Page 126 of Love Unspoken

She let out a snort that was somehow both adorable and heartbreaking. "I didn't walk out—you forced my hand. And don't give me this bullshit about missing me."

I chuckled, even though the sound was tinged with regret. "Tesoro, I'm telling you the truth."

Another pause, longer this time. I could hear her ragged breathing on the other end. "You really miss me?" she asked, her voice losing some of that snarky edge.

"Yeah," I admitted, the words coming more easily now that I'd started to spill my guts. "I miss you more than I thought was possible. And I've been trying to figure out why I've been such an idiot about…well, everything."

"And have you figured it out?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes."

"Tell me."

"I don't think you want to know." I didn't want to hurt her any more than I already had.

"I do. I do want to know. I deserve to know." I could hear the tears in her voice, the agony.

"Kath…fuck, Amara, she reminds me of my childhood and teenage years, and we were together for seven years. When she left me…it hurt a lot. I imagined all kinds of scenarios of how it would be if she wanted me back."

I waited a long moment. The silence between us was loud. If I couldn't hear her breathing, I'd have thought she'd hung up.

"When Mama told me that Kath wanted me to take her back, it was as if all those things I'd imagined had come true. My ego was soothed."

"You love her, so it was more than your ego that was soothed, Lucas." I could hear the sadness in her voice, the tremble.

"I thought I knew how I felt but I don't anymore."

"Buyer's remorse? Is that it? Now that she's yours, you don't know how you feel about her, but since I'm with Jax, you want me?"

"You're with Jax?" I couldn't hold the anger back.

"You're with Kath. I saw Shelby and Flynn today, and they told me that you're getting married soon. Congratulations."

The snark was back!

Flynn and Shelby were in Myrtle Beach. The Covington family sponsored a charity golf tournament, and they were there to represent us as neither Grandma nor I could make it.

"You're with Jax in Myrtle Beach?" I demanded.

"Yes."

"And where the fuck is he while you're talking to me?" I hated thinking of her with another man. Absolutely, fucking hated it.

"Sleeping," she yawned, "which I was doing as well…with him. I exhausted him."

"You got over me pretty fast, Amara, so why the text messages?" I asked, anger being replaced by despair. I'd lost her. I had really lost her. There was no going back. I hadn't consciously thought about us getting back together, but a part of me had not moved on from my Tesoro.

"You dumped me for Kath," she cried out, "And you're talking about me moving on? I fell asleep crying for days, weeks, months, and you're accusing me of forgetting about you?"

I closed my eyes and sat up. When we were in a relationship, we never fought or said hurtful things to one another. I'd been surprised that being with a woman could be soothing, calming, and peaceful—that I could draw strength from it. It was the antithesis of the pull and push I'd had with Kath, my only other long-term affair.

"I'm so sorry, Tesoro."

"Don't call me that," she whimpered, "What do you call Kath?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you call her? Tesoro, baby, darling, what?"