12. ROME
Rome
I should have known that my luck would run out, that the one woman I thought about opening up my heart to in the last few years would turn out to be the woman Griffin was pining over. A rough divorce left me in a bad headspace. I’d only take the occasional woman to bed before sending her on her way. There was no reason to keep them around and no obligation. Some fared a little longer than a night but it was a rare occurrence. It had worked. Until Luna. He had never mentioned her name and he didn’t outrightly talk about her. The few times I had seen Luna in town before she disappeared, Griffin hadn’t been by her side so I had never made the connection.
Now?
My heart is in my stomach and watching those two together tells me just how I fit in. I don’t. Nova looks more confused than I feel but the heartbroken expression lingering on his face is warranted. That man has sacrificed a lot to be with Griffin and vice versa. Luna’s return complicates things and I know the selfless bastard will absolutely give up everything to ensure Griffin’s happiness.
As selfish as it is, my only question is when do we get our turn at a happy ending?
Griffin and Luna have migrated to one of the two tables, her hand firmly grasped in his as he places little kisses along her knuckles. Her cheeks are pink but I can’t tell if it’s from embarrassment or being overwhelmed. Her gaze meets mine and her cheeks pink further. Interesting.
“What are you running from, precious?” Griffin asks, his voice rough. Luna shivers but doesn’t immediately answer, obviously waiting for something. She doesn’t relax until Nova—who had left a moment ago to change—returns in lounge pants and a form-fitted long-sleeve shirt. He somehow makes casual clothing still look professional but his new attire gives Luna peace. A peace I don’t understand.
Griffin tugs on her hand, pressing a longer kiss to her knuckles. She unconsciously shuffles closer, then frowns and pulls away. She’s fighting her desires and it doesn’t take a genius to realize she’s been trying to protect him. “My father owes a lot of money and now I have to pay off the debts.”
The lawyer narrows his gaze at her and had she been anyone else, he would have muttered ‘bullshit’. His soft tone is a testament to how much he cares for Griffin and how protective he now is of Luna. “Luna, creditors will bankrupt you or take you to court not chase you across cities.”
“He… it… the loan wasn’t from a bank.” Her shoulders sag and Griffin pulls her into his side as her voice breaks. “They show up in these suits and slicked back hair, telling me I have to pay. I’ve filed complaints. Hell, I filed one in Red Brook six years ago but the officer they put on my protective detail was one of them.”
Griffin’s touch is gentle but I can tell by the way his gray eyes turn stormy that he’s pissed off. “The police didn’t fucking help you? Wait… was that why you were running that day?” She nods and falls silent. I can’t imagine what Griffin must have been thinking that day, for her to merely tell him goodbye in a letter. I know that much of the story but little else.
“I didn’t want to bring any of this on you. I… I wanted to tell you what happened and then move on. Fuck, I wasn’t thinking. Rome, I shouldn’t have slept with you either.”
My cheeks heat and I stuff my hands into my pants, dipping my head when Nova throws me a glare. He already knew that we fucked last night so I don’t have anything to hide. Weirdly though, I feel ashamed. We’re now all tangled up with Luna and I can see that at the first sign of trouble, she’s going to take off. Spring Haven doesn’t get much excitement and a man with unpaid debts isn’t uncommon.
Being chased to pay off the loan, however, is.
Nova slides into a chair across from the two, clasping his hands on the table and leaning forward. He responds to Luna’s body language by relaxing his. “Luna, I assume you wouldn’t have come if you weren’t going to at least do the job Maximillian gave you, right?”
Where the fuck is he going with this?
“Yes.”
Griffin has a hand in her hair, drawing her closer as Luna welcomes his touch. I’m a little jealous but I can see that those two need it. It’s a kind of love I wished I had experienced.
“You can say no but I’d like to look into that loan. You need a place to breathe and Griffin’s manuscript desperately needs some love,” Nova offers. I’ve always known him to be a straight-laced businessman and lawyer. I also know that he reads people better than anyone I’ve ever met. Luna doesn’t need coddling or false words. She needs assurances in a world that has given her none.
It didn’t escape me last night and this morning how she seemed relieved when I offered information without her prodding or when I told her to do something. It took away the need to choose without all of the facts.
“I can’t stay long,” she mutters.
“I’m not going to say you’re safe or that everything is alright. I can see that you don’t believe those words. However, I will do everything in my power to ensure that this goes away.”
She perks up and sits forward. “What?”
“It’s not legal, Luna. This happens in movies, not real life. I don’t care what kind of crediting agency offered the loan but following you across state lines, physically and mentally harassing you? At this point, you would have been arrested if it was that serious of a problem.”
Luna accepts that, sitting back in her chair. I stifle a chuckle, watching Griffin literally pet the woman, obsessed with her. It’s going to be hard pulling him away from her, the same way it’s hard pulling him away from Nova when he needs a little more attention. God, this is messy.
“Thank you,” she finally says and then turns to Griffin. “I want to tell you everything and I wish we could go back to when we were just 22 but you have Nova and I… slept with Rome. I don’t-”
I perk up at my name, shooting Nova another glance. Ah, so he’s had the conversation with Griffin. Thank god, this won’t be as awkward then. “Sweetheart,” I begin, tearing her attention from Griffin. “We’re all adults here and while I would fucking love a repeat of last night, that doesn’t mean I own your choices. You deserve the entire fucking world for what you’ve been through.” I don’t notice my feet bringing me closer until I’m beside her chair, taking her other hand in mine. That’s when I decide to be a little presumptuous. “And if that means I have to share you with Griffin, I will.” Hell, I’ll share her with Nova when that happens because although Griffin is a charmer, Nova has a certain aura about him that draws in those who least expect it.
Luna needs a protector and Nova fits the bill.
Am I jumping the gun just a little? Maybe. But it feels right.
She twists around to face Nova and I can see hope lingering in her expression. Nova grants her a small smile. “His heart has always been yours, Luna. I’m merely renting a room.”
I’m about to say something, hating the way Nova downplays his relationship with my closest friend. Luna gets there first. “What you two have is special. I know—I knew Griffin and he doesn’t get that starry-eyed look for many people, Nova.” Griffin chuckles beside her and Nova is caught off-guard by her sudden confidence but she’s not wrong. Griffin rarely offers his attention to anything or anyone other than his writing. Between the three of us, we shared the much-needed attention of Nova’s grandmother when she lived in Spring Haven before moving into a nursing home.
Other than that, we don’t have any other family.
Griffin rarely glances twice at anyone during the few outings he does embark on and the fake smile he plasters for his release parties is painful to watch. He really does only smile here in this space and that lost-in-love look that he’s currently giving Luna, I’ve only ever seen that directed at Nova.
Nova lets out a deep sigh, his smile widening, and the spark of genuine interest flares in his expression. Interesting. “You aren’t taking him from me, Luna. His and your heart are so incredibly big and I love that.” He stands up and rounds the table, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She melts beneath his touch even as Griffin and I are holding her hands. “Take the day to catch up with Griffin, alright? The writing can wait till tomorrow and I have a few things to look into.”
“But-”
“Luna, know that however this day unfolds, I’m okay with it.” Luna looks like she’s about to argue again as Nova raises an eyebrow, challenging her. “What kind of man would I be if I were selfish with Griffin?” Luna is still frowning and I’m sure she thinks there’s an underlying joke somewhere. “You mentioned what he and I have is special. Luna, your relationship is no different. Six-year gap or not. Whatever happens.”
He shuffles away and I pull her hand to my lips. “Breakfast at the café tomorrow.” I wanted to pose it as a question but stating her agenda seems to relax her and she nods. She angles her head up just slightly and I hesitate, unsure of how this is supposed to work. Sure, I mentioned that I have no problem sharing her but how comfortable is Griffin with that, really? His wild, interested smile as his gaze flits between the two of us unnerves me but I’m not passing up a chance to taste her sweet lips again.
Gladly, I bend down and press my lips to hers, trying not to lose my heart to a woman I know can’t be mine. Too soon, I pull away and follow Nova out the front door, knowing full well he had no better place to be than in that office. Every other editor that has come through has required a serious process of onboarding to Griffin’s project.
Nova and I walk in silence as I catch up to him, his head bowed and hands in his pockets. Neither of us speak until we step into the café, pleasantly surprised no one is waiting for anything. There’s a few 20s on the counter and a handful of muffins missing which means that Miss. Heather stopped by to grab a half dozen for the elementary school staff. That’s one nice thing about Spring Haven–there’s no real need for security.
I grab the money and deposit it in the cash drawer.
“Hey, you alright?”
Am I alright? “Me?” Of course, Nova is asking me. “Not even close. There’s so much history between those two that I thought I was going to suffocate. Luna wanting me to kiss her in front of him nearly had my damn heart exploding out of my chest. And she’s running from creditors? This sounds like a bad fucking movie.”
Nova nods, taking up a seat at the counter before rolling up his sleeves. The spirals of ink covering every inch of his flesh have me pausing. We’re all heavily covered, trying to forget years of pain through art and displaying the hurt along every inch of skin. It hasn’t worked but the personas we’ve donned because of it ward away most people, leaving us to wallow alone. I’m sure there’s a healthier way to approach life but we manage.
“Do you believe her?” Nova asks and then snorts. “I’m not asking for details, Rome.” His eyes heat anyway and I’m not even sure he noticed how taken he is with the woman who just stumbled into our lives.
I can give him a few tidbits though. Occupying my hands with a few dishes that have to be dried, I explain. “She was fucking terrified, wouldn’t leave that backpack anywhere that wasn’t in her eyesight. Like she was ready at a moment’s notice to jump.” My shoulders fall and I know that the information I’m about to give Nova is privileged but he needs to know that whoever Luna is running from isn’t just a figment of her imagination. “She’s covered in cuts, Nova. Whatever she’s been doing for the last six years-”
Nova pushes out of his seat with a growl, his face twisted with anger that I know is going to get us all in trouble. “Fuck. I only know what Griffin has told me but her mother was an alcoholic and her father was absent. Her mother skipped town around the same time I officially moved into the apartment.” His hands curl into fists at his side as his jaw clenches, muscles tightening in his neck. Those baby blues of his darken considerably and I sigh knowing that Luna is absolutely safe between the three of us but she’s probably gotten more than she bargained for.
“You going to help her?” I prod.
“Absolutely. Griffin deserves his happy ending.”
I decide to play the devil’s advocate because honestly, I’m hoping that she chooses me too. “And you?” I ask.
“What about me? I always knew there was a possibility that I wouldn’t be in it.”
“And if she chooses you?” I set down the cup I’m working on and lean forward, searching his expression for a reaction. The darkness in his eyes clears slightly giving me my answer.
“The poor woman doesn’t need that.”
Which means that Nova was thinking about it, that it’s been on his mind. What would Nova do if he knew that Luna has been my own personal obsession for just over six years? That while I haven’t known her like Griffin has, that she has been the light that keeps me going? I can imagine that it’s a similar thing for Nova. How could it not be?
“Nova, you have your own charms. You want to protect and nurture. Luna needs that and god knows I’m not that. She’s going to turn to you. Not today. Probably not tomorrow. But in one day you gave her hope that no one else has been able to give her in six years. You broke your rules for someone you met today and don’t give me that bullshit about the fact that it’s Griffin. We both know it’s not.”
Over the years, Nova has picked up a few damsels in distress and helped them along their way. He’s a fierce protector of me as well, helping me out of my relationship with ease. A divorce proceeding that should have taken a harder toll on me was dealt with seamlessly because Nova made sure that it was. Aside from me and Griffin, Nova maintains certain rules so that he doesn’t fall into the same traps that he used to—trying to help every person who’s fallen and can’t get up.
Research. Report. Assess.
Those three things have kept Nova from taking on every little problem without even knowing what he’s about to get himself into. With Luna, all of that went away. He knows nothing of her problem and the only assessment he’s done is ensuring her comfort—going so far as to change out of his suit to help her relax.
And I can’t even ignore the way he kissed her head.
“I’m happy with Griffin,” Nova says but I call bullshit.
“And that little ray of sunshine I experienced last night won’t know what to do with the protective ass that’s about to squeeze into her life. Right now, she’s terrified but she won’t be forever.”
“Forever, huh?”
My words surprise me. One night with Luna and I’m planning further than just the two weeks I’ve been promised. “I’m just saying two weeks can be a lot of time or it’ll go away in the blink of an eye.”
Nova sees right through me though. “Let’s not lie to ourselves, shall we?”
I nod. “Let Luna direct it. Let her tell us what she needs.” Nova silently agrees before stalking out of the café, no doubt about to dive into Luna’s issue. I’m sure he’ll come up with information none of us want to hear but for the time being, I can get lost in pastries and brewing fresh coffee. The mid-morning rush as college students finish their exams should be in the next half hour giving me a reprieve from worrying over a certain doe-eyed girl who’s captured my attention.