I guess that’s what I got for falling in love with a woman who loved him, too.
“Where’d you go just now?” Auburn nudged my arm, pulling me back to the comfort of the market, fresh fruit, chatter, sunshine. A reality I could handle.
“I’m happy for Austin,” I said, clearing my throat. “Glad he’s coming back. You’ll have help when Evie starts kindergarten. I’d be happy to shoot around with him. I’ll have to give him a call.”
There was a beat of silence, and then Auburn and Ledger exchanged one of thoselooks, the kind married people give each other when they’re having a whole conversation without speaking.
“Cut it out, will you?” I grumbled. “That’s creepy. I feel like you two are telepathically talking or some shit.”
Auburn raised her hands in mock surrender. “No, I swear we’re not doing that. We’re... worried about you.”
“Worried?”
“Yeah,” Ledger chimed in. “Aside from Saturday farmers’ markets, you’re in the city alone. You’re either on the ice or at home. Alex said you’ve stopped going to the parties.”
Sexparties. He was just too polite to say it out loud.
I used to go all the time. I loved to fuck. Loved to explore. For me, the two went hand in hand. Which is probably why I fell in love with a woman who loved two men. It made sense to me. Always had.
“It’s still Luna, isn’t it?” Ledger added carefully.
That name dropped like a stone between us.
It was always awkward to talk about her, especially with Auburn. Luna’s best friend, Nova, had once been married to Austin. And Luna... well, Luna had loved Austin’s former teammates. Me and Jeremy.
Auburn reached out and gently took my hand. “You can talk about her. I know how you feel about her.”
I nodded, eyes drifting down to the bunch of fresh flowers resting in my farmers market basket, the woven one I brought every Saturday because it made carrying shit around easier.
I hadn’t even realized I’d picked them out. Tulips. Her favorite.
“There isn’t—” My throat tightened. I had to swallow before I could finish. “There isn’t a day I don’t think about her.”
No matter how much time passed. No matter how quiet it all went. She was still everywhere.
I respected her wishes. When she ended it, I let her go. Never texted. Never called. Not once. Even though I wanted to. Even though every part of me still wantedher.
“Why didn’t you ever try to reach out?” Auburn asked softly.
“Because she’s still everywhere. And it hurts too fucking much.”
Luna had gone viral. Everywhere I turned, every time I opened my phone, there she was. On reels, in sponsored posts,featured in interviews. She’d recently signed a deal with an athletic wear company.Thesame company that provided our team’s jerseys. I couldn’t even scroll without seeing her face. Loud hair, loud laugh, loud personality. She was flourishing in all the ways I wasn’t.
And it wasn’t just her.
“Her boyfriend,” Ledger said without question.
I nodded. Because as much as Luna was everywhere... so washe—Will. The Hands’ rugby coach. Always smiling. Always standing beside her. Always fuckingthere.
They were all over social media. Soft launch turned into a full-blown brand. Matching yoga sets. Sponsored giveaways. Quiet little captions like“home in a person”that made my stomach twist.
“Call her,” Auburn said suddenly.
I blinked. “What?”
“Call her,” she repeated, like it hadn’t already cost me everything to stay away.
Auburn came to a stop, holding the stroller with one hand and reaching out with the other, straight for my basket.
