Chapter 37

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

LUNA

Zach

It's been twenty-four hours since I last kissed you, and I'm fucking desperate.

My students file out of the classroom as I pull out my phone and smile down at Zach's message.

"Miss Johnson, since you started dating one of the coolest players in the NHL, you've become the coolest teacher in the school."

"Nah, the entire state."

"Country!" another student announces.

"Yeah, well, this cool teacher hasn't forgotten that all project proposals need to be on my desk first thing tomorrow morning."

Collective groans fill my room as the last of my juniors leave.

Glancing back at my phone, I begin typing out a reply.

Me

It's not just your lips I miss.

Zach

I'm about to board our flight to Colorado. You can't do me like this, Rocket.

If only I could…

Do you want me to turn around and catch a flight to you? Because I will. Getting kicked off the team is worth being inside you.

My core throbs at the thought.

Be a good boy and go play your away series. Not long until Christmas.

Speaking of. I'm gonna need you to keep your entire holiday free.

The entire two weeks?

Mom's barely speaking to me since I "left her when she needed me most." She'll lose her shit if I'm not home for the holidays.

I'm a needy boy.

Well, I'm a needy girl.

So fucking needy. So fucking greedy.

My phone vibrates in my hand, wiping the smile instantly from my face.

"Mom, I'm just finishing up here, and I'll be right over."

"You said you'd be over half an hour ago. I'm not getting any better Luna."

I pin my phone between my ear and shoulder as I frantically pack my bags and schoolwork. "It's the full-blown flu. It takes time."

"Can you stop by Walmart on your way over? I'll send you the list."

Hauling both heavy bags onto my shoulders, I almost topple over at the weight.

"Yes. Okay, you got it."

"In here, Luna." Mom's failing voice shouts as soon as I walk through her front door.

"One second." I'm exhausted from chasing around after her since the moment I landed back home.

"Just bring the Tylenol in."

"A please wouldn't hurt," I say under my breath.

"What was that?"

Maybe not so under my breath.

Walking into her living room, she's strewn across the couch surrounded by tissues, cups, and empty plates. I inwardly curse at the mess, knowing it'll be me who has to clean it up. The last time she was sick, she barely contacted me since she had Geoff, her now ex-boyfriend, to run around after her.

"You must be feeling a little better if you can eat something," I say, gathering up the first plate and grabbing a bag to pick up the tissues. Chances are I'm going to get sick too.

"I barely kept anything down," she replies, flicking through programs on the TV.

I watch as she finally settles on something and sits back on the couch, pulling a blanket over her.

"I've got a lot of schoolwork to catch up on, and my students have final projects due, so I might not be able to come over for the next couple of days."

She pauses the TV and looks up at me. "You've barely been here."

Guilt washes over me. "I'll make sure you have everything you need."

"What I need is my daughter."

Guilt is momentarily replaced with frustration, her constant jabs wearing me down. "And where were you when I was sick this summer? Now I'm probably going to get sick again."

She huffs out an unapologetic breath. "You no doubt had that boyfriend of yours to take care of you."

I pause on clearing away the mess. "What's this really about, Mom?"

She throws down the remote next to her and wipes her nose with another tissue. "I just think it's crazy. You're dropping your life and other priorities for something that's destined to go south."

"What?"

Mom's face softens as does her tone. "Luna, sweetheart, he's a world-famous hockey star with a line of women into next Christmas. This is a summer romance that's spilled over into fall. You're behind with your work, and you're neglecting others all for a man who—" She pauses and purses her lips together, clearly having second thoughts on her next words.

"Who what, Mom? What exactly are you trying to say?"

"You know I think you're beautiful. You know I think any man would be lucky to have you. I'm just not convinced that he won't hurt you. He only just got out of a serious relationship, didn't he."

I don't say anything as I turn my back and stride into the kitchen, setting the dirty plates down by the sink. How could she be so cynical? I know I had my doubts about us at the start, but we've come so far. Zach is all I want, but why can't she see that?

"Luna. I'm sorry. I know it's not what you want to hear, but I'm just trying to protect you as your mom."

I walk back into the living room to find her flicking through channels again.

"I just think someone like Luke might be a better fit for you. Someone more aligned to you and your life."

"Zach isn't like that."

Mom looks up at me, a doubtful expression across her face. "They all are, honey."

My frustration bubbles over. I get it. She's been hurt by Dad. She's also had more failed relationships than most, but to tarnish the man I love without even giving him a chance—that hurts, especially from my own mom.

"I gotta head home. Get your own groceries next time," I snap and drop everything I was doing to make for the door.

"Luna," Mom calls after me, but I'm done. She's pushed me too far these past few days. The guilt over not coming back from Seattle, and now the cynicism over Zach. I'm pissed, and I need to get out before I say something I really regret.

She calls me once more before I slam the door shut and head to my car. I have a ton of schoolwork to get through, but instead of driving back to my place, I find myself heading for the beach house. Maybe the serenity will offer me the escape I need. Being there makes me feel closer to my boyfriend, and even after four months since he left, I find small traces of him here and there. He left a bottle of his cologne on the side in the bathroom, and I wonder if that was deliberate. Either way, it's replaced my usual lavender sleep mist.

Hauling my heavy school bags out of the car, I make my way up the porch and reach for the key when a very familiar voice chimes through the smart doorbell, and I almost fall back down the stairs in shock.

"Hey, baby."

I peer through the camera. "Are you spying on me?"

"Yes."

I laugh and slip the key into the lock.

"Hey, wait."

"Hmm?"

"What's the matter?" Zach's voice comes out rushed.

"I—I'm okay."

A moment later, my phone starts ringing in my bag, and I drop everything inside the hallway to search through it.

"Hi. Honestly, I'm okay."

"Rocket, don't lie to me. Your eyes are puffy and red. Tell me, who upset you?"

I walk into the kitchen, set my keys on the counter, and then make my way over to the sliding doors, stepping out onto the veranda. There's a fresh breeze since the sun is setting, and it's pushing December.

"Just something Mom said." I roll my lips together to fight any display of emotion.

"Don't play it off like it's nothing." He blows a breath down the phone.

"Hey, don't you have a game tonight?"

"Nothing's more important than you."

Drawing in a steadying breath, I'm ready to tell him the truth. Something I know he won't like at all, when I hear a knock at the door and then the ring of the doorbell.

"Hey, hang on. Someone's at the door."

I pad across the living room and kitchen and then into the hallway and swing the door open. My phone still to my ear, I turn back to Zach. "Your mom's here." I smile at Rachel who's beaming on the front porch with what looks to be a homemade pie in hand. "Hey, Rachel." I say, stepping to the side to invite her in.

"Mom?" Zach asks in confusion.

"Yeah she?—"

She leans into the phone as she passes. "Just welcoming the new lady in your life with a pie."

Zach groans down the phone at me, and I inwardly chuckle. "She's going to be all over you, I can tell."

"Jealous?" I croon at him just as Rachel steps into the kitchen and out of earshot.

He sighs. "I'm jealous of anyone around you whenever I'm not. But..." He pauses. "I haven't forgotten you know; I want to know what your mom said to upset you."

"She was just being an ass over us. Saying you would get bored of me."

"The fuck ?"

I should've waited for a better time to tell him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

He sounds like he's pacing. "You don't believe that bullshit, do you?"

I peer into the kitchen to find Rachel busying herself with the pie and organizing the dishes that I left on the side when I was last here.

Turning back to Zach. "No, of course I don't. It just stings when your own mom doesn't believe you're enough for a man."

"It's fucking hurtful. To me and to you." And I can sense his frustration building.

I squeeze my eyes shut, cursing myself for mentioning this now. "I need to go to your mom, but I'll talk to you later."

"Well, now I'm glad she's there. Don't listen to a word your mom says, okay? You are fucking everything to me."

I nod, even though I know he can't see me. "I know."

"Goddamn," he says, exasperation lacing his tone. "Why can't people stop interfering and doubting me or us? I love you, Luna. So fucking much. Call me as soon as Mom leaves."

"But won't you be in a game by then?"

"Shit. Yeah. I'll call you as soon as it's over. I'm really sorry you had to hear that shit."

"Hey," I say, which has Rachel's head whipping up toward me as I walk through the kitchen entryway. "It's not your fault."

He huffs out a breath. "I love you."

I eye Rachel cautiously, knowing this is the first time she'll hear it. "I love you too."

A huge smile breaks out across her face as I end the call. "You got that far already?"

I smile back and walk toward the coffee maker. "We did. It's been an intense six months. Coffee?"

She sets down the plate she was wiping and strides over to me, her arms outstretched and ready for a hug. "Screw the coffee—this calls for something stronger!"

I hug her back. Her warm embrace washes away the insecure feelings my mom planted only an hour earlier. Emotion overwhelms me as I continue to hug her back and bury my face in her shoulder.

She pulls back and looks me in the eyes. "Hey, honey, what's wrong? This is a good thing, right."

I sob and laugh at the same time. "Yeah, if only my mom saw it that way."

Rachel pulls me over to sit down on one of the stools tucked under the counter, her frown turning sour. "What do you mean?"

I rub my palms on my pants nervously. "Look, I don't want to cause friction between families. All Zach and I want is to be together, but my mom basically told me tonight that she thought Zach wasn't the right guy for me." I pause and look up at the ceiling, hating that I have to repeat this. "She thinks he'll get bored or find someone else. She thinks I'm more suited to a hometown boy. Even though I'm in my thirties, she still thinks she can say stuff like that."

Rachel clears her throat abruptly. "I don't care what age you are. That's utter trash."

She reaches down and takes my hand in hers as she looks me in the eyes. "Do you want to know something?"

"Yes," I croak out.

"Well. I know my son, and I've never seen or heard him this happy. I'm also not surprised to find you two together."

My brows shoot to my hairline in surprise. "You aren't?"

She smiles knowingly. "No. There's always been something special between you two. I know you felt it. I could see it in your eyes when you were younger. The way you cast glances at him, always looked out for what was best for him." She squeezes my hand tighter. "I'm so pleased he's finally come to his senses and found the right kind of love."

I can't help the tear that escapes my eye and rolls down my left cheek. "If only things were simple, and I could up and leave and be with him in Seattle."

"What's stopping you?"

"My job, family, fear of the unknown, I guess. I've lived here my whole life."

"Luna, sweetheart. There will be other jobs. Your family is right here and always will be." She squeezes my hand again. "Plus, from what Zach's said, you have a new family over in Seattle now too. Don't overthink it. Just do it. Follow your heart in life, and I promise that while not everything is guaranteed to work out, you give yourself the best chance at happiness."

We sit in silence for a long moment, the weighted truth of her words sinking into my skin. I know. Just like Felicity said I would. I know.

"I need to go to him," I say.

She nods. "Do what you gotta do to finish up at work and go to him. And, Luna, just remember that you will always have a home here, with us."

"I will probably have to sell my place to give me the funds I need to rent out there for a while, especially since I won't have a job."

Her brows knit together. "I know this isn't everything, but hear an older, married yet still independent woman out here. My son is a millionaire, and he's hopelessly in love with you. Let him take care of you since you're the one moving to be with him. It will be what he's desperate to do."

Well, she's right. I cock my head to the side and eye her. "Are you a mind reader or something?"

She chuckles and makes for the refrigerator. "I just know my son inside and out."

"Luke was never the one."

She turns around and eyes me carefully. "Nope, he wasn't. And when you called it off right before college, as much as I care for him like a son, it hurt to see the way it destroyed him, but I knew it was the right decision for you both."

I nod. "I feel like we've lost so much time. Years maybe."

"Love isn't that clear-cut you know. Only rarely do two people meet and that's it. It took Andrew and me a while to work out what we wanted. He was with someone else when we first met." She snorts slightly. "I kind of hated him at first."

I laugh. "I never hated Zach. I just felt invisible."

"You were with someone else, and he was fixated on hockey and his career. You've both done a lot of growing since then."

"I guess. He's still the same person though."

"And so are you. You're exactly what each other needs and, most importantly, wants. The heart isn't built to be split apart and then co-exist on other sides of the country."

"It's not much fun." I sniffle a laugh.

"Well then, you have all the answers you need. Now!" she says, pulling the fridge door open. "I'm sure I spotted something fizzy and alcoholic in here earlier."