Page 125 of Lunar Desires
I sang a few more ABBA songs, thinking of Preston, of how he…returned. It didn’t sit right. Aside from the awful spell that’d terminated Rhianna’s pregnancy, and the nature of Preston’s relationship, something wasn’t lining up. A hunch told me we were missing something here. A big something.
Damn. What if it was wishful thinking on my part? Hoping to Hecate for a better explanation beyond this muck?
Preston and Marcus? Yuck. And he could shove his offer up his arse. Neither me nor Isaac were about to flit over to his wretched house of crap.
After belting out a few more tracks, I hung up the microphone.
Maybe a walk around the gardens would clear my head a bit. I could even find Isaac and stare at the final bolt on the celestial room’s door for the umpteenth time.
Now that his solar diamond was fixed and inside his lion totem, we just needed our starry brother to come home.
Drake appeared in the doorway. “Hello.”
My heart jumped, so happy to see him. “Hi. Are you…” It seemed daft to ask him if he was okay. Of course he wasn’t.
He rubbed his neck, moving into the room. “Can I have a hug?”
Wow. That threw me off. “A hug?”
His million-pound smile hit me next. “Yes, please. If you don’t mind.”
I went to him, wrapping him in the warmest embrace I could muster.
He buried his face into the crook of my neck, breathing me in.
I kissed his hair, stroking his back. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he answered, his voice muffled by my flesh.
“That tickles.”
He lifted his head with a chuckle, then kissed me. Color burst behind my eyes, giddy from his lips on mine again.
I cupped his face when the kiss broke. “Do you want to talk?”
He released a sigh, his hands finding my hips. “I’ve been running through all the what ifs. Picturing being a dad, teaching my boy the ways of the world, showing him everything. But then it all comes back toher.” He said the last word with an icy bite.
I traced my thumbs under his eyes. “Drake…”
“What sort of life would he have had? She’d never let me see him, and she’d definitely use him against me.” He shuffled from foot to foot, still holding my hips. “I’m not saying this was for the best. Because he deserved better than some fucking evil spell ending his life. That’s what makes it worse, his life ending for Marcus to…” A shaky breath, a brief pause. “I just feel so awful. I wasn’t careful when I slept with Rhianna. It was like I fired the starting gun, and then let him down.” He closed his eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” I responded.
He opened his eyes, looking over to the left. “If she’d told me she didn’t want to keep him, that would’ve been different. I’d never tell her what to do with her own body. Never. But because it was for that spell…shit.” He couldn’t get his words out.
“She’s cruel,” I stepped in. “She messed with your head by telling you, then dropped this on you. I’m not saying she’s not hurting from her decision, but she went about this in the most despicable way.”
He sniffed, his eyes still pointed left. “I hate empathizing with her, but she looked so defeated.” He swept his gaze to me. “This is so fucked up.”
I kissed him, never wanting to let him go. “I wish I could make this pain go away.”
“Thanks for saying it.” He pressed his forehead, which Isaac healed, to my mine. “But what about you? I’ve been so caught up in myself I haven’t been thinking about you and Preston and…and I can’t believe I ran into that room as your cage came down. Shame on me, I should’ve been there to help you out of it. I let you down and I?—”
I kissed him again to shut him up.
“Don’t,” I said as I pulled back, licking my lips. “Don’t ever lessen your own feelings.”
“I…shit. I’m sorry. I’ve been looking for Rhianna, Preston, and Marcus. Can’t find them.”
