Wild Open Hearts (Bluewater Billionaires) - Kathryn Nolan Page 0,103

her finish her speech and give interviews—watched the crowd surge toward her. Cameras and reporters were trying to get to her. The applause after her speech was enthusiastic. If Luna had been looking forward to starting fresh, tonight was that night.

You won’t hold her back, will you?

“Beck, wait.”

Luna’s voice, floating toward me in the crowd. I was making my way to the street, which was filled with the usual tourists. People were out, having a blast along South Beach, while I was having my heart broken.

“Beck, wait, where are you going?” There was a blur of orange and then an arm, yanking me behind a building.

“Hey,” Luna said. “Where are you running off to? Was my speech okay? Do you want to go out for celebratory tacos later tonight?”

She was babbling, bright-eyed. Flushed.

My fists clenched at my side, desperate to kiss her. Hold her one last time.

I took a step back, putting distance between us. “Your speech was incredible. You’re incredible—” I broke off, voice thick.

“Why, thank you,” she said. “You were my inspiration.”

I looked down at my feet but no extra courage was there.

“I bumped into my mother and her crew on the walk over here tonight,” I said. “She wanted to drop by to remind me that I’m motorcycle trash that will never belong.”

Fury slashed across Luna’s face, twisting her mouth. “That’s categorically untrue, Beck Mason.”

“Is it?” I asked.

Now it was Luna’s turn to step back. “Of course it is. You know that. You’re so much more than your family or your past. You’re… you’re everything.”

Her words stunned me for a second.

“Jasmine doesn’t think so,” I managed, coughing out the words.

She looked confused. “Jasmine? Wait, what did Jasmine say to you?”

“She told me I was always going to be a problem for you. My past. My family. I was holding you back.”

Luna grabbed my hand like she knew I was trying to back away.

“I don’t know why she would say that,” she said. “And I’m truly sorry she did.”

“I’m not,” I said sadly. “We’ve talked so much about authenticity, Luna. Honesty. The truth. Doesn’t part of you believe that to be the truth?”

“Not at all.” She gripped me tighter. “Besides, I don’t care. You know I don’t care about that, Beck. I only care about you.”

“I’m not so sure,” I said, feeling like a bastard. Feeling more like a bastard when I realized it was the truth. I wasn’t sure Luna still didn’t feel the allure of Instagram comments and branding opportunities. It had been her life for ten years, after all.

Luna let me go. Our line in the sand was forming and I wasn’t going to budge.

It was better, really, if I didn’t.

“If I cared that much about my reputation, how come I never stopped working with you?” she said, swallowing over and over. Like she was trying to fend off tears. “Your past and your family have been an issue since literally the beginning. You told me. Jasmine told me. I could have cut contact with you a hundred different times and didn’t. Because I… I…” She stopped.

“Maybe you should have,” I said. “If my mom is showing back up in my life again, we have a problem. It will always be a problem, Luna.”

“You never changed your last name,” she said quietly.

“What?”

“You never changed your last name,” she said, louder this time. “I just realized. Your last name is recognizable and hated and you could have legally changed it twenty years ago. But you didn’t.”

My jaw worked, teeth grinding. “Your point?”

“It’s the same as why you started the nonprofit even though you knew you’d struggle being the leader. You, Beck Mason, are no longer held hostage by the demands of your family. You don’t care. If you did, you’d be Beck Smith right now. But you kept it like a badge of honor. I think you kept it to remind yourself they don’t matter to you. What did you say about them the other night? They’re worth less than the dog shit on the bottom of a shoe.”

Having my words thrown back at me like that didn’t feel so great.

Neither did admitting she was right about my last name.

“That doesn’t mean we’re still going to work out, Luna.”

“Is that what we’re discussing right now?” Her dark eyes flashed. “Whether or not our relationship will be successful?”

“Luna,” I said. Gentler this time. Her face lit up with hope and I died a little bit inside. “Tell me you actually see a future between the two of