Series: Like Us Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 241
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
She replied with the colloquial mom response. As long as he makes you happy. As long as he’s good to you. It sunk my stomach, but she tried to reassure me. “I think you’re meant to be.”
“Okay,” I breathed.
“I mean it.” She made me look up. “See these.” She pointed at her narrowed green eyes with two fingers. “They have witnessed and predicted many romances, and they know love. I see yours, Luna. And my beautiful, radiant daughter once told me, ‘There are people in the universe who make you feel at home.’ And Donnelly made you feel like your galaxy is the happiest, most exhilarating place to be. That is love.”
It must’ve been how I felt then, but it’s also exactly how I feel now with him.
I started crying. “I told you this about him?”
She smiled through a sheen of tears too. “You did.”
I had shared my feelings about Donnelly with my mom—when I didn’t think I had opened up to anyone. I’d told her. We hugged, and I used the plushie to dry my face.
All was well.
Though, she said she would talk to Donnelly on her own, too. It sounded like a conversation she’s preparing for, and maybe it’ll be a little harder than the one with me.
Orion lets out a teeny woof in his sleep, and the noise pulls me out of the recent memory. I smile and struggle not to attack-hug him, so I reach for my phone. Worst decision ever. A calendar notification pops up. Reminding me about the Fizzle presentations.
Greaaaat. Trying to come up with a new Fizzle product or a marketing strategy is like trying to catch air. And this is supposed to be one of the most important parts of the competition. It’s not something I want to wing at the last minute. But I have no ideas—not even bad ones.
Inspiration is a ruthless hoe. That’s what Eliot always says at least. If I could guzzle a jug of inspiration, I would right now.
Wait…I sit up swiftly and turn my galaxy projector back on. The most brilliant plan just light-bulbed inside my head.
I need to get high.
Some of my best ideas have been formed while stoned.
Jumping out of bed, I’m careful not to disturb my Newfie, but my footsteps stop near the bathroom door. With Donnelly on the other side of the bathroom, there is a great and terrible urge to use the perks of the Jack-and-Jill.
To go see him.
Why didn’t he knock on my door when he came home? Because he didn’t want to wake me from a deep-sleep. It’s the same revolving answer I’ve smacked into. But what if it has nothing to do with protecting my sleep? He could just be pumping the brakes on sex.
He wants slow. I’m craving fast.
We are at a roadblock. If I knock on the bathroom door, will he think I’m knocking for sex? Will he ignore me?
My gut drops just at the mere image of being ignored by Donnelly.
I can think of nothing more soul-shattering. So new plan. I’m not going to knock on his bathroom door. I’m going to exit my room and enter the hall, then knock on his front door. Thinking of knocking on his doors is kinda dirty, but that’s where I’m at. Sex sizzling the brain.
If he ignores this knock, then I can blame it on a variety of things. He might be fast asleep. He might be thinking I’m Thatcher. Or he could think I’m a Sleep Goblin. There are just so many more factors that don’t include “I’m purposefully ignoring Luna Hale because I don’t want to have sex with her right now.”
Which is valid. He can deny me sex, if he so wishes. I’m not trying to be pushy! I’m really not. But rejection—I do not want to meet right now.
And little does he know, this isn’t about sex.
This is about marijuana.
In the hall, at his front door, I raise my fist and then reconsider knocking. What if he doesn’t want to get high with me? I pull at the hem of my oversized Kansas T-shirt. It stops just above my knees, and since I only have panties on underneath, I shouldn’t loiter in the hallway too long.
Is it normal to fear rejection from my boyfriend?
It’s the last question in my brain before I knock.
A solid, agonizing ten seconds pass before the door cracks. When he sees it’s me, he swings it open even wider. Relief washes over me, and then I’m suddenly bathed in heat. Holy…wow.
My gaze drops.
My lips part.
Donnelly is naked. Like buck-naked.
Only a pillow covers his crotch.
38
LUNA HALE
Donnelly holds the pillow with a firm hand like he’s hiding a boner. Sexy thick veins protrude from the top of his palm—stop looking at his hand, Luna. Because it totally appears like I’m staring at his dick. But that’s unreasonable because his dick is behind the pillow. Fully covered. He’s technically not even naked! He’s wearing that pillow. Ha!