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“My things?” She shook her head, glancing around the empty apartment. “Why?”
“Because I fuckin’ said so, Luna!” I pulled in a breath, my nostrils flaring. I needed to keep control of myself, but it was damn hard. “What did you think?” I advanced on her. “That I would drop you here and forget all about you?”
She scoffed. “You didn’t find it that hard the first time.” She pursed her lips, her own anger mixing with mine.
“That was different,” I told her, backing her up until her body was flush with the wall. I didn’t stop until our chests were pressed together. “You just committed the rest of your goddamn life to me, baby. Now do as I say and get your fuckin’ things so we can leave.”
Her chest heaved, her cleavage spilling out of her top with each breath she took, begging me to touch her. But I wouldn’t. Not now. Not here.
“You…” She growled low in her throat. “I don’t want to lea—” She cut herself off, sadness and pain swirling in her eyes. Had she said that before today, I probably would have believed her, but right then, even she was doubting herself. “Fine,” she relented.
I bent at my knees, bringing our faces level. One last look then I backed away. She was going to be the fuckin’ death of me, but somehow I thought I might just enjoy it.
CHAPTER 11
LUNA
He was bossy.
Infuriating.
Overbearing.
But damn if I couldn’t be grateful for what he’d done.
He’d gotten me out of an impossible situation, and now I was back here, in my apartment. My empty apartment.
I had no idea where my mom and dad were, and if I was being honest, I didn’t care in that moment. I didn’t want to see them, not after everything that had happened. Footsteps echoed from downstairs, and I had no doubt Mateo was taking a look around the apartment, witnessing what I had to live with on a daily basis.
Inhaling a calming breath, I tried to stop the shaking in my hands as I grabbed the few things I owned and threw them into a trash bag. My books were all lined up n
eatly in my backpack, my laptop the only missing thing. They’d stolen from me and I’d stolen for them.
I flopped down on the edge of my bed, staring at the half-filled trash bag and backpack. I was a fool. A tear slid down my cheek. Dammit. I wasn’t this person. I wasn’t the girl who cried at things. I kept my shoulders pushed back and met every challenge head on by myself.
But now Mateo had stepped in. He’d taken up for me. He didn’t have to do that, but he did.
I had so many questions. Questions I wasn’t sure I would get answers to, but I was determined to at least try.
“Luna?”
I shot up off the bed. “Coming.” I put my arm through the strap in my backpack and wound the top of the trash bag around my wrist and palm then walked out of the room that had kept me safe for the last couple of months. Had it really only been that long? How had things taken such a drastic turn in such a short amount of time?
Mateo was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me. “That everything?” he asked.
“Yep.”
He nodded, took the trash bag from me, then pulled the front door open, not saying another word as we walked down the stairs and to his SUV. We were halfway across the makeshift parking lot, nearly home free and away from the one place I’d dreaded coming back to every day, when someone shouted.
I spun around, nearly losing my balance thanks to the weight of the books in my bag.
“Mateo!” the woman shouted, running over to us. “Hey, don’t ignore me, you bastard!”
I reeled back at her words and turned to look at Mateo. He placed my trash bag of things into the back of the SUV, acting like he hadn’t heard her, then closed the door. “Luna,” he said, his tone calm. “Get in the car.”
“I—”
“Don’t you fuckin’ leave!” the woman shouted, running at him. I winced as she passed by me, taking in her dirty bare feet and greasy hair hanging in thin strands around her face.
