Page 59 of Eco-Activist's Mountain Men
Slowly, my back and shoulders begin to melt under her clever hands. The ache dissolves into something hazy, floaty, almost hypnotic. Every stroke carries more meaning than the last. I drift, weightless, into a warm haze.
At some point, I must have fallen asleep.
The next thing I know, there’s a gentle weight pressing on me—not uncomfortable, just… present. I blink an eye open.
“Shh,” comes Luna’s whisper, soft and close. “It’s only me.”
She’s lying on top of me now, warm and naked, her cheek resting against my shoulder. One arm drapes across my side. She traces my eyebrow with her fingertip, memorizing me by touch.
“Do you love me?” she whispers.
“Huh?”
“I said, Do you love me?”
The question stuns me. I pause, trying to answer honestly.
“I… I think so. I’m not sure. I know I care about you. A lot. I think about you constantly, and I want you—that part goes without saying. But even beyond that, it’s still early days. I guess I’d say I love what I already know about you. I want to know more. I want to see if we’re… compatible.” I swallow. “What about you? Do you… Love me?”
She exhales slowly, her fingers twisting strands of my hair as if she’s nervous.
“Well?” I prompt.
“Yes,” she says finally. “I love you.”
My heart leaps. For one reckless, dizzy moment, I start to imagine a future—her by my side, the rest of my life finally making sense.
Then she adds quietly, “But it’s more complicated than that.”
Of course it is. For me, things never stay simple.
“Why? Why can’t it just be simple?”
“Because…” She falters.
“Luna?”
“It’s not that I don’t love you. It’s kind of the opposite.” She lifts her head, searching my eyes. “The problem is… you’re not the only one I love.”
My stomach sinks. “What do you mean?”
She hesitates. Then: “Let me ask you something. If you really love me… could you share me? Or would it have to be exclusive?”
The question knocks the wind out of me. “I… I don’t know.”
“Honest answer.”
“Yeah. I mean—I’ve never really thought about it. Never had to. I guess it depends on the situation. On how it works. Is that… is that what you want?”
She sighs. “Honestly, Eric? I’m confused as hell. I thought I knew who I was. But lately… I don’t know anymore.”
Then she giggles softly and rolls herself more fully onto me.
“But let’s forget about all that,” she whispers. “While I’ve got you here, I might as well make good use of you.”
Her hand slides lower, and my body responds instantly.
“Well, well,” she murmurs. “What have we got here, big boy?”
