Chapter 15: The Friend

Moira Lake could disband tension in an army field with a few words, that’s how skilled she was in that. Even Luna had to give her that.

Because as she looked around now, the party was already back in swing, everybody was already going on as if nothing had happened. The waiter would probably be the only one who got affected in the entire ordeal, Luna thought to herself.

First, for having to bear the degrading words he had no doubt received from Justin’s brother. Words that Luna was sure nobody should ever have to hear in their lifetime as a human being. And secondly, because Moira was probably going to fire him after the party. Having him in their employ after tonight, to remind people of the unpleasant scene that had almost tarnished her perfect party, would just not do for Moira. Luna knew her all too well.

So the waiter would probably be out of a job after tonight, and Moira’s son would get no more than that single stern word his mother had said to him to shut him up.

Luna felt bitterness roll through her as she looked around the hall. This was the toxicity she had lived in for years, she thought to herself. And here she was now, some years later, right smack in the middle of it again.

She picked up her champagne flute from the table in front of her.

“Well, there’s one thing you can always say about a Lake party,” she said bitterly to Jake. “They sure know how to make a scene, and power play? It’s their forte.”

She tipped her glass towards Jake and downed the remaining contents in one gulp.

“Excuse me,” she muttered, turning away from Jake.

She made her way blindly towards no direction at all, she staggered a little and realized she was already a little tipsy. And then she remembered she had downed two full glasses of champagne.

“Yeah, that would do it,” Luna muttered to herself.

She looked blindly around for where to go next.

“Luna?” she heard someone call her from behind.

She turned and came face to face with Logan Lake, Justin’s father. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled at her.

“It is you,” he said. “Pretty Luna.”

Luna smiled at the familiar nickname, only he had always called her ‘Pretty Luna’, and only she had called him Charming Lake.

“Charming Lake,” she said now, she stretched her hands towards him as she closed the distance between them.

He gripped her hands in his. “You look well, I’m glad.”

His eyes glistened with memories and regret. Luna tightened her hands around his.

“There is nothing for you to feel regret over,” she said to him, looking directly into his eyes. “I mean it. You were the one Lake that made it all bearable, in the few times our paths crossed. And of course I look well, Justin and Moira couldn’t break me.”

“Not for lack of trying though,” Logan said, his eyes still grave.

Logan’s seriousness and haunted eyes were both threatening to bring back the memories of her hellish time with Justin. Wanting to forget them, Luna cocked her head sideways a little, she injected teasing into her tone.

“You were always a fun man, Logan. Did you get serious with age?”

Luna knew she had hit him where she always got him the most; his comedic skills and his age. She was delighted when his gray eyes sparked with indignation and his back went up.

“What are you talking about? I’m as fun as I was when you were still with us, hell, I’m even funnier!”

Amused, and suddenly enjoying herself, Luna crossed her arms and imitated a challenging stance as she faced him.

“All right, let’s hear a joke then,” she said.

Logan’s brows furrowed in confusion. “What?” His English accent showed very clearly in the one word.

Luna’s lips curved. “I said let’s hear a joke. You said you’re still funny, funny man? Then let’s hear a joke.”

“You can’t just ask me to tell a joke,” he said, his tone righteous.

“Why not? Luna countered.

Logan scoffed. “Because.”

“ ‘Because?’ ” Luna scoffed too. “What are you, 5?”

“Fine,” he finally said. “You want a joke? What do you call a woman who thinks she can play one over a wise young man by calling him boring?”

He looked at Luna with his eyebrows raised, his eyes twinkled with mirth.

Luna laughed. “I thought that was going to goad you for sure, it always worked before.”

Logan tweaked Luna’s nose affectionately. “I’ve grown, pretty Luna. And my jokes are more clever now, are they not?”

“Yeah, so grown you’re still calling yourself young. Give yourself a reality check, old man.”

“Okay, you stop calling me old now, it doesn’t matter that you’re my favorite moon yet. I am a young strapping man,” Logan said, buffing up his chest.

Luna laughed and slapped his chest lightly. “Sure you are, old man.”

The two of them hugged for a moment and separated. Logan held on to Luna’s arms as he looked into her eyes.

“I really am glad you’re looking well, Luna. After you left, I realized I had stayed a bit too much out of the issue your family had with mine. I didn’t know where to find you, and the person who didn’t want to hear your name said in her house. I worried about you, and at the same time, I wasn’t even sure I had the right to worry about you.”

Luna smiled at him. “Of course you had the right to worry, you were my one true friend in your entire household.”

“And a shameful thing indeed when you were married to my son,” Logan interrupted, his tone bitter. “He should have been your friend, he should have been your best friend.”

“But he wasn’t,” Luna said. “Aren’t you going to ask me what I’m doing here?”

Logan frowned. “What- what do you mean by-” Comprehension dawned on him, “Wait, this is a company party, how did you get to be here?”

Luna smiled, because she loved the way he had posed the question.

“I survived,” she replied.