"What's next in our super fun day of awesomeness?" Rhydian asked, jumping up and down.

"I think we should have a movie night." I butted in

"That's just a regular fun day. This is a super fun day of awesomeness." Tate winked at me.

I couldn't help but smile. "Well, you did not let me finish. Movie night in a fort!"

Rhydian cheered.

"Wow, who knew Mommy can be fun." Tate joked.

"I can be fun!" I protested. "You have no idea just how fun a can be!"

His eyes darkened. "You'll have to show me then sometime."

I could feel my face burning.

"I'll get the sleepy bags, and blankets, and pillows, and cushions, and we should all get in our pajamas!" Rhydian ranted.

"Go for it, little dude." Tate encouraged him.

He ran out of the room excited for a night where his family was all together.

*

Four hours later, the movie was over and Rhydian was fast asleep inside the makeshift fort.

Tate was laying down next to me on the pullout bed couch.

My mind was going a mile a minute. Tate is so upfront with his feelings and expressing them, which is so different than how he was in high school.

I can't help but feel like I owe him that same honesty.

"I have something to get off my chest. Don't interrupt me or I won't get it all out."

He turned his body towards me. "Go on."

"I miss you, Tate." I confessed. "I miss the Netflix binges and the way you'd climb through my window and creepily stand in the dark waiting for me."

He smiled at me.

I continued. "I want to be with you. I want all three of us to be a family so bad, but your gang just hangs over us like a dark cloud. I thought that it had to be one or the other. Maybe it doesn't though. It sounds so insignificant, but tonight has showed me that this can work. We can work. But then I get to thinking again. What if I am being selfish? I want a family. I want you in my life again, but am I putting Rhydian in danger because I miss you? Or am I just overreacting about the gang situation. I just don't know what is the right thing to do."

Tate reached over and grabbed my hand. "I think in a situation as complicated as ours, there really is no right and wrong. There are just two very different paths."

Who would have thought that Tate could be wise.

"You know where I stand, Luna. I want to give us a real shot. I understand if that is not what you want, but I can't live pining after you forever. If this isn't what you want, if I am not what you want, I am going to have to find a way to move on."

The thought of Tate with someone else made me feel sick. He is right though. It is not fair of me to expect him to wait around for me to decide whether or not I want him.

I made my decision. I do not want to go back to my and Rhydian's apartment without Tate. "I think we should try. It is not going to be easy, but as long as the gang does not affect my and Rhydian's daily life, we might be able to make this work."

Tate pulled me closer and hugged me, which was slightly awkward as we were both still lying down. "We can figure out the details once this whole Marie thing blow over. I think we should just start by dating or something small. I want to do this the right way."

We fell asleep in each other's arms for the first time in five years.

And it was the best night of sleep I have ever had.

*

Tate's POV

The sun rose and surprisingly, Rhydian was still asleep. I untangled myself from Luna.

I wanted to check in with security and make sure there were no sightings of Marie.

I dialed the number of my head of security.

"Yes, sir?" He answered his phone on the first ring.

"I wanted an update on the Marie situation. Has there been any sightings?" I asked.

There was a silence on the other end. "What situation?"

I clenched my jaw. "Josh did not brief you about Marie?"

"No, sir. Would you like me to call him and ask?" He responded.

"No." I gritted out. "I will deal with him myself. Just remain on high alert until Josh calls you."

"Yes, sir."

I hung up and called my soon-to-be-dead second in command. I stepped outside the apartment, so I did not wake up Luna and Rhydian.

"Huh?" Josh sleepily answered.

"Why didn't you tell my head of security?" I shouted. "A lunatic is on the loose and you did not tell the people hired to protect my child!"

"Woah, calm down Tate." Josh was definitely awake now. "I actually have a confession to make."

What is it with confessions lately?

"I met someone-"

I cut him off. "Now is not the time to update me on your love life!"

"It is relevant!" I sighed, but let him continue. "I am leaving the gang. The thought of anything happening to Alisha is more than enough for me to find the strength to quit. She is worth it."

"I can't say that I will be happy to see you go and we will talk about this, but how is this relevant to Marie?"

"Uh," He hesitated. "You're miserable. You've told me that Luna doesn't seem happy either. How can I run off into the sunset and live my happily ever after when someone I consider a brother is so miserable?"

"Josh." I said slowly. "Where is Marie?"

"Ohio State Penitentiary."

He lied about Marie breaking out, "Why? Just why?"

"Because I knew that you'd take any reasonable excuse to pull Luna back to you. I just gave you an excuse to try and work some shit out." Josh explained.

"You didn't have to tell me a lunatic escaped prison to do that!"

"I also wanted to scare you a bit. You never did really understand Luna's point of view. Marie is a product of a gang. They manipulated her and turned her jealousy into a weapon that ultimately made her snap. If you live this life, you are going to run into more people like Marie and maybe even worse. I am not telling you what to do, but you need to really understand that bodyguards aren't going to be able to protect all three of you every time there is a danger. Eventually either Luna, Rhydian, or you are going to get hurt. Can you live with that?"

I frowned. "Call my head of security and let him know what happened. I'll call you late about your retirement from the gang." I hung and walked back into the apartment.

Luna and Rhydian were still fast asleep in the living room.

I sat at the kitchen table.

I just need to think.

*

Luna's POV

I woke up in an unfamiliar bed. It took a minute for my memories to catch up to me.

I sat up and looked around. Tate was sitting at a table staring into his cup of coffee.

"Good morning." I mumbled. I reached over and grabbed my phone. It was two in the afternoon. "Good afternoon, I guess."

I looked around for Rhydian, but didn't see him.

"He's taking a nap in my bed." Tate answered my question before I even had to ask it. "He's had lunch already too."

"I'm sorry I slept in so much. I don't do that often." I stood up and stretched.

"I'm leaving the gang."

"Wait, what? Why?" I walked over to him and sat down.

He looked up from his drink. "Something Josh said just kind of hit me. You and Rhydian are the most important people in my life." He grabbed my hand. "I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to either of you."

"Not that I am unhappy at your revelation, but I said that five years ago. Why now?"

"I know. I guess I just wasn't ready to hear it back then."

We are both different people than we were in high school. We grew up.

"If you do this, you need to do it for yourself. If you do it for me, you might end up resenting me in the future." I didn't want to get my hopes up. What if he wakes up tomorrow and changes his mind?

Tate shook his head. "I thought about it. Yesterday showed me what it would be like to just be together without anything gang-related hanging over our heads. I want that."

"If you are absolutely sure this is your choice."

He pulled me closer. "Luna, you chose me. Now, it's my turn to choose you."

"Okay." I smiled and leaned over to kiss him.

Neither of us has kissed anyone in over five years, but it just felt right.

There were sparks and heat and a genuine connection. I never wanted to stop.

But I pulled away first. "Wow." I mumbled, still in a daze.

Tate smirked. "If you think that was great, wait until we have sober sex that we don't forget in the morning."

My eyes grew wide. "Tate! Rhydian could have heard you!" I quickly changed the subject. "Any update on Marie's location?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, about that..."