. The sadness consumed me.

It was a beautiful day. The temperature was in the mid-seventies, and the park was bustling with activity: Mommy and Me class, kids playing soccer, and several people running the stairs. Having left early to get in a quick run had proved to be a good idea. I was already feeling less anxious for my talk with Melissa. My cell phone vibrated as I jogged up the last few steps of the stairs.

Melissa:
Running late. I'll be there in about 30 minutes.

Me:
No problem.

Melissa:
I'll text you when I'm leaving.

Me:
Okay.

One more lap around the park, and maybe she'd be here. I stuffed my cell in my pocket and took off. I slowed, m
aking
my way around the bend, then stopped dead in my tracks. In the distance was Spencer. He was laughing and playing football with his little brothers. Spencer always seemed so reserved, and seeing him enjoying himself playful and carefree made my heart swell. His hair was tied back, showing off his handsome face. I'd never seen him in shorts, and I felt my face flush as I gawked at his long, toned legs. Watching him interact with his brothers intrigued me. I took a few steps closer. I had to see more.

The younger boy finished a granola bar and tossed the wrapper toward a trashcan, but missed. He turned and walked away, leaving the discarded paper on the grass. Spencer crouched down to his level and said something to him. The boy seemed upset he had disappointed his older brother. Spencer had him pick up the trash then ruffled the boy's hair and handed him a football. The way he handled his little brother was heartwarming. I found myself wanting to know more about him. Before I knew it, I was headed his way.

Our eyes met, and a slow reserved smile spread across his face.
Spencer said something to the older boy and then jogged over to greet me.

“Hey, Elizabeth.” I could tell he was surprised to see me. “What are you doing here?” He ran a hand through his hair and adjusted the hairband.

“I like to run here and jog the stairs.” I still felt funny telling people I run, but telling Spencer, well, was… nice.

His eyes widened. “Jog the stairs? That's brutal.”

“It can be.” I took a deep breath. Seizing the opportunity for more information and to take the focus off me, I glanced over at the boys.
“I take it those are your brothers?”

His gaze lingered on me for a moment with a funny smile on his face, before he glanced over his shoulder. The boys were side by side, about twenty feet away, staring at us. Spencer's social graces kicked in, g
uiding
me to meet his brothers.

Standing in front of them, I was stunned at the family resemblance. The older one reminded me of a mini-Spencer. He had the same grey eyes, but whereas Spencer had dark brown hair, this boy's hair color was jet black. Spencer introduced me to him first.

“This is Shawn.” The boy was a few inches taller than I. He smiled, revealing one prominent dimple on his left cheek. He definitely would have the girls eating out of his hands, if he hadn't already.

“Hi.” He put out his hand for me to shake it.

“Hi. How old are you, Shawn?” I let go of his hand.

“Fourteen.” He smiled.

“Eighth grade?”

“Yep.” He fiddled with the football. I could tell Shawn didn't want to make conversation, so I glanced over to the younger boy.

“And this one is Simon,” Spencer said, gesturing to his youngest brother.

Simon smiled, and his beautiful blue eyes lit up his face. His hair was a lighter shade of brown, and he had two dimples, just like Spencer. Another lady-killer in the making.

“I'm eleven and in sixth grade.”

Spencer gave him a look, and Simon reached out to shake my hand.

“Nice to meet you, Simon.” I smiled at his adorable face, and he smiled in return.

“Do you like football? You can play with us if you want to.”

Simon was so animated it made me giggle. I was surprised when Shawn chimed in.

“Yeah, we could use a fourth. It could be me and you against the old guy and the kid.” Shawn laughed then tossed me the ball.

I glanced at Spencer. He was smiling that sexy smile that made my heart skip a beat.

“Well, I guess I can play for a bit. I'm meeting someone here.”

“Boyfriend?” Spencer asked, and his smile disappeared.

“Ahh… no, my best friend, Melissa.”

Spencer nodded in response as if he was remembering something. “Oh, Mason's girlfriend.”

“I'm not sure when she'll be here, but I can play until then.” I tossed the ball to Spencer, and after we decided on the boundaries of each end zone, Shawn and I planned our strategy.

Spencer and Simon were about forty feet away from us. Spencer threw the ball, and Shawn ran to receive it. We both took off toward our end zone. I was in front of Shawn, blocking him from Spencer, but Simon ran around me, and with a two-handed touch on Shawn, we were at our first down. My hike to Shawn was a little high, but he was able to grab it. As planned, I ran off to the side of him, then he lobbed it back to me. I saw an opening between Spencer and Simon and made my move. Shawn was cheering in the distance. I picked up speed as I got closer to our end zone. The poundings of Spencer's feet were gaining on me. In an attempt to lose him, I zigzagged and made a beeline toward our goal.

Shawn was running and shouting “Go, go, go!” A few seconds later he yelled out an enthusiastic “Touchdown!”

I held the ball above my head and gave Shawn a victory high-five. Simon was jumping around laughing, and Spencer's mouth was gaping in disbelief.

Arching an eyebrow with a threatening smile, he leaned in close. “Impressive, Elizabeth, but now it's our turn.” He smirked. “C'mon, Simon, it's time for retaliation.”

We took our positions at the opposite ends of the field, and Shawn chucked the ball. Spencer caught it with ease and tossed it to Simon. Simon ran with all his might, his protective big brother paving the way. I was able to get one hand on Simon, but he quickly moved to the side and got away. Shawn gained speed and tagged his little brother out as my cell phone vibrated. The Hayes brothers all stopped to catch their breath. All eyes were on me. I glanced down to see it was Aidan, so I stepped away to answer it.

“Hey, baby, were you running?”

I answered with a breathy, “Yes.”

“Sounds sexy.”
Aidan laughed. “
I'm off work now. Can I come and see you?”

I hesitated for a few seconds and then responded.
“Well, Melissa is meeting me at the park. How about later?”

“Okay, we're still on for dinner tonight?”

Spencer's happy demeanor had vanished, and he was closing himself off.

Simon let out a loud whiny “C'mon, Elizabeth
,”
and Spencer shushed him.

“Yes, I'll call you when I get home.”

“Okay, sounds good. Bye, Liz
”

“Bye.” I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful Aidan hadn't heard young Simon.

I tried to make light of the interruption and smiled. “Sorry.” I couldn't help but notice the look in Spencer's cold, grey eyes.

Simon grabbed the ball from Shawn and got into the hike position. I crouched down in a block stance with Shawn next to me. Simon counted to three and hiked the ball to Spencer. This time Spencer tucked the football under his arm and made his way toward their end zone. Shawn and I both ran after him while he sprinted toward the goal line. Shawn took no prisoners as he grabbed his older brother, causing Spencer to stumble.

In my attempt to catch Spencer, I had gained too much momentum. The next thing I knew, we were in a dog pile with Spencer at the bottom. Everyone was laughing. I was pretty sure Simon jumped on top of me just to get in on the fun. Shawn made his move and grabbed the ball that had tumbled from Spencer's grasp. He took it and ran toward our end zone, laughing.

Simon hopped off me and ran after his older brother yelling “Not fair! Not fair!”

I was still giggling until I felt the contact of Spencer's heated body under mine. The lightheartedness that had been there just seconds ago had changed. My heart rate thudded as our eyes held. His eyes seemed lighter in the sunlight, and I found myself getting lost in them. Time was passing, I expected Spencer to shift his body from mine… but he didn't.

His eyes roamed the contours of my face, while my eyes stayed focused on his. I inhaled sharply when his tongue slowly emerged and moistened his lower lip. Deep within me, I felt an underlying intimacy between us.

Then my cell phone vibrated.

Spencer eyed me cautiously as I rolled off him, breaking our connection, physically and emotionally.

I sat up and read the text.

“That was Melissa, she's on her way.” My voice broke, making me look away. I tapped out a text to her to meet me at the stone bench and rose to my feet.

Spencer got up, but kept his eyes on me as the boys approached us. They were both out of breath and sweaty.

Simon piped up, annoyed. “That was a do-over, Spencer. We weren't playing tackle. Shawn cheated.”

“We're done now, buddy. Elizabeth has to go.” Spencer broke eye contact with me to look at a sullen looking Simon.

“Aww, can we play next week?”

But before I could answer, Spencer spoke for me. “I don't think so, Simon, and don't pout,” he warned him. “Now thank Elizabeth, and I'll take you guys to get something to eat.”

Simon was trying hard not to sulk. He gave me a sweet smile and thanked me for playing before he took a few steps back.

Shawn got close to me and smiled. “We totally would have won.”

“Totally.” I answered back.

He and Simon headed toward the jeep, leaving Spencer and me alone.

Spencer leaned in close. “I think Shawn may have a little crush on you.”

I smiled. “They're sweet boys. Thank you for introducing me to them.”

Spencer glanced back at his two brothers. “Yep, they're good kids.” He paused for a minute.

I thought he might say something else, but he just looked at me for a moment then murmured,
“I'll see ya Wednesday, Elizabeth.”

“Bye, Spencer.”

And with that, he walked across the grass and hopped in his red jeep.

My mind flashed back to the moment we'd shared.
Is it just me? Or did he feel it too?
I need to shake off whatever this is. I jogged to the stone bench.

I hadn't sat here since Aidan and I'd had our awkward, I'm-not-having-sex-with-you conversation. It was hard to believe that he was sticking to his word. We'd had some trying moments, but the change in Aidan was shocking. He had been respectful and always willing to stop before things got out of control.

Who would have thought?

I chewed off my remaining thumbnail while waiting for Melissa's arrival. She was going to want answers regarding Aidan's jealous behavior, and honestly, I wasn't even sure what to say to her. She and Mason had it so easy. With Aidan, things were just…
difficult
. In search of Melissa I spotted her instantly. Although she was hard to miss — she was wearing a pair of short, denim shorts, making her already long legs seem longer. I smiled, watching her make her way to the concrete bench.

“
Hey, Liz, sorry you had to wait.” Melissa sat, her assessing blue eyes bore into mine.

“That's okay.” I was already feeling intimidated under her intense gaze.

True to form, she started in. “So, what's with Aidan?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? Aidan was ready to rip that poor guy's head off Sunday night. When I told the guy you weren't interested, he was respectful and left you alone. Aidan had no reason to go over and harass him. It had already been handled. If Mason hadn't stepped in, things could have been bad and you know it!” Melissa was struggling to contain her anger.

“Aidan can be a little possessive of me, that's all.” I shrugged.

“Liz! Are you kidding me? Listen to yourself!”

“I know what you're trying to say, Melissa, and I get it, but Aidan just cares about me. It's just sometimes he gets a little overprotective.”

Melissa's expression was approaching
DEFCON 1
. I reached out and placed my hand on her arm.

“I know you're worried about me, but please don't. He's good to me, Melissa. I'm happy.”

Melissa's eyes began to soften, a little.
“I just don't want you to be with some guy with an out-of-control temper. This is your first boyfriend. Don't get caught up in it. You're smarter than that, Liz.”

“I know, Melissa, but things between us are good,” I insisted.