His Awesome Ex Is Now Uncle's Lady (Alicia and Austin) novel Chapter 55

Chapter 55 The Edge of Memory

Die? The word hit Alicia like a punch to the chest. A surge of memories-her mom’s body dropping from the building and hitting the ground right before her-flashed through her mind quickly. Her blood turned cold. Every muscle in her body trembled.

Austin didn’t mind that she was soaked through. He immediately pulled her into his embrace, one arm around her shoulders and the other cradling the back of her head, providing protection as if the world could break apart at any moment.

Alicia held onto his collar, her voice hoarse and broken. “Just… let me catch my breath for a moment.”

Austin’s voice was calm and even. “Want to tell me what happened?”

“I…” She hesitated, feeling overwhelmed by all that she carried. She’d borne it alone for years because no one-not even her family-had ever truly listened. To her, he was merely her husband on paper, a business arrangement with a heartbeat. Why bother opening up? All that family crap-what was the point? She didn’t want to be ridiculed.

“It’s fine,” Austin murmured, his hand rubbing slow circles on her back. “You don’t have to talk. I can wait.”

He meant it. He wasn’t going anywhere.

They stayed like that, quiet except for the sound of the rain outside.

When she finally looked up, she noticed the sharp line of his jaw and how his lips squeezed together. His dark, unreadable eyes softened when they gazed at hers.

In them, she saw herself-shaken, broken, and still standing somehow.

His clean, woody scent filled her lungs and fogged her head. For once, she didn’t feel so alone.

Her fingers brushed his face before she even realized it. “Mr. Burton.. can you kiss me?”

He didn’t hesitate. His lips crashed into hers before she could blink.

The kiss deepened fast, her desperation bleeding through every touch. It wasn’t passion-not really. It was grief spilling out, piece by piece.

Her hands fisted his shirt, wet and lines of his abs. She tugged at his lin belt,

St his chest. The fabric went nearly see-through, tracing the and frantic.

He caught her wrists, murmuring against her ear, “Slow down. Let me handle it.”

His tone was gentle yet assertive. One hand moved down her waist as the other unfastened the belt. The air grew hot around them, water splashing over the tub’s rin.

“Austin…” Her voice cracked. “You’re all I’ve got.”

Sure, it was only legal on paper, but he was still her husband. That had to matter, right? She didn’t feel like some unwanted extra in her life for once,

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