25. Lainey
Sunlight streams through Marcus’s bedroom window, warming my face as I curl deeper into his ridiculously comfortable bed.
My body aches from yesterday’s ordeal. But it’s not from injury. It’s the kind of soreness that comes from too much adrenaline and tension.
“Morning, gorgeous. You sleep okay?”
Marcus’s deep voice pulls me from my drowsy state. I blink, focusing on his tall frame in the doorway. He’s holding a mug of steaming coffee in one hand and a plate of toast in the other.
“Mmm, yeah. This bed always feels like a cloud.” I stretch, wincing slightly at the lingering stiffness in my muscles.
He approaches, setting the items on the nightstand. “Thought you might be hungry. You up for some breakfast?”
I sit up, running a hand through my tangled hair.
“Marcus, you don’t have to baby me. I should get up and head to the diner. There’s so much to do after?—”
“Nope,” he cuts me off, his amber eyes stern. “You need to rest and let yourself be babied for once. The diner can wait.”
I sigh, torn between appreciating his care and feeling antsy about neglecting my responsibilities. “I’m not used to this, you know. Being taken care of.”
His expression softens.
“I know, sweetheart. But after everything that happened yesterday, you deserve a break. Let me do this for you.”
My heart flutters at the tenderness in his voice. It’s still strange, reconciling this gentle side of Marcus with the gruff, distant man I thought I knew. I reach for the coffee, inhaling its rich aroma.
“Fine,” I concede. “But just for today. Tomorrow, it’s back to reality.”
He chuckles, the sound warming me more than the coffee ever could.
“We’ll see about that. Now, eat your toast before it gets cold. Oh, and Ruby called. She’s on her way up.”
“You didn’t have to tell her where your secret mountain hideout is.” I accept the coffee, breathing in the familiar scent. “She’s never going to leave you alone now.”
“Pretty sure it stopped being secret the moment I carried you out of that club.”
His lips quirk as he sits beside me, the mattress dipping under his weight. One hand comes up to cup my cheek, thumb brushing over my skin.
“How are you really feeling? And don’t say ‘fine.’”
I lean into his touch, letting myself draw strength from his steady presence. “Honestly? I keep replaying everything.” My voice catches. “How did I not see it coming?”
“Because you trust people. You see the good in them.” Marcus’s jaw tightens.
“I know I should hate him.” I stare into my coffee, watching the cream swirl. Hot tears threaten, but I blink them back. “But he’s still my brother. Even after everything.”
“That’s because you have a good heart.” Marcus brushes a strand of hair from my face, his touch impossibly gentle for hands so strong. “It’s one of the things I love about you.”
The casual way he says it – like it’s the most natural thing in the world – makes my heart skip. Before I can respond, I hear the doorbell ring.
“That’ll be Ruby.” Marcus stands, dropping a kiss on my forehead. “I’ll let her in. You want anything else? Eggs? Those protein bars you pretend to hate but keep stealing?”
I throw a pillow at him.
“I don’t steal them. I confiscate them for your own good. No one should eat that many protein bars.”
His laughter follows him down the stairs.
Moments later, Ruby bursts into the bedroom like a tattooed tornado. Her hair is pulled back in a messy bun, and her mascara has left dark smudges under her eyes from crying. She clutches Spike’s travel carrier in front of her like a shield, her knuckles white against the plastic.
The sight of my best friend, normally so vibrant and full of life, looking small and scared makes my throat tight. Ruby sets the carrier down carefully and crosses the room in quick steps.
“I brought Spike,” she says, her voice wavering. “I know how much he helps when you’re stressed and I just…”
She stops, pressing her lips together as fresh tears spill.
I open my arms and she collapses onto the bed beside me, burying her face in my shoulder. Her whole body shakes with sobs.
“I’m okay,” I whisper, stroking her hair. “I promise I’m okay.”
Ruby pulls back, her green eyes swimming with tears. “When I saw Enzo drag you out of the diner... I thought... I don’t even know what I thought. My mind went to the worst places. I was so afraid something bad would happen.”
“But it didn’t.” I squeeze her hands. “Marcus found me. He brought me home.”
Ruby turns to Marcus, who stands quietly in the doorway watching us. The morning light catches the bruise on his jaw, evidence of what he went through to get to me.
“Thank you.” Ruby’s voice cracks. “For bringing her back.”
Something shifts in Marcus’s expression. A softening around his eyes that most people never get to see.
“Always,” he says simply.
From his carrier, Spike scratches at the plastic, wanting attention. Ruby wipes her eyes and moves to let him out, gathering him close. The familiar sight of her cradling our scaly baby makes me smile despite everything.
“And what about Derrick?” Ruby asks softly. “Is he okay?”
“He’s in the hospital. Enzo beat him up pretty bad when he wouldn’t cooperate.”
Ruby’s eyes widen. “But he’ll be alright?”
I nod, swallowing hard. “Yeah, he’ll live. Broken ribs, concussion, some internal bruising. But he’ll recover.”
Physically, at least.
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 could think 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.”
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.
“I love you,” Marcus continues, his amber eyes locked on mine. “I love your strength, your kindness, your stubborn determination to see the best in people. You’ve brought light into my life in a way I never thought possible.”
He pulls a small velvet box from behind his back, opening it to reveal a stunning vintage ring. The center diamond catches the morning light, surrounded by smaller sapphires that match my eyes.
“This was my grandmother’s,” he explains softly. “She always said it should go to someone who could see past the rough exterior to the heart underneath. That’s you, Lainey. You see me, all of me, and you love me anyway.”
Tears blur my vision as he takes a deep breath.
“I know this is fast. I know we have challenges ahead of us. But I also know, with absolute certainty, that I want to face those challenges with you by my side. For the rest of our lives.”
He holds up the ring, his hands steady despite the emotion in his voice.
“Lainey Daniels, will you marry me?”
Time stands still as I stare into Marcus’s eyes, seeing all the love and hope shining there. My heart feels like it might burst from the overwhelming emotion flooding through me.
“Yes,” I whisper, my voice choked with tears. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”
Marcus’s face breaks into a radiant smile, one that takes years off his rugged features. He slides the ring onto my finger with trembling hands, then pulls me into his arms.
“I love you,” I murmur against his chest, breathing in his familiar scent of pine and leather. “I love you so much.”
He cups my face in his calloused hands, thumbs brushing away my tears. Then he kisses me, soft and sweet at first, then with growing passion. I melt into him, forgetting everything else around us.
Until Axel makes an exaggerated gagging noise.
“Okay, okay, we get it. You’re in love. No need to scar us for life.”
Ruby elbows him sharply. “Shut up, you big baby. This is beautiful.”
She’s openly weeping now, mascara streaking down her cheeks. But her smile is radiant as she wraps us both in a hug, nearly knocking us over.
“I’m so happy for you guys,” she wails into Marcus’s shoulder. “This is the best thing ever.”
Marcus chuckles, patting her back awkwardly. “Thanks, Ruby. I think.”
As I look around at the people gathered in this kitchen – my two best friends and the man I’m going to marry – I’m struck by a sudden realization.
This is what family means.
Not just the people you’re born to but the ones you choose. The ones who show up when everything falls apart. The ones who love you not in spite of your broken pieces, but because of them.
Sometimes, those pieces fit together in ways you never expected.
Sometimes, the family you build is better than any you could have imagined.
And sometimes, if you’re really lucky, you get both.
The End
***