Mo clears his throat again, raising his dark eyebrows. "That could have gone better."
"She was never going to like hearing no. She's that kind of girl," Connor says. "But if Hudson hadn't gone and got her hopes raised, then maybe she wouldn't have reacted so badly."
"Protecting her is our job," I say. "Obviously, it would be safer for all of us if we just stayed in this room. But protecting her isn't just about her physical wellbeing. It's about her emotional wellbeing too. If she's angry and stressed or feeling claustrophobic being trapped up here, she's not going to do well in her performance later. We have to find a way to balance both."
Connor's shoulders rise and then fall as he draws in and expels a deep breath. He takes his bottom lips between his teeth, eyes focused on the middle distance. "Maybe we can bring some of Berlin to Luna."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know yet but let me think on it."
We sit down for breakfast, but Luna doesn't come back out of her room. When we're done, I gather some pastries and fresh fruit and a large glass of orange juice on a tray and knock gently on her door.
"What?" she shouts, sounding more like a petulant thirteen-year-old than a fully grown woman.
"I've got you some breakfast. You need to eat."
When Luna doesn't answer, I twist the doorknob slowly, allowing her time to object, but she doesn't.
The room is dark, the curtains still drawn, and Luna is curled up on a couch, staring into space.
"Hey." Placing the tray onto the small table nearest to her, I take a seat by her feet. "Look, I know you're frustrated. I know that this life has some pros and cons, and it's tough to get used to the extreme sides of everything. Just remember that Berlin isn't going anywhere. You'll be able to come back sometime in the future."
"When in the future am I not going to need a whole troop of burly men surrounding me, Hudson? When in the future am I going to be able to mooch around a little store and enjoy coffee sitting in front of a small café? When am I going to be able to go for a run outside or just choose to have an afternoon at the beach without getting hounded or worse?"
"I don't know, Luna. I don't know if there is ever going to be a time like that. You'll probably always need someone to look out for you. The world is a messed-up place at the best of times. But what will happen is that you'll get used to it."
"Maybe," she says softly. "Will you do something for me?" Luna's eyes meet mine, and even in the dark, they're the prettiest shade of green; unearthly, and enticing.
"Sure."
"Will you find a website about Berlin and read to me? Tell me about all the places that I'm not going to get to see. Describe the buildings and the art galleries, the people, and the music scene. Tell me quirky things that will stay in my mind. It's not what I want, but I guess it'll have to do."
"Of course."
As I pull out my phone and start searching, Luna swings her legs off the sofa, dragging the table closer so she can reach the food.
When I start to read about the history of Berlin, Luna's shoulders drop, and her eyes close. Maybe she's letting her imagination conjure as many images as it can to replace the ones that she's missing out on because of the crazy fucker who broke into her dressing room.
Halfway through Luna's breakfast, Connor's head appears around the door. He watches for a few moments, his expression confused at first and then holding a sadness that I didn't expect. I guess he feels for her as much as I do. He nods, telling me silently that he approves, and disappears again. When Luna's finished her breakfast, she lies back on the sofa, her feet with their pretty pink toenails resting against my thigh, and damn if I don't need every ounce of restraint not to rest my hand against her skin.
Jax, for all his crazy talk, isn't alone in being drawn to this girl. She's got a quality that settles on me like a picnic blanket shaken high and allowed to fall slowly to the lush green grass below. Whatever she needs, I want to find a way to give it to her.
A little later, I hear Angelica arrive, but Connor must manage to keep her away from Luna's bedroom because she doesn't disturb us. Even later, when I've almost exhausted every tourist website there is, there's a knock at the door.
"There's a surprise out here for Luna," Asher says.
"A surprise?" Luna pushes her palms against the couch, straightening herself into an upright position.
"Yeah. If Luna can't go to Berlin, Berlin will come to Luna." Asher holds his hand out like a gameshow girl displaying prizes, a broad smile splitting his face. I have no idea what they've arranged, but this better be good.
Luna stands first, smoothing her shirt and shooting me a quizzical look, and I follow her into the living area, finding that the furniture has been rearranged. The dining table is now against the wall, and chairs have been set up facing away from the window. Standing in the newly cleared space are six men dressed in Lederhosen and traditional German attire.
Luna's hand flies to her mouth. I'm uncertain whether it's shock or because she's trying to cover a smile. Connor and Mo urge Luna to take a seat, and we all follow. The largest guy at the back, with a huge bushy brown beard, starts some music. It's a fast and rousing piano accordion, and the men begin to dance in traditional German style, patting their thighs and kick their legs. I glance at Luna out of the corner of my eye and catch the expression of pure pleasure that passes over her face. Her hands begin to clap loudly in time to the beat, and we all join in, relieved that she's enjoying herself. After a while, the man nearest to Luna holds out his hand and tugs her to join in. She doesn't resist, taking a place next to him and concentrating on learning the steps. She has a natural talent for dance and is replicating his moves in seconds, much to his pleasure.
"Wooohooo, Luna!" Jax shouts, rising to his feet to clap along.
Asher jumps up to join in, picking up the dance moves as quickly as Luna, and soon, we're all up dancing. Somehow, Connor seems to be blending in some Irish dancing and Mo some Middle Eastern. Me? Well, I'm just trying my best to stay on two feet.
The sound of Luna's laughter fills my chest as my heart pounds a beat beneath the tattoo of my brother's name that I have carved into my skin. Hartley would have loved everything about this.
Later, when Luna's on stage at the monstrous stadium in Berlin, there's a natural break between songs. She tells the audience she's been soaking up German culture and begins to replicate the moves she learned trapped in a hotel room with seven bodyguards and six dancers-for-hire. And you know what? The crowd eat it up, cheering and joining in.
Luna's life may have changed, but maybe we can help her see that it's not all bad.
I look around at my friends, who are currently trying to maintain professional straight faces, and see a shared lightness in their expressions. Maybe it's me imagining things, but could they all be thinking the same?
9
ASHER
We land in Athens at lunchtime, so by the time we reach the hotel, we're all famished. Connor is still feeling awful for preventing Luna from going out in Berlin and has secretly arranged for us to take a quick guided tour of the Parthenon Temple and museum after an authentic Greek lunch. He might always seem like a hard-ass, but underneath the tough exterior, he has a heart of gold.