Page 127 of Playing A Risk
“Not giving him a chance to explain. Being selfish and running out on the situation.” I spin off my stool and pace in front of the camera. “I regret how I’ve handled our entire relationship.”
“And now you’re with Hunter and Jamison is moving on. Where does that leave you?”
I stop and stare at her through the screen, ignoring the part to do with Jami. “I can make things right this time. Hunter needs me more than ever. He was about to run out on this child just so I’d stay. I’m helping this baby get a father and that means the world to me. If I were being selfish, I’d leave.”
“I see.” She nods like she’s hit on something. “Why?”
“Because…” I lower my head, tears pressing on the backs of my eyes. “My first instinct is to run away and hide so I don’t have to deal with it.”
She allows me a second to sit with that thought. “What would you say if I asked you to consider the thought that you went back to Hunter so quickly to avoid the pain of Jami having a son that wasn’t yours?”
My eyes snap to hers. “What?”
“They’re all intertwined. You say you’re staying with Hunter because he needs you. That way, you’re not being selfish. But Jamison needed you and you ran out. Why?”
My insides turn to stone. “Because he’s known me for a long time and should’ve told me about his past a lot sooner than he did.”
“Because you deserved more from him than you do from Hunter?”
“No.” My brain scrambles and I turn away from the camera. “I don’t know.”
“Do you expect more from Jami than Hunter?”
I mull over the question for a moment. “Yeah, I guess I do.”
“Why?”
My mind goes blank. “I don’t know.”
“Could it be a possibility that you felt betrayed that Jami had a child with another woman and because of that, you allowed your feelings to manifest into something with Hunter to bring you comfort from that betrayal?”
My eyebrows pinch together, and I face the screen. “It’s possible, but none of that matters now.”
“Why?”
“Because Hunter needs me and Jamison is moving on.”
She stares at me with resolve. “How do you feel about that?”
“Like I have no control.” Sadness washes over me. “The only thing I can control is how selfish I’ve been. I can change—I will change—because I’ve lost too much and I can’t take any more.”
“And that includes letting Jami go once and for all?”
I stumble over the question. “Hunter’s done so much for me. He’s changed and now he needs me.”
“But before you found out about Jamison’s son, you expressed that you have always felt closer to him. You were trying to find ways to tell Hunter you were moving on. In less than a month, that’s all changed.”
I plant my hands on my hips. “So what does that mean?”
“That’s my question to you, Dori. What does that mean?”
CHAPTER 33
JAMISON
Melanie steps into my office.“I guess I missed the goodbye party.”
I stuff the last of my belongings into my bag. “I guess that means I did too.”
