Page 42 of Made for Reign

“Hey,” I reach across the table to cover her hand with mine. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay.” The tears spill over now, and she wipes at them frantically with her free hand. “I miss him so much, Reign. Every single day. He was the only person who really understood me, who saw me for who I really was. And now he’s gone.”

Her voice cracks again as she says the words, and something protective surges inside me. I slide out of my side of the booth and move to sit beside her. Without thinking about where we areor who might see, I pull her closer and wrap my arm around her shoulders.

“This is risky,” she whispers, but she doesn’t pull away. “What if someone sees?”

“I don’t give a fuck. You need comfort, and I’m giving it to you.”

She leans into me, her head resting against my shoulder. For a moment, we sit in silence, the noise of the diner fading into background static.

“I hate this,” she says suddenly, her voice muffled against my shirt. “I hate being engaged to Gio. I hate that I’m disappointing my father’s memory by becoming everything he never wanted me to be.”

“Then don’t marry him. Walk away. Choose yourself for once.”

She pulls back to look at me, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “It’s not that simple. The company?—”

“Fuck the company.”

“No.” Her voice hardens with determination. “I won’t let my father’s legacy die. Worthington Sports is the last piece of him I have in this world, and I won’t let it get swallowed up by some corporate vulture just because I’m selfish enough to want my own happiness.”

The fierce protectiveness in her voice reminds me why I’m drawn to her. Beneath the polished exterior is a woman with steel in her spine, willing to sacrifice everything for the people she loves.

“But the timing is awful,” she continues, her voice breaking. “If I’d met you two years ago, before all this...”

Something constricts in my chest at her words. The regret in her voice, the longing for a different path.

“Princess, look at me.” I cup her chin in my hands and force her to meet my eyes. “I’m your man now. Whatever problems you have, whatever you’re facing, I’m going to solve it.”

“How? How can you possibly fix this mess?”

“Just trust me, baby.” I brush my thumb across her cheek and wipe away a tear that escaped. “There’s always a solution if you’re willing to look hard enough.”

She searches my face, and I see the moment she decides to believe me. The tension in her shoulders eases slightly, and she leans into my touch.

“I want to trust you,” she says. “But I’m scared.”

“Good. Fear means you’re paying attention. But don’t let it stop you from taking what you want.”

“And what if what I want is you?”

Her words send fire racing through my veins. “Then you’re in luck, because you’re what I want, too.”

Lainey approaches with our food, and I reluctantly sit back to give her room to set down the plates. But I don’t go back to my side of the booth. Instead, I stay close to Audrey with my hand resting possessively on her thigh.

Lainey takes in our seating arrangement with barely concealed amusement. “Everything look good?”

“Perfect,” I say, not looking away from Audrey.

Once Lainey leaves, Audrey cuts into her pancakes and takes a bite. Then her eyes flutter closed in what looks like pure bliss.

“Oh my gosh,” she moans softly, and the sound goes straight to my cock. “These are incredible.”

A genuine smile spreads across her face, the first real smile I’ve seen from her since she walked into the diner. It transforms her entire face, erasing the tension and worry that’s been etched there since last night.

“Good?” I ask, cutting into my steak.

“Amazing.” She takes another bite, this time with enthusiasm. “I haven’t had pancakes like this in years. Lucille insisted I stick to egg whites and fruit for breakfast. Said anything else would make me bloat before photo shoots.”

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