Page 72 of My Rockstar Ex's Broken Vows

"Marcus, stop it!" I snap, my anger boiling over. “You’re the one who put Ollie in the middle of this. Why did you bring him here like this? You won't control me anymore." I turn around to Callum. "Callum, please go back to the back and let me handle this."

Marcus scoffs, his lip curling. "Control you? I’m trying to protect my son from whatever mess you’re dragging him into. You’re pathetic and desperate.”

"That’s enough," Callum says sharply, his voice calm but firm. He steps closer, his eyes locked on Marcus. "You don’t get to come in here and talk to her like that."

Marcus’s eyes flash with fury, and for a moment, I think he might lunge forward. But instead, he grabs Ollie’s shoulder and turns him toward the door. "She is my wife," he spits at Calum. "Come on, Son. We’re leaving," he says coldly to Ollie.

"No," I say, stepping forward. "You’re not taking him. Not like this."

Ollie looks up at me, wide-eyed and confused. "Mom? What’s going on?"

"Nothing, baby," I say quickly, crouching to meet his gaze. "Why don’t you go grab your ukulele? It’s in your room, right?"

Ollie nods, glancing nervously between me and Marcus before running down the hall.

The second he’s out of earshot, I whirl on Marcus. "This stops now. You don’t get to show up here whenever you feel like it and act like you have a say in my life. And, by the way, I amnotyour wife."

"As long as you're spending time with my son, I have a say," Marcus snaps. "Someone has to be the adult."

The tension between us could snap at any second, but before either of us can say anything else, Ollie comes running back, clutching his ukulele.

"Got it!" he says brightly.

"Great," Marcus says stiffly, his voice clipped. "Let’s go."

Instead of stopping him, I let them go to spare Ollie any more turmoil. If it were in a vacuum, I would take him and run far away from him.

If anyone is putting him in an unsafe situation, it is the one showing up at my door on his weekend with him to catch me living my adult life. He knew exactly what he was doing. He is trying to paint me as the bad guy.

I know he was hoping for a scene just like this.

7:23AM

The door clicks shutbehind Marcus, leaving the apartment unnervingly silent. I lean against the wall, my legs trembling and my chest heaving like I’ve just run a marathon. I don’t know if it’s anger, fear, or a mix of both, but whatever it is, it’s suffocating.

Callum’s voice cuts through the quiet, low and steady. "What the fuck was that?"

I turn slowly, and he’s already there, closing the distance between us in a few quick strides. Before I can say anything, his arms are around me, pulling me into his chest. The warmth of him, the solid weight of his hold, makes something inside me crack wide open.

"It’s okay," he murmurs, his hand sliding up to cradle the back of my head. "I’ve got you."

For a moment, I just let myself surrender to him. The tension in my shoulders slowly unwinds as his steady breaths ground me. My hands clutch at him so tightly that I feel the faint tremble in my fingers. "Shhh. I've got you."

When I finally pull back, his hands stay on my arms and his gaze stays fixed on me. "I've got you," he says again, his voice softer now. "Talk to me. What’s going on?"

I nod, swallowing hard, and let him guide me to the couch. I sink into the cushions, wrapping my arms around myself as he sits beside me, his knees brushing mine.

"I need to tell you everything," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

He nods and I wrap my arms around myself as I walk back toward the living room. I sink into the couch, pulling my robe tighter, and Callum sits down beside me, his knees brushing mine.

For a moment, I can’t find the words. They stick in my throat, caught behind the tight knot of emotion threatening to choke me.

"Tell me," he begs, softer this time. He leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his eyes fixed on mine.

I take a deep breath, forcing myself to gain my composure.

And then I tell him. Everything.

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