Page 54 of Forbidden Bond

My look turns into one of disbelief.

“No, seriously. I think it might be good for you. If I’m being honest, I’ve never seen you happier than when you were with him.”

“I wasn’t with him,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Alright, when you worked for him, then. You were happy and calmer, you found a sense of purpose. I think you need that again.”

I don’t say anything for several seconds, when I do, my voice is low and cold.

“He doesn’t want to see me.”

Jameson tilts his head to the side. “And you know that how?”

“Because I sent him a text asking to talk and he said no.”

I’m still pissed about that. I sent it a few days ago in a moment of weakness. A part of me wants to blame the wine I had drank. But there’s the other part of me that can’t deny that I sent it because I was thinking about him and because I missed him. When he told me he wasn’t interested, it had hurt, more than he’ll ever know.

That text is officially ranked very high on the list of the most embarrassing things I’ve ever done in my life. I wonder what Topher thinks of me now. Probably that I’m pathetic, like Jameson does. Something painful thuds in my chest.

“Okay, so he’s going to need a little more convincing. It would be much better if you did it in person.”

My eyes narrow onto his face. “What are you getting at?”

“I happen to know exactly where D’Angelo will be tonight. There’s a party at the Playhouse. Topher knows the guy throwing it and I’ve got an invite.”

“I thought you said you didn’t party anymore,” I say dryly.

“I said I wasn’t going to be partying as hard anymore. I’m a twenty-three-year-old man, Katherine, you can’t expect me not to go out at all.”

“Alright. Have fun at your party, then,” I tell him, waving him off.

“You’re coming with me,” he states.

“No, I’m not. Every single time you’ve dragged me out, I’ve ended up deeply regretting it. No more.”

“I just want you to talk to D’Angelo. I promise we won’t get into any trouble.”

“There’s no need.”

“But there is. You obviously feel bad about how things went down between you two. So even if you’re not going to get back together or whatever, the least you can do is have a conversation. Find closure so you can move on.”

“Jameson,” I say softly, looking into his determined green eyes. “Topher and I, it’s never going to happen. It can’t.”

“We’ll see.”

* * *

The lights in the club are dim as Jameson and I walk in. I finger the sleeve of my dress, torn between walking inside and running away. Like he can sense it, Jameson places his hand on the small of my back, guiding me forward.

“You said you would do this,” he mutters.

“One of these days, we’re going to have to conduct a study into your irritating ability to convince me to do things I don’t want to.”

He nods once, looking proud of himself. “Let me know how it goes.”

We step into a room that’s filled with bodies. The smell of alcohol and sweat clings to the air. The music is so loud my eardrums hurt. I get on my toes to talk to Jameson.

“I’m never going to find him in here!”

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