Chapter 3
I slept like a rock, and when I finally woke up, it was almost noon.
Samuel's phone kept buzzing nonstop. Looking a bit annoyed, he pulled away to grab it, and after answering, he immediately pulled me back into his arms.
"Hey, Samuel, don't forget the party tonight." Came Spencer's voice over the speaker.
I recognized it instantly.
Samuel was lazily playing with my hair, and it tickled a bit.
I clicked my tongue quietly, never expecting Spencer to hear it.
"What was that sound?" Spencer asked.
"Are you in bed with a woman?" he added.
Samuel just hung up on him.
He silenced his phone and tossed it aside, then wrapped me up in his arms, practically engulfing me.
The air between us felt charged, almost dangerous, and his body pressed against mine was practically feverish.
I tried to push him away, but he just pulled me even tighter.
"What are you doing?" I blurted out, my voice a mix of shock and anger.
Samuel didn't let go, not even a little.
"Why do you think?" he shot back, his voice low and teasing.
"Isn't it obvious? Just doing what couples are supposed to do," he said, his tone playful and a little heated.
His perfect lips were almost on mine. My heart was pounding out of my chest, and the thrill of doing something so forbidden made it hard to breathe.
I shoved him away and bolted out of bed, rushing straight into the bathroom.
Before I could even close the door, his deep, rumbling laugh echoed behind me.
I stared at myself in the mirror. My face was ridiculously flushed.
I stayed in the bathroom for almost half an hour, just waiting for my heartbeat to slow.
Samuel kept saying we used to kiss all the time and were always all over each other.
He was lying to me again.
It was so ridiculous that I almost laughed out loud.
*****
That night, Samuel took me out to dinner. When we got there, I realized Spencer and Charlotte were there too, along with the entire elite circle they belonged to.
Charlotte was sitting next to Spencer, wearing a strapless white evening gown.
And around her neck was the Ocean Star—the necklace Samuel had bought for me at an auction just last week.
I never had the heart to wear it, so I'd kept it safe in a display case in my walk-in closet, just admiring it through the glass every day.
Spencer had joked about it. "You'll never put that on, will you?"
Of course not.
Honestly, I was saving it for our wedding day. But now? Looks like that day with Spencer would never come.
"Stacey," Charlotte called out, all smiles.
She jumped up and came over, grinning like always, and grabbed my hand, like we were still besties.
"Today's basically our makeup engagement party," she announced, her eyes locked right on mine, not even trying to hide her excitement.
She said, "Really glad you could make it."
Their engagement party?
The thought hit me like a slap.
Charlotte's smile was all provocation, and I almost forgot to keep up the amnesia act. Samuel pulled me into his arms, gently prying my hand away from hers without a fuss.
Spencer wasn't paying us any attention until Samuel drew me close. Then Spencer's eyes narrowed, his tone low. "What are you two talking about?" he asked, sounding suspicious.
"Nothing important," Samuel said, brushing it off.
He led me to the farthest seat from Spencer and Charlotte.
Spencer and his crew were drinking and making a racket, the noise pounding in my head. Only Samuel kept piling food onto my plate, totally ignoring the chaos.
"Hey, Samuel," someone called across the table. "Why aren't you drinking tonight?"
Samuel didn't even bother to look up. "I'm driving later."
"Let Stacey drive you," the person teased.
"Driving's too tiring. I could never ask her to do that," Samuel replied, his voice soft and doting.