Chapter Seventeen
Kristen recognized the name of the café the moment Alvin texted her. She’d loved the lavender chocolate cake there, so she and Alvin had gone to that café several times. She hadn’t come back since finding out Alvin had cheated on her, but she was glad to be here now.
“You should try the lavender chocolate cake here.” She put her sunglasses on while Spencer’s arm went around her waist. “It’s delicious.”
A security person alighted from the black sedan parked next to theirs and led the way. Spencer and Kristen followed, and Eric was right behind them.
Each time she’d been here, she and Alvin would try to go incognito. They would have their caps and sunglasses on; their heads low as they quietly made their way into the café.
But that wouldn’t be possible this time, not with two men in suits and sunglasses and one of them clearing a path for her and Spencer.
At least they didn't have the camera crew around. That would be even more of a spectacle.
She and Spencer had told the production crew that they would be staying in for the rest of the night, so the crew had packed up and left.
Several passers-by stopped and stared, then phones were out.
No doubt the producer would hit the roof once photos of Spencer and Kristen meeting Alvin showed up on the Internet.
Spencer tightened his grip on her waist and pulled her closer while Kristen bowed her head, trusting Spencer to lead her.
Their presence was also immediately felt the moment they stepped into the café. Everyone looked up from their coffees, cakes, laptops, and phones and stared as they entered.
Kristen spotted Alvin in the corner of the café and registered his immediate disappointment when he spotted who was right next to her. “Hi,” she said when she got to the table.
“Hey.” Alvin hooked a corner of his lips into a forced smile. “I thought you’d be here alone.”
“I asked Spence along.” She glanced around for a chair.
Spencer bent closer and spoke into her ear. “I’ll be at that table with them.” He gave her a peck on the cheek and headed over to a nearby table.
Spencer was far away enough that he wouldn't hear her conversation with Alvin if they kept their voices low, but was still able to keep an eye on her.
Kristen sat and took off her sunglasses, putting them on top of the dark wooden table. She studied Alvin’s face for a moment, trying to gauge her feelings. She’d been completely heartbroken for months. Her eyes flickered toward Spencer, and she smiled when their eyes met.
She turned back to Alvin. “How are you doing?”
“I’m … okay. Are you? I saw what happened.”
“I’m fine.” She looked at the floor, but didn't see anything around Alvin. “So where are my things?”
Alvin pushed a plate with a slice of what she had no doubt was the lavender chocolate cake toward her. “I thought you might miss this.”
“I do.” Despite saying that, she didn't reach for the cake. She would rather share one with Spencer.
Alvin turned toward Spencer for a second before hitching his chair forward, sending a screech across the café as the metal chair scraped on the rustic oak floorboards. “I missed you.” He reached over and took her hand. “Kris —”
Kristen pulled her hand out of Alvin’s. “Alvin, what are you doing? You’re getting married to Ruby, and —”
“I don't care about that, not anymore. I don't care that your reality-TV husband is sitting over there. I’ve been so stupid, Kris. I know I made a huge mistake. Come back to me.” He pulled out a ring from his front pocket. “This is what I wanted you to have back.”
Kristen’s first instinct was to stand up and leave, but she didn't. She stared at the engagement ring on the table. “Everyone told me that time would heal all wounds. I’d find someone better. I just needed to hang on. But I couldn't listen to a word of it. I was crushed.”
Alvin put his hand on her cheek. “Kris —”
“I stayed at my parents’ place, and I cried so much.”
“Kris —”
“And when I thought I’d gathered enough strength from the support of my family, I came back and was slapped in the face by the interviews you and Ruby did.” She took a deep breath and pulled Alvin’s hand away from her face. She rested their hands on the table. “I didn't leave the house because I knew the right thing to say when asked about you and Ruby was that I wished nothing but the best for the two of you. But just the thought of saying that would make me cry again.”
Alvin tightened his grip on her hand. “Ruby was a mistake. I love you, and I want you back.”
Kristen knew she should smile and reject him politely, but she didn’t care about doing or saying the right thing now. She was more than the Disney actress who was always nice and sweet. Spencer had helped her see that.
She cracked a smile. “Alvin, you did make a huge mistake. Your apology is too little too late.” She let go of his hand and put her sunglasses back in place. “But thank you for making the mistake.”
She turned and beamed at Spencer who was watching them intently, impressed that he hadn't come over and shoved Alvin out of his chair. “If you hadn't made that mistake, I wouldn't have crossed paths with Spence.”
She pushed her old engagement ring back toward Alvin and looked down at her finger with the sapphire engagement ring. “I much prefer my current one.” Then she stood and headed back to Spencer.
He got up and met her halfway. “Are we still going back together?”
“Didn’t you see me push away the ring?”
His lips hooked into a brilliant grin. “I didn’t want to assume anything.”
She snaked her arm around his waist. “I love you. Did you really think there was a chance I’d get back with him?”
He took her hand and headed over to the counter. “My wife says the lavender chocolate cake here is really good,” he said to the staff.
“It is.” The young girl behind the counter couldn’t stop grinning.
“I’ll take one whole cake then.”
“Okay.”
Spencer looked over Kristen’s shoulder at where she and Alvin had been seated. “What did he want?”
She glanced over. The seat was empty, the cake untouched. “He said he made a mistake.”
“And what did you say?”
“That he did.”
He arched a brow.
“I told him that his apology was too little too late.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “But I did thank him in the end. I thanked him for making the mistake.”
“I think I owe him a thank-you for that, too.”
“I want to thank you, too.” She adjusted his sunglasses that were slightly slanted. “For helping me see who I am.”
“Here you go, Mr. Rowe.” The young girl held the bag out to Spencer, then glanced over at Kristen. “Can I take a photo with both of you?”
“I don’t mind,” Kristen said
Spencer nodded. “But we’ll have to do it outside, or we’ll probably get mobbed by everyone else asking for a photo.”
“Okay.” The girl headed out with them. Once outside, they snapped a selfie with her and hurried back to the car before anyone else could stop and ask them for another photo.
Spencer walked out of his room in light gray sweatpants when he heard the doorbell. He looked over Kristen when she opened her room’s door.
“Were you expecting someone?” he asked, and she shook her head.
The producer had already been by to lecture them. He had waited outside the door and gone on a rant about them not being team players and not telling them about the meeting with Alvin.
But after that lecture, the producer left.
Spencer and Kristen had enjoyed the cake with Kurt and the security personnel. He sent everyone away after that since he and Kristen weren’t intending to go anywhere.
“Stay here.” Spencer moved toward the door and peered through the peephole. “Delivery.” He opened the door, eyeing the package warily.
“Spencer Rowe?”
He arched a brow. He’d thought it was another package for Kristen. “Yes.” He signed for the package and closed the door.
“Did you order something?”
“Nope.” He sat on the couch and opened the box after giving it a shake. He clenched his jaws at the sight of photos of Alvin touching Kristen’s cheek and of Kristen holding Alvin’s hand.
“Do you think the stalker was in the café?”
“She could’ve just printed them off the Internet.” But Spencer thought the intent was clear: the stalker felt Kristen had betrayed him, or she was trying to convince him that Kristen had.
Regardless, it wasn't safe for Kristen to remain with him.
He took his eyes off the photos and turned to her. “You know how the producer was saying they needed to inject drama into the show?”
“Yeah?”
“Let’s break up.”