Page 36 of The Broken Keys

“Yeah.”

We stare at each other, and I see the exact second she overthinks what just occurred.

“Don’t.” My voice is barely above a whisper. “Whatever you’re about to say to convince yourself this is a mistake, don’t.”

“But what if it is?”

“Then we’ll figure it out.” I frame her face with my hands, needing her to understand. “But Lily, what if it’s not? What if this is exactly what we’re supposed to be doing?”

She closes her eyes, leaning into my touch. “I’m terrified of being wrong.”

“I know. So am I.” I run my thumb over her bottom lip. “But I’d rather be scared with you than safe without you.”

When she opens her eyes, there’s something swirling in them. Not resolution exactly, but a kind of tentative belief.

Her gaze pierces mine. “What if I do something that hurts you like I did before?”

“Like what?”

“You know… I lost him, Callum. I was drinking and using any drug I could get my hands on. What if it wasn’t your uncle’s fault after all? What if it happened because I wasn’t taking care of it like I should’ve been?”

“Livianna…” Searing heat strikes my stomach. The pain ricochets through my body, but I focus on her needs. “You have to let that part of our past heal. We were young and made mistakes.”

“But—”

“No. That wasn’t your fault. Yes, I still believe we were meant to have our child, but that doesn’t mean I blame you.”

She lowers her head. “I still wonder about the what-ifs.”

I take her chin and lift it with my fingers. “That’s normal, but it doesn’t define us. We just agreed to see where this goes. If it’s meant to be, all that will come in time.”

“You really mean that?”

“I do.” I give her a reassuring kiss. “Can you try to trust the process?”

“Maybe.” She smirks. “You sound like a therapist.”

“Well, considering that’s where I got the idea, I’m not surprised.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, let’s see what happens.”

I lean down to kiss her again, gently this time, sealing the promise we’ve just made to each other. Maybe we’re finally getting this right.

I get lost in her and the possibility I stand a chance again.I dreamed this would happen, but I never expected it. My heart explodes and love fills my core.

I just hope I’m not setting myself up for the biggest heartbreak of my life, because being with her now, our breaths tangled, I know I’m already too far gone to care.

Chapter Eight

JAXON/JAX

Now

The Man On The Cutting Room Floor