Chapter 6
Luna
My gaze doesn’t move from the beige walls. In the time since I've been awake—ten minutes, according to the clock on the wall—I've been trying to make sense of what’s happening. I’m alone, confused, and my head hurts.
Acidic sand coats my tongue—not that I've ever tasted something like that—and I can barely swallow. When I manage it, the nausea rises in waves.
“I can’t let you in there. Only family can come in.” Someone’s voice rises outside the room, rattling my head and blurring my vision.
“We are like family,” Mrs. Belmont bellows.
I open my mouth to call out her name, but the wave of nausea has me pressing my fist against my mouth and doubling over.
Their panicked voices seem urgent, but I don't have the strength to move or call out.
I feel too shitty to deal with whatever emergency Adina has concocted.
As much as I love her, I don't have the energy for her.
“Mom, calm down. They won’t let us in this way. We grew up together. I need to see her.” Adina’s voice rises as well.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry, Nurse Krista. Can I show you something?”
After a couple minutes of silence, the nurse says, “You have two minutes. Hurry up before the head nurse comes.”
My heart quickens. They’re coming in. I pull the blanket up to my neck to cover myself. In the next second, they open the door and walk in.
Mrs. Belmont is by my side in my next breath. “You’re going to keep your mouth shut and go away.”
“Keep my mouth shut about what?”
Her face moves closer to mine. “Don’t fuck with me, Luna. I’ll make sure you and your mom have to sell your asses to live.”
I’m shocked into silence. I’ve known this woman since I was seven. She’s never spoken to me like this before.
“I can’t believe I thought we were friends. How could you?” There’s so much venom in Adina’s voice my stomach turns.
“How could I what? Are you high?”
“Shut the fuck up,” her mother says. “Don’t ever let that come out of your mouth again.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” A tall woman in scrubs is standing at the door. “Only her family is allowed to see her. Please leave.” The nurse’s voice is final.
“She owes me an explanation,” Adina insists.
“You’ll have to wait for that.”
“Do you know who I am?” Mrs. Belmont says, in a tight, between-the-teeth kind of tone.
A snort follows amusement as the tall woman openly stares at her.
“We do know who you are. You are the queen of the East Side. But here, I am the head nurse, and outside, there is a police officer. Either you leave, or I will have him escort you out. If I were you, I would leave before Mrs. Santos or her niece comes in, because I’m sure they won’t take kindly to you being in here. ”
Mrs. Belmont curls her lip like she’s about to spit on me. “Remember what I said.”
Adina’s look is pure hatred as she follows her mom out. Angry steps fade away, and the door swings open. The nurse comes closer, checks on the machines, and then meets my eyes.
“Sorry about that. They shouldn’t have been here. How are you feeling?”
I shake my head.
“You don’t have to worry about them coming back. Neither the police officer nor the staff will allow it. We’ll deal with the nurse that let them in.”
Except, they just got in to see me.
“Why is there a police officer outside my room?”
Her gaze darts to the floor for a second. “Because people have been trying to get in to see you.”
“Who?” I ask.
“Vultures. Gossip bloggers. Paparazzi.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. I’m not famous.”
The nurse shakes her head. “You weren’t famous yesterday, sweetie. Today, you’re the most famous person in New York City. You’re trending on social media, along with that girl that just left and her football boyfriend.”
My stomach roils as the same anxiety of earlier that morning comes back with a vengeance—my mother’s worried face, Adina’s look, her mother’s words, all a bunch of foggy memories that don’t connect.
“What the hell happened? I can’t remember anything except for this morning.”
The nurse’s eyebrows shoot up. “Your mom is on the way back. She will talk to you and tell you everything.”
I stare at her. “Why can’t you tell me? You obviously know.”
“I’m not at liberty to say, Luna.”
“But why?”
A rap on the door pulls our gazes in its direction.
A male attendant is staring right at me. His eyes search for something on my face. Then he abruptly looks away at the nurse. “The detectives are waiting outside.”
“Tell them the doctor has to see her first. Then go get Doctor Mendez.”
He walks away, closing the door softly behind him. Within seconds, fast steps grow closer, and the doctor walks through the door and beelines for my bed. "Hi, Luna. I'm Doctor Mendez. How are you feeling?"
"Confused," I whisper.
“It's normal. We did a blood test on you, and it came back positive for dangerously high levels of Vibenzine.”
I shake my head. What? I don't know what that is. "I'm not on meds."
She nods. "We know. The agent we found in your system is not a prescribed medication. It's a cross between a Benzodiazepine and a hypnotic agent. The street name is Vibes."
My heart drops, and my hand settles at my throat. Vibes is a party drug people take to have an extra good time. I’ve never needed something like that, but I’ve been around it. I’m both shaking my head and trying not to heave. "No, I wouldn't take that. I don’t do drugs..."
I trail off because Adina and her mom’s visit come to mind. Keep your mouth shut.
“Just breathe and try to remain calm. The drug is still in your system, and your body did not react well to it. You had a big allergic reaction and are lucky you were brought in right away."
Calm? How can I be calm? "But the cops are here."
"They can't talk to you if I don't say it's okay," she whispers.
“My head hurts. I can’t remember anything but the screaming this morning.”
The nurse nods, her gaze on the doctor. “Mrs. Belmont and her daughter had to be removed. I thought your mom and cousin were going to beat them.”
“My…my mom? My mom doesn’t fight. She is very respectful of Mrs. Belmont. She works for her and would never.”
The nurse chuckles. “The mama lion came out of her. I would’ve beaten her ass too. No one knew what was happening with you. You were convulsing, and she kept screeching.”
“But why was she worked up?” My breath hitches, my heart beating out of control.
The nurse’s hand latches onto my forearm. “You really don’t remember, do you?”
I can only manage a shake of my head. “Tell me.”
“I’ll be back to answer your questions. Let me go speak to the detectives and ask them to come back.” Dr. Mendez steps out of the room as the door swings open. My mom appears shortly after.
“Mami, what’s happening?”
Her face is so serious, with dark circles around her eyes that I haven't seen in so long. I don't think my stomach can sink any lower, but it does. “It’s okay, Mariposita. I have a lawyer and a publicist coming. Bethany is already up to her games with you. I’m not letting her.”
Bethany. Not Mrs. Belmont.
“What are you talking about? They wouldn’t do that.”
Except, they were just here talking so roughly and threatening me.
My mother’s gaze hardens. “What did you do yesterday?”
Taken aback by her tone, I blink a few times, trying to find the answer to the question, yet nothing comes to me. “I don’t know.”
“You left the house around eight last night. You and Adina went to a concert.”
I shake my head, but the memory flashes before my eyes. Adina was wearing my jumpsuit, and I got into the Maybach. “Yeah, we went to The Coliseum for the Chico Sparx concert, and then…I don’t know.”
"Luna, there are photos of you kissing Adina's boyfriend, and then you passed out. The young man and his bodyguard couldn’t wake you up. They brought you to the hospital. The doctors had to pump your stomach. There was a drug in your system.”
A dark, bitter taste coats my mouth, and I press the back of my hand to it. No, I would never betray Adina. Thierry is gross. He cheats all the time. Every week, some new chick goes to social media with an I-hooked-up-with-Thierry story.
“I don’t do drugs. I had a couple of drinks. Adina did too.”
Was this one of Adina’s sick jokes?
My mother's worried eyes and flattened mouth are all the responses I need.
“Mami, you have to believe me. I didn’t take anything. You know I wouldn’t.”
My mom sighs. “I know. But you have to remember, because the police want to talk to you.”
“I don’t know anything. I don’t remember even being…who's the man and the bodyguard?”
“He's coming over with his publicist and lawyer. She's the one that told me to wait for them and to hold off on talking to the police. I need to talk to a lawyer too."
I start to shake my head, but then I hear the voice in my head. I wanna go home.
What the hell? Who was that? I try to jog my mind, reaching for the memory, but it won't come to me. The door opens again, and the doctor walks in, followed by a man and a woman, both wearing blazers.
“Hi, Luna. We were waiting for you to wake up. These detectives need to talk to you.”
The woman steps up closer, her gaze firmly on mine. The man watches me.
“Luna, I am Detective Martinez, and that’s Detective Bryant. We need to ask you a few questions about your evening last night.”
I look at Mami, then at the doctor, before finally looking at Detective Martinez again. “I don’t remember anything. I am trying, but my brain is…like, foggy.”
“That makes sense. There were high levels of Vibenzine in your blood.”
“I was having mixed drinks only,” I say louder than I mean to. I’m tired of not knowing everything.
The detectives look at one another.
“Luna?” Detective Martinez calls out.
“I don’t understand any of this.”
“That’s normal,” Doctor Mendez says. “The levels of Vibenzine in your blood were high enough to kill you. It’s bound to cause a blank spot in your memories––”
Detective Bryant cuts off the doctor with a look.
“Let’s go over what you do remember.”
I nod. “Last night, I went to a concert with Adina and her boyfriend. She’s my––”
“This is Adina Belmont and Thierry Banks you’re referring to?” Detective Bryant asked, while Detective Martinez jots it in her notebook.
“Yes. We got ready at my house, and then her boyfriend picked us up.”
“Recount the night for me.”
But I don’t get to because I start heaving, and in the next minute, three people walk into the room. One of them is Maeven Tatis. I interned for her a year ago. I can’t see the other, but the third is the one that speaks.
“Hello,” says a pretty brunette in a suit, her hair in a sleek bob, and perfect cheekbone lines. “I’m Esmeralda Fernandez, Luna’s lawyer. I need a moment with my client.”
“She’s not under arrest,” Detective Martinez informs her.
Esmeralda shrugs. “She’s also in no condition to talk to you.”
I gag, and the nurse shoves a plastic basin in front of me.
“We’ll be back, Luna. But here’s my card if you feel better before we return.” Detective Martinez leaves the card on the rolling table and turns to leave.
When she moves, I realize a tall man is standing by the door with a shocked expression. No, not just any man. Rio Castillo.
Then my stomach jumps, and I manage to turn my head right in time as the water I’ve been drinking flies back out of my mouth and into the basin my mom is now holding.
I just want to die.
When my stomach settles, I lie back on the bed, avoiding all their gazes, praying for death to just take me now.
Out of all the people in the world to see me like this, it’s him.
My mom goes to the sink and washes her hands. “Thank you so much, Rio. I’m Raquel, Luna’s mom. I can’t thank you enough for what you did. You saved my Mariposita’s life.”
She offers her hand, and he takes it. Then she throws her arms around him anyway.
The man and his bodyguard brought you here.
And I hear his voice in my head: “Luna, you want to come with me?”
Oh God, please. Just take me.
“Mariposita, they’re here with a proposal to help you,” Mami says.
I turn to the side with my back to them. “Help me how?”
Maeven steps up. “Hi, Luna. I’m sorry this happened to you, but there’s no time to waste, and we need to act quickly. Everyone is out for you, and the Belmonts have already begun to line up their chips for the game, even though we don’t know how you got the Vibes in your drink.”
“Thierry gave her a drink when we were talking,” Rio says.
The sound of his voice grates my insides. Can he stop talking?
“Do you remember that, Luna?” Esme asks.
“Not really. I don’t take drugs…ever. I don’t commit crimes. But I woke up to screaming, and the Belmonts were here threatening me. The funny part is, I don’t know why the police are here. And I really don’t understand why you’re here either.”