Chapter 9: Tangled Hearts and Hidden Truths
Lena practically floated through the front door, her heart still racing from the night with Jax. The memory of his touch lingered like a warm current under her skin...his fingers brushing her cheek, the soft graze of his thumb along her wrist, the way his breath had hitched when their faces drew close, the sex, it was practically the best time with him.
She hugged her arms around herself, a giddy smile tugging at her lips. It wasn't just the sex that had her buzzing; it was the way Jax made her feel seen, like she was the only person in the world who mattered. The streetlights outside cast a soft glow through the window, and Lena felt like she was glowing too, her joy spilling out as she kicked off her shoes.
"Sarah?" she called, her voice bright as she stepped into the living room. Her best friend was sprawled on the couch, one leg dangling over the armrest, her phone glowing in her hand. Sarah's dark hair was pulled into a messy bun, and her expression was unreadable, a stark contrast to Lena's radiance. "Oh my God, you won't believe tonight....it was the best night everrr."
Sarah glanced up, her lips curving into a half-smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "That good, huh?" Her voice was smooth, but there was a sharpness to it, like a blade wrapped in velvet. Lena didn't notice, she was too caught up in her own bubble of bliss.
"Good doesn't even cover it." Lena flopped onto the couch beside Sarah, tucking her legs under her. Words tumbled out before she could stop them. "Jax is perfect… I don't even know how to describe it. You know we went for a coffee date...so..after the date we decided to head to his apartment, girlll we had the best time, he's literally obsessed with me, and this boy fucks good!!, my legs were literally shaking after...or was it the bathroom sex, girll, he's everything I want and more, Sarah," she blushed.
Sarah's fingers tightened around her phone, she avoided eye contact with Lena for a while before she relaxed. "Sounds like quite a night," she said, her tone light but her eyes narrowing slightly. "Jax always did know how to make a moment feel… intense."
Lena paused, her brow furrowing. "Wait, what do you mean 'always'? You don't even know anything about him." Her voice was curious, not suspicious, but the question hung in the air like a fragile thread.
Sarah's smirk flickered, quick and sharp, before she waved a hand dismissively. "Just a figure of speech. I'm sure Jax really loves you." She leaned back, crossing her arms. "So, what else happened? Spill."
Lena hesitated, the odd comment niggling at the back of her mind, but her excitement won out. She launched back into her story, describing how Jax's laugh had warmed her from the inside, how his fingers were buried deep inside her, how he moaned her name and how they both came, messing the sheets up. Sarah listened, nodding, but her smirk grew tighter, her eyes glinting with something Lena couldn't place...maybe jealousy, or something darker. When Lena finally stopped, breathless, Sarah tilted her head.
"Careful, Lena," she said, her voice almost too casual. "Guys like Jax are good at making you feel special. Doesn't mean they're in it for the long haul."
Lena laughed, brushing it off. "He's different, Sarah. I can feel it." She stood, stretching, her heart still soaring. "I'm gonna crash. I'll see you in the morning?"
Sarah nodded, her smirk softening into something unreadable. "Night, Lena."
As soon as Lena's bedroom door clicked shut, Sarah's expression hardened. She tossed her phone onto the couch and stood, grabbing her jacket. The living room felt too small, too stifling, her jealousy coiling like a snake in her chest. Lena's words echoed in her mind...his hands, his eyes, the way he looked at me. Sarah knew that look. She'd seen it before, felt it, during a summer two years ago when Jax had been hers. Their fling had been brief but searing...late nights tangled in sheets, whispered promises that never held up, his touch burning into her memory. She'd thought she was over it, but hearing Lena describe him like that, like he was some new discovery, made her blood simmer.
She slipped out of the house, her steps purposeful as she headed to Jax's apartment.
The city was quiet, the cool night air doing little to calm the storm inside her. By the time she reached his building, she sighed. She knocked sharply, her heart pounding not with nerves but with the thrill of control.
Jax opened the door, his hair still messy, a faint smile still lingering from thoughts of Lena. His expression shifted when he saw Sarah...surprise, then a flicker of unease. "Sarah? What are you doing here?"
She didn't wait for an invitation, brushing past him into the dimly lit apartment. The space smelled faintly of his cologne, the same scent that used to cling to her skin. "We need to talk, Jax," she said, turning to face him, her voice low and edged with steel.
He closed the door, his jaw tightening. "About what?" But the way his eyes avoided hers told her he already knew.
"Lena." Sarah crossed her arms, her gaze pinning him in place. "You're playing a dangerous game, and I'm not here for it."
Jax's brow furrowed, but there was a flash of recognition in his eyes, a memory of their past flickering to life. "What's this about, Sarah? Lena's got nothing to do with..."
"Don't," she cut him off, stepping closer. "Don't act like you're some innocent guy falling for her. I know you, Jax. I knew you." Her voice dropped, heavy with meaning. "That summer, you and me...we weren't nothing. You don't get to pretend it didn't happen."
Jax flinched, the weight of their history settling between them. Two summers ago, they'd been a wildfire...passionate, reckless, all-consuming. Late nights at his place, her laughter echoing in his room, their bodies pressed close in the dark. It had ended badly, with Sarah walking away when Jax wouldn't commit, but the spark had never fully died. Now, seeing him with Lena, it was like a match struck against old embers.
"That was a long time ago," Jax said, his voice tight. "I'm not that guy anymore. Lena's different, I love her."
Sarah laughed, a sharp, bitter sound. "Different?,did you mention love? Oh please....You're doing the same thing you did with me...same moves, same charm. But Lena's not me, Jax. She doesn't know you like I do, and I'm not letting you break her heart."
Jax's hands clenched at his sides. "I care about her, Sarah. This isn't a game."
"Then prove it," she snapped, stepping so close he could feel the heat of her anger. "Back off. You don't get to waltz in and play prince charming with my best friend. Not after what we had." She paused, her smirk returning, cold and calculated. "Unless you want Lena to know exactly what happened between us. Every detail. The rooftop, the late nights, the way you..."
"Stop," Jax cut in, his voice rough. "What do you want, Sarah?"
Her eyes gleamed with triumph. "I have rules, Jax. Follow them, and Lena doesn't hear a word about us. Break them, and I tell her everything; how you kissed me, touched me, promised me things you never meant and even fucked me. I'm sure she'll never look at you the same."
Jax's stomach twisted, but he held her gaze. "What rules?"
Sarah's voice was steady, each word deliberate. " See Jax, I still have feelings for you, I was so surprised you were the Jax she was telling me about from the onset when I saw you that day... I'm keeping this rule simple, I just want us to keep having sex, I miss having sex with you. You can't even say no to this, if you do? I'd tell Lena everything."
Jax stared at her, disbelief warring with anger. "You're serious? You're blackmailing me?"
"Call it what you want," Sarah said, shrugging. "I'm helping myself. And maybe I'm helping you too. You get to have us both, Jax." Her voice softened, a hint of old longing slipping through. "You know what I'm capable of if you don't agree to this. Don't test me."
She turned to leave, but paused at the door, glancing back. "You're good at making people feel special, Jax. But you're not good at keeping them. Remember that." The door clicked shut behind her, leaving a heavy silence in the room.
Jax stood frozen, his mind a tangle of guilt and fear. He thought of Lena...her smile, her trust, the way she'd looked at him like he was someone worth believing in. Then he thought of Sarah, her words slicing through him, dragging up memories he'd tried to bury. The summer they'd spent together flashed in his mind...her smile, her touch, the way they'd burned bright and crashed hard. He hadn't told Lena about it because it hadn't mattered, not until now. But Sarah's threat changed everything.
He sank onto the couch, running a hand through his hair. Tell Lena the truth, and risk losing her trust again. Follow Sarah's rules, and betray his own heart and hurting Lena. Or confront Sarah, call her bluff, and hope she wouldn't destroy what he was building with Lena. Every option felt like a trap.
Outside, the city hummed, oblivious to the storm brewing in his chest. Jax stared at the door, Sarah's words echoing in his ears. He didn't know what to do, and for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was drowning.