Page 66 of Blue Moon

Luna had a spring in her step today, and Ryder matched it. Emmy called Black her other half, and Ryder had always thought it was just a figure of speech, but now he understood it was more than that. Luna really was a part of him now. She’d slotted so neatly into his life that to tear them apart would risk irreparable damage.

His sister, Phoebe—she was renowned for her bluntness—had once told him that his dick went for the pretty ones and his heart went for the needy ones. The ones who needed fixing. That had been in the aftermath of Neve, and he’d told her to mind her own business, but now he understood she’d been right. He’d tried to mend Neve without realising quite how damaged she was inside, even though she kept telling him herself that she was broken. But Luna… With a little TLC, Luna was changing every day. She was stronger than he’d ever dared to hope.

A tiny, delicate titan.

But when she walked into her dressing room, she froze, and Ryder damn near walked into the back of her.

“Luna, my darling.” The man rose, arms out as if he expected a hug, but she didn’t move. “It’s been too long.”

Ryder recognised the face, although the pictures he’d seen must have been taken from a good angle. In the flesh, Julius Whitlow looked fifty, not forty.

“What are you doing here?” Luna’s voice came out flat.

“You didn’t pick up my calls.”

“That’s because I didn’t want to talk to you.”

“Luna, I’m your agent. We have to communicate.”

“Then you can call my lawyer, and she’ll call me.”

“We’re in the same city. Why incur that additional expense?” He patted the arm of the couch. “Come, let’s have a chat. You’ll want to hear this.”

“Hear what?”

Julius flicked his wrist at Ryder. “You can wait outside.”

Asshole.

Luna was having none of it. “He’s staying right here.”

“Always so touchy.” The agent sighed. “Fine. Sit.”

She sat on the chair in front of the mirror, the one Julius had vacated when they came in. No room for two.

“Talk, then leave.”

Luna had said she hated her agent, but Ryder hadn’t realised how much. She’d stuck with him throughout her whole career, after all. But now, watching the way she regressed, her arms wrapped around herself and her legs pressed together, he wondered why.

“It’s good news. I’ve been working my contacts, and I think we could have a new recording contract on the table soon.”

“Really?”

She didn’t exactly sound thrilled by the prospect.

“Really. A three-album, five-year deal with Taliska Records. One of the big boys, Luna. We’re talking eight figures. Your mom told me about the unfortunate incident with your accountant, so this would set you up again for life.”

“What about touring?”

“Oh, sure, they’d want you to tour. That’s where the big money is these days. But you’re a born performer, Luna. The audience loves you.”

“Five years?”

“It’s a great deal. Obviously, we’d have to extend our arrangement to cover the same time period, but if you’re parting company with Stargirl permanently, we can create a new contract with the same terms.”

“No.”

“No to which part?”

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