Page 25 of No Ordinary Love

I quirked an eyebrow. "How do you think she did that?"

Hugh shook his head. "She lost you, son. Can't you see how that messed with her? Man up, Lucas, and claim her. Don't let Kath down. Don't let the family down."

He walked out without waiting to hear from me.

I sank back into my chair.

Kath had always been the easy choice, the expected choice. We had history. She knew my family knew the world we moved in. It had always seemed inevitable that we'd end up together.

The truth? The Kath I was with now wasn't the same girl I'd fallen for years ago. Or maybe she was, and I just hadn't seen it back then. Now I was older, hopefully wiser, and what I saw didn't fill me with the kind of certainty I needed to make a commitment like marriage.

Fuck, if I was honest with myself, it didn't fill me with anything but dread.

I ran a hand through my hair as I tried to shake off the frustration. The problem wasn't just Kath. It waseverything. It was the fact that no matter how hard I tried to convince myself otherwise, I couldn't get Amara out of my head. Even after everything—even after I'd hurt her more times than I could count—she was still there, a constant presence in the back of my mind.

I didn't know if I was in love with her. That was the part that fucked me up the most. I'd told myself that what we had was over, that it was better this way. But every time I saw her, every time I thought about her, that confidence slipped. I didn't just want her back—I wanted to be the man she deserved, the man who wouldn't fuck it all up again. But I couldn't be that man if I was still tethered to Kath, to a relationship that had become nothing but an obligation.

The door to my office opened, and Kath stepped in. "Hey, you."

She crossed the room to me, her tone light, trying to brush away the tension. "I thought we could grab lunch today. Maybe go over some of the details for the meeting with Emeril Restaurants next week?"

I looked at her, really looked at her. We used to be close. I didn't want to hurt her.

You didn't want to hurt Amara either; how did that work out for you?

"Your father was here."

Her smile faltered, but she recovered quickly, stepping closer to me, her hand reaching for mine. "Lucas, I told him not to talk to you about—"

"He and Mama are expecting us to be engaged in a couple of months. Did you know that?"

I could see she did because she flushed and looked guilty as hell for an instant before she reeled it in and let the socialite take over. She straightened and held her chin up.

"And what's wrong with that? We're together, aren't we?"

"Are we?" I asked baffled.

"Just because we haven't slept together doesn't mean we're not together. We've spent most of our evenings together and…Lucas, you love me, and I love you."

I pulled my hand away.

I pushed my chair back and got up. I walked to the wall-to-ceiling windows and looked out at the charming city that I called home.

"You need to talk to your father. I told you I needed time, and you keep pushing me, trying to force feelings that aren't there."

Kath ran up to me and yanked my arm so I'd face her. Her eyes widened, and for the first time, I saw a crack in her calm and confident,I have you exactly where I want you, Lucasfaçade. "Sweetie, I'm not trying to force anything—"

"Yes, you are," I cut her off, my voice harder than I intended. "You know damn well what you're doing. You're playing on our history, on our families, to push me into a relationship I'm not ready for. And I'm not fuckin' having it."

She looked at me, really saw me, and panic rose in her eyes. "But Lucas, we belong together. You know that. We've always been meant to be."

I shook my head, the anger simmering just below the surface. "I won't be coerced, Kath, so ask your father to back the fuck off, and do not ask my mother totalkto me either. She's done plenty of that, and it hasn't moved me closer to you; in fact, it's done the opposite."

Her bottom lip quivered. "You're just confused. I know you're still hurting because of Mercer. I think that's why you're not thinking clearly. Once you have had some time—"

"Stop," I said, my voice like ice. "I'm not confused, Kath. I'm not jumping back into somethin' just because it's easy or because it's what everyone expects."

Her face crumpled, tears spilling over. "Lucas, I love you."

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