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She frowns. “I think my first time was disappointing.” She peeks up at me for confirmation.
“I wasn’t with you in bed, space babe.”
“Damn. I wish you were stuck on me.”
“The barnacle to your ship.” I give her arock ongesture, then I curve an arm around her shoulders, pulling her away from the wall. She’s smiling while I say, “Don’t worry, I’ll get stuck on you.”I already am.
A fist raps her bedroom door.
I drop my arm off Luna, just as her brother calls out, “Luna, you okay? Can I let Orion in?”
“Yeah, come in!”
Maximoff emerges, unleashing her excitable puppy. The fluffy guy comes bounding for…me.
My grin returns. “Who’s a good boy?” I squat and scratch behind his ears. “That’s you. Yeah, you know it, don’t you, Orion? My happy bud.” I feel Luna studying me and her dog like she’s never seen Man’s Best Friend before. I look up at her. “We’re best bros.”
“Huh.”
“I love dogs and dogs love me.” I leave out the fact that Kinney’s puppy would like to murder me in my sleep. Orion licks my hand, slobbering on me, but I’m more aware of Maximoff’s domineering presence.
Her older brother might not approve of me being in her room, considering she doesn’t remembershitabout me. Causing friction between brothers and sisters is never something I wanna do, and she needs Maximoff right now.
“I can go,” I say as I stand.
“No,” Luna panics. “You don’t have anywhere to be today, right? We’re hanging out.”
Maximoff uncrosses his arms, gesturing to me. “You should stay. This is your home too, Donnelly.”
That strikes me, right to the core.
Maximoff could so easily tell Luna to trust him more than me, and she would believe him. He’s been her closest sibling. Maybe I shouldn’t even be shocked that he’d put faith in me to take care of his sister. He’s only wanted Luna to be safe and happy, and he must see that both lie with me.
Andsafetyis not something I could guarantee for her, not with my family attached to me, but now that most are in jail—I have a better shot.
I nod to him. The Hales are something else.The Bad Luck Crew.Never thought I’d grow to love them as much as I do.
“Alright,” I say.I’m staying.
* * *
“I didn’t flunkout of high school,” Luna says, still mulling over her past that I dole out in spurts. On her bed, we’ve been smoking and drinking Four Loko andtryingto watchBeneath a Strong Sentiment.Thought I pitched her current (forgotten) favorite sci-fi show well, if I do say so.
Except we’re two minutes through episode one and the freeze-frame of Callie, Luna’s ride-or-die character, fills the TV screen.And Luna has no clue how she would’ve burned at the stake for this girl.
Goal:Get Luna invested in Bass before the convention in San Francisco.
It shouldn’t be this hard, but I can’t blame her for being more interested in pieces of her missing history. It’s the more engaging story.
Propped against the headboard, I blow smoke towards the air filter on her nightstand. With barely any sleep, cigarettes are the only thing keeping me awake.
I ask, “Graduating surprises you that much?”
“Yeah.” In the darkness of her room, I still catch confusion in her eyes from the blue light of the TV. “I thought there was a chance I would’ve quit. Jeffra was being…awful.She’s—”
“I know who she is,” I tell her.
Luna nods. “I guess in three years, I did more and less than I thought I would. I graduated high school, which is awesome. I’m taking college classes, but I’m not fully enrolled for some reason.” Her brows bunch. “Fear, maybe. It’s easier not going all-in. Less chances to disappoint myself and others, and I didn’t think I’d be so disappointed in myself right now just knowing I took theeasyout.”
