Much later, when Rita had gone on home, Luna remained in her office, but she wasn’t doing any work. Her back was turned to her desk, she was seated in her chair as she stared out the glass walls surrounding her office, at the night city sight spread out before her. Rita’s words from earlier circled in her head. ‘She and Justin have to talk’. That didn’t sit well with Luna seeing as talking to Justin was the last thing she wanted to do. She didn’t want to talk to him, she didn’t want to see him, hell, she didn’t even want to know him.If she could have one wish as she was seated in her office late at night, at 10PM, staring out at life going on outside her literal glasshouse, Luna would wish she could forget all about Justin Lake. She wished her memories would just cease to consist of him, of the years she had know him, the years she had spent loving him, being married to him, hoping he loved her back. She wished those memories would fade away, and she could go back to being the nai
Luna was used to men staring at her by now. She was a successful woman in her late twenties, beautiful with- as it’s all men seem to be capable of thinking about- a great body. So she was used to the stares. She didn’t let it bother her, because in her opinion, the ones who actually have the guts to walk up to her were the real men. If staring was all a man does at a beautiful woman, then he probably didn’t deserve her.She kept her head high and her gaze focused ahead as she walked into the conference room. There was a long mahogany table in the middle of the spacious room, office chairs lined both sides to the other door at the end of the room. Fluorescent lights shine over the flat surface, making the glass in the middle of the table, glimmer. Men in suits were seated on both sides of the table, their laptops open in front of them. Some of them were typing on their laptops, while some were idly discussing. They all turn to stare at her as she walked into the room. Idle chatter
Chapter TwoLuna’s heart, which had started to settle, jackhammered again at the sight of Justin. She watched, barely breathing, as Justin’s eyes scanned the room. Somehow, his gaze passed over her head for the duration in which he looked at the entire room. And Luna used that time to blink, to stop staring at him so hard, and to let air into her lungs. People start to move, there were mumbles of ‘Good morning, sir’s’ and Justin moved away from the entrance to walk further into the room. As he made his way toward the chair at the head of the conference table, his eyes strayed to Luna briefly. And then he did a double-take. His black eyes narrowed sharply on her face, and the rest of the room faded away.Luna was suddenly back in six years ago, still married to Justin, but on the brink of it all falling apart. Her heart was breaking with Justin’s indifference to his mother’s maltreatment of her, and filled with the pain of loving a man who didn’t love her back. One look into his m
Chapter ThreeHours later, Luna walked out of Justin’s company building and towards her parked car, waiting for her in the parking lot.Jaden opened the door to the backseat and Luna got in, she closed her eyes just as Jaden closed the door. She let out a breath she hadn’t even been aware she was holding, her breath coming out on a shaky tremble. After their little private reunion, Justin had called everybody back into the conference room and the meeting had progressed.All through the meeting, Luna could feel Justin’s eyes on her, even though she had been careful to not look at him. And she had had to remind herself every few minutes to breathe, when she realized she was staring at Justin’s assistant- who was laying out the objectives of the gala- with bated breath. She had almost jumped out of her skin when someone spoke beside her, and that had made her realize that she was on pins and needles throughout the entire meeting. But now it was over. Luna threw her head back on the
A week later.“So, looks like the damage control in San Andreas is the last thing on your to-do list for today,” Rita said jokingly.Luna looked up from her laptop to give Rita a dry look.“Yeah, it would have to be, now, wouldn’t it?” Rita gave Luna a pitying look. “I know, babe, I’m sorry.”“I’m telling you, that saying, ‘If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself’? It’s on point.”Rita gave a dubious look. “I’m not sure that’s a saying, per se.”“Ugh!” Luna explodes, slamming her hand on the table. “Those reps in San Andreas are going to hear it from me.”“Yeah, you get ‘em, babe,” Rita said in support. “Anyway, I think I have something that will make your trip a little easier. I booked a ritzy hotel for you to stay in, breakfast in bed and the whole deal. Now, do you love me, or do you love me?”Luna leaned back in her seat, the hint of a smile flittering around her lips as she looked at her best friend.“I do love you,”she said. “You’re probably the o
“Oh hell no!”Luna marched directly to Justin, who was standing beside a pla- no, not a plane, a jet. A private jet?! Woah. But that thought didn’t deter Luna’s strides as she marched up to Justin. Following his announcement, Matt had driven her to the private hangar, Justin’s private hangar, where the plane that was supposed to take her to San Andreas, was. Luna had only allowed Matt to take her there to confront Justin, nothing more. She stopped in front of him, her eyes narrowed as he turned away from the person he had been talking to, to look at her, all calm.“Hello, Luna,” he said, still all calm.“What the hell, Justin?” Luna demanded.Justin shrugged. “I don’t know what you mean.”“You know what I mean, don’t try and act dumb. What’s the meaning of you saying you’ll take me to San Andreas?”“I believe that was me offering to help,” Justin replied, his tone perfectly reasonable and patronizing, like he was talking to a child.Which just made Luna’s teeth set on edge
“I’m almost the restaurant. Yeah, I’ll see you soon.”Luna disconnected the call, she looked both sides of the road before crossing over to the opposite sidewalk. Seeing she and her sister’s and mother’s favorite restaurant just a few feet ahead of her, she quickened her pace towards.Her mom and sister were already seated at a table, one of the several ones outside. As Luna neared, Ashley, her sister, turned. Seeing Luna, she smiled and waved enthusiastically at her.“Hey!” Luna smiled and waved back. At Ashley’s greeting, her mother, Mira, also turned, smiling too as she saw Luna. Looking at the two women side to side, the resemblance and similarities between them couldn’t go unnoticed. They both had light green eyes, straight black hair, and the exact same smile; with a crinkle at each corner of their lips. The light green eyes was the place Luna’s similarity with them ended though. Her hair was flaming red and her smile didn’t have a crinkle, but a curve when tipped to the
Luna stared up at the ceiling of the hospital room, both her hands folded on her stomach, as she waited for her doctor. The fluorescent lighting over both sides of her head highlighted the starkness of the hospital tiles. Luna didn’t revile hospitals as most people did, but it wasn’t one of her favorite places to be either. Drab was its aesthetic, always, and it always smelled of antiseptics and drugs. It was where people died and babies were born. It was where her baby had died.At this, the memories threatened to trickle in, but Luna forced them back to the deep dark corner of her mind. Rehashing them now would do her no good. The past was where it was meant to be; behind her. She was moving forward now, and her appointment today was one of the steps involved in that future. Just then, the door to the hospital room opened and Dr. Gina Michaels stepped in. Dr. Gina was a trim willowy woman in her mid-thirties, blond hair currently packed back in a bouncy ponytail with deep blue