Page 85 of Pretend it’s Forever

“There’s no probably about it, but we don’t talk about that sort of thing.”

I looked over as she winked, and my lips quirked into a smile.

“It’s good to know not to piss you off.”

“You live and breathe to piss me off, Flynn Cage. But that’s okay.”

My hands tightened on the steering wheel, and I forced myself to relax. This was just us teasing. Just what we did.

“Hudson and Scarlett are going to be in town for a little while.”

“I know. It’ll be good to see my sister. I don’t get to make it up to Cage Lake often.”

“I don’t that much anymore either, not with Hudson taking over my job. Isabella too.”

I had been the one who took care of the businesses in Cage Lake since my father had done his best to destroy them. But now that Isabella and Hudson lived there full-time, I wasn’t needed.

I tried not to think about what that meant.

“Anyway, Scarlett wants to see me a lot, and we’re going to do a bunch of sister things. Mom’s finally coming down too.”

I looked over at her, surprised. “Really?”

Mrs. Blair was an agoraphobic, though she had been getting better ever since the shooting that had changed all of our lives. However, I wasn’t sure if she ever came down to Denver.

“It’s a big thing. And I’m glad. And well, I think Scarlett also wants to set me up with a friend.”

My throat tightened, and I nodded. “Oh?”

“She knows somebody that Hudson knows as well. And I don’t know. Maybe I should say yes.”

There was a discomfort in her tone, or maybe I just wanted to hear it.

Nothing good could come from what Luna and I were doing. I knew this.

We weren’t exclusive, and hell, we weren’t even promising each other another night.

This would be good. I knew that. And apparently she did too.

Then why did it feel like I was being stabbed?

“If Scarlett likes him, I’m sure he’s a good guy. Have fun on your date.”

“Oh.” Silence. “I guess I will.”

“I’m heading out with Theo and Luke in a couple of days, since The Teal Door is having that singles’ night. I don’t know exactly why I’m going, but I figured I’d support my brother and his best friend. You know?”

“You’re right. You should go do singles’ night. I’m going to go on this date, and maybe I’ll find that perfect person. Thank you for tonight, Flynn, but we both knew it was going to have to end sometime, right?”

I couldn’t look at her, because I heard the hurt in her words. Or was it anger? I couldn’t fucking tell anymore. “A clean break, you know?”

“Sure. Makes sense.” Her eyes widened then, and I turned back to the road, unable to look at her face any longer.

Headlights flashed and the car on the other side of the road had veered towards us.

“Flynn!”

I turned the wheel hard, but it was too late. Metal crashed against metal, and the sound of screeching tires filled the air as burnt rubber and oil and whatever the hell else filled my nostrils.

The SUV flipped once, twice, maybe more, I couldn’t tell. I reached out for Luna, trying to stop whatever the hell was happening, but it was a lost cause.

Luna screamed, and as my hand finally grasped hers, there was nothing.

My eyes cracked open as pain radiated through me, and I looked over to see Luna hanging from her seat, the seatbelt keeping her in place. The airbags had deployed and blood covered them.

I gasped in air, trying to catch my breath. “Luna. Luna!”

But there was nothing.

Her eyes were closing, and I couldn’t see if her chest was moving.

Somebody else screamed, and sirens echoed in the distance, and I reached for her again, trying to make sure that she was okay.

Because she had to be okay.

But there was nothing.

Just darkness.