Page 78 of Lucky Strike

Sam’s blood ran cold, and he wasn’t sure if he started sweating but he was close. He couldn’t make eye contact, preferring to stare into the bowl of popcorn as though the kernels had the ability to rescue him from this situation. “I’m not sure that option is any better than going to the judge’s house. I don’t even know what we’re eating since my mom isn’t much of a cook.”

“I can help. I know how to make a really good sausage and walnut stuffing. Oh, and I can do a goat cheese beet salad. It’ll be really elegant.”

“I—” Sam was speechless. He wasn’t prepared for this at all.

Her face fell. “Do you not want your mom to meet me?”

How did this happen? What Sam wanted was Luna. He wanted her to infiltrate every aspect of his life. Yet, he realized how compartmentalized everything had become and maybe it was because he liked it that way. It was easier.

Her hazel eyes grew large. “Do you think your mom won’t…like me?”

“No, it’s just—my mom has been really fragile. I-I’m just trying to protect her.”

Luna blinked, her intake of breath stuttering, and her body stiffened as though Sam had verbally slapped her. “You’re trying to protect your mom from me?”

“N-no.” Yes. Or rather he was attempting to protect himself. Because however his mom was, it was his fault. He wouldn’t throw his mom under the bus for something he caused. The situation wasn’t so simple. “I mean—it’s not easy to explain.”

But it was too late. He could see it was too late by the way she blankly stared at the wall on the opposite end of the room. Sam was losing. “Lu, I’m sorry. It’s not what you th—”

“I want you to leave.” Her jaw tightened, chin lifting.

If only she’d yell at him, say something biting, punch him. He preferred any of these. Sam knew how to react to her normal level of anger. This was a level of upset past that and he wasn’t sure he could fix it.

He set the popcorn aside, slid closer, his hand covering the cold fist on her lap. Sam pressed his forehead to her temple. “Luna, listen, everything came out wrong. I fucked up.”

Sam stroked a hand along her spine, but she’d become marble, unreachable.

“Get out,” she repeated. “You said you would stay until I wanted you to leave. I want you to leave.”

He grabbed his jacket and stumbled trying to put his boots on his feet as he left her place. Sam couldn’t believe how much he’d fucked that up. He’d spend wakeless hours debating how he could have done everything differently. He could have answered her in a way that made it clear he wanted a future with her as well.

The problem was him. Because considering this future, one where everything was laid out on the table, put his mind right back on that motorcycle with her arms clinging to his midsection as they flew down the highway. And he was still scared as shit.

Chapter Thirty-One

Luna was sad-nappingon her couch, buried beneath a comforter, when a knock woke her. Besides going to the bathroom or getting food for either herself or Duchess, she hadn’t moved from this position for several days. She unburrowed her head to peek out. The knock at her door came again with more urgency.

“Who is it?” She tried to make her voice strong, disguising any trace she’d been experiencing long bouts of tears in the recent days. Her hair was a rat’s nest of tangles, and her skin was an interesting combination of both pale and splotchy red.

“Ross,” came the voice outside.

“I can’t come into work today,” she shouted from the couch. Luna had sent texts the last three days. It was hard to work when one was considering planning an escape route.

“Luna, come to the door or the door is coming off.”

“You can’t do that! It’s a rental. I’ll lose my deposit.” She crawled from the comforter, unlocked the door, and cracked it. “I told you I couldn’t come into work. Do you believe me now?”

Ross’s face was filled with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Her cousin pushed his way into the home.

“I’ll be at work in a few days. I just want to be left alone right now.”

He pulled her into a hug, which did a great job cracking the dam on her emotions. “Why didn’t you call me? Or Mia? I’ve been worried about you.”

Luna sniffed in between tears as she clutched his jacket. “You already have one crying baby at home. I didn’t want you to have to deal with another one.”

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