The Inheritance Games Chapter Rewrites

In Our Feelings (Ch. 54 of THL)

I took a step toward him. Then another. And another.

"You can feel it, too, can't you?" Jameson said as I closed the space between us.

I could feel it. The chase was gaining momentum. The hunt was closing in. Eventually, we'd figure out what the dates on the rings meant. We were barreling forward. Jameson and me.

I pushed him up against the closest wall. I could see Toby's writing all around him, but I didn't want to think about Toby, who'd told me to stop looking.

I didn't want to think about anything, so I kissed the boy. This time it wasn't rough or frantic. It was gentle and slow and terrifying and perfect. And for once in my life, I didn't feel alone.

Eventually, he pulled back for air and my feet dropped to the carpet. But Jameson didn't let go of my waist and pulled me back into him so I looped my arms around his neck as he leaned down.

"Hi," he whispered. He was definitely grinning.

"Hi," I said back. For some reason, I giggled. Jameson huffed amusedly and soon we were both laughing as if we were sharing an inside joke. For the first time in a while, my heart felt light even after Toby's message felt like a knife to the gut.

Somehow, even though Jameson was laser-focused on the mystery, he always knew what I needed. The perfect distraction. But maybe, I just needed him. He was always there. It felt like I've known him a lifetime, as if I always did. I was suddenly filled with a strong sense of yearning. With the laughter dying down, I told him how I felt.

"I like you." There was a shift in the air but it didn't feel heavy.

Then he said the words. "I like you, too." His tone was soft, happy. I was, too. He nuzzled his nose against mine, tickling lightly as he did it over and over again. But I wasn't going to wait; I kissed him again. It felt like fireworks, an explosion of color and it was brilliant. He cupped the back of my neck and he twisted his finger around a lock of my hair.

When we parted, I felt myself grinning stupidly, this big smile I couldn't stop but I didn't care. For now, I wasn't an heiress and he wasn't a Hawthorne. We were just Avery and Jameson; a regular teenage girl and a regular teenage boy admitting we like each other in a place we shouldn't be, doing regular teenager things. Being normal wasn't bad either.