Page 25 of Bad Reputation

“Jameson—” I say.

“You shut up,” Jameson says to me. “I’ve heard enough from you tonight.”

I look at Jake apologetically. “I’m sorry. Maybe it’s better if you go…”

“Damn right,” Jameson seethes. “Emma and I have some things to clear up, here.”

“Jameson—”

Jameson hauls me up by the arm. “We need to talk in private.”

I look at Jake, who seems to be trying to decide whether or not he should fight Jameson. “I’m fine, I promise.”

Jameson forces me to start walking with him, out of the patio door and into the moonlight. There are a few bar patrons outside, so Jameson tows me off of the patio. We emerge into the alley where we almost had sex, and I shake off his grasp.

“Letgo,” I say, frowning at him. “What is wrong with you?”

He glowers at me, taking a step closer. He is huge; his physicality all sort of hits me at once. Jameson is just a big person. He could hurt me if he wanted to, really really badly.

He doesn’t though. He just gets too close, intimidating me with his size.

“You can’t come to my bar to meet strange men and think that I’m going to be fine with that,” he rumbles.

I take a breath. I can feel his eyes on my body, feel his weighted gaze, too hot in this dank little alley. I cross my arms to try to block his view a little.

“I should be able to do whatever I want to. See whomever I want to, wherever I want to. I don’t know if you remember this or not, butyoubroke up withme.”

He clenches his fists and leans towards me. “That’s not fair. You know I didn’t mean it like that.”

I cock my head. “What does that even mean?”

He shoves his hand through his hair. “I mean, I broke up with you because of your brother. It doesn’t mean that I don’t…”

He trails off. I put my hands on my hips.

“What, that you don’t have feelings for me? I thought I was just a fling. You seemed all too eager to throw that in my face before.”

Jameson glances away. “Yeah, well. I was trying to do us both a favor.”

I laugh. I can’t help it, it just bubbles up.

“Save it. Whatever you are trying to do or say here, it doesn’t matter.”

“It does when it’s happening in front of my face, at my bar!” he thunders.

I can’t help the next bit, which comes out so loud that it leaves me shaken. “I didn’t choose this, Jameson! You did! So live with it!”

“Emma— Emma, wait!” he tries.

But I’m not listening. I’ve had enough of Jameson and Asher and their bullshit.

Furious, I turn and fling myself down the alley, toward the parking lot. Tears blur my vision as I pull out my phone, searching for an Uber to take me out of this place.

10

Emma

I’m hanging out at my house, which is starting to feel less like a place where two roommates live and more like a solo spot. Evie is still paying the measly five hundred bucks a month that is her share of the rent, but I haven’t seen her in two weeks.

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