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“Sleep well, Sunshine.”
Mom:
Where are you?
Luca:
Got up early for a run
Meeting a friend for brunch so I won’t be home for a while
The clock on my phone said it was eight in the morning. Luna was out cold and my arm beneath her was completely asleep. She was too peaceful for me to move, so I settled in and snuggled her a little closer. Her scent was sharper than usual, and I assumed that was due to the fact that she was sick. I vaguely recalled Sidney mentioning that Allie was sick as well. One of their coworkers had come in ill and it had run through the office, so that was probably where Luna had picked up whatever this was. I’d wear a mask to work to be safe.
I closed my eyes and walked myself through the revelations of last night. I think I was more surprised than anything else. Obviously, I had already known I wasn’t the only one she was with, she’d said so from the beginning, but I hadn’t quite expected that the other people involved were paying clients. As long as they were nice to her, I didn’t mind. I was the one who got to hold her like this. I was the one she called when she was sick, and the one who could offer comfort, even if she was still working herself around to accept it.
She wasn’t used to anyone caring. Sure, she had Allie, and her sisters, but from the sounds of it, she was the one supporting her sisters, and not the other way around. It pissed me off more than anything that she hadn’t had more kindness in her life. I would have to see if I could get a little bit more history from her if she was feeling better today.
How old had she been when she’d felt like she had to leave home the first time? And then to have what little security she might’ve found ripped out from under her with Stella’s marriage. I couldn’t imagine. It was no wonder she was so stubbornly independent. It definitely helped me realize how big of a step for her it must’ve been to call me. Had she even expected me to agree? Or had she been bracing herself for yet another person who’d said they would be there and wasn’t?
I stroked a soft hand over her hair and she grumbled quietly, burrowing against my chest. It wasn’t lost on me how vulnerable she was right now and what kind of trust it took for her to put herself in my hands while she was sick. She’d been so convinced I would end things because I knew about the club. How many times had it happened before? She had been insistent that she didn’t want to quit. Had others demanded that of her when they found out?
Luna squeaked. “You’re squishing me.”
I released my hold immediately and leaned away, only to have her curl up against me, her head on my chest and her arms wrapped around me.
“You stayed.”
“Of course I stayed.”
“I thought you’d be gone when I woke up.”
“And miss the chance to take care of you today? Hell no. Plus, I’ve never gotten to wake up with you before. I wasn’t wasting that chance.”
Her sigh was long and deep, settling the full weight of her against me. “You keep surprising me.”
“In a good way?”
“In the best way.”
She disappeared back into sleep before I could say anything else, and I contented myself with reading on my phone until my bladder was ready to burst and I had to slip away. I found a set of unopened toothbrushes beneath the sink and stole one of them to tidy up for the day.
When I returned to the living room, Luna was curled into a ball, a quiet sob emanating through the blankets. I dropped down to my knees. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
She jolted like she’d been struck by lightning. Her eyes were red rimmed, her cheeks wet. “You’re still here.”
“I just went to the bathroom.”
“Oh.”
I dragged her onto my lap and held her tightly. “Did you forget I was here when you woke up earlier?”
She nodded, her fingers curling against my T-shirt.
“Did you think I had left for the day or left forever?”
“Forever,” she said quietly. “You could’ve changed your mind.”
“No mind-changing. I’m here as long as you want me.”
