Page 80 of Eye of the Hurricane
Audra
You’ll be there then?
Katherine
Fine.
“Luna,I think this was a mistake I don’t think I should be going,” I sigh, wrapping my hair around a curling iron.
“You seem so down lately, what’s going on?” she asks. I have to imagine this is related to the fun I’m no longer having. I let myself have a taste of life and then took it away. Sometimes you’re better off never knowing.
“I’m fine. I just don’t even know if he wants me there,” I admit. I make eye contact with her in the mirror as she stands behind me, gliding red lipstick over her lips.
“It’s Ares, of course, he wants you there,” she says like it’s obvious. But it doesn’t feel obvious. Not after I saw the look on his face when we walked on the beach.
“I don’t know, Luna. I think I really hurt him.” Her eyes snap to mine, waiting for me to elaborate. I never told her about our conversation on the beach. Mostly out of guilt.
“Spill.”
“I told him we had to stop whatever we’re doing. My mom was right,” I sigh. My lip quivers over the word mom. I don’t let myself cry though.
“Sorry, what was that? I couldn’t have heard you right.”
“Yeah, yeah very funny,” I say glaring at her.
“Seriously, Kat. What do you mean your mom was right? A bitch, evil maybe, but never right. What’s this about?”
“I can’t have a career and him. She’s been telling me for years and I just thought it was another one of her misogynistic ideas.” I wrap another strand around the hot iron and let the curl fall, bouncing as it drops.
“What happened?” She frowns.
I explain the situation to the girls. Letting them know about the missed email and the consequences of that. I also highlight the guilt I have over it. Luna rubs a supportive hand on my shoulder.
“Jacob shouldn’t have expected you to check your email outside of hours,” she tells me.
“That’s what Jacob said.”
“See! It’s not on you. Don’t throw away a good thing because you’re scared.”
“I’m not scared, I’m busy. It’s different. I’m shadowing with them now, I just don’t have time to play around with this.”
“Mhmm,” she hums.
We finish our hair and make-up. Luna is in a pair of overalls with a baby blue bandeau top with white stars on it. Beaten Converse and loads of jewelry to go with it.
I’m in a buttery-colored wrap dress with matching rust wedges. I know I shouldn’t be wearing yellow just because I know Ares likes me in it. Clearly, knowing doesn’t stop me from doing it though.
When we sit down in my car to drive to Audra and Roman’s house I turn to Luna to ask her one last time.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I ask.
“I’m sure it’s not a bad one,” she says with a shrug. It’s not the comfort I’m looking for but it’ll do.
I’m not sure Luna is the right person to be going to looking for any big comforting statements. She just lets life take her where it wants. How we work is beyond me. But we do.
“Can I drive?” she says, dangling her keys in the air.
“Over my dead body.” I scoff, snatching them from her hand and sitting them on her counter. “I’ll be driving.”
