Page 107 of Wishing for La Luna
I answer Mami and Sel and then hop in an Uber home. I need to think before I say anything to him. I haven’t had a chance to analyze what happened today. I keep turning it over in my head and blaming him.
But I’m the one who made the choice and needs to get my priorities in order, as Victor said.
When I get home, his SUV is parked outside.
* * *
Rio
The Uber pulls up outside the building, and Luna steps out. I reach for the door handle of the SUV and get out. I don’t have to call out her name. She’s waiting for me as the car pulls away. Her face is blank, not panicked like when they brought me in handcuffs, or worried as it was when she walked in the room to negotiate with my team. There’s no trace of the annoyance in her eyes when she left the station.
There’s nothing there.
Cold settles in my chest as I cross the street. It makes me want to turn back, but I’m walking to her anyway. I reach her, lean to kiss her, and her lips pucker against mine. When I pull back, the sadness in her eyes hits me like Thierry’s sucker punch.
“Let’s go inside,” she says.
I nod and follow her in, but my feet want to root to the ground. I want to tell her it’s okay, that we don’t have to do this. Because what’s coming is pressing on my spine. I’ve been dumped before. I know what the end looks like when it looms—tired eyes that have had enough.
Enough of me? Of my shit?
It triggers memories of Perla except this is not dulled by grief. I’m fully feeling this moment. We go up the stairs. The echoing of our feet against the walls and empty hallway is intense. I’ve never noticed before. The first time was probably because I was coming up to pick her up for the baseball game, and the idea of seeing her had my heartbeat pounding in my ears. The night before the concert, I could only hear the gnawing pain. But Luna’s hand was there, guiding me. Today, the sound of every step bounces, rebounds, and unnerves.
Because this is the end.
At the top of the stairs, a few feet from her front door, she pauses.
“Luna.” Her name falls from my lips with the need to tell her we don’t have to do this. I can just go.
She turns around, and with one look at her face, teary-eyed, I can’t say the words. There’s no way in heaven, or the fucking hell I know so deeply, that I can walk away from her by my own doing.
She opens her mouth, but words won’t come out. She takes my face in her hands and kisses me.
The door to her apartment swings open, and we break apart. Her mom steps out into the hallway with a huge smile on her face. “I couldn’t wait until you came in,” she gushes and extends her hand toward Luna.
A diamond ring, a huge sparkler, shines on her hand.
“Mami,” Luna gasps, staring at it. Then she smiles just as big as her mom and throws her arms around her.
From inside the apartment, a tall, dark man in a blue suit steps out. Luna goes to hug him as Raquel watches. Her smile is full and bright, like someone who has everything. It’s a dagger straight to my heart because I’m losing everything. But I step up to hug her because she deserves to be happy.
“Rio.” She smiles at me and hugs me. Then she introduces me to her fiancé.
“Congratulations,” I say.
“Thank you.” His smile matches hers. He has every reason to. “We’ll get to know each other better soon.”
“We’re headed to one of Darren’s business dinners, but we will need to celebrate sometime this week,” Raquel says then frowns while looking between Luna and me. “Is everything okay?”
No, and please don’t leave so it doesn’t have worse.But her mom has always been kind to me, and this is a huge moment for her. I can’t ruin it for her.
I put my arm around Luna and smile like I’m not bleeding inside. “Yeah.”
“We have to celebrate this weekend. Sel is going to lose her mind, and we have a wedding to plan.” Her voice is light, but her hand tightens on my lower back as if she’s trying to hold on.
“Love you,Mariposita.” Her mom kisses her and walks out with Darren hand in hand. I remove my arm from Luna’s shoulder, and we go inside.
She dumps her purse on the table and moves to the living area. Her back is turned away from me with rigid shoulders. It intensifies the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I cross the room and stand behind her, placing my hands around her waist. She leans back against me, and we’re silent for a bit.
