Page 17 of Mocha Kisses

His annoyed sigh has a twinge of playfulness to it so I know he’s not angry at me for being nosy. “She used to live here. I met her in passing once or twice and we got acquainted last night. Sweet girl.”

“Yeah, alright. Talk to you in a few.” The line goes dead seconds later.

The admiration in his voice is clear even if Rome is trying to mask it beneath his usually rough persona. That ‘sweet girl’ comment and beingacquaintedmeans so much more. I won’t tell him over the phone that Griffin’s first love and Rome’s one-night stand are the same woman but we’ll have to deal with it eventually.

Respectfully, I never looked into her because Griffin didn’t want to know. Still, the whispers surrounding her sudden disappearance from Spring Haven aren’t exactly quiet. Some joked about a secret baby or drugs or having to work off her mother’s growing debt due to the copious amounts of alcohol she consumed. Others thought that maybe she had been having another fling and finally found her footing elsewhere. I don’t believe any of the rumors but it’s safe to be prepared where Griffin is concerned.

I won’t let him fall apart like he’s done before and it has nothing to do with his contract with Shepard’s Press and everything to do with the fact that I hate watching him hurt. Ignoring those dark thoughts, I grab one of the banana nut muffins leftover in the bin by the fridge and swipe one of Rome’s premade iced coffees dangling in the fridge door. He’s always so considerate, making sure we have something to eat in the mornings.

Griffin isn’t a morning person and I just forget to eat breakfast most times. Too many other people to worry about to remember. Still, the cold rush of caffeine in the form of a caramel mocha is everything I need to take on the day. The banana decadence will be a boost as well so I can prepare for Luna’s arrival. After the last few editors and her history here in Spring Haven, I have no idea what to expect.

I stroll downstairs, grimacing at the massive spread of papers across the tables situated in the office space. Griffin doesn’t know the meaning of organization, what with every section of his book printed out and scribbled on for notes. Half the time he can barely find what he’s looking for and I’m still surprised when I hear that his academic track could have taken him into education. The man would have never survived.

My lips quirk, thinking about Griffin as a teacher but the smile dies on my lips at the woman who’s standing in our space. We rarely lock our doors in Spring Haven unless it’s warranted but with our official apartment upstairs, I don’t always lock the door down here.

I’m not sure how long she’s been there, pressed against the wall, eyes wide and flitting around the office. Big brown eyes and curls pulled tight into a ponytail. She looks a little frazzled, several wrinkles in her plain orange shirt and aesthetically ripped jeans but there’s also a certain glow about her.

A certain freshly fucked glow.

She’s also terrified, but of what, I have no idea.

“Luna St. Claire?” I ask, using her full name.

Her entire body cringes as she flattens herself further against the wall. For several seconds we stand here in silence and I’m not sure what to do. I take a step toward her but that seems the absolute wrong option. Luna is more beautiful than her pictures and I understand why Griffin hasn’t been able to forget this woman. However, the haunted look in her eyes doesn’t match the cheerful one I’ve seen in Red Brook’s alumni photos.

“Luna? Would you like to take a seat? Griffin is just upstairs and should be down shortly.”

Her body sags with relief at the mention of his name as if she finally knows that this place is safe. Was she unsure of the address or is it just me? I stare down at my suit, not a thing out of place. Luna is a strange one but I can see the charm.

Luna takes a few quick steps to the closest seat, opting for the small lounge rather than the main tables. Her face pales a little as she stuffs her hands in her lap and I take my time to truly observe her. Her lips are deliciously swollen from what I can assume are last night’s choices and her clothes show off every beautiful curve. Her backpack is tightly bound to her back, her fingers fidgeting with the straps every few seconds as if checking that it’s still there.

Whatever reason she left Griffin behind must come with a haunting story as well.

I’ve never seen a woman so uncomfortable in Spring Haven in my life.

My concentration is broken as the sound of steps reaches my ears. I turn to greet my lover, his small, timid smile meeting mine just before he catches sight of Luna. It’s like the entire world stops, except for them two and I am merely a spectator watching two forces collide. Griffin pauses on the last step, those expressive gray eyes widening as he takes in Luna’s presence. The air feels supercharged as sexual tension explodes in the small space and I feel like I’m interrupting.

Luna gasps and scrambles to her feet, her hands placed over her chest as she shakes her head. The motion has the locket of her necklace falling from her shirt, one that I hadn’t noticed before but definitely recognize now. It’s the same one Griffin still wears.

When Luna looks to me as if asking if this moment is real, my heart breaks. How could the universe pull apart two precious people such as these?

Luna

Ican’tbreathe.

The suited man is at my side, whispering soft words in stark contrast to the suited goons I’m usually dealing with. When I first stepped in here, I was terrified. It was like they had somehow caught up with me and were just waiting for me. Instead, this man seems to belong here and I finally make the connection between the suit and Griffin that this man must be the lawyer.

Griffin’slawyer.

Hisboyfriend.

My eyes widen at the connection as Griffin takes timid steps closer. He’s not the sweet piece of sunshine I remember. His gray eyes are duller than they usually were and the way he keeps wringing his hands together tells me that he’s nervous. Why wouldn’t he be? I left him.

I need to leave. There’s people after me and there’s no way I can bring this kind of trouble to his doorstep. What was I thinking, taking on this editing job forclosure? Besides, I slept with his friend. My face scrunches up as I try to wade through my thoughts. Casey’s ‘gay’ comment sits forefront and center which is amusing because I know for a fact that Griffin considers himself bi.

We had our moments of experimentation and I saw my fair share of spiced moments between Griffin and one of his classmates, moments that I thoroughly encouraged.

Why the fuck am I thinking about this?

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