43. Chapter 43
LUNA
The ‘how’ was answered not long after I asked.
Not only had Oliver done exactly what I assumed, but what was worse was that I had willingly signed the paperwork agreeing that I was the sole owner of The Han Jackson Community Centre without realising.
A few weeks ago, Gran prodded on about some medical records she needed me to sign off on as her next of kin, and I signed them without thinking.
Maybe it really was time to be more careful and read the papers that are put in front of me, just like Oliver warned me the day he hired me.
He reminded me yet again when we got a moment alone during the adoption day, which went great by the way.
Oscar was successfully adopted, and there were a lot of tears when it came to home time, but rest assured - happy tears, of course.
There were a great bunch of families who showed a lot of interest in the other kids who still needed homes, which will make my future weekly visits a little sad.
But I’ll soon have a new set of children to bond with and can feel warm knowing they’ll start a new chapter in their lives.
As I, too, was starting a new chapter in life.
Being the owner of the Han Jackson Community Centre, the organisation receives support from the government and funding from a private investor, whom I know is Oliver himself - I just can’t prove it yet.
Oliver and I have spent the last two days working through the piles and piles of employment applications we’ve received from people showing interest in working for the community centre.
I honestly thought he was joking until he showed up outside the house on Monday, at both my part-time jobs, so I could quit, effective immediately.
He even went so far as to agree to sign a check large enough to buy me out of one of the contracts without batting an eye when the employer wouldn’t budge.
Then, Oliver drove the two of us to the centre, where we could sit and begin searching for new employees. Every time I tried to ask why he was helping me and not working at Buckley for that reason, I kept my answer short and sweet.
“Not much,” I reply, with a shrug, turning my gaze forward, though this time his eyes are on me, and I know he wants more information than that.
“Okay, well, Macy and I are staying overnight at some five-star spa hotel she found on Wowcher, where we’ll get treatments, probably drink far too much wine, and spend the night gossiping and reminiscing about the old days, then the morning we’re meeting LJ and Gran for breakfast, Something I have no idea how Macy was able to swing.
Then, when we check out, we’re going to karaoke and a Korean restaurant for lunch-” I explain, glancing at him, continuously giving me his full attention.
“Then, I have… my alone time and will probably go back home to eat the entire cake I know Gran will bake me and spend the night with my vibrator, Bolt.” I finish, watching his jaw tick at the mention of my sex toy, which makes me laugh.
“And what happened to Mr Darcy?” he asks, unable to hide his smirk.
Dying to tease the hell out of him, I drag out the answer until we reach the ground floor, then reveal the answer.
“He…broke.” I shrug, escaping the lift, as I make a beeline for the cafeteria with Oliver hot on my tail.
We don’t say anything as we greet the cooks Oliver hired yesterday, as we collect our plates of homemade fish and chips and head over to the table; it was just the two of us here till we hired more staff.
I ignore the gaze Oliver is burning in my chest as he sits opposite me.
I cut up my fish and dig into my meal, loving the taste of freshly made cod.
“Sounds like an eventful birthday,” Oliver grumbles, stabbing his fork into his piece of fried fish.
With that, the conversation gets dropped…
part of me hoped he’d ask to be a part of my birthday now that he’s back, or make a snide comment about how he would work harder than my vibrator, so there was no need for it - as he had in the past.
But Oliver is stoic and silent, eating his food without so much as a word or a cracked joke; he does steal a glance or two at me. However, things stay this way until lunch ends, and we get back to work; I’m met with stony silence.
OLIVER
Waiting for Luna to make her way back to me has to be one of the most painful things I’ve ever done, and I confronted my self-centred mother.
Yes, I may have a better understanding of why she is the way she is, but we all make choices.
I doubt I was, or ever will be, the centre of hers, and neither will Theo, but I digress.
There is still a long way to go because, although I’m closer to making up for what I did to Luna. For now, all I have to tie me over till then is re-live that heated kiss we had in her office on Sunday.
However brief, the moment her lips touched mine, it felt like I’d been brought back to life. The icy hollow muscle in my chest thawed, and being away from her for so long suddenly felt worth it.
I’ve been ready to come back here for months, embracing my celibacy because Luna is the only person I want to be with, having to rely on the memory of being with her, but that kiss felt like a statement. I had to gain her trust back cause there was no life without her.
My therapist said it might not be a possibility that I should accept that there is a chance Luna won’t want me back, but I’m not there yet.
I have never done something like this, and I hate to be out of my element more than anything.
It took everything in me not to rip that man off the Tube from Luna’s side the other day.
To free her from his vile stench and pull her against, but timing was everything.
I know she almost saw us, too. Theo was jumping up and down in excitement after not seeing her for a long time. Luckily, we were able to blend in with the crowd and had to get off at the next stop, then take the underground back to where she got off.
By the time we caught up with her again, I had Theo wait in the car I had left close by the night before and convinced him to touch up on his Mario Kart moves so he could show her later.
I wanted to give her a little more time.
Like the worst form of torture, I watched her that day pass her building without a second glance or idea that she was the sole owner of it, and head down to the care home with tears in her eyes. I wanted to punch myself in the dick; those tears were my fault.
That day I ached to hug her the same way Theo did, but I couldn’t - I hadn’t earned that privilege yet.
My original plan was to surprise Luna with the Community Centre that day, but the sign still hadn’t arrived, nor had the statue, so Nigel and I had to rearrange for things to happen the next day.
Expanding her extended family’s stay here in the UK worked out as well; they were a big help in getting the community centre ready over the last week, because they all followed the same phrase:
“Anything for Luna!”
Something I’d deeply consider getting tattooed on my chest if she asked me to, if it meant her forgiveness.
The way she closed herself off when we saw each other for the first time in what felt like a decade - she was pretending as if she hadn’t spent most of the day crying, looking tired and beautiful at the same time, and most of all, she barely spoke.
I could see it. She was afraid to get close to me, in fear of my leaving again.
Well, jokes on her because I’m here to stay.
I’m not going anywhere.
I’ll continue to prove that even if it means spending thousands of pounds, millions, to at least keep her dream alive.
I decided against telling her that I resigned from Kaine as much as I appreciate everything they’ve done for me over the years, it was time for a new chapter.
I always did find more joy in helping others than I did in helping rich bastards gain more money, although I’ve only admitted that to myself quite recently.
However, I still own forty five percent of shares within the company. My new main job is helping Luna run her community centre and working on a more limited number of pro bono cases than I was before.
I’ll be running the legal department of the centre.
With that, combined with my shares, the money I saved over the years and the trust fund my mother built from the day I was born, Luna, Theo & I were set for life.
Money is something she never has to worry about again, because I will spend the rest of my life taking care of her and her family.
Even if she never wants me back.