Page 11 of No Ordinary Love

"I know how you feel about them," she grinned, "But this will be a nice way for us to…get to know one another again."

I hesitated, but the truth was, I didn't have a reason to say no. Amara was gone, and maybe Kath was the one who had always been meant for me. Maybe this was our second chance. But fuck, if it didn't make me feel like an asshole, one who used Amara so I could get over Kath, and the minute my ex was available, I dropped my live-in girlfriend like she meant nothing to me.

"Alright, send the details to Diedra," I agreed, my voice firm, though there was still a part of me that wasn't sure.

"The Magnolia Ball—"

I groaned. The Magnolia Ball was held annually at the Charleston Preservation Society Mansion. It was dedicated to raising funds for The Lowcountry Heritage Foundation, a local non-profit focused on preserving and restoring Charleston's historic buildings and landmarks as well as supporting educational programs for underprivileged youth. LPC donated generously since my grandmother was on the board of the foundation and LPC.

"It'll be fun. I promise." She beamed at me, a smile I hadn't seen directed toward me in years and leaned in to press a kiss to my cheek.

"I'm sure." I could never say no to Kath, could I? It looked like, even after all these years, that hadn't changed.

Did I ever turn Amara down when she asked me to go somewhere? Yes, I did, and she also told me when she couldn't make some event or party or just didn't feel like going. I never took offense, and she never pressured me, either. Was that because we didn't care enough for each other? Or was it simply that we were in a relationship where there wasn't a lot of forcing one to do something they didn't like to do?

"You won't regret it, Lucas," she murmured, her breath warm against my skin.

As she left my office, the door clicking shut behind her, I leaned back in my chair again, staring out at the Charleston skyline. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the city, and for a moment, I let myself believe that I was doing the right thing.

But deep down, in a place I didn't want to acknowledge, I knew that I was walking into troubled waters.

I couldn't shake the feeling that I was making a deal with the devil, one that could cost me more than I had already lost. Because Ihadlost Amara, I lost that beautiful relationship that made me smile. I wouldn't be going home to her anymore. She wouldn't be waiting, listening to a seminar while she cooked with a glass of wine in hand. She wouldn't wrap herself around me at night after we made love; after she gave me in bed more than I gave her, always. She wouldn't whisper how much she loved me when I slid inside her, feeling that everything in my world was right.

I hung my head in shame because I knew I had let Amara down. She'd been honest, always. Even now, she told me that I hurt her and she still felt pain. She didn't pretend she was fine. She didn't lie. She didn't obfuscate. She spoke her truth.

I wish I had told her it wasn't just guilt I felt—I was hurting too, and I missed her. But it seemed so small and trivial compared to her anguish, the one I could hear in her voice and see on her face. And what right did I have to share that with Amara? I had no business asking her to see my bruises, self-inflicted ones because when she asked me if I loved her, I hadn't been able to open my heart—instead, I'd fallen back on being a gentleman, saying I didn't want to hurt her; but ultimately did exactly that with a viciousness that she'd never forgive and I'd never be able to make up for.

It's a good thing then, Lucas because that relationship is over. You're moving on with Kath now.

That would be all good and easy if it wasn't Amara I thought about before I fell asleep, wanting her and woke up wondering how she was.

Chapter 5

Amara

Ididn't like going to parties. It wasn't my thing. But I'd acquired enough clothes to go to some since Lucas and I started dating. I wasn't like Patsy, Shelby, or Kath, whoneverrepeated an outfit because,duh, I wasn't independently wealthy—but I had nice enough dresses so I didn't look like a dog.

It was my first time at the Magnolia Ball and I was reluctantly impressed. The Charleston Preservation Society Mansion was lit up like a jewel, its grand façade glowing under the soft, warm light of chandeliers that spilled out from every window. The gardens, lined with ancient magnolia trees, were filled with the scent of blooming flowers and the soft murmur of conversations drifting through the air. Twinkling lights hung from the branches, casting a romantic glow over the cobblestone pathways where elegantly dressed couples strolled, their laughter mingling with the soft strains of a string quartet playing in the background.

I wouldn't have come, considering how heartsick I still was, but when the Dean of Graduate Studies, Bobby Gantz, asked me, I couldn't turn him down. He'd lost his wife to cancer a year ago, and this was the first time he was going to something where she wouldn't be his plus one. So, I said yes. Foolishly! Stupidly! Because as soon as I stepped into the freaking ballroom at the Charleston Preservation Society Mansion, I saw Lucas with Kath. He'd moved on. I suspected he'd already done that though I didn't need to witness it. I remembered the first time we'd gone out as a couple and he'd introduced me to everyone as his girlfriend. It looked like he was doing the same with Kath, announcing her new status in his life publicly to Charleston society.

Objectively, they looked good together. Subjectively, to me, it was soul crushing.

They looked like an excellent match, made in heaven. Lucas, with his dark, rugged face and body that looked like it was made for whatever he wore, including the tuxedo he was in; and Kath with her blonde hair coiffed to perfection, her body draped in fire-engine red silk. Two beautiful, wealthy people bringing together years of pedigree, family money and influence; two famous last names becoming one. Patsy had done that when she became a Covington, and now Kath would do the same.

"Darlin'." Bobby patted my hand, the one clutching his forearm. "You had to see him sometime."

I swallowed and nodded, praying and hoping that I wouldn't start crying. The Magnolia Ball happened every year but Lucas hadn't invited me once to go with him. He'd said he hated such events, but he was here now, withKath. But then, so was I. My date, however, was more than twice my age at sixty—and thought of me as his protégé and not a love interest. He was a father figure to me, and Lucas knew that, as did everyone else at work. So, I wasn't showing up with a handsome date thefirst time I saw my ex since we broke up, while he was with a smoldering beauty who he'd always been in love with.

I wasn't a petty person, and I didn't want to become jealous. But that wasn't what I was feeling—not toward Kath. I loved Lucas enough to want him happy with the woman he truly loved. I was just sad that I wasn't that woman, sad that I'd been the rebound, the one he leaned on to feel whole again, the one who'd mended his heart so he could give it back to the person who'd broken it in the first place.

Lucas had told me all about Kath and how devastated he'd been when she left him. I understood that pain now because since he left me, my own heart was so fucking broken it felt like it was barely beating, barely even there.

I looked away, focused instead on the mansion, which was a masterpiece of Southern opulence. The grand ballroom was a vision of understated elegance. Tall windows draped in rich velvet overlooked the gardens, while crystal chandeliers hung from high ceilings, their light reflecting off the polished marble floors. The tables were dressed in crisp white linens, adorned with centerpieces of magnolia blossoms and silver candelabras that sparkled with candlelight.

As I sipped my champagne, the soft bubbles tickling my nose, I decided to enjoy the evening and not mope around. There was a good chance, considering the number of people at the ball, Lucas and I would not cross paths. I deserved to live my life regardless of the state of my emotions, and this was the kind of evening designed to do that. But for my eyes surreptitiously seeking out Lucas and Kath, which was not healthy, the party seemed plucked from a dream—timeless and elegant. For a moment, I allowed myself to get lost in it, letting the ambiance lift my spirits as I moved through the crowd, grateful for the distraction of the people Bobby introduced me to.

My good spirits didn't last long.

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