I should tell him no, that I’m pursuing her. I should FaceTime him and let him know I’ve had my hands all over and inside his ex-fiancée. I should explain that we have an arrangement, even if it’s currently a war of wills, because neither of us will break first. But that would mean confessing everything.
It would mean admitting that I’ve wanted her since the day she walked into this facility, that I’ve fantasized about Kendall Hart for seven fucking years.
Patterson
Go for it. Stay the hell away from me though.
I hit Send before I can talk myself out of it.
Jameson
What’s she like now? Still the same?
Prettier. Smarter. Sexier.
Patterson
Don’t know. Do you regret ending things with her?
Jameson
Sometimes. We were in our early twenties. I wasn’t ready to settle down.
Patterson
You never told me what happened.
Jameson
We got into a huge argument, and I broke up with her.
I swallow hard because this is news to me. Kendall didn’t destroy Jameson; he destroyed her. And she’s not been with anyone since him.
Patterson
You were upset after the breakup. You said your heart was broken because of her.
Jameson
I was upset and heartbroken. I loved Kendall, but I felt like she was never really mine. Now I realize I was immature. Anyway, thanks for the chat. It helped me realize a lot. I miss you.
Patterson
Anytime. Miss you too.
I shove my phone in my pocket and sit there, numb, while the celebration continues around me. Kendall left because she was hurt. And now she’s back, and Jameson will return to New York to pursue her. Right now, I want Kendall out of my fucking system.
I should text her right now and stake my claim before I lose the opportunity.
Instead, I walk toward the exit, letting the darkness of the night swallow me whole.
I’ll keep my mouth shut and choke down my jealousy. But I don’t think I can hand her back to Jameson like she was never mine to begin with.
14
KENDALL
Iwatched Patterson destroy Boston last night from the third row behind the penalty box with my camera pressed to my face like a shield. My body kept remembering Tuesday in that hallway when his thigh was pressed between mine. His hot mouth and lips brushed against the shell of my ear, and I swear he inhaled my hair. When he walked away, it left me shaking with want.
