Page 71 of Embers of You
I look at Bailey, not wanting to ditch her again just because Jameson showed up. She looks behind us and her face that was smiling and light drops into a frown. “No, you go ahead, this place just got less fun.”
I turn to see what she’s looking at and see Wes standing at the bar. I can’t contain the laughter bursting out of me. “Maybe you two need to do something to clear the air.”
She looks at me deadpan. “The only thing I’m going to do is disconnect his engine so he can’t wake up the entire neighborhood.”
I don’t dare tell her I think she’s being a bit dramatic. I still think there’s more to that story than she’s saying, but my tongue feels heavy in my mouth and my body is reacting to the man standing in such close proximity.
“I think I’m going to head home anyway; I’m tired. Do you want a ride, or are you good?” she asks.
I should probably go home with her and turn in for the night. But Jameson’s hand is on my arm, and I lose all the reasons why I should go and decide to stay. Him and I end up on the dancefloor, but the line dancing is over and he pulls me against him so our bodies move together.
My arms drape around his shoulders as we sway and I feel myself sinking into him more. My walls are breaking down and I want to let him in even just a little more.
“I don’t want to get close to anyone again,” I murmur.
“Why not?” he asks gently.
“Because the people closest to me betrayed me.”
He leans back slightly to look at me. We aren’t moving anymore and his eyes search mine. I shouldn’t have said anything. The alcohol running through my veins is making me less reserved and I regret it. He doesn’t need to know what happened. Maybe my reaction was dramatic, maybe I’m ridiculous. It was a betrayal from my parents and one of my best friends, but telling him won’t change anything because it still happened and I still ran from it.
“Tell me what you mean, baby. Who hurt you?”
I shake my head. “It’s not what you think. Forget I said anything. Just dance with me.”
He doesn’t ask me anything else, just pulls me closer as we start swaying again. I close my eyes, blocking out everything else and just being here in this moment with him. He’s the only one I’m paying attention to. The only one I’m feeling. He might as well be the only other person in this whole place with me.
And when his lips find mine as we dance, I lose every other sense I have. His tongue finds mine and I’m completely lost. No one else exists around me anymore.
It’s just us.
CHAPTER 34
Jameson
Everything has been going perfectly lately. Ever
since the day Sutton came over that ended with me fucking her in the seat of the tractor, things have shifted between us. We text every day, and I’ve seen her a handful of times. Every time we talk, she asks about Ma and it’s only made me fall for her even more.
I still don’t know what it is that brought her here, but she’s alluded to something being the catalyst, she just hasn’t revealed what exactly it is. I want to know, because I want to help her through whatever it is, but I’ll never push. She’ll tell me when she’s ready.
Ma’s been sleeping a lot and I want to be optimistic that it means her body is trying to heal and give her energy. The reality is that I’m sure she’s slowing down as the disease progresses and I can’t even bear to think of the time she may have left. Of course she continues to act like everything is okay and that she’s fine.
She tries to get my dad and I to talk, and pushes us together in situations more, but it never ends how she wants. He barelysays anything to me and our relationship continues to be just as strained as always.
“Jameson, you’re up,” Dave calls out as soon as I enter the common area and I look at him, then everyone else, confused because I haven’t been involved in whatever they’re talking about.
“Up for what?”
“Embarrassing stories.”
“Why am I involved in this?” I just walked in here and now I’m regretting it.
“Good point, you just came down here, Parker you go.” Dave slaps the back of his hand against Parker’s shoulder.
“I’ve never been embarrassed.” He shrugs. “It’s a gift.”
I scoff.
