Unlucky Like Us (Like Us, #12)

by Krista Ritchie

So perfect Original Luna didn’t know every little thing about Donnelly then. I may have a leg up on her in this stupid pseudo competition in my head. I’ve never been competitive, so I don’t know why I’ve decided to compete against myself. Maybe it’s another amnesia symptom: the sudden urge to defeat my alternate version.

“Can I do anything?” “For what?” He blows smoke over his shoulder, away from me. “For you.” I shrug. “You’ve been doing a whole lot for me.” “This is enough,” he breathes. I frown. “But I’m not really doing anything.” “You’re alive, Luna.” He holds my gaze. “And I get to look at you and talk to you and go on dates with you. What more could I want? That’s everything to me.”

“So we’re dating?” Is that what we are? “And we’ve never dated outside our rooms before?” “You just got out of the hospital.” He looks me over, and I wonder if he’s thinking, you don’t remember me, Luna. “We should take this slow. But I can talk to security about going out in public together. I’m hoping we’ll be able to now that most of my family is locked up. If you’d want to, that is.” “I want to,” I say with a nod, eagerness brewing in my body.

My heart flutters. “I think earthlings have a strange effect on me.” “All earthlings or just me?” He spins my chair, and I sit cross-legged while I rotate 360. My room whirls past me. “This is the first real close encounter I’ve had with your species, so I can’t be too sure.”

“So you know, I’m one-of-a-kind. There aren’t a lotta humans like me. Just ask the mirrors, the floor, Moondragon, they’d all agree.” “Moondragon?” “The little fishy guy over there.” He twirls me in another circle, and I catch a glimpse of the goldfish swimming laps in the bowl.

I intake a sharp breath. I told Donnelly about my fish. Moondragon. It’s not lost forever, which means I confided in someone. I confided in him. And I’m starting to wonder if Original Luna more than just “liked” Donnelly. Did she really love him? He said he’s one-of-a-kind, so if I look elsewhere, I might not feel the tingles and electricity that I feel with him—but I wonder if OG Luna had proof.

You and me—the two of us—we’re fairly new.” Didn’t expect that. Something about Donnelly makes me feel like I’ve known him my whole life, as if we’ve been together millenniums already.

“So she was into hookups until you. What’d you do to her?” He grins. “Only you know that, space babe.” I wish that were true. “You rocked her universe somehow.” “With my good looks and wit.”

Donnelly spins me while I’m standing, and I balance, smiling as I whirl around and around and around. During each turn, I try to pin my sole focus on him, and everything begins to blur except for Paul Donnelly. He is the most vivid thing ahead of me, and I never want to lose sight of him.

“Do you think,” I say in another rotation, “that we could trigger memories of you and me?” “How so?” I see his blue eyes. I see his pink lips. Anticipation and attraction swirl like a toxin around me, but I want to believe it’s the opposite of poisonous. Being this close to Donnel...

“Bad idea?” she asks quietly, searching my gaze for answers. Not sure it’s one. I never regretted eating her out for the other experiment. I’d do it all over again—I’ve always known that. And given the opportunity a second time around, my instinct is to rush forward, to race right after her desires. Which have become mine. Kissing Luna? Can’t turn that down if you paid me to.

Then I reach out and cup her soft, flushed cheek, blood pumping like I’m boarding a rocket. She’s grinning. My lips begin to rise. “I’m at your earthly service, space babe.”

“You ready for takeoff?” I breathe. “Yes,” she whispers, her hands on my shoulders. “Let the experiment commence.” I bring her head down with gentleness, and very slowly, I press my lips to hers. Light bursts in my chest, and I urge her lips apart in a sensual motion. Her tongue slides against mine in exploration, and I want to go on every journey to every fucking place with this girl. Don’t leave me behind, Luna.

I step onto the chair with her. The instant I tower above Luna, her breath hitches. Swiftly, I place a hand on the small of her back, holding her body against mine. Stabilizing her. Then I carefully kick the desk, and we spin. Rotating 360 on her chair, we haven’t stopped making out.

We share a lethal attraction, and I’ve never fully understood Romeo and Juliet till I found a love I’d rather die inside than live without. Remember me.

No matter what happens to me, to us, I can’t let darkness shade my world. It’s the brightest it’s ever been with her. That’s the happy truth.

This is her first time with me. It’s a jolting thought. If she asked for more years ago, after I gave her head, I woulda done it. So why is that thought trying to rattle me now? I shake it off and push her up against the wall, the midnight blue and gold-stitched Sagittarius tapestry at her back.

She bites the edge of her lip, thinking, before she speaks quietly. “Does kissing her feel better than kissing me?” It plunges a knife in my chest, but I’m not letting on how much that hurts to hear. “No,” I say strongly. “Feels the same to me.”

“I kinda believed it was a long shot too. But I thought it’d be fun…to kiss you—I wanted you to kiss me.” Her cheeks flame. “I wanted to do more too.” She glances at my unzipped pants. “I feel so…” She winces, then tries to palm her reddened face to hide. “No, no, Luna,” I breathe, holding her warm cheeks. She’s never hidden like this from me, like I’m her prick of an ex-boyfriend causing her to question herself. My second go-round with Luna—I can’t fuck it up this quickly.

“You wanna know who I am?” She nods, clinging to my gaze. “I’m the guy who’s never been ashamed of anything I’ve ever done. I’ve stripped down in sweaty nightclubs, humped bronze statues at 2 a.m., skinny-dipped in strangers’ pools, pierced my cock, tattooed you.” She’s barely blinking, and I don’t stop. “Went down on you after your dad threatened my job over tattooing you, then tattooed you again.” Her eyes well.

“I’ve been the son of addicts, a high school dropout, a slut, a tattooist, and a bodyguard, and I love everything about myself, despite so many people telling me I should hate who I am. That I’m shit. That I’m nothing. Not worth air. Not worth this life. I know I’m worth everything. And the girl I’ve fallen for—she’s loved herself tenderly. Wholeheartedly.” A tear escapes her eye and slips over my hand against her...

I cradle her watery gaze. “You don’t embarrass me, Luna Hale. You never have, and you never will. It’s something you already knew, but I’ll tell you a million times if I need to: I’m the guy who’s never gonna be ashamed of anythi...

More urgently, I say, “I’ve fucked you wearing a superhero mask. I’d fuck you wearing a unicorn head. You going at my zipper isn’t a turn-off or anything.” “Then what made you stop?” Why did I stop? Slowly, I drop a hand from her cheek, just to scrape my palm against my taut neck. The words are tar in my throat, but somehow, I get ‘em out. “I don’t wanna be an experiment.”

The first experiment was a steppingstone for her to go figure out what she liked to do with other guys, and I’m not gonna be her gateway lay again. I can’t lose her like that.

“Okay,” Luna nods rapidly. “We’ll go slower until I’m more certain.” She’s holding onto my beltloops. “I’m not planning on doing anything physical with anyone else in the meantime though. I think it’d hurt Original Luna…and maybe me, too.”

She frowns. “I think my first time was disappointing.” She peeks up at me for confirmation. “I wasn’t with you in bed, space babe.” “Damn. I wish you were stuck on me.” “The barnacle to your ship.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get stuck on you.” I already am.

Maximoff emerges, unleashing her excitable puppy. The fluffy guy comes bounding for…me. My grin returns. “Who’s a good boy?” I squat and scratch behind his ears. “That’s you. Yeah, you know it, don’t you, Orion? My happy bud.” I feel Luna studying me and her dog like she’s never seen Man’s Best Friend before. I look up at her. “We’re best bros.” “Huh.” “I love dogs and dogs love me.” I leave out the fact that Kinney’s puppy would like to murder me in my sleep.

“I can go,” I say as I stand. “No,” Luna panics. “You don’t have anywhere to be today, right? We’re hanging out.” Maximoff uncrosses his arms, gesturing to me. “You should stay. This is your home too, Donnelly.” That strikes me, right to the core.

Maximoff could so easily tell Luna to trust him more than me, and she would believe him. He’s been her closest sibling. Maybe I shouldn’t even be shocked that he’d put faith in me to take care of his sister. He’s only wanted Luna to be safe and happy, and he must see that both lie with me.

The Hales are something else. The Bad Luck Crew. Never thought I’d grow to love them as much as I do.

“People were shitty,” she says quietly. “Are shitty, I’m guessing. They’re calling me what…a freak?” She frowns. “Luna the Tentacle Smut Lover?” “That’s what I call myself.” She smiles over at me. “You love tentacle smut?” I suck on my cigarette, nodding. Blowing smoke at the ceiling, I say, “It’s a favorite. I love yours.” Flush creeps up her neck, but she’s interlacing her fingers with mine and turning more towards me on the bed. “I can’t believe she let you read our smut.” Her smile widens. “I kinda love her for it.” “Ditto.”

I’m drawn into her emerging effervescence. Big word, effervescence, I know. It’d shock the pants off my dad, but I do read.

“What if I can help her?” Luna says, perking up. “What if some good can come out of my memory loss? If she couldn’t face the world after what happened, maybe I can.” She adds, “This is my chance to get over the internet trolls and go to college fully this time.” Pride is a sappy emotion, and I’m bathing in it right now. “I think you would’ve been proud of yourself, Luna Hale.”

She lifts a finger toward me, and I press my fingertip to hers like we’re in E.T. “Is this where I get powers?” I ask her. “Or are you gonna abduct me?” “Abduction, obviously.” We’re laughing, and I tell her, “I’m ready. Take me to your planet.” More softly, she says, “I forgot the way.” It tunnels through me, and we gaze into one another, searching. Quieter, she whispers, “I’m lost with no map.” “You’ll find your way back,” I reassure. She will.

Lying in bed alone or lying in bed with the comfort of the girl I love? No brainer.

I hold her, and as I begin to drift, I hear her murmur one last thing to me. “I wanna do all the amazing things in this world.” The tail-end is too quiet to catch, but I’m hoping she said, with you. Please let it be with me.

I’ve said it before, but he doesn’t need to deal with me and my shit. I’ve never wanted to drag him down with me, and I’m doing it now. “Look at me,” Farrow urges, his clutch strong on my skull. I let my hand fall off my hot face. And with everything inside him, he tells me, “You are my family.” Tears gather in both our eyes, tears I don’t think we’ve ever shared like this. “That’s never changing.”

“I walked into that row house, and I genuinely thought nothin’ could hold me back from the light. I’ve walked through so much shit my whole life, and nothing has latched on to me like this. But seeing her there—I brought it back with me.”

“We’ll get through it, and being honest, PTSD is a typical outcome with what happened.” “PTS-who?” I play dumb. “I just told you I’m a Jedi Knight.” “Shut the fuck up.”

I look up at my best friend. The closest thing I’ll ever have to a brother. And I know I’m gonna be okay, even if it takes some time. Bagel. Friends. Easier nights. Better tomorrows. He clasps my hand, and I rise.

“Oliveira, tell production to scram.” Oscar blinks. “Scram?” “Yeah, scram.” Oscar’s brows crinkle. “Call me nuts but this isn’t the West Side Story, and I’m not participating in a fucking rumble.”

Jack’s bright grin hasn’t faded. Strange. Oh wait, Jack is approaching Oscar, and they’re kissing! Whaaat in the world. My jaw slowly unhinges. “They’re married,” Donnelly says to me, and he’s full-on grinning like it’s the best news he gets to tell me.

“Luna, No Middle Name, Hale,” Tom greets first, nearly jogging to reach me, as if I’m so far away. I’m right here, I want to yell, but it’d be a half-truth, a half-lie. Parts of me are gone.

“Just to be clear”—I face Tom and Eliot—“I still don’t remember the last three years, so I have questions.” I hoist my journal. “I’ve been writing them down.” Eliot smiles. “How very Luna of you.” “The most Luna thing you could do, really,” Tom adds, his eyes a little reddened. “On brand.”

“You already know Donnelly.” Do they despise him and me together? Do they think we’re a bad match? I just go ahead and ask, “Are we all cool?” “Cool as a cucumber,” Tom says with a big nod. “The four of us are like the Four Musketeers. Unbreakable. Unstoppable.” “Thick as thieves,” Eliot chimes in. Behind them, Donnelly’s brows rise in disbelief. “This happen when I was asleep or what?”

Eliot gives him a hard look. “We were on our way to becoming a four-pod, ride-or-die friendship group. Right on the cusp,” he says dramatically, then waves to his brother. “Tom and I just decided to fast forward the awkward beginning, so we can solidify the inevitable.” Tom nods wholeheartedly. “We’re basically all friends.”

I still have to keep up appearances with anyone who’s not family or security. The outside world needs to think all is well. I have all my memories. Nothing to see here!

“Harriet,” Tom groans. “Just hang up.” “Luna wouldn’t be rude to her,” Eliot defends. I’m befuddled. “So do I like Harriet or not?” The call is about to ring out. “Someone tell me fast.” “You like her,” Eliot and Tom say together, and Tom adds, “But I personally have mixed, mostly negative, feelings.”

When I end the call, Eliot applauds. Tom claps, a little less enthused since Harriet is involved, I’m guessing. “Brilliant,” Eliot says and tosses sugar packets my way like rose petals. “A masterclass in acting.” “Ten points to Hufflepuff,” Tom says.