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“They were all there, standing behind you, Luna,” Hugo said from her other side. “These people are good ones, and they’ve claimed you as their friend. Olivia is not going to like that, and I have to say that makes me happy.”
“Let me go, Nash.”
He kept walking right out the door and made for his pickup. Throwing open the door, he motioned for her and Hugo to get in.
“You okay, Luna?” Charlie called. With her was Ford.
“I’ll go with Charlie,” she said to Nash.
“I’ll go with her; you go with Nash,” Hugo said, nudging her to the pickup.
“Get in, Luna.”
“You don’t get to order me around.” She looked at him where he stood beside the driver’s door.
“Please.”
She got in. Around them, doors slammed and then vehicles started moving.
“Where are we going?”
“After match,” Nash said.
Luna watched Olivia walk out the door with Simon; the look on her face said she was fuming and not used to being ignored. All four teams and their supporters were leaving and not showing her the attention she clearly thought she was due.
“So that’s an interesting development,” Nash said as he started following another pickup.
“You shouldn’t have done that. Gone after Simon, then grabbed me and towed me out of the rec center. No one needs that kind of attention from her, and especially not a man who hates it.”
He shrugged. “I can handle myself.”
“You have to understand that Olivia and Simon are nasty and mean.”
“Not sure what they can do to me, but okay.”
She wanted to shriek. It welled up inside her like a volcano. She never shrieked or lost control.
“Go on and let that out, baby. Can’t be good keeping that stuff inside you.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” The words exploded out of her mouth.
“I’d need more than that. I mean, there’s the grumpiness, and I can be pretty contrary, so I’m told.”
“You cannot handle yourself against her! She’s poison all wrapped up in a pretty package. Sh-She’s like this poison letter. When you open the envelope all this stuff spews out. A venomous snake.” The words fell out one on top of the other. “She’s destroyed more careers and marriages than anyone I know. If she got hold of you, you’d be toast.”
“Luna, stop.”
“No!” Her heart was racing, and her chest hurt. “You, and them, you’re good people. I don’t want her coming at you. I can’t protect you all from her.”
Nash turned into the Trainer driveway.
“No. Take me back to the Lodge. I need to go there, Nash!”
He kept driving and pulled to a stop behind the other cars. He then switched off the engine and looked at her.
“It’s going to be all right, Luna. You’re not alone here.”
“But this is not my life. That’s in Chicago, and I’ll leave, and Olivia will have damaged this town’s reputation, and all because you’ve sided with me.” He needed to understand. They needed to understand.
“You need to calm down now, baby. We’re not going to let a plastic-faced bitch like her upset us. What’s she going to do that will hurt? This town doesn’t rely on her, or even people that she could get to. So she posts a bitchy comment or whatever the hell she’d do.” He shrugged. “It won’t impact anyone here.”
Luna looked at the big calm man seated across from her. Was he right? She’d lived her life worrying about reputation, namely hers. Protecting her brand, protecting her brother and sister. Making sure Lilly and Hugo were looked after. Her world was small, but she made sure it was safe for those inside it. Was Nash right that she shouldn’t worry about all these other people who were now important to her? That they could look after themselves?
It was a sobering thought, but strangely a comforting one.
