SIGNED TO BE HIS

The sun had long set, but the room was still lit by the city lights outside, casting a glow over the darkened space. Grace sat on the bed, her gaze fixed on the phone in her hand. She had glanced at Jax a few times, who was sitting on the couch, completely absorbed in his phone, but there was something in the air. Something intangible. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story with his ex, the woman who had left an undeniable mark on him. Grace had always suspected there was more between Jax and this woman than he let on, but now, it felt as if the whole truth was slowly unraveling, piece by piece.

It had all started with a simple comment from Victoria, telling Grace that they needed to start a "new chapter" in their deal—the deal in which Grace played the role of Jax's girlfriend. But now, with the journalist digging deeper and Victoria finding ways to protect her past, Grace realized that this situation wasn't as simple as it seemed.

"Grace," Jax suddenly spoke, his voice laced with concern. "What's going on? You look like you've just committed a crime."

Grace shook her head, but it wasn't enough to shake off the thoughts swirling in her mind. "Nothing, just... everything feels so confusing."

"You have every right to be doubtful," Jax replied, his voice soft, but his eyes sharp. "This isn't a normal life, Grace."

Grace met his gaze, searching for something—anything—that would make sense of this mess. She knew Jax wasn't just some guy playing games. He had his reasons for being this way. The deal with Victoria was more complicated than she had imagined, and now it felt as though she was trapped in a web, slowly getting tangled up. She wanted to say something, but for the first time, she wasn't sure what was really going on.

—

From a distance, Grace heard the soft buzz of a phone. It was Jax's phone vibrating on the coffee table. He didn't seem to notice, but the name on the screen immediately grabbed her attention.

Grace watched as he continued scrolling through his own phone, oblivious to the message that was now staring her in the face. Without him noticing, she reached over and grabbed his phone, quickly reading the message that appeared on the screen. It was simple, but deeply unsettling.

"Jax, it's not over. I don't want her thinking I'm letting go. Call me."

It was her. The ex. The same woman Jax had always referred to as his "ex," but Grace had known there was more to it than that. She was the silence in between Jax's words, the one who he never truly let go of, no matter how much he insisted it was over. And now, it was clear that there was something deeper between them.

"What's going on, Grace?" Jax asked, his voice low, almost suspicious. He wasn't looking at her, but he could sense something was off. Too late to stop her, Grace had already read the message.

Grace swallowed hard, putting the phone down. "It's... nothing."

Jax raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing slightly. "That's not nothing. What did you see?"

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter."

For a moment, the air between them felt tense. Jax wasn't convinced, but he didn't push it. Yet. Grace, on the other hand, could feel her chest tightening. This wasn't just a misunderstanding or a simple ex who still lingered. This was something more.

—

The next morning, Grace was sitting on the edge of the couch, still replaying the events of the night before in her mind. Jax had left early for a band meeting, and she found herself alone with her thoughts. As much as she wanted to ignore the situation, she couldn't. She knew that the woman—his ex—was still in the picture in some way, but how deep did it go?

Her phone buzzed with a message, pulling her from her thoughts. It was from Victoria.

"I need to speak with you. Meet me at the usual place."

Grace frowned. She had no idea what Victoria wanted now, but the way she had worded it left her with a bad feeling.

She quickly gathered her things and made her way to the café, the usual spot where they met whenever things were about to get serious. As soon as she walked in, she saw Victoria sitting at a corner table, a coffee in front of her, her eyes scanning the room like she was looking for someone.

"Grace," Victoria said, glancing up with a sharp smile. "I have some news."

Grace sat down opposite her, trying to read the older woman's expression. "What's going on?"

Victoria leaned in, her voice lowering. "The journalist... she's getting too close to the truth. She's made it clear she knows too much."

Grace froze. "What do you mean?"

"She knows about the deal between you and Jax. She's been asking questions about your relationship and about what really happened. I've been trying to keep things under wraps, but she's been persistent. I had to do something."

Grace's heart started racing. "So, what's the plan?"

Victoria smiled coldly. "I'm going to take care of it. I've already made the arrangements. The journalist will get what she wants... for a price."

"Oh yeah and... What kind of price?" Grace asked, a sense of unease creeping into her.

"An anonymous payment," Victoria said, her voice even. "I'm sending her the money. That should be enough to keep her quiet."

Grace wasn't convinced. "And what if she doesn't stay quiet?"

Victoria's eyes flashed with annoyance. "She will. People like her are greedy, and money talks. Once the money is in her hands, she won't dare to breathe a word of this again."

Grace nodded, but the pit in her stomach only grew. Something about this felt wrong. There was too much secrecy, too many hidden truths.

"I'm not so sure," Grace murmured. "I think she might be smarter than you think."

Victoria scoffed. "Don't underestimate me, Grace. This will work. Trust me."

But Grace wasn't sure if she could. She still felt like there was more to this than what Victoria was letting on.

Later that evening, Jax came home looking more exhausted than usual. Grace had spent the entire day wrestling with her thoughts, and now, she was about to find out just how much Jax was still tangled up in the past.

He was still glued to his phone when Grace decided to take a chance. She leaned over, trying to see the name flashing on the screen. Jax quickly turned the phone away from her, but not before she caught a glimpse of the name.

It was the ex again.

"Jax," Grace said, her voice trembling slightly. "She's still calling you."

Jax looked up at her, his expression unreadable. "Grace..."

"Why are you still talking to her?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jax didn't answer immediately. His jaw clenched, and for the first time, Grace saw the vulnerability in his eyes. "It's not what you think."

Grace crossed her arms, her heart pounding in her chest. "Then tell me what it is, Jax. Because I'm starting to wonder if I'm just here to play a role for you, or if I mean something more."

He stood up, his movements tense. "It's complicated."

"I'm not asking for a fairy tale, Jax," Grace said, her voice shaking. "I just want the truth."

Jax took a deep breath, and for the first time, he looked at her—really looked at her—as if seeing her for the first time.

"The truth is," he began, "I don't know how to let her go."

And in that moment, Grace realized that maybe Jax wasn't the only one who needed to let go of the past.!