Page 128 of Love Unspoken

THIRTEEN

AMARA

I couldn't believe I'd drunk-texted Lucas. And not just any text—a snarky, biting message that had led to a phone call where I'd let more of my feelings slip than I wanted to.

I was embarrassed and dreading the fallout of that conversation.

If he ignored me, I'd be hurt; if he didn't, I'd feel stupid. This was a lose-lose proposition.

I managed to get through work on Monday despite feeling like total shit. My TA had to do more than his share because I was still uneasy about my conversation with Lucas.

I drove home and just sat in the driveway, my forehead resting on my steering wheel. Why had I sent that stupid message? Why had I talked to him? He'd said closure. Like hell! Now, all the wounds were open and throbbing; even the ones that were on the way to healing had been torn wide open.

I forced myself out of the car and up the path, my steps slow and reluctant. As I approached the front door, I noticed a bouquet of beautiful, soft-petaled white peonies on the porch. Their delicate fragrance reached me before I even touched them. Beside them, in a small rustic wooden box, were young lavender plants, ready to be added to the garden I'd been so carefully cultivating.

I stopped in my tracks. I knew who they were from without even looking at the card. The peonies gave Lucas away.

I picked up the envelope tucked into the bouquet, my fingers trembling slightly as I opened it.

Tesoro, I know I've made mistakes, but please accept these as a step toward making things right. L P.s. The lavender is for your garden—to plant, to nurture, to grow.

How did he even know about my garden? Did he talk to Jax? Who? I hadn't told him. In fact, how did he even know where I was living?

I looked around the house as if I'd find Lucas spying on me. But then again, Charleston was a small town and he could've heard from any number of people that I'd bought a new place and that I'd hired help for landscaping.

Was this a peace offering, an apology, or both? Why did he have to remind me that he existed? Damn it, what did it take for a girl to get over an asshole who dumped her for his ex?

Not flowers from said asshole, for sure.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

Damn him.

Damn him for knowing exactly how to get under my skin, to make me feel something for him when I'd been trying so hard to keep my distance. But I couldn't ignore the gesture—it was thoughtful, sincere, and exactly what I needed after the mess I'd made, drunk on minibar bottles of gin and vodka.

Still holding the card, I unlocked the door and took my presents inside. I set the flowers and the lavender on the kitchen counter, staring at them for a long moment before finally pulling out my phone.

My fingers hovered over the screen, a dozen thoughts racing through my mind.

Should I text him? Call him. Pretend like nothing happened and hope he didn't bring it up again. But I couldn't just ignore it, not after everything.

Finally, I decided to text, cringing as I saw my last message to him.

Amara: Thank you for the flowers and the lavender. They're beautiful.

I hit send before I could second-guess myself and set the phone down. The phone buzzed almost immediately.

Lucas: I'm glad you like them. Can we talk?

I hesitated, my mind racing. I wasn't ready for this, not yet, though I was aching to hear his voice. Before I could talk myself out of it, I typed out a quick reply.

Amara: No.

My phone rang right away, and I took a deep breath, contemplating whether to take his call or not. Ultimately, I was too weak to resist.

"I thought I said I couldn't talk."

"Tesoro," Lucas began, his voice warm and familiar. "I wanted to know how you're doing."