Chapter 46

Arlo sat at the edge of the bed, his hands clasped tightly together. He had rehearsed this moment in his head a thousand times, but now that it was here, the words seemed harder to find. He glanced at Lune, who was calmly brushing her hair by the mirror, her soft features glowing under the dim bedroom light. He didn’t want to scare her, but he knew he couldn’t delay the conversation any longer.

"Lune," he began, his voice hesitant, "there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. I should’ve said it sooner, but everything happened so fast, and I didn’t want to overwhelm you."

She turned around, sensing his seriousness, and walked over to sit beside him. "What’s wrong, Arlo? You can talk to me," she said softly, placing a comforting hand on his.

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "The second wedding. We need to do it soon. I’ve been waiting because I didn’t want to rush you, but with everything that’s happening—the paparazzi, the rumors—it’s not safe anymore. I need to claim yo