Page 78 of Lunar Diamonds
I’m not who I think I am.
When would I get to see her? I should’ve put a stop to my flaky crap and gone a week ago. What I wouldn’t give to sit in her living room with a cup of tea and custard tarts, gossiping about the neighbors.
Mum always had the best gossip.
“She’s not your mum,” I said out loud, hiking my knees up.
Juliet Aurora was my mother, some mystery guy my father.
Yet again, I hoped this wasn’t real. That I’d wake up on my sofa, my head pounding from a hangover. Yeah, I’d been at home all this time, drinking away the nightmare at the library, stumbling into a different one. Any moment now, I’d wake up with crisp crumbs scattered over my PJs, and?—
“Stop being ridiculous,” I scolded myself, sitting up.
I had to get out of this room. The walls were too close, the heat of stress creeping up my neck.
Rolling off the sofa, I hurried for the door, anxiety a tangle of knots in my chest strangling the reason out of me.
I couldn’t be The Moon and save the world. Reality slapped me around, casting light on a violent truth.
My future would be full of fighting, of being a target, crushed under the pressure of saving so many lives.
Let the High Coven figure it out. They enjoyed control and dominance. I mean, they were a global force. What were we but three brothers on the south coast of England? Well, two at the moment.
The shades…I told myself.They can’t get rid of the shades…
That only applied more pressure.
I want to go home.
Tearing the door open, I dashed toward the stairwell, my heart in my stomach.
Home. Home. Home.The word pulsed like a mantra, spurring me onward. All I had to do was get outside, run down the long driveway, clear the fence, and get home. Leave this behind me. Reset. Get back to my true life.
I craved love and books and happiness, not violence and spells and?—
Pop!
I arrived in a bathroom identical to mine. Only, this one contained a naked Drake in the shower, his back to me.
Holy. Crap.
The glass didn’t steam up much, leaving the muscular planes of his back on show. Water sluiced down his incredible body, cascading over the perkiest arse in existence.
Wow. I really shouldn’t be staring, but…wow.
Before I peeled my eyes away, I paused on the black phoenix tattoo decorating his back. It was beautiful, the wings spread dramatically across his shoulder blades. Vibrant orange flames swirled around the creature, so vivid I thought I saw them moving. A fine adornment on his spectacular epidermis for sure.
Drake turned his head, pushing wet hair out of his face. “Riley?”
I squealed like a baby pig caught in a trap.
“I thought that was you.”
My face grew so hot it must resemble tomato juice. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t… I was…”
I broke down, the tears suddenly running wild. Aggressive sobs burst from my mouth, my chest on fire. All of me spiraling into a pit of sadness and confusion. I lost my balance, tumbling to the floor. My backside hit the tiles hard, pain shooting up my spine into my skull.
“Riley?” The water turned off.
