CHAPTER EIGHT
LUNA
When Monday rolled around, I was ready to head back to campus in an effort to pretend my life was normal. As I dressed that morning in a long, flowing green dress that had cute little mushrooms all over it, I thought about what Casper had said. He liked my whimsical vibes.
Try as I might to keep him out of my head, I thought about him for the rest of the weekend.
Mostly because I kept having flashbacks to the gruesome moment he killed the man in the haunted house.
More than once I woke up from a nightmare drenched in sweat.
How could someone be so quick to take a life while also being so enigmatic and composed?
I couldn’t deny that I was drawn to Casper. Although I couldn’t be sure if it was because he’d saved me or because I’d really felt something the night he came to my room.
With my hair twisted into a pink and purple braid that fell over one shoulder, I wore sparkly turquoise eyeshadow with a faint shimmer of highlighter on my cheeks.
As I walked across the parking lot from the dorm residency to the school, I nervously played with the chunky amethyst pendant hanging from my neck.
After having the rest of the weekend to think about it, I decided that I needed to talk to Storm and Codie about what really happened that night. If I kept it to myself, I might explode.
Getting through my morning classes proved especially difficult. I’d enrolled in an Arts program, taking English and film studies with a minor in creative writing. I loved my classes. They usually captivated my attention from start to finish. Not today though.
While the professor guided a discussion on an old film that we’d recently watched, I struggled to think about anything but Casper and the night in the haunted house.
The professor, a man in his forties who insisted we call him Tony, stopped me on my way out of class to ask if I was all right. He’d noticed my distraction.
“Just a little tired from the weekend,” I said, hoping he didn’t question me further. “Halloween and all.”
“Right. Of course. I’m sure there were a lot of parties. Try not to get too carried away. I’d hate to see you fall behind. You’re one of my best students.” Flashing me a toothy smile, Tony patted me on the shoulder. His hand lingered, giving it a squeeze before pulling away.
Maybe I was reading too much into it, but that didn’t feel like a friendly touch. Wanting to get out of there before things could get weirder, I slung my bag onto my shoulder and hurried for the door.
“No worries. I won’t fall behind. See you tomorrow.” I was out the door and down the hall before he could say another word.
When I was finally able to meet up with the girls, I found them at a corner table in the cafeteria. We usually sat outside when the weather was nice. Today the chill in the air was a bit too intense for that.
I sat down next to Ripley across from Storm and Codie. With a heavy sigh, I pried open the lid on my rice, veggie, and tofu bowl. I wasn’t sure I had much of an appetite today.
“That dress is so pretty,” Codie gushed, twisting a lock of black hair around a finger. “You always look like a fairy.”
Storm nodded. “All you’re missing is the wings.”
“Thanks. I like feeling free in my clothes. Flowing skirts are my favorite.” I stirred around the contents of my dish with my fork before spearing a few vegetables. “How are you all doing today? I feel like I barely slept this past weekend.”
Codie grinned. “Is that because a certain someone kept you up? Casper came by your dorm room, right?”
“He did?” Ripley raised a brow, taking a bite of her sandwich. “Do tell.”
All three of them stared at me expectedly. I didn’t like feeling so on the spot. Especially when there was nothing going on.
“He came over to check on me,” I explained, thinking of a story on the spot. “Some guy got weird with me in the haunted house, and Casper chased him off. It was really no big deal.”
Codie and Storm exchanged a look. Thankfully, Ripley seemed oblivious. She was too busy staring at me.
“So you’re not hooking up with him? Because I’ve got to say, Luna, he really doesn’t seem like your type. You’re just so…” Ripley motioned to me, sweeping a hand up and down. “And he’s just so… I mean you know. He’s one of the Kings. Those guys are pretty intense.”
Storm frowned into her pasta dish. “Maybe they’re not for everyone but some of us kind of like them.”
Ripley backtracked immediately. “Oh, of course. I guess there’s someone out there for everyone. I didn’t mean any offense. Those guys scare me. That’s all.”
Ripley had made it clear in the past how she felt about the Kings.
Although she tried to be respectful of Storm and Codie, she hadn’t approved of their relationships.
Even though Storm and Rebel were now married, and Codie probably wasn’t far behind, I suspected Ripley still didn’t approve.
I understood wanting to make sure your friends were safe and happy but she seemed especially judgmental.
“Casper is a nice guy. I don’t think he really gets a fair chance from most people since he doesn’t talk.
I think there’s a lot more to him than most people realize.
And no, I’m not hooking up with him.” I wasn’t sure why I was coming to Casper’s defense.
It shouldn’t matter what Ripley or anyone else thought of him.
“Not yet,” Codie giggled.
Ignoring her remark, I shoveled food into my mouth. The conversation naturally took a turn as everyone discussed the party on the weekend. Since I hadn’t stuck around long, I didn’t have much to contribute.
Athena soon joined us. Clutching an iced coffee in one hand and her phone in the other, she slid onto a free chair, almost bursting.
“Did you guys hear about Brandy?” She cut into the conversation. “Apparently, someone tampered with her car. She was in an accident this morning. I guess she’s in the hospital now.”
Athena’s words echoed in my ears. Brandy. The cheerleader from the party who called me a freak. What were the chances that this was a coincidence?
I sat there in shock, trying to go through the motions of chewing and swallowing. My brain struggled to process what I’d just heard. There was no way this was a coincidence. Not in a world that had Casper Callahan in it.
“That’s crazy. Maybe she shouldn’t be such a mouthy bitch then.” Ripley shrugged. “I’m sure there’s plenty of people who would have loved to fuck with her. She’s mean as hell.”
I did my best to nod along, adding small remarks here and there as they wondered aloud who would do such a thing.
At one point, I found Codie studying me, her brow quirked up.
I dropped my gaze back to my dish. Doing my best to be subtle, I pulled out my phone, holding it on my lap as I sent a text to both Storm and Codie, asking them to hang around for a few minutes after Athena and Ripley left.
Although I wasn’t much of an actress, I think I put on a pretty good performance for the rest of our lunch. Not once did I let on that I knew exactly who fucked with Brandy’s car. I couldn’t believe he would do that, except that of course I could believe he did that.
Finally, Athena and Ripley both left, having to get to class. I also had a class coming up, but I was willing to be late.
Once they were both out of earshot, Storm asked, “Is everything okay, Luna?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so. I really need to get your opinions on something.
” Taking a large drink of my bottled water, I did my best to remain calm.
Keeping my voice low, I leaned across the table, and said, “The body that was found at the haunted house was the guy who cornered me. Casper killed him. I saw it happen. I think he’s also the one who targeted Brandy.
She was being an asshole to me at the party before I left. ”
They both mulled this over for a moment before responding. Storm nodded thoughtfully. “I guess I’m not really surprised. We all know what the Kings are capable of. They’ll do anything to protect the people they care about.”
“Well, damn,” Codie said, looking perplexed. “I knew Casper was into you, but I didn’t realize he was murder a guy into you.”
“It’s messing with my head. He told me that I’m his to protect. But what if I don’t want to be his to protect?” I glanced between both girls, hoping they would offer me some sage advice.
Storm’s blue eyes filled with sympathy as she nodded in understanding. “I wish I knew what to tell you, girl. All I can say is that maybe it’s not all bad. Casper was there when you needed him. That’s a good thing, right?”
“Is it though?” Having completely lost what was left of my appetite, I put the lid back on my rice bowl. My stomach was too tense for food.
Codie rested her chin in a hand, lightly gnawing her pinky fingernail.
“The guy in the haunted house I totally get. That was a serious situation. As far as Brandy goes, it sounds like Casper is pretty serious about protecting you. Maybe a little too serious. He is pretty intense. I think he has a good soul deep down. It’s up to you if you want to give him a chance or not. ”
“And if I don’t? What then? I’m not getting the feeling he’s going to let me go that easily. Let’s be real here. Rebel and Stray didn’t take no for an answer.” I didn’t mean to turn this back around on the two of them. However, the Kings had a track record. When they wanted something, they got it.
They were both quiet for a moment before Storm said, “You should probably talk to him, Luna. Ask him about Brandy. Put some boundaries in place. I’m sorry I don’t have more helpful advice, but you can always talk to us about this stuff.”
“Definitely,” Codie added. “We understand better than anyone. Don’t feel like you have to keep this stuff to yourself. Do you want me to talk to him about it?”
Since Codie was roommates with Casper, she had plenty of opportunities to speak with him. Unfortunately, I didn’t think there was anything she could say or do. This was all on me.
“Thanks but I think I need to take care of this myself somehow. I appreciate having you guys listen though. It’s been making me crazy keeping this inside. Don’t get me wrong. I think Casper is hot as hell. That’s not enough though. Not if—”
Codie kicked me under the table, tilting her head slightly. I turned to find Rebel and Stray approaching with Casper in tow. Shit.
I immediately shot to my feet, gathering my lunch garbage. “I should get going. I have class soon. Catch you ladies later.”
Rebel rounded the table to where Storm sat. He plucked her off her seat, sitting back down before placing her on his lap. “Hello, wife.”
The two of them shared an X-rated kiss before Storm pulled away, telling Rebel to keep it in his pants. I took off like a bat out of hell across the cafeteria. After dumping my garbage in the trashcan, I beelined down the hallway toward my next class.
Casper was right behind me.