Spencer shot a glare at his cousin, who was acting like a complete idiot. He adored his aunt and uncle, but their offspring left a lot to be desired. If they hadn’t taken Spencer in and raised him, Spencer would have probably killed Vince.
“Vince,” he said, his voice steady. “You’re such a dumbass. Sometimes, I swear I’m going to snap your neck.”
“Hey, coz, I didn’t mean to—”
Spencer had reached his limit. “Vince, you’re an adult. Start acting like one!”
“I am an adult! And you’re not my father! I don’t need you to parent me!”
Spencer clenched his jaw, crossing his arms. He let his gaze sweep over the nearly empty apartment.
“Seems like you do. I’m always the one cleaning up your messes.”
“Like what?” Vince challenged, his eyes—identical to Spencer’s—narrowing. They were about the same height, though Vince was leaner.
“Well, I pay your water bill when you forget—which is every month. I look after your daughter. I bailed you out of jail for peeing on a cop car. I—”
Vince looked away, his shoulders slumping.
“Look, I don’t do these things to hold them over your head. I don’t do it for praise.” Spencer’s voice and expression softened.
“I do it because I love you and Lily.” Spencer ran his fingers through his hair, uncomfortable with admitting his feelings.
“And I know you’d do the same. But I can’t keep bailing you out.”
Vince nodded.
And that was that.
The two cousins slumped on the bare hardwood floor. They had a lot of work ahead of them.
Spencer’s head jerked up at the sound of a door opening. Could it be Sunshine? He hated the way his heart fluttered at the thought of her.
“Who’s that?” Vince asked.
Spencer shrugged, getting up to investigate.
A blonde woman in a pantsuit, laden with gadgets, blocked Bailey’s doorway. Spencer stepped outside, quietly closing his door behind him.
“I’ll do what I can,” a soft but strained voice said. He noticed a nearly feral grip on the door, her fingers digging into the wood.
Interesting.
The woman left in a huff, clearing his line of sight. And there she was.
Her eyes roamed over him, her gaze stripping him bare. Spencer suppressed a shiver. He could almost feel her gaze—touching him everywhere she looked.
“Hey, Sunshine.”
She studied him closely. Her gaze was intense. Where was the innocent woman he’d met?
“My name is Bailey,” she said, her voice distant.
Spencer chuckled, amused by her oddness. He was almost getting used to her intense stare. Almost. It was stripping, but he couldn’t look away.
“I know, Sunshine.”
“Why are you here?” Her tone wasn’t accusatory but sounded distracted.
Bailey nodded, fiddling with her fingers as her eyes searched the wall, avoiding his gaze. Spencer cocked his head, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. She was so cute.
“Okay, well…bye then, Spencer,” she said after a beat, her cheeks flushed.
He grinned, his ears warm. “Until next time, Sunshine.”
Once she was safely inside her apartment, he rushed back into his own.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Spencer glanced at his cousin, who was grinning. “Something like that.”
Vince raised an eyebrow, as if to say, “Elaborate, idiot.”
Spencer shot him a look, flopping down on the couch and throwing his arm over his eyes. His ears were still red.
“Well?” Vince prodded, sitting next to him eagerly.
“Don’t you have a life to get back to?” Spencer shot back, glaring at him out of the corner of his eye.
“Nope.” Vince smirked lazily. “Lily’s with her mom. I’ve got nothing to do.”
“I met my neighbor yesterday. She seems to live an interesting life.”
“Yesterday, I was cursing you out on the phone, and she was walking on the other side of the street. I felt someone watching me, so I looked up, and our eyes met. She looked down and practically ran away.”
“Do you think she was scared of you?”
Spencer tapped his fingers on the edge of the couch.
“At first, I did. But then I noticed her biting her lip and blushing. That cute, nervous smile.”
Spencer set his other arm on the back of the couch with a sigh, staring at the ceiling. He could still see her in his mind.
He threw a look at Vince. His face was close, his brows wriggling suggestively. Spencer pushed his face away, rolling his eyes.
“Anyway, I saw her again later that day in the hallway.”
Spencer decided to stop there and keep the rest to himself.
“That’s it?”
Spencer shrugged halfheartedly, tapping his fingers on the edge of the couch once more.
Before Vince could ask any more questions, a sound caught his attention—a conversation.
Vince continued his questioning until Spencer held up his hand, signaling for silence. He pressed his ear to the door, listening.
“I don’t know. I’m busy writing.”
“I’m sure your little hobby can wait.”
Spencer bristled at the man’s condescending tone. He didn’t like that there was a man there at all.
“Eric, I’m very busy. I have a deadline to meet—”
“If I leave, I’m not coming back.”
Spencer whipped the door open, and his vision homed in on that prick, Eric.
Eric leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed. It was all he could do not to punch him for coming back after Bailey had kicked him out yesterday.
He glared down at Eric, his shadow swallowing him in the hallway.
“Sunshine,” he called out, eyeing the startled man.
Her head popped into view as she leaned past Eric to offer Spencer a reassuring smile, her braids falling over her shoulders.
“I’m fine, Spencer.”
Eric trembled, his eyes on Spencer. Spencer hoped his large frame and tattoos would intimidate Eric.
“Hailey,” he asked hesitantly, his voice going up an octave, “who is this?”
Did he just mispronounce her name again? Spencer couldn’t believe his ears.
“What did you just call her?” Spencer demanded.
Bailey shook her head, brows pinched, her eyes pleading with Spencer to let it go.
Spencer leveled a glare at her.
“I called her by her name?” Eric looked between them.
Spencer furrowed his brow and shot Bailey an incredulous look. Throwing his hands up, palms open, he gestured toward Eric.
“Spencer, stay out of this.”
Eric backed away.
“Look, I’ll call you later.” Eric leaned in for a kiss.
Spencer’s eyes narrowed, a sharp breath leaving his nose.
Eric murmured a string of excuses as he pulled away, turned on his heel, and hurried off.
It was just the two of them. Spencer’s hands shook, his nails pressing into his palms.
“Why did you do that?” she demanded, her tone reminiscent of a mother scolding a child for hitting a younger sibling.
“Why was that asshole back?”
“He’s my boyfriend, not that it’s any of your business.”
“He called you Hailey,” he emphasized. “I’ve known you for a day, and I treat you better than he does. I also happen to know your name.”
Spencer knew, logically, this wasn’t any of his business. But it bothered him. She was beautiful and bright. Why did she let him treat her like that?
