Daydreams And Nightshade (DaN #1)

Chapter 45: Miserable morning (pt. 2)

Lucius didn't argue further. He was also tired. Everyone was tired. So she gave him a brief smile of what she at least thought was comfort before heading up.

"Noah, I'm coming in." She didn't bother with waiting for a reply she'd never get. She walked inside after waiting a couple of seconds, spotting Noah lying on his stomach in his bed, face burrowed into his pillow.

"Rough night?" she tried, adding a vague laugh. "Me too. You have no idea what I—"

"Go away."

Luna rubbed her forehead, as always unsure what to say. He was in the same mood as before.

"You of all people were out all night." She raised her hands in confusion. "I just want to know what happened, alright? We're siblings after all, and—"

"I said go away!" Noah looked up from his pillow with a look of fury Luna had never witnessed on him before. Then he flinched, and closed his eyes with a gasp.

"Noah? Are you hurt? Seriously, you have to tell someone what's going on. If—"

"Are you fucking deaf!?" Noah threw his pillow at her. "I told you to get out!"

Luna grabbed the pillow with a wide eyed stare. Had the situation been different she would have left without saying anything, but she was so, so tired, and she'd already endured Vincent's yelling earlier. Why was everyone yelling at her?

"What the fuck is your problem?" She threw the pillow back. "I'm trying to help you, despite all this! Do you think I want to stick around and make sure you don't hurt yourself just because your sicko boyfriend ended things!? I have my own life to live, you know!"

"So live it! Noah turned his head to glare at her. "I never asked you to help me! You can go disappear on whatever dumb little adventure you want! You can go disappear forever for all I care!"

Luna wavered for a moment. She wasn't quite grasping what was happening. Maybe she was hearing things because she was tired, but she bit down into her lip and turned around. It was enough. She couldn't deal with all of it anymore.

Lucius looked up as she passed him by on the stairs. He was probably going to bed after the long night, but stopped when she didn't acknowledge him. She hoped that if she walked fast enough he wouldn't be able to see the tears in her eyes.

"Luna?"

Luna didn't stop. She headed straight for the door."

"Luna, your boots."

She turned on her heels and put on her boots without saying a word. At least he wasn't telling her not to go anywhere for some reason, and somehow, that didn't sit right with Luna.

Perhaps everyone had finally come to terms with what an undesirable menace she was.

On that note, she didn't have a whole lot of options on where to go, but there was always one person she could go to no matter what.

***

"Oh come on," Luna said, banging her forehead lightly at the door to Alexei's house. The absence of Skrov's barking, the locked door and no one opening up told her everything she needed. They were out hunting, and knowing the Vieryshkins they could be out all day. It was such bad timing Luna wanted to sit on their doorstep forever, or at least until they got back, and just wallow in self-pity.

She just wanted support from someone, was it too much to ask? The entire morning had been full of hurtful comments and while she tried convincing herself she was just sick of people, she couldn't deny how much it stung. She rubbed her eyes, pausing briefly to make sure she hadn't forgotten any potential makeup on, and stood up from the doorstep.