"I missed you too Spencer."
When the words left my mouth I could feel his heart speed up. I held him as close as I could, his hair brushing my cheek. It felt strangely intimate. But as scary as that would have been about six months ago, now it just seemed...right. In a way. He stepped back and shoved me quite aggressively.
"You asshole! Where the hell have you been?!"
I almost chuckled at his outburst.
"What? Were you worried?"
"Of course I was!"
I didn't expect him to actually admit it.
"And don't change the subject."
I sat down on my chair, while Spencer still stood above me, with hands on his hips, looking like a mountain not even Mohammed could make move.
"I was with my mother."
He clicked with his tongue and rolled his icy-blue orbs.
"Yeah, I don't buy that."
I should have known he was smarter than to believe it.
I didn't know if I was worried or impressed.
"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."
No matter how annoyed he seemed, he couldn't quite stifle a small amused smile.
"Nice."
I smirked.
"So you are never going to tell me?"
"I did tell you."
"The truth I mean."
"No. Because it's none of your business really."
"When has that ever stop me?"
"It's the first time for everything."
"Don't count on it."
The silence was charged with a familiar tension, that when we were together daily I didn't really notice it anymore, but now that I was deprived of it for so long I could sense it even more. Yet there was something else in his husky like blue eyes I couldn't quite decipher.
Only then did I notice that he grew out his hair.
"Your hair is longer."
He absent-mindedly tucked a strand of them behind his ear.
"Your hair is shorter."
"Like it?"
He scoffed and just like that the tension was gone.
"It's not bad."
At that moment the doors opened and a blonde woman walked in. At first glance, I didn't recognize her, but then...
"Oh, Clara hi. This is..."
"Hi, Lukas."
She gave me a sweet smile and I was instantly transported back to when I was barely out of university and just got introduced to my very first partner. I could feel the rapidness of my pulse inside my skull. She looked different. I think she had a nose job.
What the hell was she doing here?
"You know each other?"
Spencer was staring at me confused while I was still struggling to comprehend that Clara Danvers was standing before me again.
"Uh, yeah. We were partners before you came along."
"Huh? Oh. OH."
As comical as his expression was I couldn't bring myself to smile as I normally would. Clara, however, did.
"So I guess he told you, about why our partnership ended," she said while chuckling.
"Why are you here?" I asked curtly.
"Oh, I just came to say goodbye to Aron. I'll be on Amanda's team from now on."
"No, I mean, here. In New York."
She blinked.
"The position opened up."
"Right."
She said goodbye to Spencer and after giving me another smile.
"What are you thinking?"
"That my dad hired her again to keep tabs on me."
"Why would he need to?"
I shrugged even though I knew exactly why.
"Do we have a case?"
He nodded and handed me the file.
"I was going to talk to the husband today. He's coming here."
"What does Philip think?"
"That he is innocent."
I bit my bottom lip.
"Guys like that can be a piece of work. Rich, powerful, probably thinks he can get away with anything."
Spencer's eyes found the floor. I wanted to correct myself, saying I didn't see him like that, but my mouth stayed shut.
"We'll see."
X
I was pacing behind Spencer as he questioned the guy. My first impression was completely wrong. He was calm, very cooperative, patient and not arrogant at all. Every time Spencer mentioned his wife, he got this sad look in his eyes that I never want to have in my own.
"As far as I understand your wife filed for a divorce a couple of times. But she retracted it every time. Until now."
He nodded.
"Yes, Emily isn't...she wasn't well at those times. Depressed, paranoid. She thought I was cheating, which I wasn't. I managed to convince her of that and after her glum passed she always regretted it."
"Did your wife suffer from depressive episodes often?"
He scratched the back of his neck.
"I wasn't home much when she did have them, I could hardly handle her, so I avoided it."
He quickly realized how that sounded and continued: " I-I know it wasn't right. I'm not proud of it."
"Was she diagnosed with some form of depression?"
"Yeah, with bipolar disorder."
Spencer turned to me, surprise written all over his face.
"It's not in the file. Neither you nor she mentioned that."
"Honestly I didn't think it would go this far. I thought she will just rip the divorce papers after her glum passes. I didn't want to use her condition against her."
He cleared his throat, obviously nervous about what he is going to say.
"Was she...Did you talk to her? How was she?"
Spencer gave him a sad smile: "She was very adamant. I don't think it's her mental state this time."
I moved closer to the desk beside Spencer, who gave me a very stern look, basically saying that he will remove me out of the room if I tried anything too rude.
"So did you hit her or not?"
The man's eyes were wide and terrified. I just wanted to give Spencer a chance to see if he was lying.
"No! No, of-of course not. I would never ever do it. The worst thing I did was scream at her," he looked down ashamed, "Even when her state wasn't, you know, the best."
Spencer and I glanced at each other. He shook his head. He apparently was telling the truth. Or he was a much more impressive actor than he seemed.
"What kind of prenup do you have?"
My question was as standard as it got, but he looked at me like I wanted to know when he lost his virginity.
"We don't have one."
"What?!" Spencer almost shouted, "How do you not have one?"
"She wasn't interested in money. We met in college and didn't know about my family. I would have given her anything she wanted anyway."
Spencer tapped on the notebook with his pen. He was biting his cheek. I almost forgot about that little habit.
"I believe you," he said at last and the man relaxed a bit, "But I think you should talk to your wife and say that you will divorce her peacefully and discreetly."
"I love her, I-"
"Listen, I think she is lying because she doesn't see any other way of being able to divorce you without being scrutinized by your family or the circle you belong in."
The man's eyes darted from Spencer to me and back to Spencer.
"What? They wouldn't."
Spencer looked at him like you would a fifteen-year-old who still believes in Santa Clause.
"I have been around people like that my whole life. It doesn't take much to ostracize someone. And it's even harder when people with so much power and connections do it."
He gulped. He knew Spencer was right.
"Tell your lawyer you want a meeting with your wife and her attorney. Offer her a clean-cut divorce, away from eyes, the media. Say that the divorce will be hush-hush for a while. Believe me, you will come to an arrangement very quickly."
He nodded, looking extremely morose. So much drama over a piece of paper. Isn't it just easier to not get married then, if this is what you have to look forward to?
We were in the room for a few more minutes. Spencer was talking to him about how to approach the situation delicately or something, I wasn't really paying attention. As soon as we got to our office he let out a long sigh.
"You were great in there."
He turned to me, slightly surprised, but smiled none the less.
"Thanks. I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier."
"Is faking stuff to this degree to get out of marriage this common among the 1%?"
"More than you would think. One of my friend's uncles forged the evidence that his wife was cheating so her family and friends couldn't judge him for wanting a divorce."
"Damn. Did he pull it off?"
"No. But he did get a divorce in the end."
"All these stories just make my stand on never getting married even firmer."
"Really?"
"Yes. It just doesn't make sense to me. The whole marriage industry is just a ploy to take enormous amounts of money from people. First, you need to buy a ring, then you need to pay a shit ton of cash for the wedding, after that the honeymoon and then the divorce lawyer. So the only good thing that comes from getting married is the money you can get from selling your wedding AND engagement rings when the inevitable divorce is finalised."
He just stared at me for a second.
"Wow. I never pegged you for a romantic."
"What can I say? I love love."
He snorted.
"Speaking of you bullshitting..."
"I am not telling you where I was."
"I can be very persuasive."
"Sorry Spencer, but you are the only one here that bends over."
"Funny that you assume that I bend over."
We maintained intense eye contact, but I couldn't keep it up any longer and we both started laughing.
"Ok, ok," he said after we calmed down " I wanted to ask if you want to come with me and have a drink. A few friends and I are celebrating one of them, because he just came back from the first stage of the volleyball world championship. He did really well you know, and he is going away in two days again, so we figured we meet up before he does."
He probably realized he was rambling a little because he rolled his eyes at himself. Which was another thing I almost forgot he sometimes did.
The invitation caught me off guard. We've never done this before. But it made me weirdly glad he did.
"Yeah, I can go. Who else will be there?"
He gave me a blinding smile.
"Oh, just Margo, Vanessa, you know them, and Caleb and Dylan. Maybe Charlie. I'm not sure if you know them."
"Dylan is the New Zealander right? And Charlie is the one with clothes. Caleb, I also met I think."
He tilted his head.
"Huh. Then you do know them all. Expect Tristan. He's Caleb's twin and the one we're celebrating."
That name sparked something in my memory. Tristan, Tristan, Tris-
"Wait, is that the prodigy volleyball player?"
Spencer nodded.
"Yep, we've known each other since high school."
I snickered: "Of course you have. Do you also have brunches with Bill Gates? Vegas trips with Tom Hanks maybe?"
"No. But we do co-own a yacht with Pitt-Jolie family. Or I guess now it's just Brad's."
I gawked at him: "What, seriously?"
He laughed: "No."
"You dick."
"I didn't think you would believe that. I mean, we own a yacht company. Why would we need to co-own one?"
This time it was me who did the eye-rolling.
"You are absolutely right. I should have known better. Me and my silly plebian mind."
X
At around eight, I entered the bar Spencer told me about. I was dressed in my nice red jumper and tight black jeans. Spencer did say casual, but I didn't want to risk being underdressed. The second I stepped onto the beer-stained wood floors I realized being underdressed will not be a problem. There were pool tables, an old, slightly scratched counter and wooden booths with probably less than clean red cushions. It was definitely not sophisticated and pretentious. Which means I absolutely miscalculated. My eyes immediately landed on a blond head in the back of the room, sitting in the largest booth, his hair sticking out against the dark walls like Coca Cola in a Pepsi commercial.
The first to notice me was his sister, who waved and motioned me to come closer. Suddenly my stomach was in knots and I started feeling inexplicably nervous. The good thing was that I knew how to hide it. I stopped at their table and all their eyes were on me.
"Holy shit," Demetra, who he didn't mention will be here, but I was happy about the development, was the first to pipe up, "Lukas O'Neal back from the dead,
I chuckled: "Yeah, sort of."
My attention was grabbed by Spencer who was staring at me. Or more accurately, eating me up with his gaze. It was quite flattering actually.
"Like what you see?"
That seemed to bring him out of his daze.
He leaned back casually.
"No, I was just wondering if you understand what casual wear means."
"Well, how could I have known you don't deem Dolce&Gabbana as casual."
"Yeah, it's not like you work with me."
"Exactly. I rarely see you in casual clothes."
"Then you should know that I don't wear Dolce&Gabbana. Only Prada."
"And no Gucci? Spencer, you are a disappointment."
"If you're such a fashion enthusiast you should see my closet sometime."
The red-haired man cleared his throat: "Aron could you stop flirting with the guy for two seconds and introduce him."
"Oh, right."
Spencer's cheeks coloured in a light shade of pink. It was cute, not gonna lie.
He stood up and put a hand on my shoulder.
"Tris, this is my work wife Lukas O'Neal."
I rolled my eyes, but I knew there was a smile playing on my lips: "Thanks love."
"Lukas this is Tristan."
Tristan stood up and reached over the table to shake my hand.
"Nice to meet you."
"You too."
As I sat beside Spencer, Tristan continued: "It's honestly just nice to have someone that's on your eye level. So that I don't have to look down when I talk."
The whole group let out a disapproving sound.
"Are you insinuating that we are short?" asked Margo who was sitting beside him.
"I'm not insinuating anything Thumbelina, I'm saying it. Loud and clear."
She threw a peanut at his face, which he expertly caught with his mouth and wiggled his eyebrows at her.
"Where the hell were you? Aron was freaking out," that was Vanessa, who was almost sitting in Demetra's lap.
Interesting.
I turned to Spencer and lifted my eyebrows as if to say: "Oh really? Did you now?"
He just glared at me and then glared some more, but this time at his best friend.
"I can either lie to you or say nothing at all."
"Hm. Then I choose nothing. Stay a mystery. It suits you."
"Well thank you, Vanessa, I appreciate it."
"It shows that you're new when you call her by her full name," added Demetra, which received a very fond smile from Vanessa.
When our drinks came, Spencer clinked his beer bottle against mine, so he could get our attention.
"We are gathered here to celebrate..."
Tristan snorted in amusement: "I'm not getting married."
"Shut up you prick, I'm trying to compliment your sorry ass."
I chuckled at that. Margo was now perked up on her elbows, listening to her brother. Tristan, who noticed the shift, leaned closer. A small smile turned up on her face.
So they are a thing too now. I thought she was with Vanessa's brother. Guess not.
"Your first time playing for the national team and doing it very well. Which of course is great, but not nearly as important as the fact that now he has a fan club."
Vanessa almost spat out her drink. Caleb and Dylan were both grinning.
"Oh god no, please shut up."
Tristan looked positively horrified.
"Not a chance. They are calling themselves Tristars."
"That's actually pretty clever," I had to admit.
Tristan's disapproving gaze was now on me.
"You're walking on thin ice, new guy."
"And most importantly, there are horny tweets for ages."
"What Ari, have you been reading? I knew you had a thing for me."
"I am not the one who's flirting with me right now."
Spencer raised his glass and we followed suit.
"To Tristan, may he continue playing well and, more importantly, to the fan club."
"TO THE FAN CLUB!"
"I hate you guys."
X
I was currently kicking Margo's ass at pool. But in all fairness, she wasn't exactly trying. She was much more interested in interrogating me about my whereabouts in those five months.
"You got someone pregnant and ran to Switzerland."
Though some of her ideas were admittedly entertaining.
"Wait do you mean I escaped to Switzerland to avoid the person I knocked up or did I escape with her to prevent other people from finding out?"
"Uh, the first one."
"No."
"The second one?"
"No. And it's your turn."
She positioned herself and sent the five ball into the hole. She missed with the sixth.
"You became a monk."
"No. And I'm pretty sure I would have been gone for a lot longer than five months if I did."
"You got married."
"You already tried that one."
"You had a pre-middle life crisis."
"Funny, but no."
"You have a twin and you switched places."
I snickered: "What? Who do you think I'm trying to parent trap?"
She shrugged.
"And no I don't have a twin."
"You won the lottery and blew it all on hookers and cocaine."
"I am insulted that you think I need hookers to get laid. And I'm not a fan of cocaine either. Too bitter."
She laughed: "Ok, ok, I got it."
"Lay it on me."
"Alien abduction."
"I can neither confirm nor deny anything."
"I knew it."
It was her turn at the pool table. I stayed silent for a moment, listening to the music in the background trying to remember the name of the song. At first, I thought it was Green Day, but it was a little bit too pop-y.
"Ok, but seriously, why don't you want to tell?"
"Why do you want to know so badly?"
Her dark blue eyes didn't leave my face. I refused to look at her. No matter how different she and her brother were, that almost soul searching expression was eerily similar. And for some reason, I just couldn't handle it at the moment.
"I am curious by nature," she responded cheekily.
"And I am secretive by nature."
She braced herself on her pool stick.
"Why aren't you a lawyer? You sure have a way with words."
I laughed bitterly.
"Living in my sister's shadow is annoying enough already."
She nodded solemnly: "I get that."
"How? You are literally one of the most successful people right now."
She smiled: "You have to remember that I am a younger sibling and a daughter. Me inheriting the company wasn't the plan. It wasn't even on the table. Aron was supposed to, but he..."
"Was in no way qualified?"
"I meant to say interested. But yeah, he would have been a disaster."
I chuckled. We played in silence again, until Margo spoke up.
"I know you don't want to tell me. But you should tell Aron."
I stopped trying to hit the ball and turned to her.
"I know, it's just...I can't."
"He was so worried about you. More than he told you."
I glanced down at my feet, feeling way guiltier than I have in a long time. Which was probably her intention.
I took a deep breath and hoped that when I open my mouth, my voice will be sure and not laced with emotion.
"If I tell him, he will never look at me the same way. Our relationship right now is the best that has ever been. And I'm not losing that."
"You underestimate him."
"Maybe, but I'm not risking it."
She didn't seem to be satisfied or surprised.
I decided to change the subject before she could press on any more.
"How long have you and Tristan been involved?"
Her head shot up and immediately she turned to where Tristan was dancing with Dylan, Charlie and his brother. She then glanced at Spencer sitting at the booth, who was casually chatting with Vanessa and Demi.
"I won't tell him if you are worried about that, but since I noticed, without knowing either one of you that well, I think Aron, you know, a psychologist that is an expert on human behaviour, might have noticed it too."
Unlike her brother, she either doesn't get flustered that easily or just hides it better.
"It's nothing. We're nothing. He is going to France in two days for the championship and then back to Korea."
"Why don't you go to France with him?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"And why would I want to do that?"
I rolled my eyes. Man, was she stubborn.
"For support. When I competed I was always happy whenever my friends came to cheer. I think that probably stands for fuck buddies as well."
I thought I noticed a faint colouring on her cheeks. She cleared her throat.
"What did you compete in?"
"Ice skating."
Her night-sky blue eyes widened to the size of pool balls.
"Wow, that's hot."
"That it is. For a cold sport."
I didn't think it was that funny, but she started laughing and just like her brother's, her laugh was infectious.
X
(Aron POV)
I was talking to Van and Demi, when a sudden burst of laughter made me turn around.
Margo and Lukas were both gasping for air and trying to talk only made them start laughing harder. They were leaning on the pool table, struggling to stay upright.
I chuckle escaped my lips. It felt so comforting and... I don't know, almost warm, to see them interact. I do hope, however, that they never have a similar goal, because I'm not sure the world is ready for an apocalypse yet.
"Hello Aron, you with us?"
I was snapped back from my train of thought by my soon to be former roommate.
"Yes, sorry, what were you saying?"
They gave each other a knowing look.
"So," started Demetra "How long have you had a crush on our favourite criminologist over there?"
I spat out the sip of beer I made two seconds earlier and started coughing because of the liquid that went down my windpipe.
"I don't have...I don't."
Demi lifted her eyebrows: "Mhm. And you also totally didn't almost choke."
I pursed my lips.
"We are not twelve anymore Ar," said Vanessa "You don't have to hide that you like someone."
I almost laughed at the hypocrisy. Demetra needed almost seven years to tell Nessa she liked her. Even then that only happened because Vanessa went to live with her for a while after her break-up with Levi.
I huffed.
"It's not that I like him, it's just that I think he is objectively an attractive person who..."
Demetra rolled her eyes.
"Who are you kidding? Just say that you think he's hot and you wanna bone."
I opened my mouth to voice how absolutely, 100%, extremely wrong she was. I even lifted my finger and all. The only problem was that if I didn't believe myself, how will they.
So I dropped my finger and groaned.
"I'm such an idiot. I made a promise to myself to not start liking straight guys back in high school.."
Demetra gave me a sympathetic smile.
"It's just a crush. It's harmless and it will pass."
I gulped: "Yeah."
Vanessa was looking at me just like Demi was, except her expression was a lot more melancholy. Like she knew something even I didn't.
"Nessa, I'm fine. It's nothing."
She forced a smile: "Ok. But when you need to talk..."
"I know where to find you."
I turned back to where my sister and Lukas were still goofing around. He somehow sensed my eyes on him and turned his head toward me. He gave me a mischievous smirk and winked. I could feel my face becoming warm and my stomach filling with butterflies.
This fucking sucks.