Page 37 of Never Less

“I did exactly what he did,” she shouts. “It’s the same, Marcus. I’m the same.”

“It’s not.” I hold her face in between my hands, and my heart cracks into a thousand pieces at the sight of her. Scrunched up face, soaked clothes, and trembling bottom lip. “Your intentions were completely different.”

“I wasn’t thinking about how all this would affect you. That’s exactly what he was doing.”

“Were you trying to manipulate me?”

“No,” she sobs.

“Were you actively thinking about how this could all hurt me?”

“N-no, and that’s the problem, Marcus. I should’ve been. Why don’t you have a problem with that?”

“Because your entire life is falling apart around you. Of course you’re not thinking about my feelings. You’re drowning in your own.”

“I cheated on my boyfriend, Marcus. How are you supposed to be confident that I won’t do the same to you?”

“Why can’t you just accept that someone thinks you’re enough?”

She stops, lips parted and eyes wide, staring up at me in shock. “What?”

“Tell me that’s not what’s going on here. Tell me you aren’t scared, and that you aren’t trying to find every stupid reason to convince yourself that you aren’t good enough for this. For me. Do it, Liliana.”

She gasps, and then fresh tears fill her eyes. I wipe them away as they fall and give her time to collect herself. What I just hit her with will take some time to sink in. I doubt she was even fully conscious of what she was doing.

With every second that passes, my festering anger toward my son builds, burning hotter and hotter. Maybe it’s wrong of me, but I don’t think Liliana should even feel guilty for cheating. After how Nate has been treating her, she had every damn right.

My Liliana used to know she was worth more than this, and it’s his fault that she can’t see it anymore. I’ve seen how he talks to her—the ways he convinces her that she’s being petty or oversensitive. It’s bullshit.

“Marcus,” she murmurs, so quietly I almost miss it. She shakes her head.

No. No, absolutely not. I’m not missing my chance with her.

“You deserve better,” I say firmly. “And if my deadbeat son won’t give you what you need, then goddammit, Liliana, let me.”

“Well, maybe you deserve bett—”

I slam my lips to hers, cradling the back of her head. I do it to shut her up. To force all those thoughts in her head to come to a screeching halt. I do it because we’ve both wanted it for years, and because it’s the only way I can think of to convince her that she’s enough.

She’s more than enough, dammit.

It takes a second, but then Liliana’s body goes soft against mine. A small whimper sounds from her throat, and then she kisses me back. It’s hesitant at first, slow and unsure, but then something snaps inside her. Her fingers run through my hair, and she grips it tight so I can’t pull away.

“That’s it, little star,” I mutter against her lips. “Just let go.”

One of my hands drops to the small of her back, and my tongue gently teases hers. She climbs onto me, forcing my legs together until she’s straddling me. The rain is coming harder now, but we’re too lost in each other to care.

Finally. Finally, she’s mine.

Liliana grinds against my hardening cock, and her hands slip underneath my soaked shirt. I’ve had plenty of women take my shirt off before, but none of them compare to the feeling of Liliana’s hands on my body.

But I stop her, even though it just about kills me to do so. “Liliana, not like this.”

“But—”

“No, little star.”

She sits back, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. The hurt in her eyes absolutely guts me, but it wouldn’t be right like this, even though I want her so badly it hurts. It wasn’t even two minutes ago that she was crying because she thought she took advantage of me. I’m sure as hell not going to do the same thing to her.

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