Enjoying Your Company //

chapter fourteen

Vanessa's POV:

Spencer drove me home from the hospital. His adorable car made me nostalgic for a time I never knew. We got up to my apartment. I froze, trying to put the keys in the lock. Spencer's hand touched mine, taking the keyring to unlock the door. I held my breath as he pushed through, revealing my empty interior. I took a weary step forward, one foot at a time, trying not to think of the last time I was here.  I heard Spencer shut the door, following the sound of the lock. My large living room held some couches, a coffee table, and a good sized tv on the wall above the fireplace. The corner of the room had a large bookcase filled to the brim with books. Organized alphabetically by last name. The kitchen was to the left, lined with a counter top. And aside that, was the kitchen table. The furthest wall was made up of towering glass tiles with a patio, stretching out over the city.

"So this is it." I cleared my throat, watching Spencer look around, admiring the architecture as I set my books on the living room table. His eyes fell on me, he did that nervous lip tuck thing, making me giddy. "You want anything? Coffee?" I sigh.

"That sounds nice." I smile, making my way to the kitchen. I wobble a bit as I pick up both mugs, retuning to find Spencer admiring my "book nook" as I call it.

"You've have an exquisite collection of literature," He exhaled a huff through his nose, taking his coffee as I ease myself into the sofa.

"Jealous?" I tease behind my cup.

"A little." His pouted lips melted my insides.

"Its taken my whole life to build my library. Got my first book when I was six and haven't stopped since. You can come over and use it, anytime." I flutter my eyes a bit, making his chest rise. His eyes left mine, roaming the ceiling.

"You've really outdone yourself with the design in here as well." Spencer complimented, making me inhale shakily. "Cozy."

"Thank you." I say, watching him make his way to the couch. "I just, wanted to feel closer to home." He sat beside me.

"Which is?" 

"Calgary, Canada." He raised his eyebrows.

"Ahh, Calgary. I should have guessed based on the inflection of your annunciations." I smiled, watching him. "Did you know that Calgary is the sunniest city in Canada, getting an average of 2,300 hours of sunlight a year?"

"Three hundred thirty three days per year." He smiled. I shook my head, feeling a little dizzy. "What about you?"

"Las Vegas, Nevada."

"Vegas, really?" I say a little stunned. 

"What? I don't look like I okay cards?" He said playfully, making me laugh. Setting my hand near him on the cushion.

"You look more like a doctor than a card counter."

"I can't be both?" His fingers touched mine.

"Okay. Let me guess." I say, squinting playfully. "You're a mathematics major. Top of your class, one, no, two masters degrees, and poor penmanship." His jaw dropped a bit in astonishment, releasing my serious face into a smile. He seemed flustered.

"How did you-"

"Oh, I read minds." I joke, earning a airy chuckle.

"So do I." He said, raising his brows with a tight grin.

"Yeah," I ran a hand through my hair. "I can't believe you work for the FBI." I shift my shoulder into him.

"I uh, actually work for the Behavioral Analysis Unit." He responded, doing the same.

"Behavioral science." I sigh, feeling his gentle eyes on me. "I went to school to be a Medical examiner. Got through all the class work, medical school, and pathology residency. I even got my Bachelors in forensic sciences. I'm just missing the fellowship. I had to put my career on hold, when I moved.." I looked to the floor, flashing back to running away from my home, my family, from Lukas.

"You're a medical examiner." Spencer asked in clarification, catching my attention.

"Hmm-mm." I nod.

"I think, it's astounding." He set his coffee down without breaking our gaze. "We both picked careers linked to the same field, and how we met-"

"At a bookstore?" I finish. "Now, here we are." I felt myself flounder, staring into him. "Spencer." He tilted his head attentively. "The day we met, you told me, you believe in fate." I remembered, he licked his bottom lip, eyes glistening. "I didn't ever before, but..." the air caught in my chest. "You walked into my life, and flipped my world around. You're honest, well educated, you're sensitive, charming, interesting...I can't help but feel like, you and I were-"

"Meant to be." He finished my sentence. I sat breathlessly, my heart a ticking time bomb.

"There's three, by the way."

"Three?"

"Three, PHD's." He whispered, tucked his lips, mere inches from me. I let out a low breath, enamored, as his mouth met mine. My eyes shut, my hands grabbing for him as he kissed me. For a second, I thought my heart would actually explode. I felt his warm hand brace my back as our lips synched. For the first time in years, I felt safety, and a glimmer of happiness.