Forbidden Love

52

Jaxon

My nerves shoot up. Not for me. For Luna. Corey's going to murder me and then he's gonna murder her. But instead of looking at Luna, Corey's gaze cuts to Juliana instead.

"Not me! Not me!" Juliana splutters holding both of her hands up.

"Guess you're wrong," He says easily, his eyes hard on Julia.

She doesn't cower under his icy stare, instead she shoots him a glare of her own. One that's as icy as his.

"Not the sister I was talking about," Julia says and eyes Luna pointedly. "You made your bed. Lie in it now."

I've never seen utter fear cross Luna's delicate face. I don't like it. I want to grab her and shield her from her brother. Corey looks over to her then. His eyes search hers and she looks away.

Julia smiles and I've had enough of her making a mess. "Julia, seriously, leave her alone."

"Oh, now you want to defend me?" Luna's eyes pierce mine and I feel like she stabbed me. She misunderstood earlier. I wasn't letting Julia go, but I'm not gonna talk bad about my friends just for the fun of it. I would have talked to Julia in private. And I didn't tell her I was with Julia because I knew how much she hated her.

I'm so stupid.

I rub my forehead. "It's not—"

"For how long?" He asks me. I've gotten Corey Stone mad plenty of times, but he's different right now. He's furious.

I look over to Luna to make sure she's okay with me telling him anything, but she doesn't look at me. "Few weeks," I respond.

"Weeks." Corey repeats like he's tasting the words. He sounds like a freakin' villain from the movies, and he looks like he's about to strangle me.

"He's the one who's been sleeping over?" Juliana asks and I groan. She could've kept her mouth shut instead of making everything worse. How'd she even know that?

"He slept over?" Corey's glare cuts to Juliana.

"Hey, woah," She steps back with her hands up again. "Don't shoot the messenger. I'm not the one sneaking him in and out."

"You knew she had someone over but didn't tell me?" Corey sounds so calm, but his eyes are blazing. Juliana just nods. He looks over to Joseph. "Did you know too?"

Joseph glances to me and Luna. "You don't have to be Einstein to know. They were pretty obvious."

He knew the entire time.

"Are you calling me stupid?" Corey blinks at his brother.

"No— I was just— I'm just saying—" Joseph trips over his words.

Juliana has the balls to laugh at me. "I can't believe you were the one. I would've never guessed!"

"You leave every day at four in the morning! I see you!" I quickly blurt out to deflect the situation on to something else.

She gasps. "You stalker! And I never see you. What do you do? Hide in the bush?"

Yes. "No. It's not my fault you're obvious."

"Leave her alone." Luna shoots to me.

"Where do you go at four in the morning?" Corey looks over to Juliana.

"I—"

"See what you did?" I shake my head at Julia who looks bored by the entire situation and that irritates me the most. "This mess is because you couldn't just let go of whatever hate you have for Luna."

"Don't blame her. She's not the one keeping secrets." Corey says, his voice cool and even as he glances between me and Luna.

"Are you kidding me? She's to blame!" Luna yells at him.

I nod. "Exactly,"

"Don't agree with me!" Luna scoffs. "I'm still mad at you."

"Guys, let's all calm down." Paxton tries.

"Shut up!" We all yell to him. He pulls a Juliana and throws his hands in the air.

"Jaxon's life was perfectly fine until you came and ruined everything. You couldn't stay away. I only did what's best for him." Julia shrugs. "He doesn't need you complicating his life."

"I wasn't fine, Julia! I literally left to Canada because I wasn't fine!" I let out a loud groan. I'm frustrated with everyone and everything. This whole thing got out of hand way too fast. "I should've never come back. All I wanted was a distraction and I couldn't even have that." The second I say it, I pause. "Wait. Luna, I didn't mean—"

"I was a distraction?" I watch as the anger drains from her face, but it's replaced by hurt. Tears fill her eyes immediately, like she's been waiting for the shoe to drop, and this is it. And somehow that's even worse. "You used me?"

"No. Luna—" I shove past everyone and grab her hand. I hold it so tight. She tries to let go, but I don't let her leave.

"You used me. I showed you distractions and you...you made me yours. It was never real, was it?" Her voice breaks and a part of me breaks too. She wipes her tears with her hand, smudging her makeup. "Get away from me." She manages to get out of my grip. "I don't want to have anything to do with you ever again."

I beg Luna to look at me. Maybe she can see how much I care about her. How much I absolutely love her. But she doesn't look at me. She turns away and when I try to grab her, Corey steps in my way.

"Move," I growl. No more playing nice. My girl is crying.

"You heard Luna. Stay away from her."

"I couldn't care less about your threats, Stone. Get out of my way." I try to maneuver around him, but before I know it his fist is flying to my face.

That one's definitely going to leave a bruise.

"That's for Luna." He punches me again and the pain jolts through my face down my spine, all the way to my toes. I feel it in every part of my body. Stinging, aching. "And that's for me."

Everyone gasps and Corey raises his fist to hit again, but this time I don't get hit. Paxton does. He steps in front of me and takes the hit.

"Oh my—! You punch like the freakin' Hulk." He rubs his cheek.

Corey hesitates for only a moment before turning around and following Luna. Joseph and Juliana do the same. Olivia rushes to Paxton's side and starts dabbing at his face asking questions about his pain. I distantly hear Julia or Maddi ask about me, but I zone out.

I watch Luna walk away, her siblings following her.

I'm glad I took the time to memorize her face, her touch. I knew it was too good to be true—she was too good to be true. It's a punch to my gut when I realize this is all my fault. I could run after her, but what would I say? That I'm sorry? That she wasreal? Something holds me back and I realize too late that it's my past. My guilt.

You don't deserve her, a voice whispers in my head. You don't deserve the happiness she provides. Not after what you did to Connor.

And it's right.

Suddenly, Corey's punch is a welcomed pain.