“I want to leave now, with you today.”
He said he’d fix it but didn’t ask why. Twenty minutes later, she was showered, had pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, and was packed when he knocked on the door.
“Hey, you.” Hugo walked in solemn-faced.
“Hey, you.” She’d just got off the phone with Charlie, telling her she was leaving but that they would catch up soon. She cut the call before Charlie could ask questions.
“What happened to your lip?” He touched the puffiness.
“S-Simon grabbed me on the stairs, Hugo. He kissed me.”
“I’m killing that asshole.”
“No! I just want to leave, Hugo. Something was off with him. His eyes were wild.”
“Drugs. He’s a big user.”
“I know,” Luna whispered.
“Do you want to talk about the other thing that’s breaking your heart? Because I thought you and Mountain Man were going to end up a thing.”
Luna swallowed down the tears and shook her head.
“Okay, plenty of time for that.” He hugged her close.
“I just want to go, Hugo. Please.”
“Okay, but before we leave there is something I need to tell you. Something I’ve just found out, Luna.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “I don’t think I can take too much more, Hugo.”
“I know, sweetie, but you need to know this. Think of it like ripping off a Band-Aid. Get all the bad stuff over at once and you can start to heal.”
“Before you tell me, can I tell you something?”
“Shoot.” He ran his hand up and down her back.
“I just told Olivia what I thought of her, and that I think she’s been jealous of me all these years and I wasn’t putting up with any more of her crap. Well, words to that effect anyway.”
“Well hallelujah.”
“And, Hugo.”
“Hmmm?”
“I think my heart is going to hurt for a while when we leave Ryker Falls.”
“Does it have to?”
She nodded.
“Well, baby, I’m there for you. We’ll be doing face packs, watching rom-coms, and eating chocolate when we get home.”
“Sounds blissful,” she lied. Being in Nash’s arms again about now sounded like bliss.
“And now I need to tell you something that’s going to make that pain worse.”
She lifted her head and looked into his solemn eyes.