Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 66

Chapter 66

RILEY

I was so happy when Ollie came up with the brilliant suggestion for a sleepover despite the fact that we hadn’t talked about anything like it happening and I tried not to let the relief show on my face when Mom finally agreed to let me stay for the night.

It seemed that she was backed into a comer especially with Silvia insisting that it was good she had a restful night without me around but I was grateful because I knew that I wasn’t going to be the person she was going to take her anger out on.

Inside, my stomach was doing flip-flops, but it wasn’t the bad kind like when Mom got angry with me. These were the good kind, like when you find out

you don’t have to do something scary after all.

From where I stood behind Ollie. I could tell that Mom was mad about whatever happened on the balcony with Mr. Xenois.

She has put on that fake tight smile she wore when she was trying not to yell at me to stop being a brat in front of other people.

Usually when she looked like that, I knew I was in for a long night of questions and “lessons” about how to behave properly, that would end up in punishment that fit the crime according to her. Probably locking me up in a closet since I already had dinner here.

But tonight, I wouldn’t be going home with her.

Tonight, I got to stay here, with everyone else who all seemed to like me and acted nice towards me.

I didn’t know yet if that was better or worse. Mama always told me that Lumina hurts her child Ollie which was why we needed to replace her but Ollie was always scared of Mama and me especially when I had to insist he shook my hand like Mama commanded me to make him, but I haven’t seen him afraid of his Mama yet. Maybe it was because we were always in public and his mama was cruel behind doors just like Sophia was to me.

“Come on, boys,” Mrs. Lumina said, pulling me from my thoughts as I looked up at her. She was jingling the car keys. “Let’s get you two home so you can start your sleepover adventure that you so advocated hard for.” She said with an exasperated eye roll but she seemed amused about the situation rather than

angry.

That was good….right?

As we walked toward the elevator, Mrs. Lumina stopped and crouched down so she was at my eye level as her eyes seemed to search for something in

mine. I bit my lower lips not looking away wondering if I had done something wrong already.

Her face was kind, the way grown-ups looked when they actually cared about your answer to their questions.

“Riley, sweetie, are you absolutely sure you want to stay with us tonight? I know this was all very sudden, and if you’d rather go home with your mom,

that’s perfectly okay.”

I opened my mouth to say yes, I was sure, that I wanted to stay here with them but Ollie beat me to it.

“He has to stay!” Ollie declared, grabbing my arm protectively, pulling me towards him like he was going to bite whoever said otherwise.

“It might be scary to go home tonight. Right, Riley?” He turned looking at me with an intensity in his eyes that I hadn’t seen before.

I stared at him, my mouth falling open a little as tried to understand what he meant by that. How did he know? How could he, a kid just the same age

as me possibly know that going home tonight with my mother would be scary?

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“Ollie,” Mrs. Lumina said gently, placing a hand on his head rubbing his head softly, looking between the both of us, “what do you mean by that?”

Ollie looked between me and his mom, and I could see him trying to figure out how to explain something he didn’t really understand himself as he kept hesitating, his hands gripping tight on mine as he looked at me and then at his mum.

“I just… sometimes people need safe places to sleep, you know. Just for the time being. And our house is safe.”

The way he said It made my chest feel tight, with an odd feeling. It wasn’t in a bad way, but in a way that made me want to cry happy tears, but I blinked it back quickly before they could see it. Nobody had ever called anywhere I lived a safe place before.

“Of course our house is safe,” Mrs. Lumina agreed with him without a doubt, though I could see her looking at both of us with a confused expression.

“Riley, what do you think? Do you want to stay?”

“Yes, please,” I whispered, and I meant it more than I’d ever meant anything in my whole life.

The elevator ride down was quiet as everyone seemed to be lost in thoughts but I kept sneaking glances at Ollie. He’d been saying weird things all evening, asking questions that made me uncomfortable because I didn’t know how to answer them without getting in trouble.

Earlier, when we were playing in the playroom at his grandparents’ house, he’d asked me things like

“Do you have nightmares about your mom?” and “Does your mom ever hurt you when she’s mad?”!

I’d pretended not to hear him or changed the subject when he insisted on getting an answer but I could tell he wasn’t fooled by it. But he bided his time

quietly waiting for an opportunity to bring it up again.

How did he know to ask those questions, that hit so close to home for me.

Did all kids wonder about stuff like that, or was there something special about Ollie?

Mr. Xenois was waiting beside a big black car when we got downstairs.

He smiled at both of us, but I noticed he looked tired, like the dinner had been hard for him too.

“Ready for your big sleepover, boys?” he asked as he opened the car doors for us.

“Yes!” Ollie cheered, bouncing into his car seat, happily like he wasn’t scared if he was going to break something with the way he kept moving without

looking as he kept talking in a loud tone.

“We’re gonna stay up all night and eat candy and play video games!”

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