Chapter Three: Blue Eyes

Clay's gaze cut across the lot, sharp and assessing, but when his eyes landed on me, he jerked his head back like a man who'd just missed the winning lottery number. For a second, the weight of his authority filled the space — but Jax's eyes never left mine. He didn't blink, didn't move. Just watched me, blue and piercing, like I'd been the ghost he couldn't shake.

My throat tightened, and I managed a quiet, "Hi, Clay."

He grunted, unimpressed, but Chibs was already pulling me into motion, his arm loose around my shoulders as he started steering me toward the garage. "C'mon, lass, let's see what we're dealin' with on this Chevelle, eh?"

I followed, grateful for the distraction, letting him ramble about the car's bones, the rust, the work she'd need. His voice was warm, steady, a reminder that some things in Charming hadn't changed.

"I'll grab the paperwork for ya to sign," he said after a moment, stepping back. He turned toward the garage and bellowed, "Prospect! Get the lass the paperwork, move your arse!"

The sound of scrambling boots followed — Half-Sack, judging by the stammering "yes, sir" that echoed back. Chibs chuckled to himself and wandered off in search of the kid, muttering something about lazy prospects.

And then it was quiet. Too quiet.

A gentle tap brushed my shoulder. I turned to my right, but no one was there. My brow furrowed, and when I pivoted the other way, he was already there.

Jax.

Hands shoved deep into his pockets, a grin tugging at his mouth like he'd just won a private joke. His voice was low, that easy charm still threaded through it.

"Hey, darlin'."

The words slipped into me like they'd never left, like no years had passed. I stood there, caught in the weight of his presence, until he added softly, "Sorry about your dad."

My chest tightened again, but before I could respond, he tilted his head, that grin sharpening. "You look good, Rae."

Heat flushed through me. I forced myself to smirk, to lean back into the bravado I'd built in Texas. "Guess Texas didn't ruin me completely."

His eyes narrowed just slightly, curious. "How long you stickin' around? Or you just passin' through?"

I hesitated, then gave the line I'd been rehearsing since I crossed the state line. "Got to tie up loose ends. Texas got too boring." A beat passed. "I'll stay if I find a reason to."

That made him smirk — the kind of smirk that said he'd already found his own answer. The kind of smirk that was dangerous.

Before either of us could push it further, heels clicked against the concrete, sharp and deliberate. The air shifted, colder, heavier.

Gemma strolled in, eyes already scanning the room like she owned every corner of it.

And just like that, the moment was gone.