Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 232

Chapter 232

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The morning light that was streaming through the room windows felt too bright for how exhausted I was feeling. I was not able to sleep well last night as my mind was still racing about a lot of things, things like Riley’s therapy appointment, I was also worried about Xenois and the fact that he was in more danger of getting attacked by Andy since he didn’t have much security with him and I was also bothered about the growing tension between the twins that seemed to get worse every day.

I made my way to the boys’ room, finding them already awake but already ignoring each other. I was out of my depths here and I felt like a failure, not being able to properly parent both kids, when I was just used to having one. Riley sat on his bed with the tablet clutched in his hands, staring at what I suspected was Sophia’s contact information, while Ollie aggressively organized his toys on the

other side of the room.

“Good morning, boys,” I said, cheerfully trying to get their spirits up despite the awkward and tensed atmosphere. “We need to get ready for our trip to the hospital. Riley, you have your appointment with Dr. Sloane today, remember?”

Riley nodded without looking up from his tablet, while Ollie made a dramatic sighing sound that clearly expressed his displeasure

with the entire situation.

“Why do I have to come?” Ollie complained, crossing his arms and giving me that stubborn expression that reminded me so much of Xenois when he was being difficult, as he looked at me and added pointedly. “I’m not the one with the problems.”

“I don’t have problems,” Riley said quietly, his first words of the morning, though he still didn’t look up from his screen.

I felt my heart twist in pain at the defensive tone that was found in Riley’s voice. Ever since we’d learned the full extent of the abuse he’d suffered, and everyone badmouthing Sophia, he had stopped coming forth with any information about Sophia, Andy or his experiences with them. I understood that he was trying to protect someone he still saw as his mother, but his silence was making it impossible for us to help him process everything that had happened.

“Boys, we’re all going together as a family,” I said firmly, knowing that I had to place my foot down or they would hurt each other with the mean words, which wouldn’t help at all. I made my way towards Riley’s dresser to pull out clean clothes for him. “Dr. Sloane wants to meet Ollie too, so she can understand the whole family dynamic.”

This wasn’t entirely true – the child therapist Lynn had recommended had specifically requested to see Riley alone initially – but I needed both boys to cooperate this morning, and sometimes that required telling a creative translation of the truth and I also didn’t want Riley all alone with everything going on. I still had the fear that once I took my eyes off him, he would be whisked away from my hands

just like before.

“Can I bring my tablet?” Riley asked, finally looking up at me with those green eyes that were so much like Ollie’s but somehow

seemed haunted and more guarded.

*For the car ride, yes, I agreed. “But during your appointment with Dr. Sloane, you’ll need to focus on talking with her. You won’t be able to use it there as it will be a distraction.”

Riley nodded solemnly and finally set the tablet aside to get dressed. I helped him choose an outfit. What we finally decided on was

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Chapter 232

a soft blue sweater that brought out his eyes and comfortable jeans – while trying not to think about how thin he still looked despite all

our efforts to help him gain weight.

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Ollie, despite all my efforts to smoothen things over between them continued his passive-aggressive toy organization, making sure every action was loud enough to express his displeasure without actually saying anything directly defiant or mean about Riley or how unfair the situation was. I decided to ignore the attitude for now and focus on getting everyone ready to leave.

As I was gathering Riley’s medical records and the referral information Lynn had given me for what I would need when I get there, I heard voices from the kitchen. Moving toward the sound, I found Lynn helping Ollie with his breakfast while Zade leaned against the

counter with a cup of coffee.

“Morning,” Zade said, looking up as I entered the kitchen. I was pleased to see that he as no longer restricted to his bed and he was looking better than before, with more colour and strength in his whole appearance, his eyes were filled with concern as he took in what

was probably my stressed expression. “How are you holding up?”

I felt my shoulders sag with the weight of everything I was carrying, a bit pleased that despite everything, I could always count on Zade to lessen my burdens “I honestly don’t know what I’m doing,” I admitted, accepting the cup of coffee Lynn handed me. “Riley won’t talk about anything related to Sophia, Ollie is angry at Riley for reasons I don’t fully understand, and I’m supposed to somehow be prepared for this therapy appointment when I don’t even know what questions to ask.”

Before I could process what was happening, Zade had crossed the kitchen and pulled me into a warm, supportive hug. For a moment, I let myself melt into the embrace, drawing strength from his steady presence and the way he always seemed to know exactly what kind

of support I needed.

“Don’t stress yourself too much,” he murmured against my hair. “Things will work out. Riley’s resilient, and he’s got all of us supporting him now. That has to count for something.”

The comfort of the hug was exactly what I needed, but as I started to relax into it, reality came crashing back. Zade was Lyn’s acknowledged mate, even if their relationship was complicated and more friendship-based than romantic, and knowing Lyn loved Zade, I could not betray him like this. Not just that, I was also Xenois’s mate, completely and utterly devoted to my husband despite the distance currently between us and a divorce hovering in the air between us.

I pulled away from the hug abruptly, not wanting Lynn to feel that I was still trying to take Zade from her brother or think I was overstepping boundaries. Zade didn’t seem to notice the sudden distance I’d created, but Lynn gave me a knowing look that suggested she understood exactly why I’d stepped back.

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Reborn From Regret A Second Chance at Luna’s Heart