Luna was looking at me. My heart kicked.
In the lounge, the music dipped slightly, and someone tapped my shoulder. I turned—it was Nathan. In high school, he had pursued me relentlessly. Two years out, he'd shed his boyishness; a tailored suit hung well on him, his jawline was sharper, and his smile had grown more measured.
"Evelyn," he said, the name sounding rehearsed. "Long time. I heard about the wedding." "Next month." He nodded once. "Congratulations." For a fraction of a second, the love in his eyes was still palpable, raw and intense, before he quickly masked it.
I gave the tiniest shake of my head. Not you. A faint pang of regret brushed my heart; the timing was wrong, and in the end, we had missed each other.
Luna leaned in, her breath a whisper against my ear. "He still loves you," she murmured. A pause. Then, almost absently, "Is my brother-in-law even more impressive?" I didn't answer.
A few nights later, Daniel was coming over. My fiancé. We'd lived together until last week, when he moved temporarily for a project. He'd texted saying he'd be late and told me not to wait up for dinner.
I finished my shower and walked into the living room without turning on the lights. Just then, the door opened, and Daniel walked in. He headed straight for the kitchen, where warm yellow light spilled out into the dark. Wanting to play a little joke on him, I slipped off my slippers and followed quietly behind.
In the kitchen, Luna stood with her back to the doorway, wringing out a cloth. She wore loungewear nearly identical to mine. And her hair—when had it gotten so short? The cut, the fall—it was exactly like mine. In that half-light, from behind, her silhouette was a perfect echo.
Daniel walked straight up and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him. Fluid. Unthinking. "Why's it so dark in here?" he murmured.
His chin settled against the crown of her head, his voice carrying that private, intimate cadence that usually belonged only to me.
I stopped breathing. "Daniel."
My voice was thin, frayed. He jerked back as if scalded, spinning around. "Evelyn?!"
Luna flinched away. She didn't speak, clearly startled, a deep flush rising from her throat to her temples.
Daniel went pale. "I'm sorry," he stammered. "God, Evelyn, I'm so sorry. It was dark—I didn't see—I thought it was you."
I stood there, my heart pounding in my chest. "It's fine," I said. Nothing else would come.