Page 23 of Playing My Rivals

I want to yell and throw a fit, but I don’t. Therapy is helping me realize that I need to be as nurturing to his needs as much as he’s trying to be around mine. We both have work to do and some habits are hard to break.

“Fine. If you must know, I got pregnant on the pill, so forgive me if it freaks me out a little.” I stare at the floor. “For the last time, I’m not cheating on you.”

We share a moment of silence. What happened with Jami spins a web of confusion in my mind. He told me he wanted something with me, but again pushed me away. He likes to toy with my emotions. It’s not fair.

I handled my spat with Jami better than I have in the past by remaining in control, but I feel like I left loose ends. Even though I thought about it and decided to work on my relationship with Hunter, Jami left the door open by admitting he wants all of me. He won’t date me if I have feelings for anyone else.

Whatever. It doesn’t matter anyway. I want to focus on Hunter. He’s the one who loves me and I like knowing that. If Hunter and I can figure out how to get past my clause, we could be so much stronger as a couple.

He runs his hand along my arm. “Tell me what’s going through your head.”

I lift my gaze to his. “Why are you doing this? You’re looking for something that isn’t there.”

“Because I’ve seen the way Jamison looks at you. He defends you when you don’t ask for it. You two seem awfully comfortable with one another and you have since day one. It’s enough to have anyone with eyes question it.”

“I can’t help the way he looks at me. And it probably doesn’t mean what you think it does. We’re friends who share an office, so we spend a lot of time together. Of course, we’re going to be comfortable with each other. It’s not like we dislike one another.” I push off the stool and go to the other side of the room.

Anxiety runs its fingers down my body. I pace in front of his loveseat. Jamison’s response to me is about to put me and Hunter in a sword fight.

He gives me a second before he responds. “Tell me why you get so uncomfortable when Jamison sees us together.”

I hide the lie behind a sliver of the truth. “Because he works with us. He could flip at any given moment. All I have to do is piss him off enough and he could report us to HR, so forgive me if I get a little nervous around him.”

Hunter puts his hands on his hips and narrows his envious green eyes. “Then why don’t you act the same way around Melanie? When she hangs out with us, you act like she’s our neighbor who stopped by to say hi.”

“Come on now. If you don’t see the difference, you’re not thinking hard enough.”

He shakes his head and comes toward me, his proverbial sword half drawn. “What’s the difference?”

“She’s my best friend and someone I trust with all my heart. You know that because I told you that when we first got together. Good God, she’s the one who encouraged me to sleep with you in the first place. I don’t see Jamison doing that.”

Hunter stops before me. “You have me there. But what about this?”

He reaches for my locket and cups it in his palm. He tugs on it and I grab his hand.

“Don’t you dare think of tearing this off my neck.” I glare into his eyes. Now my fake sword is drawn and pressed against his neck.

“I wasn’t going to, but now I’m even more interested. Who gave you the locket?” His eyes flicker and grow dark.

I stare back. We’re about to go to war.

“Let go of my necklace.”

“I would, but you’ve got my hand in a death grip, so you’ll have to release that first.” He gestures with his eyes to my neck, not giving up any of his intensity.

I unwrap my fingers and release his hand from my grip. His hand drops away. The battle has been diverted, so I turn and walk away to give us some distance.

He doesn’t get the clue and follows me. “Why do you avoid this question every time it comes up?”

I spin his way, ready to defend my heart. “Because you don’t understand the significance. You can’t and from what I can tell, you never will.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you told me you would see a therapist and work on your decision to have kids. You haven’t done that yet. My mind isn’t going to change, so if you’re hoping you can hold me off until I love you, you’re wrong. It won’t matter how I feel about you. If you decide you don’t want kids, I can’t be with you.”

“So that’s the reason?”

“What?” I still so I don’t strike without cause.

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