Fifteen minutes later, the lobby door swings open, and Jameson steps out onto the sidewalk, adjusting his jacket. He pauses under the streetlight, pulls out his phone, and starts typing something. Then he looks up, scanning the street like he’s expecting someone.
His eyes land on exactly where I’m standing.
“Knew you’d be here,” he calls out, pocketing his phone and strolling toward me with a pep to his step. “You’re so fucking predictable, Patty.”
I push off the wall and meet him halfway. “And you’re leaving early. What happened? Couldn’t close the deal this time?”
He stops a few feet away, studying me with that easy expression that’s always made me want to punch him. “Instead of looking at me like you want to fuck me up, you should bethankingme.”
I scoff. “Thanking you?” I step closer, my hands curling into fists at my sides. “I should kick your ass.”
“You could try.” His grin widens, and his fist flexes. “But we both know how that ends.”
We stare at each other, and I feel the old competitive fire burning between us. We’ve been like this our whole lives, always pushing, always testing, always trying to prove something to each other and ourselves.
“She knows everything now,” Jameson says. “About how you wanted her first. How I pursued her anyway.”
My jaw tightens. “You’re actually admitting it now?”
“Only if you’re admitting that you fucking kissed her all those years ago,” he says. “Oh, please. I knew about it. Kendall told me. I’ve been waiting for you to mention it for six years.”
“Does it matter?” I ask.
“Yeah, it does.” He tilts his head, that calculating charm sliding into place. “I also might have mentioned that you’ve been in love with her since the moment you saw her and were willing to let her be happy with me, even though it killed you. You’re welcome.”
“You had no right?—”
“I had every fucking right.” His voice hardens. “Someone had to end the stalemate.”
“What else did you tell her?”
“Everything.” He shrugs. “The ball’s in your court now. What you do with it is up to you. I won’t be your excuse anymore.”
I’m quiet for a long moment, processing what he said. Kendall knows I wanted her first and that Jameson took her from me. She knows I’ve been in love with her this whole time.
“We’re the same, Patterson.” He says it like he’s reading my mind now, the way he’s always been able to. “You pretend we’re not.” He steps closer, his voice dropping even lower. “You and I both know that when it comes to getting what we want, we’ll dowhateverit takes. The difference is, I’ve always been honest about it.”
“Trade clothes with me,” I say.
Jameson blinks. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Why the fuck would I do that?”
I’m already shrugging off my jacket. “Because you owe me.”
“We’re not doing the twin switch on her,” he says, shaking his head. “She’s livid and just took on a nuclear bomb, okay? Let her process it tonight and meet up tomorrow.”
“Youoweme.” I hold his gaze. “You took what I wanted. You played games with both of us for years. Trade fucking clothes with me.”
Something shifts in his expression, and for a second, I think he’s going to refuse, going to tell me to go to hell and walk away. But then that familiar competitive glint sparks in his eyes because he can never resist proving he’s right.
Jameson stares at me for a long beat. “She’ll see right through this. She knows us both too well.”
“Then this will be quick.”
He shakes his head but loosens his tie. “Remember that you asked for this.”
