Chapter 17
Luna
His face is buried between my legs once more.
I’m a trembling mess of shaking limbs and sweat.
He’s taken me on every surface of his apartment, and now he has me in the bed.
I’ve missed him more than I thought I did.
I can’t even put into words how it feels to be here with him.
To be back in his arms. To have him hold me and care about me.
“Oh God,” I whine as he licks my clit, causing my legs to shake harder.
“Yeah, cry out for help like a good girl,” he says before diving back in. The more he licks, the hotter I get, and sweat drips down my temples. I’ve never been fucked the way Marco fucks me, and it’s everything I could have ever asked for.
When I come for him once more, he pulls away from me and climbs up the bed, lying down next to me.
He pulls me into his arms, and everything just seems right.
We lie like this, just holding onto each other as we both catch our breath, but I feel like I haven’t even begun to apologize for what I did with Damion.
It was stupid, and in the grand scheme of things, I know I made a mistake, but Marco has reminded me a million times that he doesn’t want to hear it.
He doesn’t want to hear anymore about it, so I let it go.
“I’ve missed you,” I whisper, resting my head on his sweaty chest.
“We need to clean your face up,” he tells me.
“No, we don’t. I need to be right here with you, and that’s it.”
“You’re here with me, Chula.”
“And I never want to leave here.”
“You’re always here,” he laughs.
“I just … I feel like something bad is going to happen. You know when things are going too good? And you know there’s bad lurking around the corner?
That’s how I feel.” Marco pulls me in closer and tighter, holding onto me for dear life.
I love it though. I love the way he clings to me, knowing exactly what I need.
“I know that feeling. I hate it, and whatever comes, we’ll deal with it,” he says softly.
I hear him yawn, and I wish I could stay here forever, but I can’t.
I have to go home and see Davey. I don’t even know if my mom is there or not.
So when he’s finally asleep, I slip out of bed and grab my clothes, tugging them on before leaving.
I run across the street and climb the stairs, opening the door quietly so as not to wake anyone, but when I step inside, my heart drops.
“Mom?” I call as she lies on the floor in the living room. I can see the needle close by on the floor next to her as I shake my head. This isn’t happening. There’s no way.
“Mom?” I say once more as I step closer to her, flipping the light on the closer I get.
I stop and kneel next to her, hesitantly reaching out a shaking hand and pressing it to her neck.
When I don’t feel anything, I jerk my hand away only to check once more.
This is it. This is when my world begins to spin out of control.
“Mom!” I scream, knowing I’m probably waking everyone up around here. I don’t care. I scream again and again. The door bursts open, and Tony rushes in.
“What’s happening? I heard you scream?” he asks. He was out working the corner. Of course, he heard me.
“She’s … she’s dead, Tony. She’s dead!” I scream once more.
Tony pulls his phone out and dials someone as I stare at her lifeless body lying on the floor.
I knew it would come one day, but not today.
I thought I would be older, in a better place.
I thought I would be able to take care of Davey.
Oh god, Davey. What’s going to happen to him now? Where is he going to go?
The world slowly spins around me as I fall to the floor. Tony rushes to my side, wrapping his arms around me when I hear Marco screaming. It all happens so fast. It all happens in a blur.
Marco rips me off the floor and drags me away from my mom, but I can’t pull my eyes away. She’s dead. She’s gone, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
The cops show up, as well as the paramedics and even the Department of Family and Children’s Services.
“You can’t take him!” I scream when they pick Davey up and start to carry him out. I lunge at them, but Marco wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me back.
“Stop, Chula. There’s nothing you can do!” he yells at me.
“He’s my brother! He’s all I have left. They can’t take him!” I scream as I fight the hold he has on me. It does no good. I can’t get away from him no matter how hard I try.
“He’s going to be okay, Chula. Calm down.”
“He’s not okay. He needs me. I’m all he has left, Marco!
” I scream as I fight harder. I claw at his hands, but that still gets me nowhere.
Marco’s hold is strong, and he doesn’t let go as they move my mom’s body onto the gurney and out of the apartment.
Tears run freely down my cheeks as I watch the door close.
When Marco finally lets me go, I do what I do best and run.
“Chula!” he calls out to me, but I’m already running down the stairs. I hear his feet hitting the steps behind me as I go, but I just need to get out of here. I can’t do this. I can’t breathe here. I’m slowly suffocating, and I can’t do anything about it.
I keep running until Marco’s arms encircle my waist, and he jerks me back into him. I hit his solid body as he clings to me while I sob and scream.
“It’s not fair! What am I supposed to do now?” I yell.
“Everything’s going to be okay. I got you, Chula. It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay, Marco! They’re both gone!
” I sob. He finally lets go of me, and that’s when I take off once more.
This time, he doesn’t chase me. He lets me run, and I do.
I don’t know where I’m going, and I don’t care at the moment.
I just keep going because I can’t be there. I can’t be there anymore.
I end up at Damion’s, and I don’t fucking know why. I ride the elevator up to his floor and pound on his door. When he opens it, he looks around for Marco before looking down at me.
“She’s dead, Damion. And they took Davey. You have to help me. You have to help me get him back,” I cry harder. Damion looks around once more before grabbing me and pulling me into his arms. He has to see that I need help.
“Where’s Marco?”
“I ran! Did you hear me? She’s dead. My mom’s dead.” I break down now. I fall to the floor, curl into myself, and cry. I hear Damion on the phone, no doubt calling Marco to tell him I’m here. Damion is the only one with money, and he knows people. He can help me. I’m sure he can.
After what seems like hours, arms wrap around me once again, and I’m lifted off the floor. I know it’s Marco. I can feel him. He carries me inside and sits on the couch with me still in his arms.
“It’s going to be okay, Chula. I promise,” he whispers in my ear. He keeps me tucked into him until I eventually fall asleep.