Don't Poke the Luna (Xena and Ryder) novel Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Xena’s POV

“Heading to bed?” he asked.

“Yeah, got school tomorrow.” I leaned against my doorframe, feeling the exhaustion of the

day settle into my bones.

“Next week’s a big one,” Dad said, his tone casual but probing. I could tell he was fishing

for something.

“Is there something you want to ask me, Dad?” I questioned directly, too tired for games.

His hand unconsciously rubbed the back of his neck–a nervous habit he’d had for as long

as I could remember. “Did you find a dress?”

“Yes.” I kept my answer short, watching his reaction carefully.

“One that fits the theme?” Damn it…Logan couldn’t have sold me out. My mind raced through possibilities, calculating my response.

“I bought two dresses,” I said carefully. “One for my birthday and one for the dance.” I wasn’t lying–not completely anyway.

I waited for his interrogation, but after a pause, he simply said, “Wear whichever one you

like,” before turning and walking away.

That caught me off guard. “Weird,” I muttered to myself as I closed my bedroom door.

After turning off the lights and settling into bed, my phone buzzed. After a brief internal

struggle, I decided to ignore it and go to sleep.

Monday mornings are absolute hell, but this particular Monday felt like the fighter jet of all terrible Mondays. I hadn’t even gotten out of bed yet, and I could already feel the day imploding. Martha would be frantic with the birthday party and Saturday’s challenge match, which meant people coming and going all week, tension in the air, and me becoming her favorite stress–relief target.

Not to mention the possibility of meeting my mate on Friday. If it turned out to be

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Chapter 43

Samuel, I’d have nowhere to run. Part of me thought Samuel would be easy, uncomplicated. But since our last heart–to–heart, he’d grown less attentive.

Then there was Ryder. He was an unpredictable variable I wasn’t sure I could fully trust. The hottest guy I’d ever laid eyes on, with a kiss that left me breathless. But realistically, he seemed like a player with girls constantly flocking around him. We always argued, our tempers clashing like oil and water.

I reached for my phone, feeling almost back to normal, but that feeling vanished when I saw two messages–one from Samuel, one from Ryder.

Samuel: Happy birthday week! Hope your day is amazing.

Sent at 6:03 AM. It was now 6:45. I texted back a quick thanks before checking Ryder’s