Luna Nightingale was standing in the doorway, using her long-sleeve shirt to wipe a tear that fell down her cheek. She looked skittish like she was about to bolt at any moment. I couldn’t believe she was there. Out of all the people to expect, it wasn’t her.
I figured my death bed was where she wanted me.
“Good lord, you’re as slow as Christmas morning. Get going,” Oliver’s voice came from behind her, and then Luna fell forward from being pushed. Oliver waved at me. “I’m glad you aren’t chicken on a stick,” he said.
Everyone laughed, but mom just gasped, putting her hand to her chest, a feeble attempt to rid off Oliver’s audacity.
“Thanks, Oliver,” I said through a slow, exhausted laugh that was more of a sigh.
“Well, I’m going to go check on Ethan, baby.” My mom stood and gave me a peck on the cheek.
“Me too,” dad said, following her out.
“Us three too, but we need to give Easton smooches too,” Ezra made kissy noises as he laid a gross, wet kiss on my cheek.
I rubbed my face on my hospital gown. “Fucking nasty! When I’m well, I’m going to kick your ass.”
“Love you too.” He waved as he left.
Evan leaned down, and I leaned back, afraid he was going to kiss my cheek too. That would be very unlike him, but I guess I’d take it. “You scared the hell out of my baby brother. I love you. Don’t do that again.” He laid his forehead on mine for a second before walking away, vanishing out the door. Oliver tried to come in, but London tugged him back outside. It looked like something out of a cartoon with how his eyes rounded before he got jerked away. And then it was just me and Luna.
“You really know how to clear a room,” I said. I was afraid if I blinked, she’d disappear like she was a phantom or a ghost. Something my mind made up to ease the pain I felt.
“It’s a habit I’ve developed well over the years.” Her voice bounced off the walls and found their way into my soul. She was here. Luna was real. I could tell she was kidding, but the way she tugged on her sleeves still and bit her bottom lip told me she was anything but at ease. She took the chair right next to the bed, and now that she was closer, I noticed her eyes were rimmed red, and her cheeks were splotchy.
She had been crying.
For me?
For Ethan?
Both of us?
I was too tired to ask because I was afraid of the answer. She brought her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around her legs, and stared at me with emerald gems so full of worry and concern that I fell in love with her more.
“What are you doing here, Luna?” It wasn’t the question I meant to ask, but it was the one that came out. I was happy she was here, thrilled even. It had been my goal to get her to actually sit and talk to me for years now. But my curiosity sounded angry and bitter. “I’m sorry, I’m really tired and wondering if you’re really here.”
Luna unwrapped her arms from around her legs and scooted the chair closer to the bed until she was near me. She took a deep breath, her chest rose and fell, pushing her tits against her shirt that my eyes couldn’t look away from.
Until her shaking hand fell on top of mine.
When our skin touched, she released the air in her lungs, and my heart rate monitor gave away what I felt when she touched me because it started to beep faster and faster until I had no choice
but to be embarrassed. I wouldn’t apologize for how she affected me, how she had always affected me.
Her mouth parted, her plump lips red and swollen as if she had been kissed, but it was just from the salt of her tears agitating them. I wanted nothing more than to feel those lips, the flesh against mine, her tongue in my mouth.
Beep, beep, beep, beep! Beep, mother fucker!
Damn, heart rate monitor ruined everything.
I took a deep breath, in through my nose and out through my mouth. The last thing I wanted to do was to get an erection at a moment like this.
“I’m here because I care about you, Easton. I never stopped caring. You and your brother mean the world to me—”
“Me and my brother,” I said, the slash of the words torn my chest open, and the emotional wound almost hurt more than the burn on my arm.
She clutched my hand, rubbing her thumb over of my skin, and her silver ring brought a cool touch with every swipe. “When I heard what happen, I came running. It was like, my entire world fell apart Easton. Again. I thought living a life without you was easier, but then life threatened to really take you away, and it was the worst feeling in the world.”