“Yeah,” I said finally, my voice barely there, lungs too tired to want to produce a proper sound.
There was a pause. Then?—
“Are you all right?” Silence.
“I’m on a plane.”
In my mind, I could almost see him taking a deep breath. Thinking. That little crease between his beautiful eyes.
“Tay told me what happened.” Noah’s voice was gentle. Cautious. “I had no idea she was coming. God, Luna. I just…”
I looked down at my lap, at my hands, clasped so tightly the knuckles had gone white.
“I came back from the pharmacy, and you were gone,” he said.
Pharmacy. So maybe he hadn’t gone out for champagne. Maybe his mom had just lied to me, which was entirely possible.
And yet…his beautiful wife had been waiting there—in our room. She hadn’t even been catty. She’d been…really nice. And she’d looked…hopeful.
Even if he hadn’t known, his mom had thought that would be okay. And he loved his mom. She was a permanent part of his life.
A fling, by its very nature, was only temporary.
“Luna?”
“It’s fine,” I said, feeling like I was watching someone else have this conversation. “I got an email from the station. There’s a…a problem back home.”
A problem back at that hotel. A problem with everyone on the bus. With Ashley. With my mom. Babs.
Problems everywhere. Wherever I went….
A few hours ago, Noah was the only person I’d wanted to turn to. I’d known he would calm me down, help me bring things into perspective. But thinking that way had been a mistake. I needed to deal with…all of this on my own.
Fairytales didn’t happen to me. I knew that now.
And it was okay. Or…it would be.
Later.
“Problems?” His voice dropped lower. “I would’ve helped. I mean, I could’ve at least driven you to the airport. Sweetheart.”
I closed my eyes. That…hurt.
Not because he said it.
But because he meant it. One last act of kindness for his holiday fling?
“I just needed to go,” I said quietly.
More silence. I could hear him breathing now. “Did that piece of… Is this…about Leo?”
“Yeah, maybe,” I said, but there was more. His ex, waiting in a towel. His mom’s expectations. And what had he said about her?
When she wants something, she digs in. Doesn’t let go.
On a good day, I might have been able to fight that. But right now…
I had nothing left.
