Page 23 of Wishing for La Luna
“Thank you,” Maeven says. “All I need is six months. I will represent both of you so that we can guarantee you both receive the same treatment. The two of you just need to give me a chance to work my magic.”
"How can a relationship with him fix my reputation when he used to go out with Adina?" Luna shoves a finger in the air in my direction. "It will make me look like what they say I am."
She is still as crazy as ever.
I point at Luna. "What are you talking about? I never went out with Adina."
She scoffs. "Oh, please. You slipped into her DMs and tried to hit on me while she was doing a collab. Do you know how gross that is?"
"You're out of your mind, you know that? One minute, you were eye-fucking—” I stop because her mom is in the room “—flirting with me, and the next, you told me to lose your number. Then you sneered at me at every damned event. You were not interested, and that's okay, but you don't need to throw insane excuses."
"They're not insane excuses. You?—"
"Stop," Maeven snaps. "Save this fire for the cameras."
Luna scoffs. "There's not going to be any of that going on."
Her tone jabs my skin, irritating every nerve in my body. It grinds me up how she says it. Like she's better than me or something. "You know what? You're right. There's not going to be any of that shit going on. Save your own reputation. Explain to people you weren't tonguing down Thierry. You need me more than I need you."
The fire in her eyes is so potent it should incinerate me on the spot.
"Asshole," she practically spits at me.
"Loca de remate," I shoot right back.
"Luna Zaira. Rio. Stop." Her mom's tone is snappy, and though she doesn't stop looking at me with hatred, Luna lies back against the pillows. "Both of you listen and listen well. Maeven here is offering a great opportunity. You interned for her. You know what she charges. The fact that she's willing to do it for free speaks volumes."
"Because she needs me to fix that mess." She points at me.
Before I can push forward and tell her again what a nutjob she is, Maeven's hand slams on my chest, stopping me cold.
She doesn't look at me as she addresses Luna. "You're not wrong. I do need someone, but we both know I can get anyone I want to play this role. He is a mess, but thousands of women would jump at the chance of doing this. But you need him as much, if not more, than he needs you." She pauses, and I can't see her face, but Luna shakes her head.
Maeven nods. "You do. And you need me just as well. Your name is trending for all the wrong reasons. Elevate PR will rescind their employment offer to you the minute you're out of the hospital. You'll have no job or prospects, and the small businesses will pull away from Enlace, because the Belmonts will see to it. You don’t just need a publicist; you need a master. That’s me. No one else is going to do this for you for free. You can't even represent yourself because your credibility is in the same hole as your reputation. I don't say that to embarrass you. I just need you both to get off your high horses and play nice for your futures."
Luna goes a little pale and crosses her arms around her middle.
Fuck her for being so judgmental.
"Do we have a deal?"
"Yes," her mother says, staring at her daughter until she nods.
Maeven stares at me, and I nod. "Is that a yes?" she asks.
"Yes."
In the blink of an eye, Mrs. Raquel hands her daughter a basin, and Luna bends and throws up in it.
It stings that the thought of pretending to be with me makes her vomit. She called me a mess, but she’s a psycho.Yeah, this is going to be fucking great.
And to top it all off, now I’m queasy too.
8
Luna
Four weeks later
