Page 47 of Last First Kiss

“You’re a liar and a cheater.”

“Jordan, I didn’t cheat.”

“Another lie.”

Jamie inches even closer. His grin is peak levels of teenage Jamie. “Is it my fault you make poor choices? Who picksBowseras their racer?” He leans in. “You have unreal confidence in your skills. Or you’re overcompensating.”

Jordan folds his arms. “Are you psychoanalyzing me? Based off myMario Kartcharacter?”

“And if I am?” A dare flashes loud and neon bright in Jamie’s eyes.

Jordan almost falls for the trick. Then, he remembers a moment like this. In a basement bedroom. He knows what happened because of it.

He also knows what happened in December.

His eyes lower to the iPad. Strained, he says, “Back to Amy.”

The proximity of their bodies means Jordan feels it when Jamie shrugs. “I didn’t talk about Amy because…” Jamie trails off again.

Jordan pretends to care about the list on his tablet.

“She’s from a different part of my life,” Jamie eventually finishes.

“Meaning?”

Another beat.

Jordan peeks up through his eyelashes. Jamie’s mouth puckers as he thinks. It’s a little too close to how he looks right beforehe kisses. God, is Jordan ever not going to care about this man’s mouth?

Jamie sighs. “My life was different before I met Denz.”

Jordan doesn’t know much about Jamie’s history other than what he admitted during their summers together. Which wasn’t much. As friendly and goofy as he is, Jamie’s also fiercely private. He doesn’t often talk about his home life. Being from a wealthy family. His parents.

Jordan has met them. Twice, maybe? Not enough to know them.

“Amy’s always lived inthat partof my life,” Jamie says. “We’ve always been there for each other.”

There’s a softness behind his eyes as he studies Amy and Sam. Jordan turns his head to look. They’re near the peach tree, laughing. She playfully smacks his chest. He threads windswept pieces of hair behind her ear.

Jordan recognizes the easiness between them. He appreciates it. He’s not sure if his love story will ever look like that. If he can imagine it being that natural with someone else. But, somewhere deep in his bones, he hopes so.

For his mom’s sake, of course.

“My friendship with Amy has never been like the one I have with Denz,” Jamie confesses. “Or me and—”

He pauses again. Jordan arches an eyebrow.

Jamie averts his gaze. “She gets things about my life no one else does.”

Jordan doesn’t like the sensation inside him. It’s like a hand squeezing his stomach.

“It’s complicated,” Jamie says.

A question tickles the roof of Jordan’s mouth. He swallows it when Sam and Amy draw closer.

Instantly, he switches Planner Mode back on. “Well? Should I confirm with Lilly this is where you’re getting married?”

Sam regards their surroundings one more time. “We’re not sure.” By Amy’s wince, the “we” in that sentence is doing a lotof heavy lifting. “Having the ceremonyandthe reception in the same place seems… chaotic?”