One Tiny Lie – Jennifer Youngblood Page 0,11

Then again, Margot was Ava’s best friend, so it made sense that two would confide in one another. “What if there is hope?”

“What do you mean?”

Did she dare voice the words out loud? Maybe it was time. Luna wanted to get the message across to Margot, loud and clear, that she intended to pursue Hudson. If she was going to do this, then she needed to be all in. She straightened her spine. “I want things to work out with Hudson.”

Margot choked out a disbelieving laugh. “You can’t be serious!”

“Actually, I am. Hudson and I are getting engaged, and we’re considering having the wedding in early December.” Even as Luna spoke the words, a thrill shot through her. Maybe it was presumptuous of Luna to think she could somehow work out the problem of her deception. Also, she was totally and completely enamored with Hudson, but that wasn’t the same as love. Luna needed to get to know him, make sure the two of them were compatible. She had time to do that though … time to discover if her knight in shining armor was as noble as he appeared. Luna wondered how Ava would react when she told her about the wedding. Would Ava freak out? Or would she be happy for Luna? Surely, between the two of them, they could find a way to break the news of their switch to Hudson, Beverly, and Todd. At any rate, Luna wanted Margot to know in no uncertain terms that Hudson was spoken for.

“I don’t know what to say about this.” Margot’s voice faltered. “Y—you don’t love him. You never have.”

Luna felt Margot’s desperation seeping through the phone like an insidious vapor, stripping away her confidence. Was Luna being selfish for pursuing Hudson? After all, Margot had obviously loved him for years, and Luna was just now coming into the picture.

No, Luna couldn’t think that way. This was her chance to make a go of her life. Hadn’t she always longed to break out of her shell? Well, now was the time. Luna had been given the chance of a lifetime, and it was up to her to take it. Ava had taken her chance, and it was working out beautifully. Luna needed to channel Ava … borrow some of her courage and moxie. “That may have been true in the past, but times are changing. I’ve changed,” she said firmly.

Margot grunted. “You certainly have,” she said in a snarky tone.

Luna’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Margot’s voice took on a shrill edge as she talked a mile a minute. “First of all, you disappear for several weeks without so much as a word to me, Hudson, or your parents. And then, you traipse back home, acting like nothing ever happened. When we try to ask you where you were, you say you don’t want to talk about it.”

Ava had been the one to instruct Luna not to tell anyone about her going to Atlanta. “Tell them that you just needed time away to sort through your feelings,” Ava had said. “Tell them that you don’t want to talk about it but want to start fresh. They’ll be okay with that. They’ll assume you went to some sort of wellness retreat.”

Luna had her doubts. If it had been her Grandma Peach they were talking about, there would be no way Luna could have gotten off the hook with such a vague explanation. Grandma Peach would have pestered her until she broke down and told all. Luna pulled out of her own thoughts, listening again to what Margot was spewing.

“Then, you start avoiding my calls. Now, all of a sudden you’re gung-ho about marrying Hudson, when you were fighting mad about it before.” Her voice quivered. “I don’t even know who you are anymore.”

“I’m the same person I’ve always been,” Luna countered, wincing at the lie. A cold hard knot formed in her stomach. She felt like everyone could see right through her. It would only be a matter of time before the net closed in. Her only hope was to build a solid relationship with Hudson before that happened. Then, maybe, he would be understanding when he learned the truth.

“No, you’re not,” she said sadly. “I’ve gotta let you go.”

Margot sounded so dejected that Luna almost felt sorry for her … almost. “Maybe we can plan a time to have lunch together this weekend.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Margot said in a noncommittal tone. “What time are you guys leaving tomorrow?”

“Hudson’s picking