Page 44 of The Office Games

“Oh my god!” “Whoa!” “He’s not getting up for a while…”

I grab James’s hand to prevent him from doing more damage, but I realize he isn’t the aggressor.

It’s his brother.

“Let me see.” One of my uncles stoops to check Cameron’s neck for a pulse. “He’s still breathing, but can someone call a doctor, please?”

“Get the police, too,” Georgia says. “We need to permanently trespass him from this estate.”

“I’ll leave,” Tucker says, holding up his hands in surrender. “No need to get the cops involved.”

“I’m not talking about you.” Georgia shakes her head as the crowd starts taking pictures. “Cameron.”

“Thank you,” James says to Tucker. “I was seconds away from doing the same thing.”

“Hell, I would’ve done it a lot sooner, but I gave him a slight holiday pass. If only he’d stopped talking sooner.”

Lauren moves toward us, avoiding eye contact.

“We should start making our way to the slopes, Tucker,” she says, her voice soft. “Our tickets say we need to be there within the hour. Merry Christmas to you both, and I hope your relationship lasts.”

“Wait.” James sighs, squeezing my hand. “I’m sorry, Lauren.”

“Huh?” She looks up at him. “What did you say?”

“I said that I’m sorry…” He pauses. “I should’ve never proposed to you back then, and I didn’t realize that I was treating you like a rebound.”

“Like your sixth rebound.” She corrects him. “We hadn’t even slept together, and you were just looking to make anyone make you move on from what you thought you’d missed out on by losing Taryn.”

“I know,” he says, looking at his brother. “I took how I felt about Cameron out on you. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too,” Tucker says. “I should’ve talked to you about dating her first, and proposing on the following Christmas was a low blow.”

The apologies hang in the air, accepted and appreciated, but I can only stare at Lauren.

I’m not the slightest bit sorry about threatening to give her a black eye for harassing me earlier, and she doesn’t look remorseful about anything she said to me, either.

A slow smile crosses her face, and a laugh escapes my lips.

Good enough.

“The slopes are prettier at night,” I say. “You two should spend the afternoon on the train tour instead.”

“All the night tickets are reserved,” Lauren says.

“My cousin is the manager,” I say. “I’m sure she can work something out, and we’ll join you.”

“Sounds good.”

“We’ll meet you later.” James hugs his brother before leading me down the hall.

“Why are you looking at me like that, Taryn?” he asks,

“Like what?”

“Like you’re in a daze.”

“I thought you’d left without saying goodbye,” I say.

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