In Between ➣ Cash Baker ✔️

13. Luna

"Ashley it's over," I spoke as we exited school.

"No it's not, Luna!" Ashley pushed open the doors and we squeezed by multiple other students to get to the parking lot.

"Ash, we're going to court tomorrow. He's my legal guardian and he's going to win," I sighed as we got to my car. "I have one more night here before I leave."

"Does Cash know?"

"No and he's not going to."

"Luna you fucking idiot. You're just going to up and leave?" Ashley slammed her hand against the side of my car out of anger. "That boy loves you and you're going to leave him?" She raised her voice and i swallowed my tears.

"I have to go, Ashley," I spoke sternly. Ashley took a few steps back to let me get in the car. "I'll see you tomorrow at the court." I added before shutting the door and heading home.

When I got home, neither my aunt or my dad were home. I knew my aunt wasn't going to be home, she was out looking for something to wear for tomorrow. As for my dad, I heard from my aunt that he was staying at a motel. I headed inside and up to my room after locking the front door.

I took a long shower and threw on shorts and an over sized t shirt. I laid in my bed, staring at the ceiling and counted the stars. All 35 of them. I heard the front door opened and wished it was my aunt. My prayers were answered moments later when she opened my bedroom door.

"Hey Luna," her voice was soft and I sat up to face her. She had a shopping bag in one of her hands and I assumed she had found something to wear.

"He's going to win," I told her. Auntie Jen just smiled sadly and sat on the bed next to me.

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do. Everyone's been telling me that he may not win but he is going to win," I got off my bed and started pacing the floor. "He's going to win because that's how my life is going. The universe is against me and has been all along." I picked up on of my pillows that had fallen off my bed and threw it at the window.

"Can I just be alone?" I asked with my head hung low. I saw out of the corner of my eye my aunt get off my bed. She took a hold of my doorknob and swung the door gently back and forth.

"I love you, Luna," she whispered loud enough for me to hear. Auntie Jen didn't wait for me to answer before shutting my bedroom door.

I heard my phone vibrating and saw his name flash across the screen. I inhaled deeply before answering and sitting myself back on my bed.

"Hey, Luna!" Cash's voice was so cheery that I barely recognized the tear coming down my cheek.

"Why'd you call?" I asked, not meaning for it to make it sound snappy. "I- I'm not mad that you did I'm just," I paused, "confused."

"Because, I don't know," I heard him laugh. "I missed you."

"But I haven't gone anywhere," I told him. Yet my mind added.

"I know," he laughed softly again and I smiled. I laid back on the bed, letting my back hit the soft fabric. "Tell me something you're scared of saying out loud," he dared me. I held the phone closer to my ear , hoping I could hear the sound of him breathing on the other side. I looked out my window at the moon, knowing he was seeing the same one.

I took a deep breath. "I love you," I heard his smile before he even spoke.

"See? That wasn't so hard after all." I smiled back, shaking my head.

"You're an idiot."

"You really love me?" Cash asked, almost pleading. I turned on my other side to face a blank wall that had a string of polaroid pictures. Most of them were with Ashley, a few with my aunt.

"You know the 'you can't love someone unless you love yourself' bullshit? I have never loved myself. But you? Oh, god I love you so much I forgot what hating myself felt like." I stared back up at my ceiling and looked over the glow and the dark stars once again.

"Cash?"

"Hmm?"

"Why's your baseball number 35?" I asked softly.

"I think you know," he answered. I smiled because I did know the reason why. I knew the reason why Cash did the things in his life.

He didn't have to worry about moving across the country and leaving his best friend and real family. He went to school, got good grades, went to baseball practice, and hung out with his friends.

The next morning I was woken up early by my aunt. I took a quick shower just to get my hair wet so that it could dry naturally and put on a black dress I had in the back of my closet. The straps were thin and on my feet were nude heels with only half an inch of height. I was too nervous to eat so my aunt and I just headed straight for the council were my future would be decided.

"Don't be nervous," my aunt took a hold of my shoulders while we waited outside.

"It's hard not to be," I mumbled back. After half an hour of waiting, Ashley showed up. She hopped off a bus and came over to us. She was in black formal pants and a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

"Someone looks professional," my aunt admired Ashley's outfit and she gave her a closed mouth smile.

"I was up late manifesting that you'll be staying here with your aunt." Ashley sat next to me on a bench while my aunt stood off to the side on her phone. "Have you even had a conversation with your dad?" Ashley asked and I shook my head.

"He barely comes by the house and when he does, I stay in my room," I respond.

"And Cash has no idea that you're here?" Ashley asks and I shake my head again.

"I told him that I loved him." I spoke and Ashley's eyebrows shot up, a mixture of excitement and shock on her face. "I had to," I shrugged, "he needed to hear it."

"Oh, babe," Ashley sighed and took my hand in hers. I let my head hit the wall behind us and we waited in silence.

I didn't want to leave. I had a fifty percent chance of leaving but technically the odds were in my father's favor. I bit down on my lip as we waited and I let my thoughts swallow me whole, wanting so badly to escape reality.

—-

if you didn't pick up on it, cash's baseball number is the same number of stars on luna's ceiling :')

also i chose the number 35 for this story because cash's birthday is on the third month and the fifth day (i'm so smart omgomgomg)