Page 65 of The Spare

My heart clenches, painfully confused. I want to buy into what they’re saying, but I’m living this day in and day out. “He’s protective,” I offer weakly, trying to guard myself against the overwhelming surge of hope rising in my chest. “Sam has always been protective of the people he cares about. We grew up together. He feels responsible for me. More so now that I’m helping him save his grandfather’s legacy.”

“Oh, please.” Claire rolls her eyes, sitting up straight. “No man looks like he wants to devour you on the dancefloor just because he feels responsible for you. Men are simple creatures, Lex. If Samuel Lee wanted this to be strictly a business transaction, he’d treat it like one. He’d be cold and distant. He wouldn’t be stepping in to fight your battles or looking at you like you’re the only woman in the world.”

“And he damn sure wouldn’t be kissing you like his life depended on it,” Emilia blurts.

“So why hasn’t he said or done anything if he’s really into me?” my voice cracks as my raw fear slips out. “If he actually feels something, why does he pull back every time we get close? Or act like he’s just waiting for the year to be up?”

“Because he’s terrified, you idiot,” Emilia blurts, reaching over to grip my hand in hers. “Think about what he’s carrying right now. His family vineyard is hanging by a thread. His mother is breathing down his neck, trying to sell his legacy out from under him. He feels like a failure, Alexis. He probably thinks he has nothing real to offer you.”

“Plus,” Georgia adds, “he knows you did this to save his vineyard. If he pushes you or admits how he feels, he probably thinks he’s taking advantage of you. He’s keeping his distance to protect you from being trapped in his mess.”

I stare at my friends, the silence of the mountain breeze washing over us as their words sink in. For months, I’ve viewed every action or inaction from Sam as a sign that he didn’t want me. It never occurred to me that those boundaries might be his way of trying to do the right thing.

“So what do I do?” I look around the circle. “We have months left on this contract. Do I keep playing house and pretending my heart isn’t breaking every single day?”

“No,” Summer says firmly, her eyes flashing with determination. “You stop playing defense. When you get back from this weekend, you step into his space, and you show him that you aren’t just here to save his land. You’re there for him. You’re his wife and partner. Show him all that he’d be missing if you walked away.”

Georgia smiles, raising her wineglass into the center of the table. “To dropping the pretend marriage and making Sam Lee admit he’s wildly in love with his wife.”

Emilia and Everly clink their glasses against Georgia’s. I look down at my glass, a nervous, trembling breath escaping my lips, before slowly raising it to join theirs. “I’m not sure about all of this.”

Summer leans back against the cushions, a slow, wicked grin spreading across her face. “In fact, I think it’s time you stop waiting for him to make a move and start using your womanly wiles to lure him in.”

I nearly choke on my wine. “My what?”

“You heard her,” Claire chimes in, leaning forward with an evil little sparkle in her eye. “It’s time to play dirty, Lex. You live in the same house. You share a bedroom and a bathroom. Dress sexy around the place. Wear those little silk sleep shorts and a tank instead of your oversized college tees. Bend over in front of him while picking up the laundry. Drop a spoon on the kitchen floor and take your sweet time retrieving it. Come out of the shower and drop your towel. Let the man see exactly what he’s missing out on every single night.”

Okay, this time I do choke on my wine. Georgia pats me on the back as I continue to splutter. “Claire, I’m a physician, not an adult entertainer.” I gasp, my cheeks burning hotter than a sunburn. “I can’t just walk around the house naked, bending over in front of him until he snaps.”

“Why not?”

Just then, my phone buzzes on the coffee table. I pick it up to find a text from Kat, who is checking in on how the girls’ trip is going, wishing she could get away.

Against my better judgment, I allow the wine to do the texting, and I quickly type out a summary of my current situation with Sam. I know Kat would never break my confidence. My alcohol-soaked brain isn’t done oversharing, so I also text her the ridiculous seduction strategy the girls are currently pitching. A second later, Kat’s reply flashes across the screen. I read it out loud to my friends.

Kat: Yes. I completely agree with them.

Kat: You should basically torture the fucker.

The entire group surrounding me erupts into a roar of laughter.

“See?” Lilly cheers, raising her glass toward my phone. “Drive him out of his mind, Alexis. Make him so crazy he loses it and begs you to have hot, dirty sex on your kitchen island.”

Oh Lord.

Chapter Thirty

Sam

The silence in the bedroom is crushing. I lie flat on my back, one arm thrown over my eyes, staring into the dark abyss of the room. It’s barely 10:00 on a Saturday night, but the house feels cold, vacant. More silent than it ever has before.

Alexis has only been gone for thirty-six hours. Just a weekend trip to North Carolina with her book club friends. And yet, every single corner of my home feels hollow without her.

I roll over, my gaze drifting toward her empty side of the king-sized bed. Her lavender scent still lingers on the sheets. On the vanity, a few small bottles of girly shit sit neatly arranged, a subtle reminder that she actually lives here now.

I throw off the blanket and sit up, raking both hands through my hair with a frustrated growl. It’s pathetic how accustomed I’ve become to her presence in such a short amount of time. I’ve spent the last two weeks complaining to myself about how agonizing it is to live so close to a woman I can’t touch. Watching her move about the house. Hearing her soft exhales as she sleeps. And the instant joy I feel when I catch the corner of her mouth curl up if I manage to get her to laugh.

But this? This suffocating silence is infinitely worse.