"What are you doing here?" lanie asked warily as her fingers instinctively curled around the brush in her hand, prepared to use it as a weapon as she watched Spencer step into her room and turn the lock with an ominous click.
There was sothing about the way he moved, slow and deliberate, that made her uneasy. And the fact that Adam had reminded her yesterday of him attempting to stop the wedding...
"I need to talk to you," Spencer said directly as he took another step forward, closing the distance between them.
lanie hesitated, her heart pounding in her chest.
Steeling herself, she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. "We have nothing to talk about, Spencer. Please leave."
Spencer shook his head as he continued to co closer to her. "Not until I've said what I need to say."
A flicker of unease passed through her at this but she masked it quickly. She took a slow breath, then nodded toward the door. "Fine. But whatever you have to say, we can talk outside. In the open."
"No. What I want to say is between you and . I don't want anyone eavesdropping."
lanie shook her head, "Spencer, I need to leave..."
"Relax, lanie." He let out a humorless chuckle, but there was sothing almost bitter in his tone. "You don't have to be so desperate to rush to Adam. You can spare a few minutes. It's not like I'm kidnapping you."
lanie stilled. His words stung in a way she hadn't expected. He spoke as if she was the one who had betrayed him! Despite everything, he was the one who had gone to another woman first!
She swallowed the knot in her throat and folded her arms over her chest. "Fine. Talk. You have ten minutes."
Spencer exhaled as if he'd been holding his breath and stepped closer. He reached out, hesitantly, before taking her hand in his. She tried to pull her hand away but he simply tightened his hold.
"I..." He hesitated, his gaze flickering away before settling back on her. "This might be too little, too late, but I need you to know the truth. When I asked you out, it wasn't for the sake of the will. I really did like you, lanie. I don't know what we could have been if things had been different—if we would have grown closer or drifted apart in ti—but my feelings were real."
lanie's breath caught slightly, but she said nothing. Why did he insist on putting on an act now?
Spencer pressed on. "Then ca the will... and it threw everything into chaos. If it had been just you, I would have given up everything to you without hesitation, lanie. But Adam...?" His jaw clenched, and sothing dark flickered in his eyes. "That was different. I was furious—furious at my grandmother, at everyone who kept trying to force the idea that he and I are brothers. He's not."
lanie frowned. She had heard Adam say the sa thing before—refusing to acknowledge Spencer as his brother. But before she could think too deeply about it, Spencer continued, his words coming faster now, as if he'd kept them bottled up for too long.
"In my anger, I made the decision to marry you. I charged ahead without thinking. We already liked each other, so what was wrong with marriage? Why should I step aside and let Adam take sothing—soone—I cared about while also stealing what should have been mine?"
His fingers curled slightly around hers before he let go, pacing in front of her in agitation.
"But as the wedding day approached, the guilt started eating away at . Every ti I saw you, every ti you looked at with those bright, trusting eyes, I felt like scum. Like a fraud. I was cheating you, robbing you of the love and honesty you deserved. And I couldn't live with that."
He let out a slow breath and ran a hand through his hair. "That's why I ran away after the wedding, lanie. Not because I didn't care, but because I did. Because I was a coward who thought that distance would hurt you less than the truth."
Silence hung between them, thick and heavy."Every ti you talked to , tried to tell , I avoided things because of the guilt. I... I never knew what my mother was doing here and for that, I can only bla myself. Then I t Hallie..."
"She... she was attractive and caring, but more important than that, I did not feel guilty towards her. And like a fool, to bury my guilt, I started seeing her, forgetting you. But then, it was ti to return. With my return, all the feelings of anger andguilt at the situation returned in full force. And then, there was Adam, hovering close to you."
lanie stared at him then. What did he an Adam was clsoe to her? "Oh. I know him. I know how he can get close to won easily. He always has been a lady magnet. And I am thankful...you didn't get close to him. At least not when you still thought we were married."
Before lanie could react, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a firm yet strangely gentle embrace. His voice was low as he murmured, "lanie, before you beco his wife... I just wanted to say goodbye. Goodbye to the girl I once knew, the girl who trusted . And... I wanted to apologize—to her, to you—for breaking your heart."
lanie stiffened, her hands hovering in the air, uncertain whether to push him away or let the mont pass. Her mind scread at her to resist, but there was sothing about the way he held her in place.
"I am sorry for everything, lanie. For the way things turned out. For my mistakes. And for all the tis I hurt you when I should have protected you. But I also need you to know this—no matter what happens, no matter who you choose, I will never see you as my enemy. So, if you ever need anything, I hope you won't hesitate to co to . You will always be l to . My once upon a ti... "
The silence stretched between them until it was broken by the sound of clapping. lanie was shaken out of her stupor as she pushed Spencer away and turned towards the sound, only to find Adam standing there, leaning against the doorfra as he drawled," How touching..."
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