“Of course I can.” Claire’s delight is obvious, glee filling her eyes and voice. “There I was, minding my own business, when I saw sweet, innocent Luna with another man. He was older than her—guess she has a type, huh? With brown hair and black glasses. Ring any bells?” she asks. When I stay silent, she continues, giving more details. “They were talking very close, almost intimately, I’d say. And then your wife leaned in even closer and kissed the guy on the cheek, sort of lingering there like she wanted more.”
She makes it sound salacious, like Luna and this guy were making out at the table, but I seriously doubt that.
“Blech.” Luna makes a retching noise beside me. “That’s disgusting.”
Her outburst interrupts Claire’s gloating storytelling, and Claire looks from me to Luna in confusion. I chuckle, and after a pat of Luna’s thigh, I pull out my phone and find a picture of Zack and me on a recent night out. I turn the phone around so Claire can see the picture. “This the guy?” When Claire nods eagerly, I laugh a little harder. “This is Zack, my best friend.”
“Oh, that’s awful,” she says, seemingly sympathetic as she shakes her head, but the glint of pleasure in her eyes belies that. “It’s always with the best friend, isn’t it?”
“Enough,” Luna says firmly, standing up and waving her hands to stop Claire. “Zack is Carter’s best friend . . . and my brother!”
Elena laughs first, hooting and guffawing loudly. “Claire! I told you there had to be a reasonable explanation for it, but no . . . you didn’t believe me. I believe you told me I was getting to be a bit gullible in my old age? Now, who’s looking like a fool?”
But Luna’s channeling her inner Alphena, and she’s in full-blown fiery mode. “You really thought I was cheating on Carter? What kind of mean sicko takes pleasure in telling someone that? You weren’t doing this for him,” Luna charges, pointing at me. And then she turns her finger at Claire accusingly. “You were doing it for you. Did you see me kiss Zack’s cheek and then scurry off like a dog with a bone? You must’ve, because if you’d waited one measly second longer, you would’ve seen Carter come back from the bathroom and sit down with us for dinner.”
Claire’s mouth is opening and closing in shock. Mads looks majorly uncomfortable just sitting next to her, or maybe at the idea that he might have to defend his despicable wife. Elena is grinning wide at seeing Claire put in place. Jacob is still staring at his game despite all the madness. And I’m in awe . . . of Luna.
When she’s quiet and shy, and when she’s loud and commanding, Luna is gorgeous. And so damn strong. She’s amazing.
“I just thought . . .” Claire stammers. “I mean, the two of you aren’t exactly . . .”
“Aren’t what?” Luna prompts with her hands on her hips.
Claire straightens her back, remembering that she’s not someone to be messed with either, and stands to argue eye to eye with Luna. “Look, the two of you are an odd pairing. You must be ten years younger than Carter, and what in the world do you talk about?” She scoffs, then smiles ferally. “Maybe that’s the attraction? You’re nothing more than a young, stupid girl he can manipulate?” She taps her nose as though she’s got us all figured out. “Guess your mouth must be good for something because he’s sure not with you for your looks.”
“Claire!” Elena shouts.
“What? You know it’s true,” Claire huffs, not swayed at the reprimand. “There’s no way you’re actually considering working with these people.”
“I don’t care if you do think it’s true, you don’t say it. Carter and Luna have been nothing but kind, and their relationship is none of your business. Lord knows, I stay out of yours and Mads’s, biting my tongue when you’re mean as a honey badger to that sweet man.” She leans to the right, speaking only to Mads, “No offense. And certainly no judgment from me if you like that.”
For someone who’s promoting keeping their mouth shut, Elena most definitely is not.
Mads shrugs, telling Elena, “None taken. And no, I don’t enjoy it when she goes all bitchy.”
“Madison!” Claire shouts, whirling to scowl at him angrily. “I am not mean to you. Tell her. And don’t you dare call me a bitch!”
For his part, Mads looks at his wife incredulously. “Call. Me. Mads. And do you hear yourself? Yes, you are mean sometimes. And bitchy sometimes. I keep wishing the not-mean times will outweigh the others, but then you go and pull a stunt like this? I just can’t with you, Claire.”
She seems shocked that he dared to speak back to her at all, and I wonder if maybe it’s the first time he’s ever done it.
“I think you owe Luna and Carter an apology,” Elena tells Claire. “Especially Luna.”
Claire’s lips pucker, as if the idea of an apology is a bitter pill to swallow. But in the end, she appeases her aunt. “Sorry.” Quieter, and directed at Mads, she murmurs, “You can’t blame me for assuming the worst, though. I mean, seriously?” Her eyes flick toward Luna and me.
I note that she doesn’t apologize for anything specific, despite there being several things she should be apologizing for. I’m not ready to let this go, feeling like I need to come to Luna’s defense in so many ways. Just because Claire doesn’t see how amazing Luna is doesn’t make her any less so. She’s so much more than a young, stupid girl, and I want everyone to know that.
Because I was one of those people who overlooked her too, but now . . . I see her. I’m about to say something when Luna does.
“Apology accepted,” Luna says, sitting back down at my side.
It’s not enough, not from Claire and not from me, but I can feel the tension in Luna and that takes priority over what some bitch like Claire thinks. If Luna wants to drop this, I will . . . for her.
It feels like we just dodged hundreds of landmines and we haven’t even sat down to dinner yet. I never did eat that sandwich, and Luna’s right, I’m starving after such a big adrenaline dump and having to forcefully bite my tongue.
“I’m so sorry about all this,” Elena adds, though she had nothing to do with it. “Y’all are just cute as peach pie together, so don’t listen to Claire a lick.”
“It’s fine,” I answer. It’s not, not at all. But it’s also not worth blowing up this deal over, especially now that it’s semi-handled and I know that Claire is a snake in the grass, waiting to strike. I’ll be on high alert with her from now on.
Luna makes a humming noise, and I realize she’s clenching and unclenching her hands. “You okay?” I ask, rubbing her back. Her head falls, her eyes locked on her hands, and a bad feeling sweeps through my gut. “Luna?”
She glances up, meeting my eyes. There are tears on the lenses of her glasses and her lip is quivering. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this anymore.”
“What?” I have half a second of not understanding before Luna drops a bomb of her own.
“Carter and I aren’t really married. Well, we are now, but we weren’t. Not before.” She’s rambling, which is the only saving grace I can hope for. Maybe nobody understands what she’s saying?