to know it was Knight. Daria grinned my way, arching an I-told-you eyebrow. Her lips were swollen, pink, and puffy. Her normally perfect hair a tangled, sexy mess. God. We’d full-blown made out. I could still feel my heavy-lidded eyes and my pulse dancing across my lips.
I waved Knight off, giving Daria a hug. She squeaked in my arms, and we both shared a giggle. This was about friendship, not some stupid gay attention moment.
Knight tugged me away again, gatekeeper that he was.
“Luna,” he seethed.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Daria rolled her eyes. “Not everything’s about you, Cole. Although, I guess she’s Saint Luna no more, huh?” Daria winked, ignoring the death glare Poppy tried to spear her with.
It was like Daria had injected some of her personality into me with that kiss. Maybe it was the adrenaline. Maybe it was the alcohol, or perhaps the attention and the way I was really growing tired of Knight refusing to let me move on, while parading his girlfriend in front of me. In all probability, it was all of the above that made me do what I did.
I rolled my eyes, opened my mouth, and spat out actual words in front of everyone.
“You’re not the boss of me! Not even a colleague. Not even an employee. Barely an acquaintance.” A ruthless smile blossomed on my lips.
Daria sucked in a shocked breath. Knight stumbled back, pain written all over his beautiful face. Most of the nearby partygoers didn’t know I couldn’t speak, didn’t know the significance of what I’d just done, so they just stared on, ready for some blood to be shed.
“When did you become such a bitch?” Knight narrowed his eyes at me.
Finally. Finally, we were doing what we should have done years ago: deal with our emotions. Let the anger, frustration, and lust out. Stop tiptoeing around one another, pretending like nothing had happened, when so much had.
We’d fallen in love.
We’d fallen in lust.
We’d broken each other’s trust.
I smirked the patronizing smirk he’d taught me very well as I strutted my way to the door. I flipped him the finger without looking back to watch his reaction.
“Since you made me one, KJC.”
Why had I asked for this?
Why had I begged for this?
Why had I put myself in this situation in the first place?
I blinked back at Edie, who had her face buried in her hands, her shoulders quaking.
Normally, she was strong for both of us.
Normally, she knew what to do.
But nothing about our situation was normal.
It terrified me that so much had changed in such a short period of time. My life had derailed from the endless, straight line I’d been sailing through, to a roller coaster with no beginning, middle, or end.
I was living in another state.
Knight hated me.
I hated Knight.
Rosie was dying.
I’d kissed a girl. And, pardon the poor cultural reference, but I’d liked it.
I’d really liked it. Not enough to change teams—well, maybe…though the only person I’d really ever wanted was my best friend—but enough not to regret it. That was a complication I couldn’t even focus on right now.
I’d broken a heart. Well, might’ve. Josh had stopped texting me. His unanswered messages were piled up in a neat corner of my phone’s memory like broken dreams, hung on a clothesline, damp from my tears of guilt.
And now this. The indigestible news I somehow still needed to swallow. The report sat between Edie and me, on the table, waiting to be acknowledged.
I stood up, slapped my open palm on the table, and yelled, “No!”
Only I didn’t do that.
I darted up and paced from side to side in our kitchen, throwing my head back and letting out a rabid laugh. “Good riddance!”
Only I didn’t do that, either.
I broke down in tears. I ran to my room. I felt. I felt.
Or I wished I had.
In reality, I just sat there, staring at my mom. My real mom. The one who’d been there for me from the moment she knew of my existence. The one who counted. Edie.
“Is that all he’s given you?” I whispered.
I hoped my voice would shock her into pulling herself out of her meltdown. It worked. She peeked at me between her fingers, then straightened in her seat, wiping the tears from her face.
“The private investigator?” She cleared her throat, trying to be cool.
I knew she would be cool about it. Knew she wouldn’t make a big deal of it, make a show, make me feel uncomfortable.
I nodded.
“He said she’d been living in Rio for the