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CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

LUNA

“Give the word, and I’ll get in my car and hunt her down.” Kate passes me a strong coffee. “I still think wine would be better.”

I wince at her. “I’ve kind of gone off that.”

“Yeah.” She laughs. “I can only imagine.”

Kate’s phone buzzes, and Zach’s contact flashes onto the screen. She snatches it up and smiles. “Mr. Boy Obsessed is on his way.”

“Did he say anything else?”

“Not to let you go anywhere. Tell me, did you and Felicity drug your men or something?”

A laugh bursts out of me. “No. Why, are you looking for a boy to be obsessed with you?”

“Nope.” She kicks her feet up onto the couch next to me. Kate’s place is quirky but serene and covered in house plants, a far cry from the contemporary and modern look I was expecting.

“You don’t think he did it then?” She changes the subject, deflecting away from herself as always.

“The messages seemed legit, but Amie isn’t. I know that much.” Truth is, I’m fighting with every ounce of strength to drown out the voice of self-doubt and insecurity that’s been eating away at me over our relationship for months. I’m pushing away everything Mom said about him getting bored or moving on. I need to hear him out. We’ve come too far not to hear him out.

“I’m proud of you, you know that?” Kate leans forward and gently rubs my thigh with her hand. “In the totally no patronizing sense. I’m proud of you.”

“For what?” I say, taking a sip of coffee.

“For doing what you’ve done. Moving your life, taking the leap. Doing what’s right for you. For telling your mom to stick it, for not believing Amie…I can go on if you’d like?”

“Yeah, I guess it’s been a ride, but I know in my heart, he hasn’t cheated. I just feel it, you know?”

“No, I can’t say I do know, but I can see it in you. He’s your endgame.”

My breath catches in my throat. Hearing that from someone like Kate, it makes it feel more real, like the validation my mom never gave us. “Yeah. He is.”

“I think I’m the biggest winner out of all of this though.”

“Yeah? How’d you figure that one out.”

She puts down her drink and shifts over to me on the couch, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “It takes a lot to break down these walls of mine. But you and Felicity, you are my girls, and you’re everything to me. Because once I’m in with someone, I’m in. No getting away from me now.”

She buries her face in the top of my head. “Damn girl, Zach was right. I’m going to need that vanilla thing you’ve got going on.”

I laugh just as there’s a knock on her apartment door.

She smiles at me and gets up from the couch, making herself scarce. “I’ve got a few more gifts to wrap.”

Reaching Kate’s door, I pull the bolt across and inhale deeply. I’m nervous, and I don’t know why, but I am.

Zach smiles down at me, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. His backward cap matches his gray Scorpions zip-up jacket, number sixty-six stitched across his chest.

“You ran out on me, Rocket.”

“I panicked.” I wince. “I’m sorry.”

Stepping inside, he softly kicks the door shut with his foot, his hands flying up to cup my face as he looks intensely into my eyes. “The fuck are you sorry for? I should be the one apologizing.”

My stomach drops. “For w—what?”