Page 4 of Playing My Rivals

“Melanie, it’s worse now that you pointed that out. I didn’t think about it, but you’re right. Hunter will fight for me. Plus, if I were to go forward with Jami, Hunter could find out we’ve known each other much longer than he thinks. We could lose our jobs.” I gnaw on my lower lip and stare into the space before me while considering the repercussions.

Why didn’t I see this before?

She cut into my thoughts. “What else happened when you saw Jami?”

I turn to her and whimper. “We shared the most passionate kiss I’ve ever had. Like bombs-going-off-overhead amazing.”

“If it was so amazing, why did you guys stop there?”

“Because Jami said he won’t kiss me again until I’m only thinking of him.”

She reaches for her drink. “That’s a fair call, Dori. You don’t want to hear this, but Jami’s right.”

“I know that now, but when will he fight for me?”

“When you’re only focused on him.” She shrugs, then takes a sip.

“Now you’re on his side?” I throw myself back against the cushions. “Since when did you become all about Jami?”

“I’m not on his side. I just think he has a point. Do you think it’s fair to dive into a relationship with him when you still have feelings for someone else?” She returns her drink to the coffee table.

My brow furrows as I push up to face her. “But it’s fine if I jump back into a relationship with Hunter when I care about Jami, too?”

“I don't know, but you can’t blame Jami for wanting to know for sure that you want to be with him. He doesn’t want you to be thinking about Hunter while you’re with him.”

“So, what do you suggest I do?”

“What do you want to do?”

I scowl and point to my glass. “If I knew that, I wouldn’t be here drinking wine at two o’clock in the afternoon while waiting for a carb feast to drown my confusion in.”

“Oh, sweet pea, you’re in a tough place.”

My phone vibrates, so I reach down and pick it up. A message from Hunter glows up at me. I open it and read it.

Hunter: I know I should give you time, but I need to know you’re okay. My heart is at its limit. Can I come by and see you?

I show Melanie my phone. “And then I get a message like this and it makes my insides melt.”

“What does it say?”

“Read it for yourself.” I hand her my phone and take a minute to think about it as she reads it.

When she hands my cell back, she sighs. “What are you going to tell him?”

“If I just let myself go without thinking about it, I want to see him.”

“Then that’s what you should do. Otherwise, you’ll always wonder. You owe it to yourself to figure it out.” She gives me a supportive smile.

“And how is that fair to Jami?”

“Jamison wouldn’t want to be with you if you had questions lingering in the back of your mind. That’s how it’s fair to him.”

I clutch myself with a weighted heart, searching for the obvious choice. This situation keeps getting worse by the minute and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. It’s clear I need more therapy or I won’t make it out of this in one piece.

“Mel, what if being with Hunter leads to Jami and me never being together?” I study her face as my heart cracks in half. “What if it leads to more destruction and heartbreak and I lose them both?”

CHAPTER 2

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