Page 64 of The Sun and the Moon
“The price you pay for being engaged to an influencer,” Kit says. “As much as I’m hoping it won’t be that way too much longer.” Julia reaches for her hand, clutching it to pull her over for a kiss.
“You can quit anytime,” she says, nuzzling her cheek with her nose.
This public display of affection would normally make me break out in hives. So much closeness out in the open for everyone to blatantly see, and with such ease. But with Cadence nearby and that tarot card’s definition swimming in my mind, I find myself wondering what it would be like to be so in love with someone that I can’t resist taking them in my arms no matter who’s looking.
To feel that for someone, truly—that feels like a foreign concept.
I drop down in the seat Julia was just occupying as she and Kit walk away with a “hope to see you there tonight” and a wave. My eyes find Cadence’s across the table. I’m debating whether to ask her outright about the card, when she lifts her hand and nods. I turn to see she’s motioning the waiter and I realize that there are way too many people in this bar for any kind of real conversation.
“They were setting up some firepits outside in the courtyard,” I say, whipping around to face her. “Might be easier to talk there.” The waiter arrives to take our order.
“Can we take our drinks to the courtyard?” she asks with a sly smile.
?With our drinks in hand, we head out of the bar and back in the direction of the courtyard beside our room. We’re not more than a few steps outside the doorway when we hear familiar voices trickling our way from somewhere nearby. I stop Cadence by placing my hand on her forearm.
Dad and Moira. I mouth the words. She nods, eyes shooting in the direction their voices are coming from. It’s definitely rude to eavesdrop, but it also feels a little like a divine gift. If I believed in those, which…wish I was less wobbly on that one than I currently feel.
We edge around the corner to where a tall shrub creates an entrance into another courtyard, likely leading to their room. We have to crouch down to look through the shorter manicured bushes that form the wall around the courtyard.
Moira is sitting on one of the outdoor couches surrounding an already-blazing firepit. Dad drops down beside her and takes her hand gently in his.
“You’re doing everything you can,” he says, bending to try to snag Moira’s eye contact.
“I don’t know if it’s enough,” Moira says with a sniffle.
Is shecrying?
I flick a glance toward Cadence to see that she has gone stiff beside me. Rigid as stone.
“I can tell when she looks at me, she’s not really seeing me now,” Moira continues, the distress in her voice making it brittle and unfamiliar. All that robust bravado I’ve gotten used to hearing in it doesn’t come through right now.
“She will, though. She came here, didn’t she? Just like you hoped,” Dad tells her. He brings one of his hands to her cheek, where he brushes away what appears to be a tear.
“She did,” Moira replies, finally looking up into Dad’s eyes.
“My everything,” Dad says, as if it’s a term of endearment. Moira’s frown momentarily lifts. “This is the beginning of a new chapter for all of us. Don’t give up.”
He presses a kiss to Moira’s lips.
“Oh God,” I whisper. Cadence is already scurrying away, keeping low to the ground as she rounds the corner.
“How did I get so lucky?” Dad says.
“You didn’t,” Moira says. “You got exactly what you were fated.”
Their cackles follow me away.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Cadence
I burst into the courtyard and take a hefty gulp of my cocktail.
She’s not really seeing me now.
An iconic performance, one for the ages, except for the fact that I don’t know who the hell it was for. The way she was talking makes me think she’s been honest with Rick about our relationship. Even if she can’t take the blame for how her narcissism drove me away, she doesn’t seem to be pretending to be innocent, either.
She sounded like someone who has worked on herself.
