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She shrugs, ripping my heart out and pulling me under a swell of despair with her. I know it’s hard for her to depend on someone, but she already has me, regardless if she needs me or not.
“Mae, look at me.”
She shakes her head against my chest. So stubborn. Queeny clutches my shirt as she wails into it. Her tears, warm and unrelenting, soak through, and I wonder how long it’s been since she’s let herself break down. I survey the damage around us. This must be what years of pent-up hurt, anger, and frustration look like.
“Baby, please,” I beg because this is killing me.
Needing her eyes, I wrap my hand around her jaw and pull her chin up to face me. Her blister-red cheeks are stained with white streaks of salty tears, and snot is running out of her nose. Even in this state, she’s so fucking beautiful I would sell my soul to keep her. I wipe away her tears with my thumb and use my shirt to dry her nose. My movements are slow and gentle as I clean her gorgeous face.
Her sobs quiet to hiccups, and even though her heartbeat is erratic against mine, the hurricane of emotions seems to have abated.
I need her to relax, so I ease the tension a little more. “Did you not like dinner?”
A loud laugh breaks through her tears. I can’t help but smile in return, dripping a sweet smooch on those soft lips.
“Tell me,” I encourage, keeping my voice soft and low.
Mae takes a deep breath and leans further into me. I know whatever it is, it’s going to be difficult to talk about, so I wait patiently until she’s ready.
“I’m losing”— she chokes on a sob — “everything.” Her face crumples on the last word. The way she clings to me tells me I’m part of her “everything”. She couldn’t be more wrong.
“Everything I worked for. All the things I sacrificed.” She wipes her cheek with the back of her hand as new tears fall. “All the time I missed with Isabel.” Her lids squeeze shut as if she doesn’t want to see too far into the future. “It was all for nothing.”
The crack in her voice tears at my flesh. Her pain is my pain. I wish I had the solution to all her problems, but I only have myself and my unconditional devotion to this family.
“I’m so sorry, Mae.”
New moisture forms in the corner of her eyes and falls like fat raindrops down her cheeks.
I smooth her silky hair off her face before tucking her head under my chin. “Shh, it’s going to be okay. You’re smart and tenacious. You will get through this and be better for it.”
Mae pulls back to look at me. “How can you say that? I fucked up. Jay counted on me, and I ruined them.”
“Hey, you are only human. I can’t imagine a scenario where you were solely responsible for your company. It’s even harder to fathom that Jay would hold anything against you. They’re just as responsible.”
She shakes her head. “You don’t understand.”
I don’t. But she doesn’t either. She has no idea how much the people in her life love her. We’d do anything to make her happy, especially Jay. I’ve seen them together. Jay lifts her high on that pedestal, like I do. And rightfully so—it’s where she belongs.
The mess around us is a reminder that Queeny’s kingdom is in shambles, so it’s time to change locations. I try to slide out from under her so I can pull her out of the hell she’s in, but she has a vise grip on my shirt.
“Don’t go.” Her words are wobbly.
Never. Never again.
“Hey.” I drop down to catch her stare. “I’m not, okay?”
She looks so lost, so vulnerable. I want her to know she’ll always have me. For as long as she wants.
I brush my lips over hers, giving the slightest suction. The hand that was holding onto my shirt slides up the back of my neck as she gives into her need.
“Never,” I whisper.
She lifts up on her knees to deepen the kiss, but there’s something I need to do first.
“I’m going to take care of you. C’mon.” While one arm holds her to me, the other slides under her knees and I stand. She relaxes in my arms as I pick her up, surrendering to her exhaustion. Needing me to be strong when she is weak. “That’s it, baby. I’ve got you.”
She buries her face in my neck, her tears coating my skin and her hands clasped tightly behind my back.
