Page 76 of Trust Again

“Heavenly. Just heavenly,” Spencer said, his mouth full. He pointed his fork at me: “You’re a total goddess, Dawn Edwards.”

We talked about the university and our courses. Spencer said he wanted to go hiking again this summer with Kaden. But a real camping trip this time, with a tent.

After dinner we cleared the table together. But Spencer wouldn’t let me near the sink. “Whoever cooks doesn’t clean. Just keep me company.”

That was a rule I could live with. I told him about Nolan and the wrong attachment, even though I had to bury my hot face in my hands, and Spencer laughed so hard he splashed his shirt with the scrubbing brush. He wanted to know exactly what Nolan had written and didn’t stop teasing me until I’d dug my cell phone out of my pocket to read his email out loud.

But when I opened my email, I was distracted by several new messages. Including a review that I couldn’t resist opening, curious as ever.

Bad decision. The first line made my heart sink.

I should’ve turned the phone off and forgotten about the nasty words on the screen. But it didn’t work. I was frozen in place, my eyes fixed on the display.

“What’s up?” Spencer asked, frowning.

A few deep breaths helped slow my pulse. “Oh, nothing really. Just a bad review. That’s all.”

“How bad?” He leaned over and pulled my phone toward him so he could read.

“Bordering on assault,” he murmured in a monotone. “Stupid… trashy literature… buyer beware.” Spencer paused and stared at the display. He swallowed several times. His whole body seemed tense.

Then he strode out of the kitchen without a word.

“Spence?”

He just looked back over his shoulder and beckoned me to follow. Taking the steps two at a time, he headed upstairs to his bedroom, where he dropped down on his desk chair and turned on his computer.

Confused, I stood in the doorway. “What are we doing here?”

Spencer waved me over without looking up. “C’mere.”

Slowly, I crossed the room to his desk. The last time I’d been up here I only saw Spencer, not the decor. Like the rest of his house, this room looked as if an interior designer had been given free reign: smoky blue walls, olive green curtains, and a sandy-colored rug on the dark wood floor.

Now at his desk, I leaned my hands on the back of his chair and looked around while the computer booted up. There were slips of paper and sketchbooks covering every available surface of the desk.

A photo of Spencer and his family caught my eye. It was the first time I’d seen Olivia. She was cute. Even though the picture was already kind of old, and she was pretty young—maybe seven or eight years old—she was strikingly similar in appearance to her brother. She had the same dark hair, and the same deep dimples when she laughed. In this picture Spencer wore an annoyed expression, torn jeans, and oversized Johnny Cash shirt. It looked like he would rather have been elsewhere and that he couldn’t wait to get away from the people standing next to him.

“With her humorous writing style, D. Lily not only manages to make me laugh, but always makes me wish I could marry one of her protagonists.” Spencer’s voice rocked me back to the here and now.

“In this work, the author has managed to take me to a world where everything is possible,” he continued. “I am currently going through a difficult time, and her novels—especiallyTame Me—have helped me distract myself. So a huge thank you to you, D. Lily, in case you read this.”

“Spence, stop it,” I whispered.

“Ms. Lily, where can I find a guy like Jasper? I’ll pay you!” Spencer turned to me with a grin, grabbed my wrist and gently pulled me between his legs. I had no choice but to sit on his lap. Then he turned back to his computer.

“You see that? Dawn, what you do means something to them. You give them something to hold on to. Something that lets them escape their everyday life and makes it better. You show them that they can be strong and brave, too.”

My eyes were burning, and I looked down at his keyboard.

“Whoever wrote that negative crap, don’t let it get you down,” he continued, kissing me on the neck. “There are so many people out there who love your work. And that makes me pretty proud.”

I stared at Spencer and opened my mouth to answer him. But nothing came out.

All I could do was wrap my arms around him and bury my face in his shoulder.

Chapter 26

Tonight we were hanging out with the crew at Allie and Kaden’s place. First, we watched the newAvengersfilm, then ordered pizza, and played someMario Kart. Kaden’s mom had sent him his old Nintendo 64, and the game cast a pleasant, nostalgic feeling over the evening.

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