Page 105 of Made For Ruin

Marcus moves then, crossing the room in two long strides.

He pulls Axel into a fierce hug, one hand cradling the back of his son’s head. Axel stiffens momentarily before melting into the embrace, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

“I’m proud of you,” Marcus murmurs. “So damn proud.”

I wipe my eyes, feeling like I’m intruding on a private moment. But then Axel pulls away, turning to me with a trembling smile.

“Friends?” he asks, holding out his hand.

I ignore it, wrapping my arms around him instead. “Family,” I correct.

When we separate, the air in the room feels lighter somehow. Like a storm has passed, leaving everything clearer in its wake.

Ruby clears her throat.

“Well, this is all very touching. But can we please talk about the fact that Lainey almost died yesterday? Because I’m still processing that, and I could really use a drink.”

“It’s barely 9 AM,” Marcus points out, but there’s amusement in his tone.

Ruby shrugs. “We’re all adults here. And after the night we’ve had, I think we all deserve a little day drinking.”

“I second that,” Axel says, raising his hand.

I look at Marcus, seeing the conflict in his eyes. He’s torn between wanting to keep me safe in his bed and recognizing that maybe what we all need right now is to be together, processing everything that’s happened.

“Fine,” he sighs. “But we’re having breakfast first.”

“I make a mean hangover hash,” Axel offers. When Marcus raises an eyebrow, he adds, “What? I picked up a few things in my misspent youth.”

Ruby claps her hands together. “Perfect! Let’s head downstairs and get this party started.”

As we all start to move, Marcus holds up a hand.

“You three go ahead. I need to grab something. I’ll be down in a minute.”

I give him a curious look, but he just smiles and kisses my forehead. “Go on, sweetheart. I won’t be long.”

Ruby loops her arm through mine as we make our way down the wooden staircase. The house feels different in the daylight, less imposing and more like a cozy mountain retreat.

In the kitchen, Axel starts rummaging through cupboards.

“Dad, where do you keep the frying pans?”

“Bottom left,” I answer without thinking. Ruby raises an eyebrow at me, and I feel my cheeks heat up. “What? I’ve cooked here before.”

“Uh-huh,” she says, smirking. “Just how domestic are you two?”

Before I can respond, we hear Marcus’s heavy footsteps on the stairs. He enters the kitchen, hands behind his back, looking uncharacteristically nervous.

“Everything okay?” I ask, frowning.

He nods, clearing his throat. “Yeah, I just... There’s something I need to do.”

The room goes quiet as Marcus crosses to where I’m standing. My heart starts to race as he takes my hand in his.

“Lainey,” he begins. “Yesterday made me realize something. Life is short, and unpredictable. And I don’t want to waste another moment not being completely honest about how I feel.”

He drops to one knee, and I gasp. Ruby squeals beside me, clutching my arm.

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