LUNA

Bleary eyed, I glance up from the book to take a look at the time. When the numbers on the clock blink back 3:10 am, I shut the cover of the novel in surprise.

My first thought is: I didn't realise how late it was getting. And my next: I've been reading for 5 hours straight?

I haven't picked up a book since high school yet I devoured this in one sitting? Still surprised with myself, I gaze back down at the cover of Ruthless King, Milo's most popular book. The cover adorns a gorgeous, shirtless, man with striking eyes and sharp features, a gold crown sitting crooked on his dark head of hair.

The novel is about the forbidden romance between a heartless king and the fiery assassin who is set out to kill him. This book is the ultimate, don't judge a book by its cover; yes it's steamier than I anticipated (not that I particularly mind anyway) but the smut doesn't overwhelm the plot and neither does the lust overpower the emotional connection between the two characters. The protagonists, Alexander and Meredith, have insane chemistry in all its forms and I am loving reading about their interactions.

I slide up against my headboard, massaging my fingers into the kink in my neck from reading in a weird position before propping back open the novel and falling back into the story. I'm at the part in the novel where it is revealed to Alexander and his government that Meredith is not who she says she is and is imprisoned for treason. The tension in the story is at its peak and my heart hammers against my chest as I wait to see what is going to happen next.

By the time I have completed the novel and have finished staring at the ceiling processing the story, my vision is blurred and it's nearing 5am.

I place the book on the bedside table and replace it with my phone to send off a series of excited texts to Milo. I don't expect him to reply seeing as it's literally 5am so I'm thoroughly surprised when barely a minute later my phone pings with a notification.

I ask him: Why are you awake??

Milo: I was writing. He attaches a picture of him with his laptop, shirtless, dark hair mused and dorky glasses sitting on his face. Before I can reply he texts: Why are YOU awake?

Me: I was reading your book, you know, the one I just sent a gazillion texts about...

Milo: I still can't believe you finished it so fast

Me: Did you forget we have a bet I'm determined to win?

Milo: Ah, and here I was thinking my book was so good you just couldn't put it down

Me: That too

Me: You know this is ⅓ of the challenge complete, I am so gonna win :D

The text bubbles appear for a moment and then disappear before my phone begins to ring.

"You're cute for thinking you're going to win the challenge," Milo says teasingly, once the line connects. His voice is all smooth and deep; it doesn't fail to bring a swarm of butterflies to my belly.

"I might just start a second book now and finish that today just to prove your point." I reply stubbornly.

There's a rumble of quiet laughter and then: "Go to sleep Luna. Don't you have work tomorrow?"

"My shift starts at 4pm so I can sleep in until 3pm if I wanted to."

"Don't do that," Milo says quickly, "I want to see you for lunch."

"You want lunch?" I repeat slightly shocked. "With me?"

"You sound surprised." I hear the humour in his voice and then rustling on the line like he's shifting positions. At the sound, I'm filled with the image of a shirtless Milo getting all cosy in bed and I'm grateful that we're only on call so that he can't see me being flustered at the thought.

"It's because I am," I finally reply, blinking so that the image disappears from my mind.

"I didn't realise it was surprising that I want to spend time with you." Milo returns smoothly, "So is 1:30 okay for you?"

I nod but then I realise that he can't see me. "Yeah, " I say, clearing my throat, "that's cool."

"Can't wait." And although I can't see him, I can tell he's smiling. "Well, you better get some sleep then Luna."

"You too." I respond softly.

"Night, angel"

An involuntary smile touches my lips at the nickname. "Night, Milo."

***

Ruining my sleep cycle for a book probably wasn't the wisest decision. I wake up at 12pm, groggy and exhausted. Bright sunlight streams from the cracks in my curtains, blinding me as I try and peel my eyes open. I scrub a palm over my face and blindly search for my slippers on the cold, hardwood floor. Once my feet slip into the fluffy cotton, I pull myself out of bed and throw the rest of the covers away from my body before shuffling into the bathroom.

After a quick, cold shower to wake me up, I glance at the clock mounted on my wall to see that it is nearly 12:30pm. I get changed into a white sundress seeing as it is warm and sunny out today and push a white cotton headband into my curls to keep my hair out of my face.

Then, grabbing my keys and bag, I head out of the front door and make my way to Milo's apartment.

"Hey, you're here," Milo smiles as he steps aside and welcomes me into his apartment about 30 minutes later. He's bare feet, dressed in a black t-shirt and black jeans, scrubbing a towel over his damp hair which causes his dark locks to stand up in every which way.

I wave at him in hello and step into the apartment, though, before I even get a chance to walk properly through the threshold, I'm attacked by something small and extremely fluffy.

"Mila, sit!" Milo orders the dog that is bouncing around my feet excitedly and is completely ignoring Milo's demand, letting out a little woof in defiance instead. I crouch down and scratch the puppy behind its ears.

Then, glancing back up at Milo, as the dog's name registers in my mind, I ask, "Her name is Mila? As in the girl version of your name?"

Milo nods, looking proud. "Creative, right?"

I laugh amusedly. "Yeah, it is."

Milo's grin widens and he bends down to pick up the pup. "Your brother said that Mila and I look alike." He tells me, lifting Mila so her head is next to his. "Personally, I don't see it. Archer does come up with a lot of bullshit."

I flicker my eyes between the two and another laugh sputters out of me almost immediately as I see the resemblance; they both have that cheeky, excited glint in their eyes.

"Isn't it a thing where pet owners look like their pets?" I state, straightening up again.

"Yeah," Milo nods, "like that fish you had, Apollo? He looked just like you."

I gasp. "You did not just compare me to my dead fish of 12 years."

"He acted like you too, when anyone even came close to its tank it would hide and shy away."

I point a finger at him accusingly. "I am offended."

Milo simply laughs at my outrage and Mila barks excitedly at the sound.

I frown at the dog. "Mila, you traitor."

The dog woofs and wags her tail and Milo puts her down to the floor to let her run off down the hall.

"So what are we doing for lunch?" I ask over the pattering of Mila's laws against the hardwood floor, glancing briefly around Milo's entryway. There's a bunch of framed pictures decorating the walls; of Milo and his family, Milo and my brother, pictures of Mila and even one of Milo and I when we were kids.

"I thought we could eat Italian, in the park," he responds, pulling my attention away from the photos and onto him, "it's sunny outside."

I nod in reply, "sounds nice."

"I've already ordered our food so I'm hoping carbonara is still your favourite."

I smile at the fact he remembers. "Yep, it is."

"Great," he grins, satisfied. "Let me just get Mila's leash and then we can go. "Mila!" He calls out for her in a singsong voice, walking in the direction the puppy went, "we're going on walkies!"

As he goes to collect Mila, I take the chance to flit my eyes around his apartment and explore a little. It's small but cosy with what looks like books stuffed into every possible surface; in piles on the coffee table, bursting out of a large bookshelf, stacked up beside a potted plant near the TV.

In the corner of the living room sits a large oak desk with a laptop balancing dangerously on a stack of papers. The entire desk is messy with red pens, various novels and what looks like manuscripts sprawled all over the top. I assume this is where he sits and writes his books.

He also has some art pieces on the wall and when I look closer, one specific piece catches my eye. I move towards it, to check that I'm not mistaking the painting for something else but moving closer only confirms my initial thought. It's a painting I did.

"It's my favourite one." I glance over my shoulder to watch Milo walk into the living room again, looking at the same painting I'm looking at.

"I can't believe you hung it up." I murmur. It's a painting of a landscape I gave to him as a graduation present. It was the most time consuming painting I had ever completed and I had spent hours on it.

The painting is of Milo in a field full of dandelions and the sunset in the background. The inspiration was from a real picture I took of him one time when we were coming back from dinner and the car broke down and we were stranded near a dandelion field. Whilst Nova and Archer bickered over trying to fix the flat tire and my parents were trying to find a signal to call AA, Milo and I had ventured into the field to make wishes with the dandelions. It was definitely one of my favourite memories of the two of us.

"Why wouldn't I hang it up, it's beautiful."

I turn to look at Milo, only to catch him looking at me already. My face warms, even though I know he's only talking about the painting. A weird tension flutters between us for a moment but it's shortly broken when Mila bounds towards us, running circles around both of our legs, her leash clinking against the floor.

Milo takes that as a signal to pick up her leash and gesture to the door. "Let's go."

***

After picking a nice spot in the shade from the bright afternoon sun, we let Mila chase a ball a small distance away and Milo and I sit on our blanket with delicious pasta dishes in our laps and fall into easy conversation

"Do you still paint?" He asks me, over the rim of his coke can before he brings the drink to his mouth and takes a large swig.

"Yes," I reply, but then pause hesitantly, "but, uh, not as much as I used to."

Milo scrunches up his eyebrows, looking slightly disappointed. "Why not?"

"I don't really have a straight answer to that." I shrug. "Painting just stopped being a priority for me."

Art had always been an outlet for me, something I could put all my focus on and get lost doing for hours. But after I finished highschool, it became something that I couldn't afford to spend my time doing, I had to focus on college and then after university my focus was on my move to New York and then my job. I ended up having very little time for myself let alone for art. And it really was a shame because painting was the one thing I really enjoyed and the one thing I am genuinely good at. I still try to find time to paint sometimes but it isn't very often and I haven't completed a canvas in nearly a year.

"Why not? It's something you love." Milo says. "I thought you wanted to be an artist?"

"I don't know what I want to be anymore." I say quietly, anxiety bubbling in the pit of my stomach. Anytime I even think about what I want to do in the future, it sends me into a state of panic.

I get a little awkward when silence fills the space between us and shift in my seat uncomfortably but it doesn't last long as Milo switches the subject easily.

"My publishing company is having an event next week," he says and I'm grateful for the distraction away from any talks about my future plans. "I want you to be my date."

It takes a second for the second part of his statement to register in my mind. "Wait, what? You want me to be your date?"

Milo nods.

"Oh, uh, why would you ask me?"

"I just wanted to." He shrugs like it's no big deal. "Everyone invited is a bunch of rich old men so having you there would make it bearable."

"Is there not anyone else you would ask?"

"I'm asking you." Milo must see the apprehension on my face because then he adds: "The food is good, it's an open bar and we don't have to speak to anyone we don't want to." He then bats his eyelashes playfully. "Please come with me."

I'm silent for a second but then Milo's pleading quickly wins me over. "Alright why not," I sigh. Milo's face lights up at my agreement and it makes me more resolute in my answer to go with him. He's pleased. Really pleased. And I try not to let myself overthink what that could mean.

–

AUTHORS NOTE

I am extremely sorry for going AWOL for a month (please don't hate me) I've been preparing for uni and have been going through a bit of a crisis with my writing/stories 😓

Hope you had fun reading, lots of love always - Mai ♡