Page 68 of Beneath the Stars (Sugarlake 1)

“What’d you say, sweetheart?”

I glance at him. “I think you heard me.”

“Oh, I did. But I need you to repeat it because I swear you just told me Chase was back.”

“Yep, you heard me alright.”

I peek another look at him, gauging his reaction. Losing Chase was hard on him, too. I’ve always felt a massive amount of guilt over the way that friendship ended. After all, Chase didn’t do him wrong.

His face is serious, frown lines marring his otherwise perfect features. “Has he been bothering you?”

I force out a laugh. “What? No.”

“So, you haven’t seen him?”

“I have,” I say slowly.

“Sweetheart, I’m really trying to keep my patience here, but you’re not making it very easy with your cryptic answers.”

I swallow down the rest of my nerves, feeling them settle in the bottom of my belly. “You know how I told you Tiny Dancers is havin’ a reno done? Well... she hired Sam’s construction company and Chase is the lead on it.”

“He’s working with you?”

I cringe. “Not with me. Just... around me.”

“Big damn difference, Lee.” His arms cross over his chest.

“Look. I didn’t ask for this, alright? But it’s fine. He’s different than he used to be.” Our night at the lake drops in my mind unbidden. I smother the grin that wants to break free when I think about it. The peace I felt. The comfort he gave. Dang it. I don’t want to smile when I think of Chase.

Jax’s eyes are wide, his gaze seeing right through me. “Alina. Tell me you’re not falling for that.”

“Fallin’ for what?”

“For his shit.”

“There’s nothin’ to fall for.”

“Alina.”

“Jax.”

He blows out a breath, rubbing a hand over his face. “I want to talk to him.”

I flip the blinker and focus on turning the wheel. “That’s your prerogative.”

“It is.” He nods. “It’s also my prerogative to kick his ass.”

I snort. “Oh, please. What happened with him was a long time ago. It’s fine. I’m fine.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t.” He watches me, his forest-green gaze noticing my every twitch. “Just promise me you’ll stay away from him.”

My heart stalls. I can’t promise him that, and even worse, I don’t know if I want to. “Hard to do that unless you’re expectin’ me to quit my job.”

“You know what I mean, Lee. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

Staying away from Chase should be a no-brainer. But my feelings muddle and twist until they’re so complicated I can’t tell whether it’s my head or my heart making the decisions. So I don’t promise. I don’t want to be a liar.

Jax comes back to my place and we spend the evening hanging out with Becca. He regales us with tales from California. The soreness in my belly from laughing is a nice respite from the hollowness that’s usually there. There’s a different energy around Jax than before. Or maybe it’s just the way it feels between him and me. He isn’t clinging so tight, and I’m not sure what to do with the shift. All night I obsess over what’s changed and while I can’t pinpoint it, I realize maybe I depend on him a little more than what’s healthy or normal. After Mama’s death, he wrapped himself around me and I never let him take his arms back.

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