need is her asking questions that I most certainly don’t have the answers to. I don’t need her getting her hopes up where Endymion and I are concerned because we can’t be together. Not when he doesn’t know the truth.
“Mom.” I turn toward her, my voice a warning. “Don’t do that. Don’t get your hopes up over something that isn’t there.”
“Isn’t there? Honey, were you not at the same dinner I was? I watched you two, the way you looked at each other. There was so much tension in the air the other night—hell, it makes me hot just thinking about it.”
I groan. “Mother. Please, stop it.”
“What is the big deal here, Selene?” She slaps her hands down at her sides in exasperation. “You’ve been in love with Endymion for years. Why are you suddenly pushing him away?”
“Things are different now. I’m not that same hope-filled girl anymore.”
“You’re telling me you feel nothing for him at all? That crush of what, seven-plus years is suddenly gone, just like that?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know, Mom. I haven’t thought about him in years. I never thought I’d see him again. I have Luna now. I can’t—”
“You can’t what?” my mom asks, crossing her arms over her chest. “You can’t be happy? Honey, you’re a great mother. Don’t think you don’t deserve happiness, because you do. What could one date with Endymion hurt?”
It could hurt everything. One date could be my downfall.
“You don’t get it.” I sigh, avoiding her gaze.
“Why do I feel like I’m missing something here? Is there something you want to share?”
My heart lurches. I keep my gaze fixed out the kitchen window, working up the courage to say what I should’ve said six years ago. This is my chance. I know I should come clean now. Maybe my mother can help me figure out the next steps. But when I open my mouth to reply, nothing comes out.
“Are those your flowers, Mommy?” Luna yells, as she runs into the kitchen, startling both of us. I snap my mouth shut. I can’t tell my mother now, not with little ears here. Shifting, I plaster a smile on my face for my daughter’s sake.
“Yes, they are.”
She picks them up off the counter and sniffs. Luna pulls a face, jerking her head back. “They stink.”
I laugh. “That’s just the smell of roses, honey. Some people like it.”
She shrugs and spins on her heels with the bouquet still in her hand. My brows pull down when I see where she’s heading. I break into a quick run after her.
“Luna, we already told you, you can’t go back there right now. They’re working.”
Ignoring me, my daughter throws open the back door and waves down Endymion, who’s talking to my father and a few of his buddies he works with.
“End!” Luna yells loud enough to gain the attention of every person in our neighborhood. “My mommy loves them!” She waves the bouquet around recklessly. I shift my gaze between her and End, who’s staring at her with a smirk on his face. I can practically hear him chuckling under his breath even from here. She gives him a thumbs-up, and my gaze narrows as the pieces suddenly click. So it wasn’t my mother’s idea. It was hers?
I glance at my dad, who’s watching the entire scene unfold with a blank expression on his face. I can’t tell what he’s thinking. How does he feel about End, the man he’s grown close with over the past few years, giving his daughter flowers? If it bothers him, he’s good at hiding it.
End says something to my dad, but he’s too far away to make out whatever it is, then he’s heading toward us, dodging his men who are working. My heart kickstarts in my chest. As if someone attached spark plugs to the organ, it pounds to life, beating erratically as he closes the distance. There’s sweat glimmering on his forehead, and his T-shirt clings to his skin in the best of ways, showcasing the defined muscles hidden beneath. I swallow hard, trying to avert my gaze.
“Hey, kid,” he says, smiling down at Luna.
Hearing him call her “kid” does strange things to me. The effects of it have my stomach turning sharply while the steel drums pound in my chest.
She gives him a big toothy grin, shooting him a thumbs-up. “She loves them! But I hate to tell you, they kinda stink.”
Endymion and I share a look, both of us burst out laughing at what a character