The Devil Has Abs

Chapter 258

Chapter 258: Toby's POV

Spencer Hastings stood right in front of me wearing a short, tight, but elegant black dress, holding a tall blond boy's hand. Damn, she wasn't a teenager anymore. She was a mature, beautiful woman. 

That feeling inside me...it wasn't jealousy. Of course I knew Spencer would move on. Yet I was just shocked. Maybe a little mad. But surely, it could not be jealousy.

Spencer let go of his hand and walked towards me. She gave me a really awkward hug and I loosely wrapped my hands around her.

"Thanks for coming!" she said so generically.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," I told her and she let go. I handed her my present that I had made so carefully and meticulously over the past few months, but that I had wrapped so shabbily. "Sorry I never RSVP'd. Things came up and I had to take an early morning flight today. It's been a long day."

"It's ok," Spencer said and smiled, which made me upset. Her smile was still beautiful, but it wasn't hers.

"Spencer?" the guy behind her asked. I examined him more closely and noticed how young he looked.

"Oh, yeah. Mark, this is Toby. Toby, Mark. Toby's a friend of mine."

A friend? A FRIEND?

"Hi, Toby!" he said politely and shook my hand. "Spence, why don't you go inside? Everyone's waiting for you. Toby and I will find our seats."

"Sure," she said and marched in. 

"So where are you from, Toby?" Mark asked me as we walked inside the hall together. 

Did Spencer really not mention me at all? Damn, this hurt more than seeing them kiss.

"Pennsylvania," I replied and he smiled. He led me to a round table in the side of the hall. The hall was packed, mostly with people I had never seen before. He pulled out a chair for me and we both sat down.

"Oh, this is Toby. And Toby, these are Sarah, Natalie, Tom, Max, and Evelyn," he gestured as he introdued the guests around the table.

"Hi!" they greeted me in unison and smiled. 

"So how long have you been dating Spencer?" I turned my attention back to Mark.

"Well, I've known her for around one a half years now. I'm a year younger than her at Stanford so I never really had the courage to ask out such a beautiful and talented girl. But six months ago, I finally did."

"Wow, congrats," I said and Mark smiled. I still couldn't believe she never told him about me. 

I started talking to the others on the table and learned that they all attended Stanford. They were all on Spencer's dorm floor and talked to her everyday and claimed they were close to her, yet when I mentioned my name, they didn't look surprised or anything.

"So you're good friends with Spencer, right?" Mark asked me when we took a break to get some appetizers. There was a cute slideshow of Spencer playing with many pictures of her and her friends, both from Rosewood and California. Yet I didn't see a single picture of us together.

"Yeah, I mean, we haven't really been talking much, but we were close at one point. She's a great girl."

"Damn, are you crushing on my woman?" Mark teased and I smirked at him. "I'm just kidding."

"So Spence hasn't told you about her past relationships?" I asked as I scooped in some spring rolls on my plate. I was ready to know all the details.

"She's told me that her past boyfriends sucked," he replied and I almost dropped my plate. "I've heard about guys named Wren, Alex, Lance. Give me more names and I'll remember."

At least she didn't say I sucked.

"Yeah, Spencer deserves the best and I'm glad you guys found each other."

"So am I!" Mark said and we started heading back to our seats. I kept watching the slideshow; there was even a picture with Spencer and Ezra...

"I see a pic of you two," I pointed out when the happy couple came on screen.

"I helped her make the slideshow so I know when my sexy face comes in," he said and I laughed.

"None of me?" 

"No," he said and frowned. "Otherwise, I would have recognized you."

This was getting too much to handle. I understood that Spencer and I were done, but was I such an embarrassment in her life that she did not feel it necessary to even say a word about me to her friends? Or even insert a picture of us in a slideshow of her posing with so many useless dumb fucks? Was I a mistake? Was our relationship something she was trying to forget or pretend didn't happen? 

"Are you okay?" Mark asked, concerned. "Your eyes weren't blinking for a second."

"I think I'm going to go use the bathroom. Mind telling me where they are?"

"Just go out from where we entered and make a left," he instructed and I stood up. "Is everything okay?"

"Just need to use the bathroom," I repeated and made my way to the entrance. 

"Toby!" I heard a voice call out and I turned around. "Where are you going?"

"I'm using the bathroom, Spence," I said in my calmest voice.

"Oh," she said and walked with me towards the restrooms. "How do you like Mark?"

"He's a cool guy," I admitted. I kept trying to find a flaw in him, but he seemed like a genuinely nice boy.

"Yeah, he's a cutie. Super helpful and loyal. Planned this whole party with me."

"Like your servant?" I joked and she laughed. "Aren't you supposed to be inside?"

"I said hi to everyone and speeches don't start for another fifteen minutes. Everyone's eating or getting food anyway."

"Well, I'm going to go," I said casually and opened the men's restroom door. I didn't feel like shouting at Spencer for not mentioning me. It was selfish and immature; it was her party after all.

"Okay," she said, but to my surprise, followed me in through the door.