Page 33 of Ruin

I relax my hold on myself and exhale a breath. “If you let her down, Zeus…I’ll kill you myself.”

“I won’t let her down. I swear to God.” He steps closer to me. So close that I can smell his aftershave. That same unfamiliar yet familiar scent.

“You changed your aftershave,” I say. I know it’s a stupid thing to say the instant the words are out of my mouth, but knowing that he wanted to erase me from his life, even down to this, bothers me. Hurts me.

“The old one reminded me of you,” he says low.

Well, hell, if that doesn’t sting.

I’m staring at his chest. I don’t want him to see the emotion in my eyes right now.

“Well, I’m sorry I was a bother. I guess it must have been awkward, fucking other women with the scent of the last one all over you.”

“Jesus, Cam. That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

“Do I?” I make the error of looking up into his eyes. I know it’s a mistake the second I do.

It’s like dynamite being tossed onto an already raging fire between us.

Attraction explodes between us.

Zeus’s eyes are burning for me in that way they used to, and it makes my soul ache. I feel a million things in this moment. Not one of them sensible or smart.

It reminds me of days long gone. Wanting each other was never a problem for us. Even in the early days of our relationship when we were taking things slow. I always knew Zeus wanted me.

Until he wanted other people.

And that is like a bucket of cold water over my head.

I step back and wrap my arms around myself. My heart is hammering in my chest. “Gigi will be home soon,” I say, needing him to leave now. “It’d probably be better if you weren’t here when she came home.”

“Okay,” he agrees. “But can I see her tomorrow?”

“Yes. I’ll talk to her when she gets home. Let her know we’ll be spending some time with a new friend tomorrow.”

As I walk him to the door, I ask about his family, “How’s your dad?”

“Still drunk.” Zeus shrugs it off like it doesn’t matter, but I know better. “I put him in rehab twice,” he tells me. “It didn’t stick either time. He doesn’t want to get sober. He gave up on living a long time ago. Now, he’s just drinking himself to the grave.”

That makes me hurt for him.

Brett Kincaid has been an alcoholic ever since I’ve known Zeus. He’s not a mean drunk. Just a useless one. He started drinking after Zeus’s mom, Grace, died. And it steadily got worse—to the point where he quit working and basically stayed home, drinking, all day long. That was when Zeus took over, caring for his brothers and sister. He left school before graduation and got a day job in a meat factory. He kept up with boxing, doing more fights to make money, and somehow managed to make time for me as well.

It was when he got invited to represent America at the Olympics that life took a turn for the better for him. But it was also the start of the end of us. His boxing career took off. And I got left behind, battered and bruised, in the wake of his success.

“I’m really sorry to hear that,” I tell him. “Knowing he’s got a granddaughter might help,” I add hopefully.

“Yeah, maybe.” But he doesn’t sound convinced.

“How’s Ares doing?” I ask as we reach the door.

He was at Penn State. Starting quarterback for the Lions.

Zeus smiles, probably the first real smile that I’ve seen on him since he walked back into my life last night. “He got drafted by the Giants. First pick. He’s in his second season with them.”

“Wow. That’s amazing,” I say, and I mean it. I always liked Ares. “How about the twins?”

“Lo’s in his third year at Penn State. He followed Ares there. And Missy’s in her third year at Dartmouth.”