Jax's P.O.V.
By the time dinner rolled around, I was running on fumes of irritation and envy. I’d spent the day replaying every interaction I’d seen her have with other guys at school, my imagination taking those little moments and twisting them into something bigger. The way they laughed at her jokes. How she smiled back like they were the only ones in the room. It made my stomach churn.
When I walked into the dining room that evening, I forced a calm I didn’t feel. The place looked like it had been prepped for a gala, not a family dinner. My dad glanced up and nodded approvingly, too preoccupied with his colleagues to notice my sour mood.
Sam was already seated, her back straight and her face composed, but I caught the slight clench of her jaw when our eyes met. Good. She was still ma
