Page 113 of Love Unspoken

LUCAS

As soon as Amara and Jax sat at our table, the air thickened with a tension that had nothing to do with the humidity outside.

The Blind Tiger Pub had always been one of my favorite spots—rustic and unpretentious. But tonight, it felt like a damn pressure cooker, with everyone trying to act like this wasn't the most awkward situation imaginable. Fucking Shelby, always trying to stir up trouble—but in this case, I was glad she'd put her foot into it. I wanted Amara in a group of people; not alone with Jax. They were on a date, and I hated knowing that.

I was turning into one of those dog-in-the-manger assholes. I didn't want her, but I couldn't let anyone else have her either.

I also couldn't take my eyes off Amara. She looked incredible. That dress she wore at the ball had nothing on the simple black one she had on tonight, hugging her curves just enough to make my chest tighten. Her dark hair was loose, cascading over her shoulders, and the way she laughed—like she was genuinely happy like she had no reason in the world to be hurting—made my gut twist.

Jax was smooth and confident, his arm draped casually over the back of Amara's chair, a clear signal of their relationship status to anyone who was paying attention, which I was. He leaned in close, whispering something that made her laugh again, and I felt a surge of jealousy or regret, or maybe both.

It wasn't fair. I was the one who had ended things, who had chosen to walk away. But seeing her with Jax, so comfortable, so damned effortless, made me question every decision I'd made since.

Kath was beside me, stiffening as she watched my gaze drift toward Amara. I knew she felt it—my attention slipping through her fingers like sand. She'd been fighting to pull me back ever since we reconnected, and tonight, I could once again feel her fear, the way she was starting to realize that maybe this wasn't as simple as she thought—as simple as I had.

"It's like we're all one big, happy family," Shelby chimed in, her smile sharp as a blade.

Her tone was light, but the meaning beneath it was anything but. She was testing me, testing Amara, pushing to see who would crack first. She'd always been like that—playing these games, making sure everyone knew she was the one in control, just like our mother.

"Nothing like a small town masquerading like a big city to keep life interesting." I kept my voice flat, not bothering to hide the edge in my words.

Amara's eyes met mine just for a second before she turned back to Jax. She didn't show her feelings. She was skilled at keeping her emotions in check, never letting anyone see how much things truly bothered her. It used to drive me crazy how calm she could be, how she'd let me spiral and rant while she just sat there, waiting for me to come back down. Now, watching her do it with Jax, I hated how much it reminded me of what I'd lost.

Flynn, who could never let an opportunity to be an asshole slip by, leaned forward, his gaze sliding over Amara in a way that made my fists clench under the table. "Amara, how did you snag our man here?" His tone was too friendly, too interested, too insulting.

"Rena introduced us," Amara threw at him.

"Rena Covington?" Flynn was shocked.

"Is there any other Rena you know?" Jax taunted as he took Amara's hand in his and kissed her knuckles. "At the Magnolia Ball. Best evening of my life."

Son of a bitch!

She'd moved on. I thought I'd wanted this, her to be happy, but I hadn't expected it to hurt quite so much. Was she fucking him? I couldn't get intimate with Kath, and Amara was sleeping with Jax. Didn't she know he was a complete man whore?

"I can't believe it," Flynn sounded incredulous. "I…I thought Rena was team Kath all the way."

"What the hell does that mean?" Jax growled.

"Flynn," I warned, but he just grinned, that slick, obnoxious smirk that always made me want to rearrange his face. He'd been like this ever since we were kids—solicitous, but in a way that made you feel like you needed to wash your hands after shaking his.

Amara didn't flinch, didn't even blink. "What do you mean, Team Kath?" she asked smoothly, taking a sip of her drink.

Before Flynn could speak, his wife stepped in, preventing him from further shoving his foot in his mouth. "Jax, Mama mentioned that you're interested in my Eat Right charity."

It wasn't her charity, but Shelby liked to pretend. It was actually run by some very hardworking and genuinely caring people who were funded by Covington money, which I controlled. Shelby was a figurehead in the truest sense.

"I hear they're doing good work." Jax picked up his wine and toasted. "To friends, old and new."

He looked at Amara intently when he said new. She blushed, and I wanted to kill someone.

"Amara," Flynn slurred, "I met a couple of students of yours. They think you're hot as fuck. How do you get them to learn anything in the class when they're watching you?"

"Man, do you not have a filter?" Jax muttered.

Flynn sneered. "Why are you getting so defensive? I'm just sayin'…."

Before I could just knock him out senselessly, Amara spoke calmly and politely, using her professor-to-student tone.