I let out a slow breath. “Now you’re back.”
“We came back because of Luna. She wanted to come home. I didn’t realize how much she’d lost herself over there—how much she was carrying for me. She sacrificed years of her life to help me hold mine together. It was my turn to show up for her.” She paused. “And then... I saw Austin again. He looked good. Sober. Settled. Married even.”
I gave a short laugh. “I officiated their wedding.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Seriously? You never told Luna?”
“No. Never. She told me you didn’t want to talk about it. That it was your story to tell. I didn’t realize how deep that story went.”
“I was trying to keep my baby safe, Dirks. The last time I saw him, he threw a bottle at me. He was so drunk he was doing blow off some girl’s chest. It was a mess. I couldn’t bring a baby into that.”
“I get it. You did what you thought was right.”
“I tried,” she murmured, wiping her hands on a towel. “But I think I still screwed up. I didn’t just cut him off—I cut everyone off from my best friend. Including you. And Luna’s breakup with Will? That gutted her. She’d been playing house with someone for years, someone she loved, but one day she realized she wasn’t even happy. That she hadn’t been happy for a long time.”
My throat tightened, hearing it out loud. “Now?”
“She’s finally breathing again. She’s figuring out what she wants. From where I’m standing... you’re part of that.”
I looked down at my hands, remembering the nights we’d shared, how easy it had felt in the quiet moments.
“I didn’t know you two were serious.”
“She makes it easy,” I said. “Being with her.”
Nova gave a small, knowing smile. “That’s Luna. She’s soft in the places you don’t expect, and tough in the ones you need. She’ll knock the wind out of you and then make you feel like you’ve finally landed somewhere safe.” She exhaled shakily. “I fucked up as a friend. I got so caught up in everything with Austin and Scarlette and London, and now with Ollie being away... I stopped showing up for her. I didn’t ask how she was doing. I didn’t make space for her. That’s why I’m here now. I don’t want her to ever feel like she’s second in anyone’s life again—not mine, not Will’s, not Jeremy’s... not yours.”
Her words settled deep into the cavity of my chest.
“I don’t plan to let her feel that way either,” I said quietly.
Nova nodded, a small, solemn gesture that carried gratitude and forgiveness in equal parts. She turned back to the cutting board without another word, and I stayed where I was, finally understanding how we all ended up here. The guilt. The silence. The sacrifices that were made out of love—but still left bruises behind.
And the hope that maybe this time, we could get it right.
The back door slammed open. “Oh, hell no,” Luna said, eyes locked on me. “You really thought you could waltz into the main house and start shit without me getting a front-row seat?”
Nova didn’t look up from where she was cooking. “I texted her the second I saw your car pull into the driveway.”
Luna crossed her arms, cocking her hip. “I watched you walk in from the window, Dirks. Figured I’d let you rip her head off first before I let you try for mine.”
“Luna, I’m not here to rip anyone’s?—”
She held up a finger. “It’s fine if you do. We can talk about it later.”
From the hallway, Scarlette padded in on socked feet, sipping from a juice box. “Luna, this is Dicks. I met him earlier. He said he’s not gonna break your heart.”
I choked on air.
Luna gasped and clutched her chest like she’d been shot. “Thank goodness. I’ve had enough heartbreak for one lifetime, Dicks.”
“Luna,” Nova muttered, dragging a hand down her face.
I was full-on laughing now, barely staying upright. “Y’all are going to kill me.”
Luna grinned and walked right up to me, sliding her arms around my waist like we hadn’t gone years without this. Her hoodie was soft against my hands, her yoga pants painted on in the way that made thoughts vanish entirely.
“C’mon,” she whispered, tugging me close. “Let’s go have a sleepover. You can tell me how much you missed me while I don’t let you sleep.”
