Chapter 4

The whole room burst into laughter and started hooting, except for Spencer at the head of the table. His expression turned icy.

"How thoughtful of you, Samuel," Spencer said with a smirk, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

A chill fell over the party.

Someone tried to break the tension, saying to Spencer and Charlotte, "Come on, you two. It's your engagement party. Give us a kiss!"

Charlotte didn't miss a beat. She leaned right into Spencer and went in for the kiss.

His expression softened, and he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

They were all over each other, their lips locked, their tongues tangled, totally lost in the moment.

I thought I was past being hurt by Spencer, but seeing them go at it like that made my stomach turn. Tears welled up, hot with disgust.

I ran for the bathroom, desperate to get away.

Just outside the door, I overheard one of Spencer's buddies teasing him, "Man, isn't it a thrill cheating on your girlfriend right in front of her?"

Spencer just laughed, reckless and wild. "Of course it's a thrill. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Stacey's got amnesia now. Even if she gets her memory back, she'd never leave me," he said, sounding absolutely certain.

Yeah, I used to think the same thing. I thought I'd cling to Spencer forever, never letting him go.

Back when I started college, my family was too poor to pay my tuition. I had to work overnight shifts at KFC just to scrape by.

I was the only one working those graveyard shifts for such a tiny paycheck. Nobody else wanted to stay up all night for so little. But I needed the night shift because of my classes during the day.

I looked like I hadn't slept in weeks, with circles under my eyes, and my body was falling apart.

One morning, right after class, my body gave out. I passed out right there on the campus path.

When I came to, I was lying in a hospital bed.

The first thing I saw was a ridiculously handsome guy sitting by my bed.

It was Spencer. He noticed I'd woken up and flashed me a smile, his eyes squinting with happiness.

His eyes were gorgeous, sparkling with tiny flecks of light, like stars caught in his gaze.

"What's your name?" he asked.

His voice was nice too—fresh and boyish, with a kind of clean vibe that made you want to listen.

"Stacey Marsh," I replied softly.

"Hi, I'm Spencer Grant," he said with a warm smile.

Spencer paid my hospital bill, but there was no way I could pay him back right away.

He could see I was struggling, so he suggested we exchange numbers and said I could pay him back whenever I got some cash.

I didn't have an allowance, but my next paycheck was coming soon.

I figured that'd be it for us.

But to my surprise, he started messaging me every single day.

He'd text me about a cute kitten he spotted on his way somewhere, or a cloud that looked like something special. Sometimes he'd say he was heading out to play basketball and ask if I wanted to watch.

Honestly, I just saw us as creditor and debtor. Every text just felt like a reminder about the money I owed him, so I never replied.

I never thought I'd run into Spencer again, but one day, there he was, right outside my dorm.

I'd just finished my graveyard shift and was heading back to catch some sleep.

Dawn was barely breaking, the sky still pale.

I was so wiped out that I could barely keep my eyes open as I dragged myself toward my dorm. Then bam, I crashed right into someone's arms.

My body started to tip backward, but he grabbed me by the waist and steadied me, pulling me close.

The fresh ocean scent of his cologne washed over me, waking me up in an instant.

"Hey, why are you just getting back now?" Spencer asked. "Out having fun? Or on a date?"

I looked up and saw it was Spencer, firing questions at me like an interrogation.

"Why haven't you answered any of my texts?" he demanded.

I wriggled out of his arms, pulled out my phone, and transferred him 300 dollars.

Only then did I notice he'd spammed me with dozens of messages all night, all asking where I was.

"Wait, you've been here waiting for me?" I asked, surprised.

Spencer let out a half-annoyed, half-amused laugh. He thought I'd been ghosting him, but the truth was, I hadn't even seen his texts. I'd muted his notifications ages ago.

He grabbed my chin and turned my face toward his. "Tell me, Stacey, were you out on a date?"

I thought his question was ridiculous. Between my part-time job and classes, I was already stretched so thin. Where would I even find time to date?

I frowned. "I don't even have time to date."

Spencer looked super satisfied with my answer, his smile lighting up as the morning sun broke through the clouds and hit his face.

Wow, he was really hot.

"Then I'm gonna chase you," he said, sounding playful but dead serious.