Page 47 of We're At It Again

My dad straightened up and wiped his hands on a rag.

“Hey, Kiddo. How was school?”

“Boring.” I said, slipping into the overalls and rolling up my sleeves.

I joined my dad by the car, taking the wrench before diving into the work. As we tinkered with the engine, my dad glanced at me out of the corner of his eye.

“How’s Luna?”

I shrugged, not looking up from the engine, trying to play it off.

“She’s a lot of work.”

His eyes twinkled with amusement.

“You’re not fooling anyone. She brings out the good side of you.”

“What are you talking about?”

He chuckled.

“For one, I haven’t had a call from your principal in a while. And two, don’t think I haven’t noticed you stopped smoking.”

I shook my head, feigning indifference.

“I’m just over smoking. It has nothing to do with Luna.” I said. “We’re just pretending. I don’t care about her in that way.”

He leaned against the car with a smug smile.

“You remind me so much of your mother. She never gave up on people.”

A moment of silence fell between us, as the mention of my mother brought a pang of sadness. I brushed it off, focusing on the task at hand.

“Don’t push her away.” My dad continued. “When love is real, you fight for it.”

I considered his words. A mixture of emotions swirled inside me. Luna is the love of my life, but I know she’d be better off without me. I have hurt everyone I’ve ever loved in their life, and I would not do that to Luna a second time.

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30

LUNA

I STOOD IN FRONT OF MY MIRROR, adjusting the collar of the costume Hudson insisted I wear. With a frown, I glanced at my reflection. I hate Hudson. I thought as I gazed at the Snow White costume. The pale yellow shirt and blue bodice felt like an ill-fitting piece of my past. Memories of the past crept into my mind, making me shiver. I’m going to murder him.

“You look beautiful.” My mother said, entering the room.

Her eyes sparkled with pride as she admired me. I forced a smile.

“Thanks, Mom.”

A shadow fell across my doorway, and I turned to see Hudson leaning against the frame, an arrogant grin plastered on his face. He wore a matching Prince Florian costume, every bit of him charming. It deepened my unease.

“You look ridiculous.”

His eyes twinkled with mischief as if he enjoyed my discomfort.

“You always know how to make me blush, Snow.”

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