Page 13 of Guilty As Charged (Love and Lawyers #3)

Chapter Thirteen

ABBIE

I t wasn't until we got to the convention and I saw everyone that it really hit me how much I’ve missed all this and being a part of the world. Even when online. In my head I kept telling myself I was fine, but being here is a giant reminder that this is my world. I belong here.

“Are you good?” Spencer tugs at the top of my dress, straightening the material.

The man is always fussing over me, and I love it.

Hell, I love him, but it’s hard for me to say the words.

They weren't tossed around my house as they should have been when I was growing up.

When you love people, those words should flow, but I might have a tingle of rejection still in the back of my mind.

“I mean, we haven’t seen Geoff yet, but I’m good right now.” He’ll be here. I’m sure of that. No way he’d miss an opportunity for people to see him and stroke his ego. I never cheer for a person's downfall, but I have no sympathy for this man.

“That’s all that matters,” Spencer says before pressing his mouth to mine in a tender kiss.

“This world has kind of become my makeshift family, you know? Or I’ve been using it to fill that void,” I admit to Spencer.

Now that I’ve had some time away, a lot of things are becoming clearer to me.

Not only that, but today when I took my time getting ready and becoming Delphine, it was different.

Delphine is able to be who she is without fear of what others think.

She was a character, but the truth is, she’s still a big part of me.

The part I keep tucked away because I’ve been told it’s too much.

Spencer has shown me that I’m perfect as I am. All the parts of me. With him, I have the freedom to express myself without worrying about criticism or negative reactions. The man adores me and can’t get enough. It’s a freeing feeling to have that in my life.

One of Spencer’s hands shifts, and he brushes it over my stomach. I think about all the times he came inside me and how having a family could become a reality sooner than later. I know in the heat of the moment he says dirty things, but it was never one-sided either, and I welcomed it every time.

“I can understand making your own family. It’s always been me and Scout since as far back as I can remember.” He doesn't talk much about his family. If anything, he talks about Landon and Gideon like they are his brothers.

"Scout!" I squeak. "I’m supposed to meet up with her." She's been the one number I saved to my new phone, and we have been texting nonstop. She’s also extra petty and isn’t too happy with Geoff either.

Scout is a fun time and always has a way of making me laugh. She puts on a hard shell, but I’ve gotten in there a little, and it's all marshmallow. It's going to take a strong man without an ego to get to her heart, but hey, any man worthy of her should have to work for it.

"I'm sure she's more than fine." Spencer kisses me again, this time on the top of my head. "I bet she's out there searching for Geoff herself."

It wouldn’t shock me. "How do you think he's going to act when we find him? He might pretend I don't exist." That would be the smart thing. Wiping his hands and being done with each other would be the best way to walk away.

"No one can pretend you don't exist. You stand out." The confidence with which Spencer says it makes me want to melt into a puddle.

"You're always saying the sweetest stuff to me."

“As I should. I know just how fucking sweet you taste.” His tongue swipes across his bottom lip, and it’s so damn hot. After he goes down on me and kisses me, I can taste myself on him. It’s like I’m marking him in my own way.

“Spencer.” I give his chest a playful shove, not really wanting him to go anywhere. “We’ve only got you settled down,” I remind him.

“Right, let's go before they send out a search party.”

“No one is sending a search party. It's not that big of a deal.”

“You are, and it’s only up from here,” he says before he takes my hand and leads us back out of the room.

A few people glance our way, but most have already shuffled inside to the main event area. We stop at the map outside that tells people where each person or company is located. I see Geoff’s name on one of the tables and point to it.

“My name is with his.” After all I’ve learned about Geoff, I hate the idea of people thinking I’m paired up with him. I can’t be the only person that has run into issues with him, and I don’t want to be lumped in with his mess.

I’m not prepared to have a table. I was going to move around the crowd and take pictures if people asked. That’s what I wanted because it lets me mingle. I’m a fan myself too, and there are a lot of talented individuals here.

“That doesn’t mean you have to go there.”

Will people think I ditched if I’m not there? Geoff’s done this on purpose, and Spencer knows it too. I don’t miss the way he stands up straighter, his whole body on high alert. The man could give Superman a run for his money.

“You really think he’d try something here?”

"With the shit he's already pulled, I don't put anything past him." This is true. He’s done things I never thought he would.

"He's so worried about his image. Geoff wants to be famous more than anything."

"He's all ego, and you not giving him what he wants is going to hit him where it hurts most."

Spencer’s hand goes to my back as we walk further into the convention area. The place is swarming with people already, and everyone is dressed up.

“They’re so cute.” I motion to a pair of little girls.

One is Scarlet Witch, and the other is She-Hulk.

I can’t help but picture what my and Spencer’s kids would look like in a place like this.

Who’d be their favorite comic? Would there be DC and Marvel rivals in the house? The thought makes me smile.

"Ours will be cuter," he whispers into my ear. The man can either read my mind, or we are that in tune with one another.

“Abbie!” Scout shouts my name while waving her hand in the air. I see her moving through the crowd of people quickly, and when she finally reaches us, she’s out of breath. “He’s here, and he’s insane.”

"I’m pretty sure we covered that." I laugh, but Spencer stays stuck to my side.

“No, listen.” Scout drops her voice. “You know how you said when he started making the comics dirtier and wanted the character to look like you, that the writing felt different?”

“Yes, it was horrible.” I suspected it was because he was thinking with the wrong head when he was doing those. “It felt off.”

Scout smirks. “Maybe because he didn’t write it.”

“What?” That catches me off guard. "So he’s not writing or illustrating the comic?"

“It's all ghosts, and I think some are stolen.”

“Shut up!” I gasp. Things against Geoff keep stacking up. “He doesn’t do any of it? Wow.”

“He’s a fucking psycho.” Scout purses her lips to control her temper. Yeah, she’s really pissed. She glances around then drops her voice as she leans closer. “It would be nice if all this information was revealed while we’re here.”

"Delphine!" a young girl in her teens calls out. "Can I get a picture?"

"Of course!" I give her a bright smile as I move beside her. "I would be honored to have my picture taken with Captain Marvel."

I pose with her, and a few more people come over to ask for photos. Before I know it, I’m surrounded by people, and I’ve lost sight of Spencer. There are so many people it’s hard to move, and people keep placing one thing after another in front of me to sign.

I assure myself that everything is all right. It's too public for anything bad to happen in the middle of a crowd. But it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong. There’s one thing you can't control…crazy.