AllFreeNovel
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“Are you forgetting how much you put me back together, too?”
“How and when did I do that?” she asked with a healthy dose of skepticism in her voice.
“The entire time I was a giant mess when Nicky was missing. I wouldn’t have gotten through that without you.”
“Oh.”
“You need to remember that this isn’t a one-way street where you’re only taking from me. I think we’ve gotten pretty good at supporting each other. And even when it is a little more weighted to one side or the other, I think that’s normal. Our needs don’t stay the same all the time. You stepped up for me when I needed you, and I’m gonna keep doing that for you.”
She sniffled and hugged me tighter.
Luna couldn’t see how far she had come, but I could.
I wasn’t even the only one who could see those changes. Allie had probably noticed a difference, maybe Stella. They weren’t invisible steps Luna had taken.
“I’m sorry I ruined the festival.”
I kissed the top of her head. “You didn’t. We’ve had a fabulous morning, a delicious lunch, and now a cuddle in the park. Absolutely nothing is ruined, so don’t you dare swirl that around your head the rest of the day.”
She lifted her head to look at me, her blue eyes shiny. “I’m just gonna shut up. The brain gremlins are screaming really loud.”
“Well, let’s see what we can figure out to quiet them down again.”
She tossed away the garbage, and I shook the grass from the blanket and folded it so it was a comfortable-sized wrap I could drape over her shoulders.
We detoured to the other side of the conservatory and wandered through the historic downtown. She clutched my hand like a lifeline the entire time. We paused to pick up some handmade caramels, a set of soaps the vendor let us customize to include our own scents, and a blue bunny with green ears to match the one I had gotten for her.
By the time we approached our dinner reservation, Luna was back to herself. We unloaded our treasures into the car and enjoyed a ridiculously delicious steak, roasted potatoes, and spring-fresh asparagus. Eventually our warning alarm went off, ordering us back to reality.
“You should sleep on the drive back,” she offered.
“I can stay awake. Last time was because of the cocktails.”
“Yeah, but you have to work all night, whereas I only have to get up at the ass crack of dawn. I don’t want you falling asleep at the bakery.”
“Fair point. Thank you.”
I hooked my fingertips in the seatbelt at her hips when we were settled in so I could keep touching her even while I was asleep. She didn’t even notice that she was stepping up for me. Being awake all day, all through the night, and into the next morning would’ve legitimately been hell, but she knew what I needed and she didn’t make a single fuss about giving it to me. I was going to spend the rest of my damn life making sure she knew how grateful for her I was.
Clearly I had underestimated people’s excitement for getting up early and eating pancakes outside. After setting up what felt like a thousand chairs on the chilly spring morning, Luca finally arrived with a mountain of treats in his arms. There were so many volunteers, and I guess it made sense with how many people they were expecting to show up. I had never been a political pancake breakfast kind of girl.
Luca snuck me a muffin. “Taste test.”
I peeled off the liner and stuffed as much as I could into my mouth, getting the rich warmth of the spice muffin, the crunch of the candied seeds on top, and the sweet burst of the cream cheese center. “Holy shit, this is good.”
He beamed at me. “Jasper’s been putting me in charge of the muffins.”
“Jasper!” I shouted. “These muffins are fucking bomb. Give Luca a raise.”
My sweet beta flushed at the praise.
The redheaded omega chuckled. “I will when he’s done his program.” Jasper wandered over to us. “Thanks for coming by to help. We really appreciate it.”
“No problem,” I replied. “Maybe do a pancake lunch next time so I can sleep past four.”
Jasper laughed again. “I’ll tell Tony to take that into consideration. Have as many muffins as you like. We brought plenty to keep the volunteers fed.”
“You shouldn’t give me free rein like that. If they’re all as good as the one Luca just fed me, I’m gonna go eat my weight in baked goods.”
