Page 87 of Made For Ruin

I tilt my head back to look up at him. His amber eyes are shadowed with regret and guilt, but there's a fierce determination there too. The kind that makes me believe he can do anything he sets his mind to.

"What are you going to do?" I ask softly, searching his face.

He reaches up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his thumb brushing my cheek. "I don't know yet. But I'll figure it out. I have to. I can't lose my son over this. Over us."

Fresh tears sting my eyes as a thought occurs to me. A terrible, wrenching thought. "Should I move out? Give you space to work things out with Axel without me complicating everything?"

"Absolutely not," Marcus says instantly, his arms tightening around me. "You're not going anywhere, Lainey. This is your home now too. I'm not letting you walk away."

He leans down and captures my mouth in a soft, coffee-flavored kiss. It's gentle but demanding, a silent promise. A vow that he won't give up on us, no matter how hard things get.

When he pulls back, he rests his forehead against mine. "Axel will come around eventually. He's just shocked and hurt right now. Once he calms down and lets me explain, I’ll make things right."

Relief floods through me at Marcus's reassurance, washing away the dread that had settled like a stone in my gut. I exhale a shaky breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"Thank God," I whisper. "I was so worried that this would be the thing that finally broke us. That you'd decide I wasn't worth the trouble after all."

Marcus pulls back slightly to look me in the eye, his brow furrowed. "Did you really think I was going to let you go? Just like that?"

I drop my gaze, feeling foolish now for doubting him. For not trusting in the strength of what we have.

"I don't know. I wasn't sure. Everything just felt so uncertain after last night."

He tips my chin up with a gentle finger, forcing me to meet his intense amber gaze.

"Lainey, I love you. So damn much that it scares me sometimes. There is nothing in this world that could make me give you up. Not Axel, not anyone or anything. You hear me?"

Tears blur my vision as a well of emotion rises in my throat. "I love you too, Marcus. More than I even knew I could love someone."

He smiles then, a slow, sexy curve of his lips that makes my heart stutter. He leans in and kisses me again, deeper this time. Hungrier. Like he's staking his claim, making sure I know that I'm his and he's mine.

Reluctantly, I break the kiss, pulling back just enough to catch my breath. A soft giggle escapes me as I gaze up at Marcus, taking in his slightly dazed expression and kiss-swollen lips.

"As much as I'd love to keep doing this all day, I better let you get back to your logs now," I tease gently, trailing my fingers down his stubbled jaw. "I don't want to be blamed for the lack of firewood later."

Marcus chuckles, a deep, rumbling sound that vibrates through his chest. "I suppose you're right. Though I can think of much more enjoyable ways to spend the day than splitting wood."

I grin up at him, arching a brow. "Oh, I'm sure you can. But those will have to wait until later."

I stretch up on my toes to brush a light kiss across his lips, then step back out of his embrace. "I actually need to head into town to run some errands today. I should be home by dinner."

Marcus nods, reaching out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His touch lingers, sending a shiver down my spine despite the warm morning sun.

"Alright, baby. Drive safe and call me if you need anything. I'll be here when you get back."

I smile at him, my heart full to bursting with love for this complicated, devoted man. "I know you will be."

I sitin my car outside of Walker’s Metal Shop, listening to the muffled sound of Highland Rye practicing through the metal walls. My fingers tap against the steering wheel as I try to find the right words.

The familiar opening riff of their new song starts up again. I close my eyes, remembering all the times I sat in this same spot as Axel’s girlfriend, psyching myself up to seem interested in sound mixing and recording techniques. The music was always too loud, the space too cold, but I’d smile and nod because that’s what good girlfriends did.

And I might have just ruined all of that.

When I finally walk in, they’re in the middle of a song.

Axel stands at the microphone, his eyes closed as he sings. His shoulders are tense, the way he always gets when he’s trying to pretend something isn’t bothering him. The song ends abruptly, missing the usual flourish he adds to their endings. He opens his eyes and sees me by the door.

For a moment, we just stare at each other.

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