When I can’t take the tension one second more, I ask, “What are you doing here, Mars?”
It’s so much more than a question of why he’s in Calgary. The question really is, what is he doing here with me? He pushes off the frame, sets the water bottle on the counter and movesright in front of me. A piece of dark hair hangs in front of one of his eyes as he sighs instead of answering me. Even though I’ve just drank a bunch of water, my mouth goes completely dry when he sets his hands on my knees and then drags them down over my knee-high boots. He lifts one and slowly starts unlacing it. I fight to swallow as he pulls it off and sets it on the floor and then reaches for the other to untie. His voice is low as he keeps his eyes on my laces.
“I had a meeting with the admissions department here to get enrolled for next year.”
I suck in a breath of surprise. Mars going to school here? The same school I attend? That answers one of those earlier questions I had about something more, but still…
“What are you doing here, Mars?” I ask again in a whisper. Now he has to know what I mean because he drops my boot and runs those hands right up my legs to the tops of my thighs and brushes his thumbs dangerously close to the ache between my legs. Only then does he lift those dark, sexy eyes to meet mine. What I see there has my heartbeat galloping.
“I’m here…for you, Little Moon. I’m here to make you mine.”
Chapter 14 - Gage
The four of us are in the Boltons’ kitchen, dressed in dark suits. A room that is filled with memories of all the times we spent here, stealing bites of food, being swatted away by Atlas’s mom, and then helping do the dishes after family dinner nights. Even with the crowd of people here, it feels so empty without her sweet smile, Mr. Bolton’s booming laugh, and Atlas’s huge presence. I still can’t wrap my head around such an amazing family being gone, leaving behind one broken girl.
Mrs. Cowen, Luna’s grandmother, has taken Luna away to put her to bed. She’s been a shell of herself since the night in the hospital when the doctor told us they were gone, barely functional, and she hasn’t said more than a few words since. The funeral a few hours ago was beautiful and brutal all at the same time. Mrs. Cowen organized all of it and decided to have all three at once to spare Luna from having to do it multiple times. I don’t think she was even aware of most of it. The service was packed. It was standing room only, and it was overwhelming to see how many people gave tributes to my adopted family. Youreally don’t know how a person truly touches a community until something like this happens.
My fingers clutch tighter around the glass of Crown Royal that I’ve been trying to sip, resisting the urge to gulp it down to ease the pain. I lift my eyes to Torrin, Julian, and Reid, and then automatically move to look for the other two missing men who have made up our friend group for so long. I know Atlas is gone now forever but Mars not being here makes no fucking sense. I grit my teeth as anger flares hard and fast.
“Any of you talk to Mars?”
Three scowls are my only answer until Torrin spits out, “Most of his stuff was missing from the house when I finally got back there from the hospital. He’s gone.”
I don’t know where that motherfucker is, but when I find him, his face is going to wish I hadn’t. I don’t get how he’s not here. The Boltons and Atlas were just as important to him as they were to the rest of us. None of us have seen him since he ran away from the hospital. I just want five minutes with the fucker to set him straight. The only good thing is that Luna’s so out of it, I don’t think she’s even aware that he’s been missing.
“What are we going to do?” Reid asks in a quiet, sad tone. He looks like a kicked puppy. Kara, his twin sister, comes over and slides an arm around his waist. Her icy blond demeanor is in place as usual, but I can see the pain in her amber eyes that are a perfect match to her brother’s. Kara is extremely protective of Reid and is always trying to shield him from the shit-stain parents they were cursed with. She flew home from her fancy University for the funeral, having also been touched by the grace of this family.
“We do what Atlas can’t,” she tells us. “We take care of his little sister.”
All of us nod in agreement. It’s not even up for discussion. We all have a bond with Luna, having been in her life since shewas sixteen. Luna’s only nineteen now and there’s no way we’ll let her try and figure this out on her own. She’s special to all of us. She’s special to me, probably more than she should be as my best friend’s little sister. I push those thoughts aside. All that matters now is taking care of her, making sure she’s okay.
Julien drains the whiskey in his glass and sets it sharply down on the marble counter with a snap. His shrewd blue eyes are hard and determined when he looks us all over.
“She’s never left alone. One of us will always be here, no matter what. No matter what shit we’ve got going on, she comes first.” He spears us with a challenging look, as if any of us would have disagreed. “Is that clear? Do we have an agreement?”
“Agreed,” I confirm.
Reid and Torrin do the same, and we make the pact that Luna will always come first for us. It might be to honor Atlas and his parents for the others, but I know for me, it’s that and… more. Luna was always going to be endgame for me. I was just giving her time to grow older, experience life before I made my feelings known to her. I’ve been in love with that girl since she was sixteen years old and I was eighteen. I’ll wait however long I need to until she’s ready because, yeah, she’ll always come first for me.
Chapter 15 - Torrin
Tim – Hey, you guys are staying with Atlas’s sister, right?
Torrin – Yeah, why?
Tim – I’m at the Batting Cage bar. Your girl’s here and she’s a mess. You should get down here.
Torrin – OMW
I work my way through the crowd at the bar, waving to a few people who call out greetings, but my head is constantly swiveling, on the lookout for her. It’s been almost a month since the accident and as far as I know, this is the first time Luna has left the house.
The farm team I was signed with has been incredibly accommodating by letting me delay my contract to stay hereafter what happened. I know it won’t last though, and I'll need to make a decision on my future very soon. I don't want to leave Luna but I’ve been dreaming of playing pro ball for years. It was a dream my mom encouraged in me, even though it went against my father’s wishes. He’s career military and a real bastard that I no longer speak to.
I take another look around, trying to find her. I’m surprised this would be the place she would go for her first outing since the funerals but when I spot her, understanding takes over. She's over by the jukebox and by the look of her, she’s out of her head drunk. She’s dancing alone in her black work boots with a drink in her hand, the contents spilling every time she moves. Her grey babydoll dress sways against the top of her thighs, showing an inch of creamy skin between the hem and the black thigh-high socks she wears. Her head is down with her cinnamon-colored wavy hair covering half her face.
I reach her just as she staggers to the side and grasp her elbow to steady her. The light green eyes that lift to meet mine are so filled with pain that it takes my breath away. Her lips lift in a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes as she leans into me.
“Hey, Ballboy. What are you doing here? Want a drink? I have a few over there.”
