The Inheritance Games Chapter Rewrites

Flip The Disk (Ch. 80 of THL)

Jameson wasn't patient. He didn't wait. He lived with his foot on the gas. "You want to figure it out." I stared at him, feeling his stare on me. "Together."

"You don't have to say anything." Jameson stood. I could still feel the ghost of his touch on the inside of my arm. I could see the vein in my wrist and feel my heart pumping. "You don't have to kiss me now. You don't have to love me now, Heiress. But when you're ready..." He brought his hand to the side of my face. I leaned into it. His breath went ragged, and then he pulled his hand back and nodded to the disk in my hand. "When you're ready, if you're ever re-"

Before he could say anything more, I was pulling him back down by the arm he withdrew and crashing my lips into his. I heard the gasp of surprise and felt him stiffen against me. For a long moment, he didn't do anything, just staying unnervingly still, and suddenly my confidence wavered. But I didn't dare open my eyes even though I wanted to pull away in shame. Did I read him wrong? But then, as if he heard my thoughts, Jameson sprang to life.

His free hand cupped my cheek and he deepened the kiss as he moved to sit down again at the edge of the bed. I slowly let go of his arm, trailing my hand up his shoulder and burying it into his soft hair. A blissful sigh escaped me. He smiled against my lips. I missed this. Us.

He pulled away first and peppered a few kisses over my cheeks and nose before leaning back, taking me in again. "Well, I was going to say that if you're ever ready to choose, just flip that disk...unless I misunderstood..."

Jameson looked at me warily but I recognized the spark of hope that shone in his eyes. Although those green eyes of his hid so many secrets, they were also his biggest giveaway. It was strange to hear him so vulnerable, walls down and sounding raw without pretense.

I shook my head. "No. You didn't. I want this. Us." I paused for a moment, gathering my courage. This is it. "I like what we have. I want to be an us, I-I mean, to continue being an us. Sorry, I-" I cut myself off and exhaled. My hand squeezed that little disk hard. Come on Avery, you can do this. You are A Very Risky Gamble. Just tell him. You want this, you want him. Tell him you like him, too.

With Jameson still looking at me so hopefully, the words on the tip of my tongue, I finally blurted it out, "I like you, Jameson!"

His face lit up then, with the brightest, most devastating Jameson Winchester Hawthorne smile I had ever seen and it was beautiful. His teeth were showing, it was still crooked and it was so wide that it almost looked like it was about to split his face but I loved it so much that it stole my breath. This was the happiest I'd ever seen him; it felt genuine, sincere. My heart was suddenly beating at a thousand miles per hour like I was on the motorcycle again, holding his waist as the wind tore at us at high speeds.

He moved aside the blanket and scooped me up gently into his lap, cradling my waist as he kissed me this time with that same dizzying fervor like every other time before. I savored it, every last second. It felt like coming home. But just as quickly, he broke the kiss and left me breathless again. He cupped my cheek and stroked it tenderly. "I like you too, Heiress. But are you sure? I don't want you feeling forced."

I looked at him intently and nodded firmly, "Yes, I'm absolutely certain." Then, feeling a bit bashful, I say the last bit quieter, "I want you to be my Jamie."

He smiled again, a smaller one this time, almost shy. "I like that; your Jamie."

I grinned and he did too. Then, he took my other hand holding the disk and flipped over, prying my fingers open slowly. He spoke up, "I never finished what I was going to say, but even though I have my answer... Heads, I kiss you. Tails, you kiss me. And... either way, it means something ." At that last part, his voice went very soft. He looked at me with a look and I knew what he wanted me to do. So I flipped the disk. "Tails." I looked up from the disk. "I guess that means I kiss yo-" I didn't get to finish before his lips were pressed firmly against mine again. I smiled.

This was how it was going to be now; me and him. No going back. Heads or tails; either way it means something. I could get used to that.