Page 74 of Best In Class
“I love you, Moonbeam,” he says as he alternatively feeds me a piece of cookie and then kisses me.
He remembers. My heart clenches, tender and aching.
“Oh my!” Nova’s eyes are just a teeny-tiny bit moist.
Stella sniffles. “The man has game.”
“Shorts and T-shirt it is,” I say huskily, past the lump in my throat.
“Hell to the no.” Aurora sets her drink down as if it’s time to conduct a surgical intervention. “You arenotdressing yourself. I’m coming over tomorrow. We’re pulling looks. I have a Pinterest board called Picnic Outfits.”
“No,” I groan, horrified.
“Yes,” she insists.
“We’ll be at your place by five,” Stella announces.
Nova frowns thoughtfully. “You think two hours will be enough?”
I smack her arm playfully. She laughs.
“This will be fun.” Stella looks at me with eyes that promise to take care of me, no matter what. Of all of us, we’re the closest. We grew up together—held each other’s hands through some serious shit.
“I’m scared,” I breathe.
“Oh, hon?—"
“You should be,” Aurora cuts Stella off, fanning herself haughtily. “By the time I’m done with you, you’re going to look so good, Dom’s going to forget his name.”
Stella lifts her glass. “To not overthinking it.”
Nova clinks hers against it. “To having fun.”
I touch my glass to theirs. “To fools rushing in?”
What the fuck was I doing with my life?
CHAPTER 19
Dom
Iput a ridiculous amount of thought into it—where to take Luna on our first real date, as grown-ups this time.
We used to go on picnics. It was the only way I could take herout. If I was lucky, I took her to the movies, counting pennies, making sure we had enough for popcorn, candy, and pop. I never let her pay.
Hell no! The man always pays. Well, the boy definitely felt that way. The man I am now wouldn’t care two shits who picked up the tab. Wisdom comes with age! I focused on the wrong thingsthen. Now, I focus onher.
For the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Georgia, Luna never asked for anything—didn’t seem to care at all. She wasn’t into makeup and jewelry, all that girly shit. Apparently, she still isn’t.
“I just want to be with you,” she says softly, cuddling into me as we watch the cranes skip around the lake.
I love being with my girl. I love her so fucking much. Iwant to shower her with presents like I see the other guys do with their girlfriends, but I don’t have those resources.
I struggle and save for her birthdays, asking her what she wants. And she always says the same thing, “I just want to be with you.”
Fuck! I’d been a lucky son of a bitch to have Luna. She never made me feel less…not until….
I shake my head as if that act will loosen those thoughts from the hold they have on me.
