He rolled his eyes and sipped his drink. “Fine, but if she says no, you have to beg her. I’m not doing that.”
“Big baby.” I stuck my tongue out at him, and he got that look on his face that told me I better run.
“Oh, you’re going to get it!”
I screamed as I leaped off the porch in a fit of laughter and ran around the big oak tree that had been in the yard way before I was born, according to my dad. We ran in circles, and I stopped on the other side of the tree and tip-toed around the large super round tree trunk. I tripped over one of the roots sticking out of the ground and almost fell face-first into the dirt when Easton caught me by the arm and lifted me onto my feet.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, that was close,” I said, embarrassed that I tripped, to begin with. I was always falling. I had the scars on my knees to prove it.
“You need to be more careful. What if I’m not around to catch you?”
“Why wouldn’t you be around?” I asked him. The thought of him not being around made my eyes water.
He took a hold of my hands and grinned, the gap between his two front teeth bigger than ever, even with braces. “How about we get married right now? We swear to each other that we will always be there for one another.”
I crinkled my nose. “Ew, like mom and dad? They kiss.”
“What? No, that’s weird. Just like a best friend marriage.” He had a look on his face that said he was equally as disgusted. Good. Boys had cooties.
I jumped up and down and clapped, squealing with joy. “Okay, when?”
“Right now. I’ve seen a lot of movies where they do this because my mom loves romance,” he gagged, poking a finger in his mouth, causing me to giggle. He laced his fingers with mine, and I stood straighter, staring into his eyes that reminded me of my favorite blue crayon. “I, Easton Moore, promise to be the bestest friend to you, Luna Nightingale. Forever and ever. Nothing will ever tear us apart. I love you more than chocolate milk. Okay, your turn. You go.”
Wow. More than chocolate milk. That was serious. I cleared my throat and tilted my chin. “I, Luna Nightingale, swear on the moon to be the bestest friend ever, to you, Easton Moore. Forever and ever. Nothing will tear us apart. I love you more than Fish, the cat.”
He gasped and pulled me into a hug. “More than the cat? You’re the best, coolest girl in the world, Luna.”
I knew in that moment that our best friend marriage would last for eternity.
Only fools believed love lasted forever though; only I didn’t know that.
Not yet.
Fifteen years old
I hated Easton Moore with every fiber of my being. He was not the kid I made an everlasting promise with under the oak tree at my house. Easton grew up to be a shallow, inconsiderate, rude, and mean person. We had grown apart. It happened so fast. One day we were playing tag, the next, I was the nerd and dork that he couldn’t be seen with.
His voice had me turning my head as he walked down the hall with a few jocks flanking his sides. Easton was in the middle, tall, gorgeous, and he just got his braces off. His good looks only made me hate him more.
Our eyes met, and it was like he didn’t even know me.
It hurt more and more every day.
“Are you okay?” my new best friend London asked as I slammed my yellow locker closed and spun the lock.
My brows creased as I hefted my books into my arms. “I’m fine. Why?”
“You haven’t heard?” she looked mortified.
“Heard what?” We started walking down the hallway, and I was left staring at the letterman jacket Easton wore. All state, all conference, stupid quarterback.
She tugged my arm and pulled me to the side. Before she could tell me, my other best friend Oliver came to our side. and he looked at me with squinty eyes as he assessed me. “How are you not kicking
his ass?”
“What? Who? You guys are confusing me, and I’m going to be late to Mr. Gibbons’ class.” I glanced around the hall to see everyone staring, laughing, and pointing fingers at me. An unsettled weight lodged itself in my stomach. “What’s going on?”