Jameson laughed, low and deadly as he gestured between us. “What, are you two teaming up now?” he asked. “Did he raise my offer, Harper? How much?”
Lleyton glanced at me in confusion, and a sob escaped from my chest as I tore my arm from Jameson’s hold. “Don’t you fucking touch me,” I hissed.
“Harper?” Lleyton’s voice called after me as I darted for the stairs. I didn’t listen to what he had to say. The only thing I could do was get away from the prying eyes around us, so I could cry out my humiliation alone.
Chapter Twelve
“Harper?” Jameson’s voice sounded from the other side of the bathroom door again.
I didn’t answer. I was curled onto the shower floor, letting the water wash over me in hopes it would make me feel clean again.
“Please tell me you’re alright at least,” his voice cracked. “I’ll break the door if you don’t.”
“I’m fine,” I called out. “Please just leave me alone.”
Silence fell between us, but I knew he hadn’t left. I could almost picture him there, on the other side of the door, wondering what to say.
I wanted to leave. And if there wasn’t a room full of people downstairs to witness it, I would have.
In the morning, I would have to make a decision. I knew Jameson was drunk, and he hadn’t meant what he said. It was his emotion getting the best of him. But his words hurt me. And for the first time since he’d brought me here, he treated me as though I were nothing more than a whore.
Tears streamed down my face and I sobbed. I still had twelve more days of this to get through. Would I ever be able to manage? I didn’t know.
***
I woke to the sound of a light rapping at the door.
“Jameson?” Julia called out from the other side. “Is it safe for me to come in?”
I glanced over at the sofa to see Jameson’s confused expression, followed by a moment of panic. He stumbled quickly across the room and stubbed his toe on the bed frame before falling in beside me.
“What are you doing?” I squeaked.
He answered by burrowing under the covers and pulling me against him.
“Come in, mom,”
His warm body pressed against mine, nothing but his boxer briefs and a silk cami separating us. I tried to ignore the way my body responded as he wrapped his arm around my waist and held me against him as though I might bolt at any moment.
The door swung open and Julia appeared, a worried expression on her face.
“Is everything okay between you two?” she asked.
Jameson tensed against me, squeezing me a little tighter in response. I couldn’t breathe he was holding me so snug. I reached over and clasped his hand in mine to let him know I wasn’t going to rat him out.
“Everything’s fine.” I yawned. “It was a lovely party last night.”
“Yes, it was,” Julia agreed, narrowing her gaze on Jameson. “Until Lleyton told me that you mistreated Harper.”
“Of course he did.” Jameson grunted. “Any opportunity to screw me over.”
“This isn’t about Lleyton,” Julia scolded. “I want to know what happened last night, Jameson. I did not raise you to mistreat women. And Harper, I’d want you to tell me if he were.”
Jameson was quiet, taking his mother’s criticism without any defense. And when I looked up into his dark eyes, I saw that they were filled with guilt. So I took it upon myself to remedy the situation.
“Julia, we just had a small misunderstanding,” I said. “It was silly of me. But… I got jealous over Katherine, and I said some foolish things that I shouldn’t have. Jameson didn’t do anything wrong.”
The words surprised me when I said them, and it seemed I wouldn’t be thinking over what I was going to do today after all. I’d just made the decision myself. Julia glanced between me and Jameson for another moment with the weight of a mother’s uncertain gaze before she finally relented.
“Okay,” she said softly. “I’m sorry for butting in, I just want to make sure that everything’s alright.”
“Everything’s great.” I mustered up a smile. “Thank you so much for allowing me to come and spend the holidays with you, it’s been… really nice.”