Page 5 of No Ordinary Love

"Sorry, Jerome," I muttered, feeling like I was fifteen again. "How was she?"

"Devastated."

I closed my eyes. I picked up my phone, and he shook his head. "What?

"You don't do this over the phone."

"Grandma is expecting me downstairs. I can't go to South of Broad and make it back here in time to greet our guests."

Jerome took a deep breath. "In that case, you don't have anything to say to Amara. Just let her go." He looked at the gardens, where Kath was talking loudly and excitedly. "In any case, it sounds like you've made up your mind."

"I haven't," I told him sincerely.

He shrugged. "Let me rephrase that. She heard your doubts and made up your mind for you. She's intelligent, kind, and wonderful—and she knows she deserves a man who truly lovesher, not someone still hung up on a spoiled girl he fell for when they were both kids. I thought you'd grown up, since Miss Kath certainly hasn't, but it seems you're still not mature enough for a woman like the Professor."

With that barb, Jerome left me holding my phone, contemplating how to handle where I was.

I called Amara and was surprised when she picked up.

"Lucas."

"Amara, where are you?"

"I'm at Basil's place. I'm going to stay here until I figure out what to do next."

It was surreal how we were ending without my doing anything or saying anything to her.

"Don't you think we should talk first?"

"Of course. Do you love Kath, Lucas?"

I didn't reply. It would be cruel to answer that question honestly.

"Do you love me?"

"I care so much about you," I whispered, feeling inadequate. I had been so sure of Amara and me, and now I wasn't. How did one afternoon change everything so drastically?

"There, we talked. I…I can't afford to pay the mortgage on the townhouse on my own and—"

"Don't worry about that," I cut in.

Were we doing this? Was I ending a two-year relationship, one that gave me so much over the phone? Was that the kind of asshole I was?

"I have to," she said softly.

Yeah, she had to. She wasn't independently wealthy. She earned a living. A good one, but I knew she'd sunk all her savings into her half of the down payment for the townhouse. I'd wanted to buy the place outright, but she'd wanted to own half. In my world, women didn't fight to pay, and the novelty of it had beenjust another way in which she cared for me. She didn't expect things from me. Amara gave more than she took.

"We're not done talking, Amara." No, I couldn't just let this go. Not over a conversation she overheard.

Jackass, you just told her you loved Kath, and you only care about her.

"Yes, we are," she murmured. "I'm heartbroken, Lucas. I'm hurting. Talking about this will only make it worse."

I could hear her agony and revolted against it. No. I didn't want this precious woman, this smiling, happy lover of mine, to feel any distress; she only deserved tenderness. In our two years together, we'd hardly argued and never fought, and that wasn't because she gave in every time; hell no, it was because she made us understand each other's perspective. She always came to me with curiosity about why I wanted to do something and why it was important to me. Was I prepared to lose this for the turbulence that was Kath? That relationship was all fire and ice. We fought, we made up. It was hate sex and makeup fucking. It was angry words and tender caresses. It was…all-consuming.

"I'm so sorry you heard what you did."

"I'm not," she replied, and I was once again reminded of her strength.

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