Luna frowns, looking down at her outfit. “It’s a sundress and a pair of Vans, Dad. Nothing too special.”
“A dress equates to boys with wandering eyes.”
Luna rolls her eyes. “Believe me, Dad. They’re both too busy salivating over how hot Mom is.”
Okay, so she’s still definitely angry over that comment. Duly noted.
When Luna’s gone, Endymion turns to me, questions in his eyes. I relay the conversation I overheard earlier, telling him about the comments they made. He laughs. “The fact that someone in high school calling my wife a MILF can still make me possessive tells me I’m fucking insane.”
I roll my eyes. “I never said they called me a MILF. And, I could’ve told you that, babe.”
He swats my ass playfully, leaving me while he goes to shower the day off.
True to her word, Luna came home right after the movie was over. Though, I expected her to be in a much better mood than she was. She was quiet and kept her eyes downcast throughout dinner. As much as I wanted to ask her why, I figured calling her out in front of her brothers wasn’t the best way to do it.
My boots wade through the long grass until I spot her slumped form in the distance, sitting by the creek. When Selene showed her this place years ago, she was drawn to it. Now, it’s one of the places she goes when she wants to talk to Gavin in private. Apparently, she doesn’t feel anything when she sits at his grave, but when she sits here? She says she can feel him.
After dinner, she asked if she could go to the creek for a while. It was on the tip of my tongue to say no, but when Selene set her hand on top of my arm and nodded, I changed my mind. After I helped her clean up, she suggested I check on Luna to see what was wrong.
At the sound of my footsteps, Luna turns, and my heart slams to a screeching halt when I see the tears glimmering in her eyes. There’s this inexplicable tightness in my chest when I take a seat next to her, careful not to crowd her.
“Everything okay, Luna?”
She nods. “Just came out here to talk to Grandpa and listen to the water.”
“You miss him, don’t you, babe?”
Luna sniffles, staring out at the creek. “I do.”
“It’s hard. I know your mom misses him a lot, too. But that’s okay, means his memory is still alive.”
She smiles at me through her tears, and it still feels like a physical punch to the chest. She’s grown up so much in the past few years, and now she’s looking more and more like her mother every day. She’s looking more like a woman and less like my little girl. We’re silent for a long beat, staring out at the rippling water.
“When was the first time you really noticed Mom?” she asks suddenly, her brows pulled together as if she’s deep in thought.
I grin at the memory. “The night I moved here and saw her at the Grab-N-Go.”
Her frown deepens. “I thought you went years not noticing her?”
“No, I noticed her. It was hard not to. Your mother isn’t someone who can be overlooked, no matter how much she believes she can. She’s a lot like you, actually.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. You remind me so much of your mom. Scares the shit out of me.”
She begins fidgeting next to me, so I brace myself, knowing what’s coming next. “There’s this guy.” My hands curl into fists at my sides. “I really like him, but the thing is…I know I shouldn’t.”
I slam my eyes shut.
Jesus fuck. I know it’s that damn Saint kid. I’d bet my left nut the little fucker is nothing like a saint.
I clear my throat, trying to play it cool. “All right…”
“Sometimes I think he likes me, but other times, it’s like he doesn’t even know I exist. I just…I don’t know. I feel like I’m wasting my time waiting around for him to notice me.”
I chuckle darkly. “Well, seeing as you’re only sixteen and not allowed to date till you’re thirty, I’d say this is all a moot point, right?”
Luna glares at me, nudging me on the arm. “Dad! I’m being serious.”
“Fine. I’m sorry. You’re still my baby girl, that’s all. I didn’t think I’d have to talk about boys with you for another ten years.”
She rolls her eyes and laughs. Her smile is so much