AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It is them walking through the door.
I press my journal against my chest seeing my best friends for the first time. Eliot is…tall. That hasn’t changed, at least. He carries himself like the world is his stage, a player amongst mortal men, while Tom walks with an earnestness like he has somewhere important he needs to be.
“Luna, No Middle Name, Hale,” Tom greets first, nearly jogging to reach me, as if I’m so far away.I’m right here, I want to yell, but it’d be a half-truth, a half-lie.
Parts of me are gone.
Coming out of the booth, I step forward like it’s the most natural thing to do, and then we collide into a tight hug. I fist the back of his leather jacket, the familiarity overwhelming. He still smells like Tom—like sage and apricot, the fragrance of some expensive cologne Beckett got him into when he was fourteen.
Eliot joins us, his long arms wrapping around me and Tom. He encases our three-person hug, as though protecting what we are. Tears prick the edges of my eyes. It feels like no time has passed—but I know it’s all an illusion.
How much has really changed?
A knot in my throat, I back up slowly.
Eliot has a hand clamped on his mouth, like he’s forcing himself not to say anything triggering. His gaze carries a million worries for me.
“Let’s go this way.” I motion for Donnelly to follow. We vacate the café section of the store and slip down an aisle of Halway comics and Marvel merch. We’re further out of the security team’s sights, sans Donnelly, but he’s hanging back a bit too.
“Just to be clear”—I face Tom and Eliot—“I still don’t remember the last three years, so I have questions.” I hoist my journal. “I’ve been writing them down.”
Eliot smiles. “How very Luna of you.”
“The most Luna thing you could do, really,” Tom adds, his eyes a little reddened. “On brand.”
It makes me feel good, and I catch Donnelly’s supportive gaze at the end of the aisle. I take a deep breath. “You already know Donnelly.” Do they despise him and me together? Do they think we’re a bad match? I just go ahead and ask, “Are we all cool?”
“Cool as a cucumber,” Tom says with a big nod. “The four of us are like the Four Musketeers. Unbreakable. Unstoppable.”
“Thick as thieves,” Eliot chimes in.
Behind them, Donnelly’s brows rise in disbelief. “This happen when I was asleep or what?”
My stomach tosses.
Eliot gives him a hard look. “We were on our way to becoming a four-pod, ride-or-die friendship group. Right on thecusp,” he says dramatically, then waves to his brother. “Tom and I just decided to fast forward the awkward beginning, so we can solidify the inevitable.”
Tom nods wholeheartedly. “We’re basically all friends.”
“Basically?” I ask, confused.
Eliot bops a Groot bobblehead on the shelf. “Like I said, you were just beginning to bring Donnelly into the fold.”
“So for clarification, we’re not the Four Musketeers?” I squint hard at Donnelly. He’s shaking his head.
Eliot sees. “But you’re invited. Luna was going to tell you that we all wanted to be friends.”
I was?
“You didn’t tell Donnelly?” Tom questions.
Original Luna either ran out of time or didn’t want Donnelly to join the friendship trio.
“She can’t remember,” Eliot reminds his brother.
“Sorry,” Tom says, looking a little torn up. Their best friend was kidnapped. They might’ve even feared she wouldn’t survive. I’m likely a lousy fill-in for her, but I’m trying.
Since I already brewed coffee, we wind up at the Superheroes & Scones bar. Donnelly posts up on a stool, and Eliot pours a few mugs of dark roast behind the counter. Just as I sit between Donnelly and Tom, my phone buzzes.
