Page 81 of Made For Ruin

"Hey, I'm just a simple Heights boy at heart. The Hills crowd just happens to have excellent taste in music."

"So, how long have you two known Axel?" Savannah asks, her keen eyes moving between Ruby and me. "I'd love to get some quotes from old friends for the article."

Ruby grins. "Oh, we go way back. I've been keeping his ego in check since high school."

"Someone has to," I add, nudging Axel playfully.

“Don’t let them fool you,” Axel grins. "These two are my best friends. And they’ve been my biggest supporters from day one. Even when I was just a scrawny kid with a beat-up guitar, playing terrible covers at Lainey’s family diner."

Ruby's eyes light up with mischief. "Oh, those early days were something else. Remember that time you tried to play 'Wonderwall' and your guitar string snapped mid-chorus?"

I can't help but laugh at the memory. "The look on your face when it hit you in the eye..."

"Hey now," Axel protests, but he's grinning too. "I'll have you know that black eye made me look very rock and roll."

"If by 'rock and roll' you mean 'like you lost a fight with a doorknob,'" Ruby quips.

Brody and Savannah are laughing now too, clearly charmed by our easy banter.

"I love it." Savannah jots something down in the small notebook she’s pulled from her clutch. "Nothing keeps a rising star grounded like old friends who remember the awkward phases."

"Oh, we're experts at keeping Axel humble," Ruby assures her. "It's a full-time job, but someone's got to do it."

"But seriously," I add, wanting to give Axel his due. "Even back then, you could see how talented he was. It didn't matter if it was a crowd of two or two hundred. Axel has always had a gift for making everyone feel connected.”

"It's true," Ruby chimes in, her usual snark giving way to sincerity. "You had that spark, even back then. We all knew you were going places."

Savannah scribbles furiously in her notebook, clearly delighted by this glimpse behind the rising star facade. "This is gold," she murmurs.

She opens her mouth, likely to ask another question, when a melodic chime echoes through the hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a smooth voice announces over the sound system, "the ceremony will begin in five minutes. Please make your way to your seats."

The crowd around us begins to move, a sea of designer dresses and tailored suits flowing toward the ceremony space.

"We should get going," Brody says, offering his arm to Savannah. "It was great meeting you all. Axel, we'll catch up more at the reception?"

"Sounds good," Axel nods to Brody and Savannah as they depart. Then he turns to me and Ruby, offering his arms with an exaggerated flourish.

"Shall we, my lovely plus-twos?"

Ruby rolls her eyes but links her arm through his.

"I suppose we can allow you to escort us, Mr. Big Shot."

I take his other arm, laughing.

"As long as you promise not to trip over your own feet like at prom."

"Hey now," Axel protests good-naturedly. "I thought we agreed never to speak of that again."

We make our way into the ceremony space, a stunning glass-walled room with breathtaking mountain views. Rows of white chairs face an altar adorned with cascading flowers in shades of blush and ivory.

As we join the flow of guests heading into the ceremony space, I catch sight of Marcus stationed at the main entrance. He stands powerful and alert in his black suit, every inch the security professional.

When his eyes land on my arm linked through Axel’s, his entire body goes rigid. The muscle in his jaw flexes as his gaze tracks our movement, and the possessive heat in his stare burns straight through me.

The way his hands flex at his sides tells me exactly what he’s thinking. How much he hates seeing me on Axel’s arm,even innocently. How badly he wants to stake his claim. The ceremony hasn’t even started, but I already know this evening is far from over.

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