Page 54 of Wishing for La Luna
“Ugh. Don’t mention that Crypt Keeper. She might show up like a minion from hell.”
I lie back against my pillow. “Other than emotional torture, what else did you talk to Tito about?”
She takes off her hoop earrings and puts them on my nightstand. “Bro is in awe of me. I told him not to catch feelings.”
“He won’t be able to help himself,” I declare. Because Sel is a bad bitch, and guys go crazy for her. “Hey, I was thinking… You know that song they released today?”
Sel’s face twists. “Yeah. Add Perla to the on-sight list with Adina. If I see that bitch, Imma beat the bricks off her.”
I shake my finger. “No, let’s do even better than that. Let’s use it for our own gain.”
She frowns. “How?”
“You know that scoop neck shirt with the peonies we just got in? The one we’re not that excited about?” I wait till she nods. “Let’s call it theSosashirt.”
It takes a couple of seconds for the meaning to dawn on her. Sel’s eyes go wide, and she hops off the bed. “Girl. That shit is diabolical and genius! Let’s put up the preorder.”
We head to my desk and pull up the site on my computer. It takes us only fifteen minutes and we giggle the entire time.
When I lie back in my bed, my phone pings.
Rio
I can still hear those little moans. I can’t wait to hear them again. Good night, Diosa Luna.
Me
Good night, Riomar.
14
Rio
I stare at my notepad, eyeing the blank page, begging for words to come. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Tomorrow’s the day. I go back to the stage on my own. It’s the day I’ve been waiting so long for, working hard toward.
But I’m restless, and my heart is jumping in my chest. Dumping my thoughts onto paper has been calming me down for months but the well is dry.
Everyone, from Niko to my elementary school teacher, has been sending me messages of encouragement. Even the impossible-to-please trio—Maeven, Esme, and Kresh—have told me today they’re proud of me. I feel the support, but something’s wrong or off. Luna comes to mind. The way she sensed I needed to be away from those people the other day. The fact that she kicked them out.
I push off the bed because I do know.
I don’t mind being the bad guy for you.
Her words plague me, like her kindness and her eyes.
And then I see the butterfly on my glass pane. Luna’s mom calls herMariposita, and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. Because this one butterfly calls to me.
“You’re everywhere but by my side,” I mumble.
And I hear Mami’s voice, exactly a month before she was gone. I see her sitting up in her bed with my head in her lap.
I’ll always be there, mi niño. Like a butterfly in the dark of night, under the moonlight, over the water. You won’t see me, but where you go, Riomar, I’m always there. With you.
I told her that her lyrics were better than mine. She laughed so hard. It was the last time I heard the sound. Shit, I would give anything to hear it again.
My eyes well up, but I blow out a breath to stop the emotion. Tonight is not the night for it. I plop myself back on the couch and grab my notepad. This time, I don’t let myself think. I just write what comes.
Es la historia de un amor,
