“I’m proud of you for facing him. I know he hurt you, badly. I’ll never know everything, but people whisper, Star. I know a lot of things he did and said, but
you know more. Whatever you decide, I’ll support you.”
“I know,” I said, leaning into his cold palm. “Enough of him, okay? He took up enough time, right? Let’s shop. I’m excited about this project.”
“You’re still up for it? After that?”
“If anything, I’m more determined than ever.”
He gave me a big goofy grin and patted my shoulder. His brows moved and waved because they were so big and thick. He refused to cut them because he said mom liked them, but they looked like small hairy dogs to me. “Then let’s erase Zac from those walls. “
I tilted my head back and laughed. “Yeah, he and I were so ten years ago.”
Dad pretended to flip long hair over his shoulder and sassed, “Like so ten years ago, girl.”
“Oh my god,” I busted out laughing and snorted. “Don’t ever do that again.”
“As long as it gets you to smile like that, I won’t stop.”
I laid my head on his shoulder as we explored a side of Lowe’s we didn’t need to. Dad was the only guy that had never disappointed me, but even as we stopped and stared at lights, fans, outlet covers, and paint, the only thing I could think about was Easton.
And how much I still hated that I loved him.
And how much my love hated him.
Chapter Six
Easton
Well, that had not gone as planned.
Not even a little bit.
I had hoped she would fall back into my arms. Granted, I knew that would be more of a dream, but I hadn’t been ready for the blatant rejection, the sadness mixed with a little hatred, and the defeated, tired look on her face. I had a lot of making up to do with her, and it wasn’t going to be easy. She was determined for us to go on with our lives, but I refused to go on with my life without her. I had for too long now, and I was done living life without the person that was meant for me.
She viewed me as her enemy.
I viewed her as my one and only.
How the hell was I going to fix this?
“What the fuck was that?” Ethan sneered, pushing my shoulder so hard that I hit the truck with my body with a hard thud.
“Fuck, dude. What? That hurt.” I rubbed my side, where it slammed against the fender of the truck.
“You, talking to Luna. Why? Why would you do that to her? Why can’t you just let it go?”
“Let it go?” My chest heaved, and with every breath I took, the air puffed out of my nose like an angry bull. I was ready to charge. “Because I fucked up. I need to fix things with her. I love her. I always have loved her.”
“It’s a little too late. Leave her alone.”
He sounded a little too upset. A little too protective. “Why? Got something you want to share? You moving in on my girl?”
He grabbed onto the edge of the tailgate and bent his neck back as he laughed. It was an ironic laugh, one filled with a bit of disbelief and sarcasm. “You know, it’s funny that you think that. It’s funny that you think, after all this time, after all you did to her, that you think she’s your girl. No, I’m not moving in on Luna, but be ready for someone to because she isn’t yours. She was never yours; you proved that. I’m just protecting her from you like I always have, baby brother. It’s a job I find myself doing more than I should.” He climbed into the truck and tossed my bag at me. “You can walk to work.”
“What? Ethan, come on, man. I’m trying to make things right with her.”
“By telling her you love her? Are you insane? How about trying to get into her good graces first before you go throwing everything you wish you would have said at her? Man, I love you, I do, but you need to think. You have no idea what you really did to her, do you? She’s the girl everyone thinks lost her virginity to you, got pregnant, and dude, what people said was harsh. They called her baby killer, a sinner, that she would burn in hell, that she should kill herself for what she did. On and on the list goes. And guess what? Guess who was there for her while she cried? Guess who stopped her from actually killing herself?”