“I should probably quit,” he said. The words made a pang shoot through my chest like a bolt. He was right, we both needed to quit. But sometimes, when I saw him getting better, when I saw how hard he was trying to be a better man, I felt like I was being left behind. He was able to do what I couldn’t, and although he kept trying to drag me along with him, I still lived with the fear that eventually, he’d fix himself and I’d still be broken.

Too broken for him, for any of them.

We’d met each other at our lowest and risen out of that together. We’d been desperate back then, searching for any reason at all to keep going, and we’d found that in each other.

How selfish was I to worry that he might not need me anymore?

It was weird how it seemed like he could read my mind. He passed the cigarette back and said, “Do you know why I wanted you with her? Why I sent you inside with Jess, instead of having you with me?”

It was like he knew that had hurt me. And I’d tried not to let it, I’d really tried. But it kindled my fear that he was pushing me away. I’d protect him, I would always protect him. But if he wouldn’t let me…

“I have the worst temper,” I said, inhaling slowly. “Your dad is volatile and I suck at keeping my cool. Figured you were trying to avoid the situation escalating.”

I could feel his eyes on the side of my face, although I was still staring toward the setting sun.

“I knew you’d keep her safe. I knew that no matter what happened, if my father wanted to hurt her, the last person he’d have to get through was you. And he wouldn’t get through you.”

He wasn’t the kind of person to say that out of pity or lie in an effort to make me feel better. Manson had always been careful with his words and he said what he meant.

He plucked the cigarette from my fingers, inhaling deeply. He cupped my face, his fingers tracing back over my jaw until he grasped the back of my head and pulled me close.

He kissed me, his taste so familiar, the sharp pinch of his teeth on my lip igniting a fire in my chest. I grasped his shirt, fingers knotted in the fabric as his tongue pushed into my mouth and the scent of him filled my head with need.