Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 23745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Repulsed, I think. Yeah, right.
I sigh for dramatic effect, then turn my back on the table. “Fine, whatever.”
I’m smiling on my way upstairs and the whole time I’m scrubbing the day’s work off my body in the shower. Maybe this will be how we make it happen – trick our parents into thinking we dislike each other, and then sneak off and share some time together whenever we can make it happen.
Of course, that won’t be a lot of fun on the romance side of things, which I’m definitely going to need in my life.
It’s not just the physical side of things I want with Luna, although those are incredible; I want more with her. Luna makes my heart race. Even just now, for the brief moment I was able to have my eyes on her downstairs, it was like a shot of adrenaline straight into my heart.
My blood is raging like my veins are filled with lava, my testosterone is roaring like I’m an animal searching for its mate, and my nerves are on high alert. I’m ready for anything.
I want Luna. She needs to be mine. I can’t just keep her as my sexy little secret for my entire life. As fun as that may be right now, it can’t go on forever. But how are we going to make something more official and less hidden happen?
Once I’m dried off and dressed, I find her waiting for me downstairs in the living room, playing around on her phone next to her mother, doing a good job of pretending to look irritated. But the moment she looks up and our eyes meet, that expression falters for a brief moment, and I see the excitement there.
Fortunately, when her mom looks up, she quickly glances back down at her phone.
“All set, sis?” I ask.
“Yeah,” she replies, sounding annoyed as she lifts herself from the couch.
“Don’t sound so miserable, you two,” Susan says. “Get to know each other. You just might like each other! It took Carson and me a little while to warm up to each other, you know?”
“Ew, Mom, what’s that supposed to mean?” Luna asks. “Blake and I are going to fall in love with each other or something?”
I can’t help it. I burst out laughing but try not to crack up too hard.
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Luna,” Susan replies. Now she’s the one sounding annoyed. “You know that’s not what I meant. That would be absurd.”
Luna and I share a glance, and neither of us can hide the slight hint of a smile. Yeah, absurd.
* * *
I take Luna to my favorite Thai restaurant and order beef pad Thai and fried spring rolls. She doesn’t order anything but just says she’ll have one of my spring rolls as she’s basically already eaten back at the house.
“It’s good to know they aren’t on to us.” She grins, pulling up her chair right next to mine. “But your dad can be quite a…quite a…”
“Dickhead?” I suggest. Luna bites her lower lip and sort of shrugs.
“Well, I wasn’t going to put it that way, but…”
“I’m being a bit harsh,” I admit. “But he’s used to being the boss, and that translates into the family life. I think that’s why my mom left him.”
Luna puts a tender hand on my knee and gives me a look that I wasn’t expecting – a look that shows me she actually cares. Either that or she’s really good at acting like she does, but I don’t think that’s the case.
“I’m sorry, Blake. That must have been hard.”
“Eh, it wasn’t that big of a deal…” I shrug, but then I realize that I’m playing it off and trying to be tough for really no reason at all. I say this sort of thing in front of most people, like it’s just a canned response, but I don’t feel like I have to in front of Luna. So I don’t. “Actually, yeah, you’re right. It was hard. Having your mom just bail on you and then dealing with your dad’s dating habits from a young age…not a great time.”
“Well, in a weird way, it also brought us together!” Luna says, pinching my knee and giving me a silly face. “So yay divorce!”
I burst out laughing. “Did you really just say yay divorce?”
Luna giggles and nods her head. “Hey, I had to deal with it too!”
“True,” I reply. “And your dad’s a mobster, so that must have been quite interesting.”
“Still is,” she says with a sigh, leaning her head on my shoulder.
The food arrives, and I dig in. It’s been a long day, and I’m starving. Luna picks at one of my spring rolls and keeps her other hand on my leg like we’ve been boyfriend and girlfriend for months. It’s a basic meal I’ve had countless times, but this time seems like the most enjoyable meal I’ve had since I can remember.