Page 104 of Made For Ruin

Our relationship is another story. The betrayal cuts deep, a wound that won’t heal easily. Even if we try to rebuild what we’ve lost, we have a long road ahead of us. Part of me wants to write him off completely, but he’s still my brother.

“Oh, and Axel’s on his way over, too,” she says, pulling me from my thoughts. “He was a mess yesterday, Lainey. He was sobbing and everything. Like, full-on ugly crying.”

I blink, surprised. “Axel? Really?”

Ruby nods emphatically. “I’ve never seen him like that before. He said he felt terrible about how things ended at his band practice. He was actually on his way to the diner to apologize when he saw your car still parked outside.”

My heart clenches. “He was coming to apologize?”

I glance at Marcus, who’s leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. His expression is unreadable, but there’s a tightness around his eyes.

“He kept saying it was all his fault,” Ruby continues. “That if he hadn’t been such an ass at practice, you wouldn’t have been alone at the diner.”

“It wasn’t his fault,” I say softly. “None of us could have predicted what Enzo would do.”

“That’s what I told him. But you know how he gets when he’s worried about someone he loves.” Ruby’s eyes flick between Marcus and me. “He cares about you both so much. Even if he’s been weird about everything.”

The doorbell rings again, and Marcus’s hand tightens on my shoulder.

“That’s probably him now,” he says quietly.

My heart pounds as footsteps approach. When Axel appears in the doorway, the sight of him nearly breaks me.

His face is pale, eyes red-rimmed. He’s wearing the same clothes from yesterday, wrinkled like he slept in them. If he slept at all.

“Hey.” His voice comes out rough. His gaze catches on the bruise at my wrist, and something dark crosses his face. “How are you feeling?”

He stops, swallowing hard.

“I’m okay,” I tell him gently. “Your dad made sure of that.”

Axel nods, running a shaky hand through his hair. The gesture is so like Marcus it makes my chest ache.

“Listen.” He takes a deep breath. “I need to say something. About you two.”

Marcus shifts beside me, but stays silent.

“I know I’ve been an ass,” Axel continues. “When I found out about you both, I was hurt. Confused. It felt like some kind of betrayal. But yesterday...” His voice catches. “ All I couldthink about was getting you back. Both of you. And I realized something.”

He looks between us, his eyes bright with tears.

“What we had, Lainey, it wasn’t real. Not really. We were just two people who made sense on paper. But what you have with Dad? The way he looks at you like you’re everything he never knew he needed. The way you see past all his walls, all his gruff exterior, to who he really is underneath. That’s real.”

I blink back tears, overwhelmed by his raw honesty.

“Son,” Marcus starts, his voice gruff with feeling.

But Axel holds up a hand. “Let me finish, Dad. Please.”

He takes a shaky breath. “I was so caught up in my own hurt that I couldn’t see what was right in front of me. You two fit. In a way Lainey and I never did. And I’m sorry it took something like this for me to realize it.”

Ruby sniffles beside me, clutching Spike closer. I can feel the tension in Marcus’s body like he’s holding himself back from moving.

“Axel,” I say softly. “You don’t have to explain.”

“I do,” he interrupts. “I need you both to know that I’m okay with this. More than okay. I want you to be happy, even if it’s not with me. Even if it’s with my dad.”

He lets out a watery chuckle. “God, that still sounds so fucking weird to say out loud.”

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