And part of me doesn’t know if I want him to.
Luna is pacing the kitchen at Mom’s house when I get back there after the meeting.
She takes one look at my face and her expression morphs from concern to fury in about half a second.
“Oh my God, you look terrible. What happened?”
I pull out a chair and drop into it before covering my face with my hands. “He was at the meeting.”
“Who? Lochlan?” She drops to her knees next to me. “He showed up to the meeting with the Kozlovs? Why the hell would he do that?”
“Ronan brought him. He wanted to talk.”
Luna straightens up and stalks over to the refrigerator. With a snort, she pulls open the door. A few seconds later, she nudges my hands with a bottle of Pellegrino. “Here, drink this.”
I unscrew the top and take a long sip of the bubbly liquid. “Thanks.
She stands in front of me, her arms tight over her chest. “And you talked to him?”
“Yes. Just for a minute. Then I left.”
Luna starts to pace again, looking a lot like a caged animal. She’s always been like this… fiery, protective, ready to burn down anyone who hurts the people she loves. She’s flighty and carefree to a point, that point being an attack on her family. When we were kids, she once punched a boy twice her size for making fun of my braces.
“I despise them,” she says through clenched teeth. “All of them. The whole family.”
“Luna—”
“Lochlan lied to you for months. His father tried to have our dad killed. His brother Ronan spent years helping Eamon run his empire.” She stops pacing and whirls around to face me. “They’re all the same. Every single one of them.”
“Ronan helped save me. At the warehouse, remember?”
She makes a face. “Good for him. That doesn’t erase everything else.” Her jaw sets. “I don’t care how sorry they act. I don’tcare if they send flowers or play nice at family meetings. The Molloys are poison, Adriana. Every last one of them. You’re better off without Lochlan in your life. I know it may hurt now, but it’ll save you worse heartache in the long run.”
I don’t say anything. I can’t.
Because part of me knows she’s right. And part of me is terrified she isn’t.
CHAPTER 36
ADRIANA
With a frustrated huff,I slap my hands against the mattress. It’s been hours and my eyes refuse to close without seeing Lochlan’s tormented expression staring back at me.
I throw off the covers and get out of bed. It’s nearly midnight, but since sleep just isn’t happening, I might as well put the restless energy crawling under my skin to good use.
Running. I’ll go for a run. Clear my head. Exhaust myself enough that I can finally pass out.
I change into leggings and a tank top, lace up my sneakers, and slip out of the house before anyone can stop me. I’ve been staying with Mom ever since I left Lochlan. I didn’t want to go back to my place just yet and face the life I had there without him.
Because deep down, I’m just not ready to let go.
Mom didn’t set the house alarm before she went to sleep, so I can leave without disturbing her. My security will be furious, but I don’t care. I need to get out of here. I need to move.
I need to stop thinking about him.
The summer night air is warm and humid, immediately clinging to my skin as I turn out of the driveway, my feetpounding against the pavement. I don’t know where I’m headed. I just let my feet carry me through the quiet streets.
My eyes dart left and right in the darkness, searching for moving shadows. I know it’s stupid, being out here alone at night, unprotected. But right now, I don’t care about danger. I just need to outrun the hollow ache in my chest.
