Page 31 of Forever Wild

Too late. I know it’s a lie now.

I shake my head, laughing. This side of Jameo is so much fun. He’s not just the witty, sarcastic guy from the golf course. He’s also kinda a goofball who has, surprisingly, been very open. I was expecting him to be a bit more of a player based on the way he’s been portrayed in the media. That worry was actually one of the main reasons why I’d so readily agreed I wasn’t looking for anything serious.

Jameson

I actually had a few hours open up today. Want to grab some brunch or something?

I’m surprised by the invitation but remind myself that he’s likely just bored.

My phone buzzes with yet another incoming message.

Kelsey

Iz told me you had a date last night with Jameson Walker.

I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but I’d be careful. He seemed to be dating around a lot this time last year.

Me

Thanks for the warning, but we are keeping it super casual.

Kelsey

I don’t think you know what super casual dating actually looks like. How many days last week did you text him?

Me

I want to say all of them, but it feels like the wrong answer…

Kelsey

Just be careful. You’re a loyal person. It’s very possible he’s texting other women too.

Me

Is that a general feeling or one based on cyber hacking?

Kelsey

*zipped lips emoji*

Nah. I wouldn’t waste the resources on that. He’s a professional athlete. I’m just playing the odds.

Even my ex, Peter, for all his flaws, had been loyal to the very end. Or, at least, he hadn’t cheated on me. I’m not sure it counts as loyalty, since he never once sided with me or stood up for me to his mom. It’s what, in the end, had been our downfall. Eleanor—or Mrs. Easley, she insisted I call her—never liked me. I wasn’t at Peter’s beck and call, didn’t quit my job to move to the same city as him, and wore my hair in a messy bun far too frequently to be good enough for her baby.

Peter never seemed to care about those things, and, considering he was the son of a billionaire, was surprisingly low-maintenance himself. But, as it turns out, his expectations of me were to be more. To be like his mom.

Even with his mom regularly trying to undermine me, I thought Peter and I were the real deal. Then things started to go south. His usual disappointment when I couldn’t make one of the many events he was attending each week started morphing into frustration. He started actively siding with his mom, saying things like, “I know your work is important to you, but I can’t be in a relationship with someone who cares more about their job than me. I need you here. I need you at these events with me.”

I tried explaining I was committing as much time as I could to being with him. That I was the one who was always flying to see him, even though airplanes work both ways (and one of us had access to a private jet). That my job wasn’t more important than him, but it was important. I told him about all the work meetings I’d joined from the car rather than in person so that I could make it to a gala or charity event with him.

He just didn’t understand that I couldn’t dedicate every minute of my time to us…to him.

A couple weeks later, as I left work right at closing time yet again to sprint to the airport, I ran into my then boss’s boss, Tara. She let me know that, while I was still performing fine at my job, I was starting to be overlooked when management was discussing up-and-comers. I needed to focus if I wanted to be on the leadership team someday.

When I finally opened the door to Peter’s apartment—four hours late because I missed my flight—I heard him say my name and walked toward his kitchen to find him. Realizing he was on the phone, I slowed down, unabashedly listening in on his side of the conversation.

“No, Mom, I knew Bryn wasn’t going to be able to be at the event tonight. I told you she’s having a hard time at work and really needed to stay there for a last-minute meeting with her boss.” I tried to slow my breath, hoping he wouldn’t hear me and censor his thoughts.

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