♜ Prologue ♜

Five Years Earlier

Spencer Kingsley had always been a bit of an introvert. His social circle never really allowed him to shut himself out, however, so he had to attend all the functions. But he managed to find an excellent compromise. That was why he was currently sitting in a random bedroom on a yacht in St Tropez, plunged into a Greek epic. He could hear the party from outside but easily tuned it out as he became captivated by Odysseus' rantings.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he ignored it until it vibrated again. Sighing, he dog-eared the page he was on before picking up his phone.

"Where r u ?" The text from his friend Madeline had said.

"Partying," He typed back. "With girls." He grimaced at his text. Why was he so awkward? "Hot girls," He added in an attempt to make it less awkward.

Three dots appeared at the bottom of the screen, implying Madeline was replying to him. He groaned loudly and rather dramatically. He really wanted to get back to his book.

"Liar," She replied eventually.

Madeline was a human lie-detector. He should have know she wouldn't believe him. But he hesitated telling her the truth. It was her who had organised the group holiday to St. Tropez. It was amazing seeing the power she had as the queen of their social circle because what started out as a holiday for four quickly became a midsummer reunion for practically everyone from their high school.

Spencer never really fit in. Everyone except him seemed to be having the time of their life. Partying just wasn't his thing. He never understood why he was part of the Royal Four, a term he had coined himself after years of observation. It consisted of Madeline, Nora and Oliver. And Spencer. They had all been best friends since childhood. Oliver and him were practically raised together. However, while Madeline, Nora and Oliver had seemed to earn their place with social merit, Spencer felt like a lucky bastard who had just been friends with the right people. He wasn't like them and didn't contribute to the social hierarchy in anyway.

"No," He replied, not knowing what else to say.

He could just imagine Madeline, Oliver and Nora dancing on the top deck. It had always been the four of them. They were inseparable and Spencer didn't think that anything could ever pull them apart.

A soft knock came from the door as a girl in a bright yellow bikini barged in. She flicked her gold-cuffed braids and laughed.

"There you are!"

Spencer groaned as he stared at his best friend. He tried to hide his book but she quickly fished it from his hands.

"Maddie, give that back!"

"Nope," She giggled playfully, tossing it up into the air. It landed with a thump on the floor behind her and the way in which it fell made Spencer wince and want to leap up from his chair and salvage it. The pages were undoubtedly destroyed, eternally distorted in a hellish bend.

"Maddie!"

"Spence!" She laughed, flopping down on the floor behind him. She smelt like cocoa butter and vodka. It was obvious she was rather tipsy. "Why aren't you partying?" She sighed, leaning her head against his shoulders.

"I, uh, just needed a break." Technically he wasn't lying. He omitted the fact, however, that his 'break' had been ongoing from the minute they hailed the St Tropez yacht.

"Please come dance. I want you with me."

Spencer stared down at Madeline as she curled her arms around his bicep, as if she would never let go. He wondered if she knew how much he loved her.

He sighed in resignation before standing up. "Okay. Let's go my queen."

She cheered before throwing herself into his arms and squeezing him tightly. "Yay! Let's go."

Madeline dragged Spencer up to the top deck where he found his two other best friends dancing near the pool. Oliver was doing some weird grind against some girls whereas Nora was twirling around carelessly. It was a seldom sight; all three of them just having pure, carefree fun instead of plotting or scheming.

Nora squeaked when she saw him and plastered a wet kiss on his cheek. "Spence! Your brother Charlie is here!"

Spencer rolled his eyes. Of course his party-magnet brother was there, probably bringing nothing but shame to their family name. But, adopting the Madeline-mantra, Spencer shoved all worries to a deep pit in his chest and took a shot from one of the waiters.

"Yes!" Oliver cheered. "Spence is finally coming out of his shell!"

Five shots later, Spencer began to let loose and let his body move with the beat. However, it seemed like as soon as Spencer started to enjoy himself dancing, the group broke up like a flock of wild sheep. Nora left first after receiving a message. Then it was Oliver and Madeline. Their exit was what intrigued Spencer the most. It pissed him off how the girl that had dragged him up to dance was leaving. He didn't miss how Oliver's hand rested on the small of Madeline's back or how Madeline's eyes kept darting around to make sure no one saw them leave together. But Spencer saw. And Spencer was curious.

He excused himself from the group of dancing girls that were circling him and carefully followed the two of them. What would make them leave so urgently?

They power-walked silently to a private room at one of the lower decks. Spencer spotted Madeline snapping the back of her bikini off before they slammed the door shut.

Wait.

Woah.

Were they..?

No!

Spencer shuddered at the thought. He blamed it on the amount of alcohol he had taken. There was no way that Madeline and Oliver would ever sleep together. It was just.... wrong.

As he turned around, a girl bumped into him, making him drop his phone and cocktail. A lumpy, ice-cold pineapple mess landed on his feet, making him jump back. The little umbrella found its way under the girl's gold, strappy sandals. His eyes ascended from the girl's purple-painted toes, up her glittering legs to her bare stomach, finally ending up on her cherub face. He stared in awe at the angel in the caramel-coloured bikini in front of him.

"Shit! I am so sorry! I was just looking for the bathroom and I didn't see you!"

Spencer opened his mouth to say something but only a squeak came out. He was speechless. She was so beautiful.

"Are you okay?" She asked in a voice that could only be describe as heavenly.

"Uh, y-yeah. Yeah! I'm fine. I'm... what's your name?"

She smiled, revealing the dimples on her cheeks that were previously hidden behind her jet black hair.

"Amelie. And you're Spencer Kingsley, right?"

"Y-yeah. How did you..."

"Know? Because you're Spencer Kingsley. You're... you."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one struggling for words," He laughed.

She peered curiously at him, flicking her jet black hair behind her shoulder and letting it cascade down her back. "Why would you be struggling for words?" She asked amusedly.

"Because you're beautiful," He blurted, not realising how creepy he was coming off as.

Thankfully, she didn't seem to mind and she flashed her pearly teeth in a wide smile for him. "Thank you! You don't look too bad yourself."

Spencer let out a squeak when she slowly bent over and her hip brushed against his. She straightened up again and handed him his phone and empty cup.

"Well, sorry again..." She said before turning around.

He cursed as she walked away. He couldn't let her get away. She was too perfect.

"Wait! Amelie!"

She turned around as if she expected him to call her back.

"Do you want to hang out?"

She let out a deep laugh before walking up to him, stepping dangerously close to him.

"You know, I heard that you were the most innocent one in your group. I never actually believed it until now."

"I-"

"Spencer, the truth is I might never see you again. We only have today. So sure we could hang out and get to know each other at a frustratingly slow pace then eventually be forced to say goodbye to each other when I return back to Manhattan in less than ten hours..."

"Or?" He choked, suddenly losing the ability to speak.

"Spencer Kingsley," She whispered into his ear, placing her hand on his. "Do you want to have sex with me?"

♖ ♖ ♖

"Spence? Spence! Wake up!"

Spencer snapped out of his crazy dream and met the eyes of a very curious Madeline.

"Where have you been all day? We've been looking for you?"

Coming back to reality, he shot up and stroked the empty spot on the bed beside him. He looked around urgently, searching for her. His head darted back and forth as he searched the nooks and crannies of the room but she was gone.

"Woah, calm down Spence! Who are you looking for?"

"Amelie. Where is she?"

"I don't know who you're talking about."

Spencer froze. Had he dreamt it all up? Dread set it in heart as he looked for signs that his encounter was real. After noticing he was stark-naked under the covers, he came to the realisation that it had all happened. He slept with her. And she just left. With no trace of her ever being there except for the scratches on Spencer's back and hickies on his neck.

Madeline quietened down as she got distracted by a piece of paper that she found on the bedside table.

"I think she left you her number."

Spencer grabbed the paper off of her, holding it up in the light as if it were money, just to make sure it was real, that he wasn't still dreaming. There it was. The twelve-digit number of the first girl to ever leave such an impression on Spencer. A twelve digit code to a holy place called Amelie.

Amelie.

♜♜♜

More wonderful aesthetics by the FABULOUS @hellsredsky (ps, I love that little physics detail on Nora's aesthetic.)

SPENCER KINGSLEY

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AMELIE PARK

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MADELINE LOCKHART

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NORA LAWRENCE

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OLIVER SCOTT

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