Chapter Twenty-Six #2
We quickly hop inside, and the driver puts it into gear. But before we can pull out, Nate says, “Wait!” Then looks at me. “Babe, before we speed off and never come back, I just want to ensure you’re in this one hundred percent?”
I turn to him and smile so wide I feel like my cheeks will burst. “Nate, I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life! Take me to our home.”
Without further question, he gives our driver the go-ahead, pulling down the driveway and out onto the road.
“Our home. I like the way that sounds,” Nate says with a smile that reaches his eyes, and he reaches over, laying his hand on my thigh.
After we leave Mom and Patrick’s, Nate tells me we’re making a stop but won’t say where. “You know, I think your idea about helping special needs kids is something that could be expanded on with a little help from someone we both know,” he says.
After a short drive, we pull into a quaint little suburban house, although it does have a tall fence around it with a guard, and I wonder who he’s taking me to see.
“Am I going to know these people?” I ask, and he smiles.
“Yep, quite well. Just hear me out when we get inside, okay?” he states, and instantly, I tense up. My day’s already been pretty fucking full-on, and I don’t need any more drama.
We slide out of the car and head to the gate, where the guard nods to Nate and lets us through. It’s almost dusk, and the sun is setting in its hues of pink and turquoise over the Hills. I love LA and the beauty it brings. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
When we reach the door, I squeeze Nate’s hand with uneasiness.
Nate gently knocks, and not too long later, the door creaks open, and to my surprise, Danger is standing there, shirtless as always, wearing a pair of shorts like he’s been working out.
His eyebrow raises, and he smiles. “Holy hell! Didn’t think I’d see you two back together, but fuck is it good to see,” he chimes and then looks down at my stomach, raising his brow again, but saying nothing, even though I can see his mind ticking over.
“So, we’ve sorted our shit out. It’s taken us all day, but we need to talk to Lunar. Is she home?” Nate asks, and I tense up slightly, wondering what the fuck he has on his mind.
“Sure, come on in. Totally stoked about this, by the way. Glad to have you back, Zaria,” Danger says with a shit-eating grin.
“So glad to be back, you have no idea,” I reply as he waves his hand through the air and gestures for us to walk inside.
As I enter, it’s nothing like I imagined. I’m not sure what I was expecting—bachelor pad, rock and roll memorabilia everywhere, at least for it to be messy—but no, this is a home, as a family would live here. I’m a little shocked as I enter the kitchen and living area.
Danger chuckles, looking at me. “Not what you expected, huh?”
I shake my head and smile. “To be honest, no, not from you.”
He smiles. “I know, but this was Ryan’s home first, and we wanted to keep its charm. Plus, we kinda like that it has a homey feel. Especially now we’ll be getting married soon and having kids. We need to be respectable in some manner of the word,” he says, and I chuckle.
Nate rolls his eyes.
“We might beat you to the kids part,” I say.
Nate glances at me sideways like he’s shocked I’ve said anything. Danger and I had a good friendship when we were on the road, and I can tell he’s dying to know why I suddenly have a pot belly. So, I figure I may as well put him out of his misery.
He smirks and bumps Nate’s shoulder. “Anything you wanna admit to there, Nate?” Danger asks, and he looks at me, raising his eyebrow as if asking my permission. I nod, and he exhales, taking my hand as we lean against the kitchen counter.
“Ria’s pregnant—”
“Bullshit!” Lunar’s voice echoes from the top of the stairs. Thunderous steps boom as she races down the steps, wearing only a towel. Her hair’s hanging around her face in a frantic, tangled mess of wild wetness.
“Looking dashing there, Lunar,” Nate teases, and she throws up her middle finger at him, then wipes the dripping hair from her face.
“Is it true? Are you having Nate’s baby?” she asks, stepping up in front of me, the droplets of fresh water still visible on the tip of her nose as she stares me down.
“Yes, we’re having a baby,” I say, staring at her confidently.
She squints her eyes, her nose crinkles, and suddenly, her hands fly up in the air, and she screams. Her towel detaches from around her breasts and falls to the floor, leaving her dripping wet and utterly naked in front of me.
I gasp, but she lunges forward, hugging me tightly.
The warmth of her nude body surrounds me as the coldness of the water seeps through my clothing.
She grips me so tight, swaying me from side to side, laughing.
“Oh my God, this is the best news ever,” she yells in my ear as the two guys laugh hysterically.
My arms dart out to my sides, not knowing where to put my hands on her naked body.
“Um… Lunar, you’re wet, and um… naked,” I say as she continues to laugh and hug me tightly, not giving a single fuck that Nate and I are seeing her in all her gorgeous glory.
“I don’t fucking care. I’m so happy for you guys.
This news is mega exciting.” She pulls back and steps away from me, jumping around in a circle.
Her boobs move up and down while squealing in excitement, and I try to hold in my laugh as I glance at Nate, who’s watching me with nothing but adoration in his eyes.
It makes me melt that his eyes are firmly on me and not the naked beauty in front of me.
Fuck! I love him.
“Lunar, you’re fucking gorgeous, and I love you, but put some damn clothes on. I’m sure they wanna talk to you about something other than the baby,” Danger says.
She stops jumping and looks at him with a pout. “Aww… why don’t we all just take our clothes off? It’s far more comfortable that way?” she teases.
Danger rolls his eyes and moves over to slap her ass.
She pops onto her toes and growls at him, picking up her towel and sighing. “Fine, but I’m not putting on underwear.”
I laugh lightly and shake my head before Nate pulls me to his side, wiping a drop of water from my cheek. “That went well,” he murmurs.
“Not what I was expecting. At all. Actually, not sure what I was expecting. She kinda gives me whiplash.”
Nate nods. “Yeah, she has that effect on most people.”
Danger walks to the fridge, pulls out some soda, and looks at us. “Drinks?”
We both nod and step to the dining table to take a seat.
“So glad you guys are back together. It’s about fucking time. But I’m pretty sure you didn’t come here just to tell us about that and the baby?” Danger asks.
Nate nods and places his hands on the table as Lunar bounds back down the stairs. She isn’t wearing much, just a pair of barely-there shorts and a bikini top. But she can pull it off. She’d look hot in a tea towel.
“So, Lunar, this is really about you,” Nate says, and her ears prick up as she waltzes past Danger, slapping his ass, then joins us at the table.
“So you came to see me. Let’s chat. What can I do you for?” Lunar asks.
I look to Nate, wondering the same question… Why are we here? It’s not like Lunar and I have the best history. Other than a minute ago, we’ve hardly had any positive interactions.
“Ria has decided to minimize her acting career due to the lack of contact she’ll be having with her stepfather and mother moving forward…
” He pauses, and she blinks. “That’s another story.
Anyway, Ria’s educating herself to teach disadvantaged and special needs children.
She wants to get into that, and I think you two…
Lunar, with your foundation, and Ria, with your star-pulling power…
well, you could make an excellent team if you put all your shit aside and focus on the children.
Focus on working together. After all, you both want the same outcome. ”
My chest tightens, and I look at Nate, my eyes glistening with such an intense love for him I can’t even fathom.
“So basically, I think Ria could be one of the foundation’s patrons. With her experience, she could use the foundation to her advantage once she has a teaching role. And the advantage for the foundation would be that she would have great pulling power. What do you think?” Nate suggests.
Lunar nods, and my stomach flips with giddy butterflies.
“Oh my God, Nate,” I murmur, and I glance at Lunar, who’s smiling so widely that it’s like the smile might fall right off the sides of her face.
“This is brilliant!” Lunar says, nodding her head. “But what about your acting? Won’t that get in the way of your charity work?”
I shake my head. “I’m not really going to be acting anymore. I want to spend my time with the kids. Well, when I’m not with my child, of course.”
“What do you say, Lunar?” Nate asks.
“I thought you were all about yourself and what you could gain from being a superstar. I really had no idea you wanted to help children like this. This side of you is a breath of fresh air, let alone the fact that you’re back with Nate and having a baby.
I’m a little speechless…” Lunar’s eyes sparkle.
“Maybe I’ve misjudged you all along. Is this Ria…
really you? The real Ria that Nate talks about? ”
Reaching out, I grab her hand across the table.
“Lunar, this is me. Zaria was a product of what my parents made me to be. I was never really that woman. I hated her. She was so… urgh. I’m so sorry for how I treated you.
That diva, she’s never coming back. I swear, it’s Ria from now on.
Zaria, the diva, she’s gone forever. I want to help you.
I want to help the kids. I want to teach them, to help them learn and grow.
I want to be a part of your foundation if you’ll have me? ”