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Of course she did. She’d met the guy. Not exactly father-of-the-year material.
I nervously ran my hands through my hair as Marin turned to face me. “For the majority of my life, it was mostly like this.” I motioned toward the living room. “When others drank, I wouldn’t. I had a load of bullshit excuses to give people, but really?—
“You didn’t want to be like him.”
I nodded.
“I kept that up for a long time. But then I found Kristy bent over Hayes’s desk, and, well?—”
I’d always wondered if his plan was always to marry her or if the surprise pregnancy had just pushed him into it.
“Macon.” She reached for me.
I hadn’t even realized I’d turned away.
“At first, it was just a little. When I went out with friends, I’d order a beer. Then two. I figured, why the hell not, you know? But then the friends slowly started to disappear, and drinking only got worse.”
“Pretty shitty friends,” she muttered.
I was leaning against the counter, and she stepped between my legs, wrapping her arms around my torso.
“I don’t know if it was necessarily all their fault. We had never been very close to begin with, and I was kind of a mess.”
“Not too much of a mess for Billy,” she reminded me.
“No, but that’s because Billy is a stubborn asshole.” I gave her a sad smile. “We weren’t even friends then. I just happened to show up at his restaurant one night, right before closing, demanding food. I was a fucking train wreck, and rather than call the sheriff’s office—which was probably what he should have done—he made me food and drove me home.”
“That sounds like Billy.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “The next day, he showed up at my door with more food and told me he wasn’t leaving until I sobered up.”
“Did it work?”
“No.” I shook my head. “He tried and failed. And then did it all over again. Pretty sure I threatened to arrest him on multiple occasions.” I grinned. “But he never gave up. No matter how many times I fucked up and relapsed.”
“Get out, Martin,” Billy hollered, pointing to my front door.
“He already told you, he doesn’t want you here,” my dad sneered as his words sloshed around in my addled brain.
“I don’t give a fuck what he wants,” he roared, making my head snap back. “Now, take the booze and leave. This open bar is officially closed.”
I closed my eyes. “Never again.”
She cupped my chin, and my eyes opened and found hers staring into my damn soul. “You’re incredible. You know that, right?”
I tried to look away, but her fingers locked around my chin. “I’m a fucking tragedy.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I see you, Macon. All that pain you try to hide, your strength, your passion. I see you. You are a miracle and…” Her voice cracked with emotion. “I love all of you.”
My breath caught.
The earth tilted, and the stars realigned.
And my entire world became her.
Just her.
“Say it again,” I whispered.
