Page 94 of Playing My Rivals

“Yeah. I guess we all do bad things sometimes.”

“What kind of answer is that?”

“A truthful one.” A flicker of hostility slips through a crack in his irises. “Do you have any truths you want to share with me?”

Woah, this is not going how I want.

He heard something from my call.

My eyelids flutter at his confrontation. “What truths are you looking for?”

“The kind you expect from me. The kind I showed you last night.” Regret washes over his face.

Our time together comes rushing back. He practically begged me not to travel down the corrupted path that leads to the most intimate side of him. The side of him that he hides in the shadows.

He warned me we couldn’t go back if we crossed that line. I just didn’t expect it to hit so hard and fast. I didn’t know it would make its way into my life and directly impact how he perceived everything between us from that moment on. So naïve of me.

I should’ve known. He’s not the one who compartmentalizes and ignores their feelings. Nope. That would be me.

No matter what he heard, he deserves the confusing truth even though it could obliterate everything we share into dust. Because of my unwillingness to hurt Hunter, I might destroy everything I’ve built with Jami.

Why did I push so damn hard before I was one hundred percent clear?

I blink away the sting of tears. “Last night meant everything to me, so it’s only fair that I’m honest with you.”

“You don’t have to say anymore. I knew better and did it anyway.” He pushes himself upright and runs his hands over his face.

He rubs his eyes with the heels of his palms. His hands fall and our eyes meet. His are red and glossy, but I don’t know if they’re that way because he just rubbed them. It doesn’t matter. This exchange is bound to put a wedge in our bond.

“I don’t want last night to ruin what we have.” My heart cracks.

He laughs under his breath. “What we have? Nah, don’t sweat it. We can blame the situation. We were stressed out of our minds. We sought each other out because we needed a little comfort. Don’t worry, Dori. I get it. Last night will be our dirty little secret.”

Gut punch. Swift and clear.

He’s not even giving me a chance to explain.

“Jami, don’t do this.”

“Do what? Speak the truth? Say what you aren’t willing to say?” He rubs his hand over his chest.

God, I don’t want to lose him and I’m making a mess of this. My heart cracks a little more. I scramble for a response, but I don’t have one. He’s pulling away and my heart splits more, barely staying together with tiny fibers.

“Look, I’ll say it for you.” He shifts away from me like I’m a poisonous snake. “Nobody will ever know. It won’t cross my lips. You have my word. I hope that’s still good for something.”

“Jami, it’s one of the few things I trust and believe in.”

“Leave trust out of this,” he spits.

Something savage rises in his eyes, warning me to stop. His back stacks straight. His chest flexes, showing me he’s fighting to hold it together. I inch closer to him.

“I can’t and won’t because I trust you with my life.” A single tear trickles down my cheek. “Please, don’t push me away. Talk to me about this.”

“Talking won’t do any good. I’m giving you what you won’t own up to wanting, so take it before you push me too far.”

He’s misunderstanding everything. Confusion swirls in my mind.

What did he hear that makes him think I want to forget last night?

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