After ordering food, Brent looks at Luna while she's staring out of the window. She's watching the cars and people walk by on the town square. He has to remind himself that she's never returned his feelings, she's engaged to be married. What Luna doesn't know is he's felt like something in his life has been missing since she left.
At first, he didn't care that she was seeing someone else, he was just heartbroken that he took her away from them. This man broke the Triad up and he slowly began pushing everyone out of her life. The last time he called her, Jesse answered the phone. Jesse told Brent that she didn't care about the people in Ridgeway anymore, she's different now and to stop wasting his time trying to stay in contact with someone who doesn't care if he's breathing or not. That broke him, even if he knew it was most likely not true.
She's smiling as she watches a little girl play with a puppy on the square. Resting her chin on her hand, her head tilts slightly, and her smile... Her smile that lights up a room, it was pulling at strings Brent thought he pushed so far down so many years ago.
Brent knew the minute Luna started dating Jesse things were going to change, he just didn't think they'd change this much. He didn't think he'd lose her all together. Jesse is an upper-class businessman while Luna is a small-town girl, he took her and was recreating her in his own image. He hated seeing how miserable she was after she talked to him, both times. She deserves so much better, someone who would stop at nothing to keep her happy.
She wasn't the only one that changed. It took seeing her with someone else to realize just how in love with her he is and now that she's soon to be married, he lost his chance. He'll never be able to tell her that he's had feelings for her since before they gave their innocence to one another. He'll never be able to tell her that he gradually felt himself falling deeper and deeper in love with her as they grew up together. He pushed all of his feelings away in fear if ruining their friendship and now he knows he'll never love anyone as much as he loves Luna.
"Do you know how beautiful you are when you smile?"
The words startled him and by the looks of it, they surprised her just as much. Luna's eyes were wide before raising her eyebrow and shaking her head with a laugh. She thought he was messing with her, of course she'd take it that way, it's not like she shares his feelings.
"Smooth, Brent. Is this how you start all your dates?" She asked while fiddling with the straw in her sweet tea.
"What dates?"
"Come on, you're telling me there hasn't been any girls since I've been gone? I've missed too much around here," she looked around the small diner, "everything's so different now."
Turning his attention to the kids playing so he didn't have to look at her, he answered, "I don't date much with work and all."
As he stared out of the window, Luna took this chance to look him over. He looked depressed, she wondered what changed his mood. They were smiling and laughing on the drive here.
Staring at him, her expression softened as her eyes rounded out. She could feel those feelings trying to bubble up to the surface and she knew she couldn't let that happen. It's been so long since she's felt this way towards him, but she knew deep down that those feelings were always there, off in the distance. Maybe it was a bad idea to come home. Swallowing, she cleared her throat nervously and looked away.
"How is the job coming along? Fill me in on what I've missed with you. Why don't you ever pick up when I call you?"
He knew this question was coming, he looked down in shame before taking in a deep breath.
"I stopped calling because your fiancé told me you stopped caring about me. About us." He added quickly.
Her reaction was pure anger, "He what?!" She screeched, "Why would he say such a thing? He knows how much I miss it here." She pushed her food away, too angry to finish eating.
"I don't know, your guess is as good as mine. I called you one day and he answered your phone. He told me you didn't care whether I was breathing or not and not to waste my time trying to stay in touch."
Rage coursed through her veins, she picked her phone up and sent a text to Jesse.
Luna: You told Brent I don't care about them anymore? You told him to stop calling?
Jesse: I'm busy, Luna. No those weren't the words I used, if he took it that way, that's not my fault.
She glanced up at Brent, he was watching her intently. Did he take it the wrong way? Was it just a big misunderstanding?
"You call me any time you want to, do you hear me, Brent?"
Brent knew he wouldn't call her when she left to go back, but he'd agree to anything to make her happy, "Yes." He forced a smile.
Pulling her card out of the slot in her phone case, she flagged down the waitress.
"Don't you dare. I asked you to come with me, I'm paying." Brent quickly pulled his wallet out and handed the waitress his card before Luna could say a word.
"Fine. I'm buying the first round tonight." She attested.
He chuckled at her trying to scowl at him, she was just too damn adorable, "I can allow that."
"What are you singing tonight? Any songs lined up?"
Sliding her card back into its designated slot, she closed her phone case and fastened the latch, "Not really. Harper said tonight is more of a dance music night?"
"Yeah. But he still does karaoke in between."
She had no idea what she'd sing. Maybe she could get Harper to go up with her, like old times. Shrugging, she looked at him, he was smiling at her. His smiled made her heart race. Why was he having such an effect on her right now?
"Harper mentioned you wanted to sing at your wedding. What song did you have in mind?" He asked with genuine interest.
Luna's smile faded; she averted her eyes as he watched her deflate.
"Hey," he reached across the table hooking his finger under her chin, "What'd I say?"
She pulled away from his touch, it made her feel too much. It confused her.
"Nothing. We decided I wouldn't be singing at the wedding."
"Oh. Well, that's not how I saw your wedding going. I always pictured you singing, dancing, and laughing."
Intrigued, she met his eyes, "You've thought about my wedding?"
Shit. Good going Brent. He wasn't about to tell her that he imagined he would be the one she was marrying one day. That he would be the one standing at the front watching her walk down the aisle. He never planned on telling her that he has had literal dreams of spinning her around in a wedding gown before.
"Uh. Ever since you told us you were engaged, sure." He lied. "I mean, I did grow up listening to you and Harper planning out your wedding day in detail." He chuckled.
Smiling, she watched the waitress walking back with Brent's card. She handed it over and smiled at the two.
"Let's head to the bar, I'm sure Harper and Jed are already there." He stated as he held out his elbow for her. She slid her arm in, linking hers with his and he walked her to his truck, opening the door for her.
She couldn't remember the last time someone opened her door for her.
As he closed her door, he could have sworn he caught a loving look from her. It couldn't have been, she's in love with someone else.
YOU ARE READING
The Triad
Romance*Unedited* A story based on songs. Luna, Harper, and Brent have been inseparable since they were kids. That is until Jesse swooped in and broke the trio apart by sweeping Luna off of her feet and taking her from her hometown. Luna and Brent fell fo...
