One Tiny Lie – Jennifer Youngblood Page 0,48

night?”

Luna clutched her hands. “Not too good,” she said weakly.

Ava’s face fell. “What happened? Is everything okay with you and Hudson?”

“Hudson and I are great,” Luna said quickly.

“Are Mom and Dad okay?” Ava asked, concern flicking over her features.

“They’re good.”

Ava’s hand went to her chest. “Oh, good. You scared me.” She paused, studying Luna. “What’s wrong?”

Tears rose in Luna’s eyes. “Everything.”

“What’s going on?”

Luna sucked in a breath. “You know how you’re always going on about how perfect I am?”

“Yeah,” Ava answered warily.

“Well, it’s not true.”

Ava frowned. “Okay, spit it out, sis. Did you have a fight with Mom? Are you tired of wearing all the clothes she picks out?” she chided.

“No, it’s nothing like that,” Luna said irritably, not liking that Ava was joking at a time like this. “It’s about my past.”

“Your past?” Ava made a face. “Remember when Cash did the background check on you thinking it was on me?” Her voice rose as she spoke faster. “Well, that came back clean as a whistle.” She laughed. “So whatever it is can’t be all that bad.” She groaned. “Come on, Luna. Quit beating around the bush. Just tell me!”

Luna rubbed a hand over her forehead. A headache was pushing across the bridge of her nose. “After my mom died, I was a wreck. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep. It was bad. I spent several days at the library, burying myself in books.” She shuddered thinking about all of the pain her mother endured before she passed. Luna had wanted so desperately to help, but there was nothing she could do.

Ava’s eyes widened in partial amusement. “I can think of worse places you could’ve gone,” she said dryly.

Luna pressed on. “While at the library, I met this guy. He was older, refined—a college English professor. We had a common love for literature. Douglas was kind, considerate. He told me that his wife had recently died. Our grief drew us together.” Anger burned through her. “Only it wasn’t true. Douglas was married.” Her voice hardened. “You can imagine my surprise when Douglas and I were out to dinner, and his son, Spencer, saw us. That’s when I learned that Douglas’s wife was very much alive. In fact, that very night, she was waiting for him to return home, having thought he’d gotten held up in a work meeting.”

“Wow, I’m so sorry. I had no idea. What did you do?”

Luna’s eyes narrowed. “Well, for starters, I dumped his butt.”

“Good for you,” Ava chimed in, jutting out her jaw.

“But it didn’t stop there.” Sadness and regret rolled over her. “Ruth Wellington, Douglas’s wife, killed herself shortly thereafter.” The look of horror on Ava’s face came at Luna like a firing squad. She felt so ashamed. Tears blurred her vision. “I felt responsible.” There it was—the moment in time that haunted her. She’d thought she could escape it by coming to Sonoma and pretending to be Ava, and yet, it had found her here.

“No,” Ava countered. “That wasn’t your fault.” She scrunched her nose. “Didn’t you tell me that your mom died when you were sixteen?”

“Yes.”

Ava’s eyes turned to pancakes. “That guy’s a criminal! He had no business having a relationship with a minor.”

Luna sucked in a quick breath, trying to reign in her emotions. “You’re right,” she said flatly. “I feel so stupid for being duped. Logically, I know that Ruth’s death wasn’t my fault.” Her voice trembled. “But in here …” She touched her chest. “It was a lot to process. For years, I lived in the shadows. Finally, I moved to Nashville and put all of my energy into my music. Then, you came along and offered me an opportunity for a new life.” She laughed as she looked at Ava through her tears. “You have no idea how much you’ve helped me.”

Ava was surprised. “How?”

“You have this zest for life. You’re impetuous, you go after what you want, not letting your insecurities get in the way.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “I never thought of those qualities as being good.”

“Well, they are.” She balled her fists. “When I saw you and Cash in the hospital, how in love with each other you are.” Her voice caught. “Something inside of me shifted. I figured that if you could find your happily ever after, then maybe I could too.” Her voice shook as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I began to think that I might be worthy of happiness, in spite of my mistakes.”

“Your only mistake was trusting the wrong man,” Ava