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Jackson slips his hands in his pockets. It’s his signature move when he’s trying not to fidget. “This isn’t about you, Selene. I didn’t expect you to be so upset about me bringing a date to this event, especially when it’s never been an issue before. You’ve brought plenty of dates to events in the past.”
She throws her hands in the air. “There was always a reason and most of the time it had to do with business! You were never serious about any of them before!”
“That’s unfair.”
“Is it really? Before tonight, you have never brought a woman to an event that I’ve been present at. Especially not one hosted in a Mills Hotel. Not once in the past decade. And over the past three months, you’ve been seen everywhere with this woman! And you’re flying her all over the country! What are you doing?”
“I’m introducing her to new clients. You’re the one who suggested I bring her on board as a potential client for sponsorship.”
“I suggested your team bring her on board. I didn’t think you would make her your personal project. How much longer is this going to go on? Have you even told her about us?”
“She’s aware that we were involved in the past.”
Selene’s eyes go wide. “In the past?”
“We haven’t been together in months.”
“Because of her!”
“Last time we agreed that this should stop.” He motions between them.
“I thought you meant while we were starting up Teamology. How much longer are you planning to be with her?”
“Since when do you act like a jealous girlfriend?”
“I am a jealous girlfriend!” she whispers angrily.
Jackson recoils, his expression reflecting his shock. “We have never had a label, Selene. You turned me down, not the other way around.”
She throws her hands in the air. “Because you asked me to marry you for the wrong reasons. We weren’t even dating at the time! You were emotional and looking for a lifeline. I wanted to be it, but for the right reasons, not because you didn’t know how to move on after your parents died. I thought if I waited long enough, you would ask again when the time was right.”
He staggers back a step, as if her words are a physical blow he didn’t expect. “Why would you allow me to believe that you were fine with casual when you weren’t?” His tone softens, and his voice is thick with emotion as he continues, “You never once told me that you wanted more from me. Why wouldn’t you say something? Why keep me in the dark about the way you felt?”
“I thought we would evolve naturally. I thought you would see that we were meant to be together, and you just had the timing wrong, Jackson.” She takes a cautious step forward. “I honestly believed you just meant it as a temporary break. Nothing seemed like it had changed until that London woman came into the picture.”
“I had no idea, Selene.” He runs a rough hand through his hair. “I don’t know how I didn’t see this. I didn’t realize it was me you were waiting on.” He gives her an imploring look. “I’m with London now.”
“I didn’t want to push for something you weren’t ready to deal with.” She puts a hand on his chest and looks up at him.
I slap a palm over my mouth to stop my gasp from escaping. Everything Jackson has told me over the past several months—his failed marriage proposal, failed relationships because he refused to open up and let people in, all of it makes sense. The woman he proposed to is the same woman he’s had a friends with benefits relationship with for who knows how long. And to Selene, I’m just a placeholder. I’m both devasted and angry, because Jackson has unwittingly put me in the role of the other woman in Selene’s eyes, and apparently in the eyes of a lot of other people here. Something I never wanted to be.
I back up a step, needing to escape. I hit the back of my head on a wall sconce and hiss in pain. They’re at a stupid height.
Both Jackson and Selene turn in my direction.
“London?” Jackson takes a step toward me.
I watch Selene’s expression shift from hurt to anger.
“Don’t.” I point a finger at Jackson. “Stay away from me.”
He raises both hands, as if he’s trying to calm a cornered animal. Which is very much how I feel.
“London, I can explain.”
“Explain? You lied to me.”
He shakes his head, taking another step toward me and away from Selene. The way her expression crumbles cracks my already aching heart.
“I didn’t lie,” he says softly. “I told you I’d proposed before.”
I swallow down the bile rising in my throat. “Yet you very consciously omitted the fact that the woman you proposed to is the same one you’ve had a long-standing relationship with. Regardless of whether you put an actual label on it, Jackson, that’s exactly what it was. How convenient that your lack of label worked to your advantage when I came along. You made me the other woman.” I turn to Selene. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea about the extent of your history.”
