Page 67 of All That Glitters

“Because you know me.” He presses a hand over his heart. “I understand you’re upset. I did something wrong. I’m prepared to grovel and beg for forgiveness. But I can’t stomach you painting me as someone different because of one mistake.”

“People change,” I say, even though I know the explanation is as flimsy as a house of cards.

“We’ve walked through our entire lives together. How can you think that I’d suddenly turn on you and hurt you?”

I think about all the ways he’s taken care of me, before and after the internship. My chest pinches. This is why I didn’t want to have this conversation. It hurts too much. I decide to rip off the bandage.

“Because we kissed, and that ruined everything!” I shout. “We stopped being friends the moment your lips touched mine.”

“Why?” he demands. “Sure, things would have been a little different—”

“A little?” I scoff. “Everything would have changed. There would be expectations and arguments and resentment. You’d let me down and I’d end up hurt.”

“What makes you think that?” Jameson asks, his brow furrowed.

“It’s exactly what happened!” I throw the words at him. “I didn’t meet your expectations, so you punished me by taking something I wanted and breaking my heart in the process.”

Jameson’s eyes shine with tears. My heart shatters all over again.

“We kissed, and you got scared. You pushed me away, and I thought I’d lost you for good. My parents came to me about the internship on the day the application was due. I was hurting, and I made a stupid mistake. I’d give anything to go back and change so many things. Especially not telling you. I was terrified that it would be the nail in the coffin. And I was right in a way.” He meets my gaze as a tear slips out of his left eye. “That’s what happened, Goldie.”

I blink furiously to keep my tears at bay. I’m so sick of crying.

“I’m sorry for what I did,” he continues through his tears. “It was awful. There’s no way around that. But please, don’t throw everything we have away over this. I don’t want to lose you.”

There’s a physical pull deep within me toward him. I can’t give in, though. My mother’s words echo in my mind. If I let him in, and everything changes, then he’s bound to hurt me. Or I’ll hurt him. And everything will be so much worse.

“I told you, our friendship was ruined the night we kissed,” I say in a cold voice. “Even if I forgave you—what good would it do? You want something more than friendship. I don’t.”

Jameson’s dark gaze meets mine.

“I don’t believe you.”

Chapter thirty-two

Green Light

Jameson Sinclair

Frustration flashes like lightning in Marigold’s hazel eyes. My skin tingles in anticipation. While I don’t want to fight with her, this is better than the cold silence and biting remarks of the past few months.

“Unlike you,” she seethes, “I mean what I say.”

“That would hurt more if I didn’t have the distinct memory of you kissing me first.” I take a step forward. “Of you grabbing me and pulling me closer.”

Her skin flushes. I resist the urge to smirk. That wouldn’t help me right now.

“It was an in-the-moment thing.” She stutters over her words. “It didn’t mean anything.”

I continue to close the distance between us. Marigold stays frozen in place.

“If it didn’t mean anything, we wouldn’t be in this position,” I counter. “You said it yourself: the kiss ruined our friendship. Why did it have that much power, Goldie?”

She shakes her head, her red curls swaying.

“I—that’s not—”

Her breath catches as I slide both my hands beneath her jaw in one quick movement.