Chapter 27
Luna
I can’t get enough of Mami’s smile. It’s radiant and, when she looks at Darren, full of love. It tickles the corners of my eyes, but I blink away the tears. No tears on her big day. That was our agreement because we cried enough two nights ago.
I’m standing on the side, chatting with Giovanni, but I can’t keep my eyes off her.
I’m looking forward to living alone for the first time, but I’m a little heartbroken not to have her down the hall.
And after the last five weeks of my life—shit, after this last year—I don’t know if I can take more change coming my way.
“You okay?” Giovanni asks.
I smile up at him. He’s really handsome and warm. He was sweet when we went to the award show. I’m glad I invited him to come. It’s kept my relatives from asking about Rio.
And you couldn’t spend the whole time thinking about him.
“Yes, just happy for Mami and Darren. They’ve been together for a while, and watching them finally get married is my favorite thing.”
“Well, your family is getting down on the dance floor. You want to dance?”
I open my mouth to say yes when the song switches. Rio’s voice croons from the speakers.
Se que extranas mis labios en tu espalda.
And I swear it’s a flashback because I think of us in his house in Samaná where he, like the song says, ran his lips up my back. I do miss that, more than I would dare to admit to anyone.
Thankfully, Sel appears by my side with Tito.
“Tía wants to throw the bouquet because they’re ready to head out.”
“I’ll be back,” I tell Gio.
We join the assembly of women who are waiting as my mom turns around in the sleek, long, white, high-neck halter dress. I don’t particularly want to do this, but it’s tradition and my mom’s day. I’m not going to be sour about it.
“How’s it going?” Sel asks.
“Good. It would just be great if I could stop hearing my ex’s voice blaring from the speakers.”
She winces. “Yeah, that’s gotta be awkward. I don’t know what the fuck the DJ is doing. That’s messy AF. But Gio seems nice.”
“He’s a doll,” I say, watching the way he talks to Tito.
“But he’s not Rio.”
I turn to face her. “He doesn’t have to be. And Rio had the chance to be here. Mami invited him.”
“He didn’t want to make it weird for you.” Her voice is unusually soft.
There’s a tug at my chest. As hard as I’m trying to move on, during the ceremony, I wished his face was the one I looked into.
“Here we go,” my mom yells and starts the count. “One, two, three.”
She sends her bouquet over her head, and it’s headed our way. I side-step it, and it ends in Sel’s hands.
Everyone cheers as my cousin stands there, her mouth open. Her gaze shifts from me to Tito. He looks like he’s about to faint. I laugh.
An hour later, I’m in Gio’s Bugatti, cruising on the way to my place.
“This car is cool.”
“Thanks,” he says, brightening up. “It was the first thing I bought when I signed the new contract. I had it custom-made especially for me, featuring red snake leather. It’s my nickname.”
“Red snake?”
He nods. “Yeah, because they say I move silently like a snake, and red was the color of the jersey for my first team, The Vipers.”
“Oh. I didn’t know that.”
“The fans gave me that name.”
“I’m learning so much about you. So, is it safe to say that cars are your passion?”
“Oh yeah. I love everything cars. I even fall asleep to racing videos or the sounds of tires rolling on asphalt.”
He’s so animated and excited about it.
And I wonder if Rio still falls asleep to the videos of El Yunque.
No, Luna, stop.
“Do you ever go to the races?”
He nods. “When I’m not training or in season. I can take you if you ever want to go.”
“I’ve never been, but it sounds like fun.”
No, it fucking doesn’t, but I need to try new things.
“Is it going to be a problem that your cousin is traveling with your ex?” he asks, and in a flash, the air inside the car becomes charged and heavy.
“Sel is in a relationship with Tito. That’s why she’s on the tour.”
“I noticed that, and that’s why I ask. Her boyfriend was cool, but I could tell he didn’t have much use for me. Probably because of his boss.”
They didn’t seem like they talked much.
“Tito is more like Rio’s brother,” I correct him. “But to answer your question, no, there won’t be any problems. I mentioned that I want to take things slow. I don’t want to get into a relationship. I’m not ready for that yet.”
“I get it. I just want to know the hurdles I have to jump to get to you.” His hand rests on my thigh, and though it’s not unpleasant, I want to swat it away.
“We are getting to know each other, and I think that’s where your worries should be. Friends first, and then we can see where that takes us.”
It needs to be different from what happened with Rio, where we went from hate to the deep end of love, literally and figuratively.
He pulls over in front of my new building.
“Friends who kiss or don’t?” he asks, leaning closer.
“I…haven’t worked that out in my head yet.”
“Let me help you because I’ve got it pretty clear in mine.”
Something I’ve been dreaming of doing for a long time. That’s what Rio said about kissing me. And I’m pissed because I shouldn’t be thinking about him.
Gio presses his lips against mine once, twice, and on the third one, he opens his mouth, his tongue slipping into mine.
It’s not unpleasant, but my mind wanders, and I close my eyes and get caught up in the kiss, but it’s no longer him I’m kissing.
Those are not his fingers at my neck. Or his lips on my jaw, on my cheek, near my ear.
“This is the type of friendship we should definitely have.” His voice jars me, forcing my eyes open.
And it’s a shock to my system.
“I should go upstairs.”
“Let me come with you. We can just watch a movie.”
Why does everything he says remind me of someone else?
“No, I’m tired from the moving and the wedding. I won’t be good company.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” he insists. “But I won’t press.”
I breathe a sigh of relief and unbuckle my seatbelt. He flips up the car door and comes around. He walks me through my building door. I swipe the key fob to unlock the entrance door and kiss his cheek. “Thank you for coming today.”