Page 42 of Wishing for La Luna
I want to mindfuck you too
Until you think of only me
Baby, te quiero poner como me pones a mi
It’s only fair
It’s not that I want you to stop
I just want you to feel me too
Still waters run deep
Rio
12
Luna
I am screwed.
The consequences of my actions areseriouslychasing me—the headlines in newspapers, posts all over my social media feed, the calls and emails for comments. All of it is distracting, and it feels like a condemnation, which makes it difficult for me to focus.
I made the decision to distract Rio and myself from the presence of Adina and her crew. Now, we are all people can talk about.
I mean, it’s fine. I’m getting used to being online fodder. When no one’s dragging me, I start getting paranoid. The issue—no, the problem—no, the disaster—is that people keep sharing the videos and images from yesterday. And every single time, I’m transported to that moment.
Our first kiss at the stadium, which was scripted in most ways, ended up being deeper, more intimate, and especially touching. When he mentioned his mom and revealed she’s gone, it shattered me. Now I can’t put away the pain in his face, the darkening of his skin, and how his jaw worked.
It hurt me to execute the plan when his heart is clearly broken. And if that wasn’t deep enough, he took our glasses off and kissed me again with theganashe spoke of earlier in the day and the heat I wasn’t prepared for. He burnt himself into my lips, which did not stop tingling until we were at the club, when our mouths meshed again, and this time our bodies joined.
Dios mio, what did I do?
There are so many things about him that have taken me by surprise. He’s really sweet to me and protective. After everything that happened between us the first time we met, he didn’t have to help me at the Coliseum. I know it’s human decency, but still, not everyone is decent.
I don’t think I ever thanked him.
The flipping of the deadbolt makes me snap my gaze off my computer screen to the hallway. The door opens seconds later, and Sel walks into my living room. She’s wearing shades of blue, jeans, a blue hoodie, and a Yankees cap, accompanied by her signature Air Force Ones.
Bronx girl core if I’ve ever seen it.
“Good morning.” Her smile is bright, exposing the two hundred thousand Dominican pesos worth of perfect dental work. In her hand are two bags: one small and the other very large.
“What you got there?” I ask.
“In this one, our bodega orders.” She holds up the smaller bag and then points to the larger one. "That one is for you. The delivery guy handed it to me.”
I’m not expecting anything, but I stand and take it from her. It’s from Faye & Fleur, one of the clients we do social media for. Their products are extremely expensive, so we don’t order from them. “I wonder if they sent us this to celebrate their one million subscribers.”
Inside, there is a large hat box, along with a note that reads,Remove gently. I take it out and place it on the table. When I remove the lid, we gasp in unison.
It’s a flower arrangement in the shape of a large moon formed from pink blush roses and small flowers for the crater details. It’s backlit, illuminating the bed of indigo roses that make up the night. The bed of greenery it sits on is colored like a night sky full of stars, with a note on the side of the moon’s crescent.
Gracias por tu ternura y protección, Diosa Luna. — Rio
My chest squeezes, and I’m frozen, reading the sentence over and over, hearing it in his melodic voice.
“Thank you for your warmth and protection? And he called you a goddess?” Sel walks up to the couch and dramatically lets herself fall, crossing her arms over her chest like she’s lying in a casket. “I’m dead.”
