Page 60 of Luca & Luna

“It was a different kind of suck. Mom doesn’t have a temper, but she’s extremely unreliable so I kind of took over raising Ria. Mom gets…lost, I suppose, without a partner. Her goal is always leading her to the next person she can lock down to support her.”

A few things clicked in my head at her confession. That was why she felt so responsible for her younger sister that she would take on multiple jobs to provide for her, and why she was so protective over her nieces.

“Do you go to Stella’s every Sunday?”

“Yep. Sunday is auntie time.”

“Do you do that to check in and make sure your nieces aren’t growing up the way you had to?”

Luna’s jaw dropped, her eyes darting to mine, and then her mouth snapped shut. “I do like spending time with my nieces, but honestly…yeah. I know there’s not a ton I could do if they were in the same position as me, and I know Stella tries to shelter them… It makes me feel better to check on them myself.”

My throat felt thick. Who had there been to check on Luna when she needed it?

“Did you resent Stella when you had to move back with your mom?”

Luna took a long drink of her tea. “I didn’t talk to her for about a year. Until Nova was born. I don’t think Stella’s a bad person. I think Rodney’s a class-A manipulator and Stella was desperate for support. I don’t blame her for wanting someone to be her partner in life, but god, I wish she had better taste.”

“And what was happening with Ria during all of this?”

“Oh, well, my stepdad liked her a lot more than he liked me because she was his. And Mom’s third husband was decent enough to Ria while he lasted, but part of why I busted my ass was to be able to provide for Ria if she needed to get out like I had.”

Another thing clicked.

“Is that why you avoid relationships?”

“Hmm?”

“So you don’t get sucked in like Stella and risk Ria not having support if she needs it.”

Luna fell silent and fussed with her cup. “I guess? I learned a lot from Mom and Stella’s relationships. I don’t give anyone a chance to get to the point they did. Cutting them loose at the first red flag helps a lot, but it’s hard.”

“Well, I’m glad I haven’t shown any red flags, then.”

She snorted. “Luca Antony Marino, you’re a fucking green flag in human form. I am the red flag in this situation.”

“I don’t think protecting yourself and the people you love is a red flag.”

Her bottom lip wobbled and I pulled her close.

“You’ve dealt with things you never should have had to. You should’ve been protected and cared for, and you weren’t. I’m so, so sorry that people failed you. I know words mean jack shit with this kind of thing, and the only way I can prove I’m not the same is by action, but…I’m here. If you need help, I don’t want you to hesitate to ask me. Night or day, doesn’t matter.”

She shook in my arms, face buried in the blanket she’d dragged up to muffle her sobs.

A wave of possessiveness washed over me. Luna was mine even if she didn’t want to keep me forever. I was going to make sure she would never feel with me like she had with her family. She deserved so much more than that and I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to give it to her.

“Isaid no.” I sidestepped Kevin at the copy machine to grab my reports. Ordinarily our office hottie might have at least tempted me to entertain the idea of a date, but even if I did date coworkers, I had no interest in pursuing anything.

“Come on. Don’t be like that.” Kevin moved to block my escape. “Everyone in the office thinks we’d be great together. We flirted for months before I had to go work at the Chicago office this year.”

“I have a lunch to get to.”

“Hey, Loons! You ready to—” Allie bounded up to me. “Oh, am I interrupting?”

“Allison, you think Luna and I would be a great pair, don’t you?” Kevin asked her, instantly getting my hackles up.

“Uh, sure, I guess?”

“See,” Kevin insisted.

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