Broken Trust

The following days in Paris were filled with a strange mix of tension and silence. Despite the intimate morning they had shared, Grace could feel the weight of unspoken words hanging between her and Jax. He had been distant, his mind seemingly consumed by something he wasn't sharing. Every time Grace tried to approach him, there was this invisible wall that he had put up, and it was making her nervous. She couldn't help but wonder what had changed, what was happening in his head. But no matter how many times she tried to talk to him, the conversation never seemed to go anywhere.

One afternoon, as they walked through the busy streets of Paris, Grace couldn't take it anymore. She stopped in her tracks, her gaze fixed on Jax, who was staring at the ground, lost in thought. His hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket, and his usual confident stride seemed slower, weighed down by something.

"Jax," Grace said softly, her voice trembling with a mix of frustration and worry. "What's going on with you? You've been so distant lately."

Jax stopped, turning to face her. His eyes were shadowed, and for a moment, Grace saw something in them that she couldn't quite place—regret, maybe, or guilt. She felt a sharp pang in her chest.

"I'm fine," he muttered, avoiding her gaze. "I'm just tired, Grace. A lot on my mind."

"You've been saying that for days now," Grace pressed. "But you don't look fine. You're pushing me away, and I don't know why."

Jax's jaw clenched, and he let out a sigh, rubbing his hand over his face. "You wouldn't understand," he muttered under his breath.

Grace's heart raced, the unease in her chest deepening. "What's that supposed to mean? You've been acting like this for a reason, Jax. What happened?"

He looked at her then, really looked at her, and for a brief moment, Grace could see the vulnerability in his eyes, the walls coming down just a little. But instead of explaining, he just shook his head.

"I don't want to hurt you, Grace," he said quietly. "I never wanted to. But sometimes, I feel like I'm dragging you into something that's not... it's not what you think it is."

Before she could respond, a voice cut through the moment.

"Jax Riot. Always a pleasure to see you."

Grace turned to see a woman approaching them, a confident stride and a smile that seemed too practiced, too smooth. Jax's posture stiffened the moment he saw her, and for a split second, Grace saw something in his eyes—an emotion that was hard to read, something like guilt mixed with apprehension.

The woman's eyes flicked to Grace, giving her a brief, calculating glance before focusing on Jax again. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said with a slight smirk.

Jax forced a smile, his shoulders tense. "You're not interrupting anything, Miranda," he replied, his tone flat, almost like he was trying to distance himself from the situation.

Grace stood frozen, trying to make sense of the scene unfolding before her. Miranda. The name felt unfamiliar, but there was something about her that made Grace's stomach churn. She could sense the tension in the air between them, the way Jax's demeanor shifted when she spoke. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this wasn't just any casual encounter.

"Grace," Jax finally said, his voice a little sharper than before, "this is Miranda, an old friend from... back in the day. Miranda, this is Grace."

The woman smiled, but there was a coldness to it that Grace didn't like. "Nice to meet you," Miranda said, her tone barely masking the underlying tension. "I've heard a lot about you."

Grace forced a smile, trying to maintain her composure, but the unease in her chest grew with every passing second. "Nice to meet you too," she replied, her voice polite but guarded.

Jax shifted uncomfortably, clearly aware of the awkwardness between the two women. Grace could tell he was trying to change the subject, but before he could, Miranda spoke again, her eyes glinting with something that made Grace's heart skip a beat.

"So, Jax," Miranda said, her voice smooth but with an edge, "I heard the band's been getting a lot of attention lately. How's everything going? Any new projects you're working on?"

Jax seemed to hesitate for a moment before responding, clearly wanting to steer the conversation away from whatever they had been talking about before. "Yeah, things are going well. We've got a few shows lined up and some new music coming out. It's been... busy, but good."

Miranda nodded, her gaze lingering on Jax for a moment longer than was comfortable. Then, as if suddenly remembering Grace's presence, she turned back to her with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Grace," Miranda said, her tone a little too sweet. "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again soon."

Grace nodded stiffly, unable to suppress the sense of unease that had settled in her stomach. "I'm sure we will," she replied, forcing a smile.

As Miranda walked away, Jax let out a deep breath, his eyes following her until she disappeared from view. Grace stood there, still feeling the weight of the interaction, but she couldn't quite place why it left such a bad taste in her mouth.

"What was that?" Grace finally asked, her voice shaking with a mixture of confusion and hurt. "Who is she, Jax? And why does it feel like I'm not supposed to know something?"

Jax's face tightened, and he seemed to debate saying something, anything, to make the situation feel less tense. But instead, he just shook his head, his expression unreadable.

"She's just an old acquaintance, Grace," Jax said, his voice low. "Nothing more."

But Grace wasn't convinced. There was something about the way Jax had reacted, the way Miranda had spoken, that didn't sit right with her. It felt like there was a whole other side to this story that Jax wasn't sharing.

The trust she had been building with him started to crack, tiny fissures forming where once there had been certainty. As much as she wanted to believe him, the nagging feeling in her gut told her otherwise.

Jax turned to face her, his face softening slightly. "I promise, Grace, there's nothing to worry about."

But Grace couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She wanted to trust him, she really did, but after everything that had happened—the tension, the secrets, and now this sudden appearance of Miranda—she couldn't help but feel like she was on the edge of something she wasn't ready for. Something that could change everything.

And in that moment, as she stared at Jax, she couldn't help but wonder: Was everything they had built really as solid as he had claimed, or was it all just one mistake away from shattering?

"Why did Kate treat me like that earlier?" Grace spat, her voice sharp with anger. "Why does she always look at me like I'm the enemy? I don't get it. I'm here, Jax. I'm always here for you. And now this... Miranda. She's clearly someone important to you. Who is she?"

Jax's face tightened, his jaw clenching as if he were holding back something. Grace didn't care anymore. She was done being patient.

"I've been patient, I've trusted you, but it's all just lies, isn't it?" Grace's voice cracked with a mix of hurt and rage. "You never tell me anything, and I'm supposed to just pretend everything is fine?"

Jax swallowed hard, his hands trembling slightly as he took a step closer to her, but Grace wasn't having any of it.

"Don't," she warned, holding her hand up. "Don't try to apologize now. I want answers, Jax. I want you to be honest with me. Don't pretend like none of this matters."

For the first time, Grace saw a flicker of guilt in his eyes. But it wasn't enough. Not anymore.

"Who is Miranda?" Grace demanded, her tone sharp, her eyes burning with frustration. "Why do you act like it's no big deal, but I can see it in your eyes that there's something more to this than you're letting on?"

Jax's silence said everything. It only made Grace more furious.

"I deserve the truth!" she shouted, unable to hold back the anger any longer. "I deserve to know why you're pushing me away. I've been here for you, and you've been lying to me! I'm not going to just stand here and act like I don't see what's going on. I'm not your damn secret, Jax!"

The words hit Jax like a punch in the gut. He stood there, rooted to the spot, trying to gather his thoughts, but nothing came out. Grace's words were louder than any apology he could offer, and he knew he had messed up.

Grace turned away from him, her chest heaving with the force of her emotions. "I'm done with this," she muttered, before storming off, leaving Jax standing there in the middle of the street, torn between chasing after her or facing the truth he wasn't ready to tell her.