LUNA

I tossed and turned all night, my mind racing with thoughts I couldn’t keep up with. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ash’s face in the kitchen, tense and unreadable. Then came Connor’s face, followed by Jessica’s expression filled with concern.

By dawn, my body was exhausted, but my thoughts were louder than ever.

I picked up my phone and messaged Jess. Coming down for coffee.

No emojis. No explanation. She didn’t need one.

The house was still and dark. I crept through the hall, feeling oddly like a trespasser. Guilt pricked at me as I shut the door softly behind me, but clarity buzzed louder. I needed space to think, and Jess was my lifeline for that.

The streets were empty, the town still stretching into the day. At the diner, they were only just setting up—the smell of coffee beans, warm milk, and cleaning solution mingled in the air. A quiet clatter from the kitchen marked the start of someone else’s morning.

Jess was already seated, two pink coffee cups between us. The saucers were chipped but charming.

“Morning, Luna.”

“Morning. Thanks,” I murmured, taking the one closest to me. The heat seeped into my palms, grounding me.

She studied me. “Did I stir the hornet’s nest last night?”

“Yeah.” I took a sip too fast, letting the scalding coffee burn its way down. I welcomed the sting. At least it was something clear. “You did.”

“Was he mad?” she asked gently. She meant Ash. Connor didn’t register in her version of the story.

“No. I didn’t even speak to him. Went to my room. Couldn’t sleep all night.”

The coffee machine hissed behind us, pots clanged faintly in the kitchen. The world moved on, oblivious.

“I can still take you home,” she said after a pause. “Even if I don’t stay long, you’re always welcome.”

Her voice was soft but firm. She meant it.

I looked down into my coffee. “This is my home now.”

I hesitated, then gave in to the truth that had sat stubbornly in my chest since the moment I walked into that house. “He is my home.”

Jess leaned back. “Well. Okay. Good for you.” Her voice was cautious. “It’s early days. I’m sure you’ll work it out.”

I nodded, but the ache in my chest pulsed harder. “He’s so perfect. So accepting of the situation.”

I stopped there. She couldn’t understand. She didn’t know the weight of being loved that completely, or how terrifying it was when you hadn’t let yourself believe you deserved it.

“And I’m always one foot out the door,” I said quietly.

“That’s how you’ve always been,” Jess said gently, without judgment. “It’s not like you had a family to root you. You were always looking for the next safe place.”

“Yeah,” I said again, but the word landed heavier this time.

She reached across the table and touched my hand. “You deserve a family, Luna. A chance at happiness. I never liked watching you bounce around, always drifting. This—” she gestured vaguely in the air “—this might be good for you. Even if it’s a whirlwind.”

I smiled faintly. She had no idea.

No idea what Ash and Connor were offering. No idea the kind of love that came without demands, without expectations I couldn’t meet. No idea how badly I wanted to believe it could last.

And no idea how tempted I’d been to throw it all away out of fear. I feared that I’d mess it up. That I’d become someone’s burden again. That I’d need too much.

But maybe the scariest part wasn’t leaving.

The scariest part was staying.