HELLO BEAUTIFUL

Chapter 9

Luna entered her apartment and leaned against the door. She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, letting the air slowly out from her lungs. She couldn’t push out of her mind the vision of Vin’s eyes full of frozen tears while staring at hers, showing his guilt and regret through his gaze. Fuck, woman, get a grip! He’s an actor, for God’s sake! Her mind scolded.

Luna heaved a hard sigh and shook her head, dissolving her vision. After a moment, she headed into her bedroom and left her bag on the floor. Then collapsed onto the bed and closed her eyes, forcing her tears back.

How had she been so blind? How hadn’t she seen this situation coming? Who was she anyway to lecture him? Vin was right; she was just a mediocre writer with a lot of luck. All those thoughts dancing inside her mind along with Renee’s words were tormenting her soul mercilessly. Luna couldn’t help but chuckle. Oh, Ren, you have no idea who you’re working for, love, she thought.

Luna had been thinking non-stop while Mike drove her back to her place, recalling the events of this intense weekend. She decided that she was going to keep Renee out of this situation; she wasn’t going to tell her about Vin. Why bother? They were good friends and Luna loved Renee and Valentino. She didn’t want them being upset with Vin. At the end they both were his best friends and, just for a second, Luna wasn’t so sure about how Vin’s behavior was going to affect her own friendship with the couple.

Sooner or later, she was going to have to talk to Vin again about the script. She could avoid him as much as possible. It wasn’t that her physical presence was necessary at the office at all. She could write at her place. Luna had been working at One Race Film’s offices just to see Vin from time to time. Now it wasn’t necessary anymore. Aside from that, Luna had the suspicion that Renee was going to keep pushing her with her arguments about how Vin and she were made for each other.

She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Made for each other, my ass, she thought angrily as tears of anger and pain were shed unrestrained.

Luna lifted her right hand and pulled the ring off her right ring finger and after a moment of hesitation, she left it on the small bedside table. Luna shut her eyes tightly while she remembered how Vin had been making fun of her story and herself.

She had exposed so much emotion and feeling in that story. She had faced her deepest fears while writing those chapters and she was very aware of the fact that many of her readers had felt touched by the events described in those lines.

“Black Star” was full of sex, which was true, but also full of love, passion and hope. Luna had exorcised her demons while pouring her heart and soul into the story line. It meant too much to her to let anyone make fun of it. Not even Vin.

Luna didn’t know the reason why but she felt that Vin’s words had hurt her much more than his slap. Over the years, many men had hurt her in different ways, sometimes with their selfishness, sometimes with their disrespect. But not even on a single occasion had any of those men raised a hand against her, let alone actually slapped her.

She had friends in Spain whose husbands or boyfriends used to beat them; and those actions always made her sick, causing the immediate impulse to castrate the fuckers, but what about Vin? Was he an abuser?

Nevertheless, Luna couldn’t help the conviction that she had encouraged him with her words and her acts, pushing him until he lost control. Not that she knew if he had much self-control or not. Luna lifted her hand, stroking her cheek as she continued crying silently lost in thought about Vin and his behavior.

A violent behavior was just that, violent. But what about a slap? Was that violence? Parents slapped their kids; sometimes because they wanted to; sometimes because they had lost their self-control in a certain unique moment. Sometimes because they were stressed; sometimes because they were afraid; sometimes because they were frustrated. Her own mother had slapped her when she was a little girl on one or two occasions because she had made a mess, not a big deal.

One more time, her mind conjured Vin’s eyes and how they had showed guilt and regret. He was high, mad and frustrated because he couldn’t make her spread her legs once more for him. Luna thought about how he had reacted as soon as he had been conscious about what he had done. She knew that he was regretting his cowardly act one second later, and Luna couldn’t help but wonder what Vin’s mom would have thought about her famous son.

———————

Vin had collapsed onto a big couch with a Corona in his hands. He couldn’t remember exactly how many beers he had gulped down in two long gulps. Vin had been playing the scene over and over in his mind, trying to be certain in which exact moment he had lost control, slapping Luna.

Certainly, it wasn’t the fact that Luna had slapped him first. She wasn’t the first woman that had done that actually, but sure as hell her words had hurt him much more than he would have liked to admit even to himself.

Without probably being aware of it, Luna had hit too close to home with her words full of anger and pain. Not even his own mother had been able to reach his own conscience with her words. However, Vin had always managed to not let anyone hurt him anymore with words or acts.

If you wanted to be someone in this business you had to build an invisible wall around yourself, not letting anyone enter it. Critics around Hollywood weren’t exactly nice and gentle concerning his performance. He needed a big huge ego to not let those fuckers undermine his self- esteem with their unnecessary offensive cutting comments. But somehow, Luna had managed to break through that invisible wall, hurting him, showing him his most hidden faults, and she had scared him with her determination.

Vin recalled Luna’s previous words to him and her reaction. She wasn’t mad at him or disgusted. On the contrary, she was disillusioned and what was worse for him, she wasn’t angry with him. Vin had expected for her to scream and yell out of the top of her lungs, but quite the opposite, she still seemed to be worried about his behavior, telling him to look for help.

Vin shut his eyes while gulping down the rest of his beer in one shot, drying his lips with the back of his hand. His mind conjured a vision of Luna’s cheek burning in the aftermath of his cowardly act.

Vin would have sworn that he still could feel her heat between his fingers, causing his stomach to clench painfully, nauseated with the sensation. In one fast move, Vin jumped to his feet and rushed to the bathroom, hurling his guts out along with all the beers he had been drinking over the last hour.

Vin moved backwards and sat on the floor, leaning his back against the cold tile wall. He took a ragged breath and closed his eyes, letting his tears fall free. He felt like a fucking shit and not because he had been drinking non-stop during the last hour.

What was killing him inside was the way she had stared at him, fear flashing in her eyes. She was scared because she wasn’t sure if he was going to beat her again. Vin shut his eyes so tightly that it had started to hurt physically, in a lame attempt to get rid of her eyes that were piercing his soul. But those same eyes had been showing an emotion that he had seen on just a few occasions on other people around him, mercy and compassion. Luna pitied him.

He had slapped her without a reason and she had forgiven him in a matter of minutes. Vin wondered if Luna did believe in that “forgive those who hurt you, offering them your mercy because that action will bring you peace of heart and mind, making you a better person” type of thinking.

Vin chuckled sadly. Certainly that philosophy wasn’t going to help her to have success in this place of shit, full of bad interests, half-truths, heartless souls and motherfuckers without scruples that made up Hollywood. Luna would be eaten alive before a year was over, if that long. This was a jungle and like any jungle the ones who had the power were the ones in charge. And here the power was money and connections. You are what you have. Period. As much as you have so much you were worth. Pretty clear to him what the answer to that question would be. No room for complaints about how dirty and full of shit this business was anymore. No room for thoughts about how to change it for the better. She only has two options if she wants to survive in this city, Vin told silently, sighing hard.

First, she could close her eyes and look away which would only lead her to be out of business in a matter of weeks; second, she could play along like the rest, becoming one of those same motherfuckers without conscience or respect for other things aside from money and power. Becoming someone like himself. Unfortunately, Vin had learnt that lesson long ago the hard way.

Vin couldn’t help but his mind went back to those years when he was living in New York. Those days, in which he awoke each and every day feeling that he was a nobody, daydreaming about his future career as an actor. Watching how his most precious dream was out of his reach more and more with each new day that passed.

Vin tightened his jaw when he remembered how he had to come back from LA after a year lost. A year full of fruitless auditions that only led him to return to New York with his tail between his legs, feeling like a complete failure without hope or illusion.

Back then on more than one occasion, Vin had thought if it was really worth the effort and the pain. But he always had his parents behind him, showing him their support, encouraging him to not give up on his dream, forcing him to fight for those things he really wanted.

Vin had been always really close to his mother since he was a little child. She always did her best to inculcate him as well as his brother and sister, moral values and a code of ethics to be able to face the world around him. His mother was constantly showing him her support and love. Always telling him that she was more than just proud of him and his efforts to become a man who was worthy to love and respect.

Vin shut his eyes tightly as a small whimper escaped his lips while recalling all those conversations with his mother late at night in the kitchen of their house in New York.

Vin chuckled sadly when he remembered how she had pretended not to notice when his pupils were ‘suspiciously’ contracted because he had been playing with coke and drinking. Instead she had fixed her eyes on his with a serious expression, narrowing hers in suspicion, waiting for him to confess on his own. But that confession never came.

How would he be able to tell her something like that? How would any son be able to confess to his own mother that she had a wrong idea about him and that she had failed in her efforts to make him a better person?

Looking back now, even his friends had helped him. But now who were his friends? Certainly, he had Valentino and Renee at his side, and he also had …. Who else? At that very moment, Vin realized that he had no other friends who were able to help him deal with this shit apart from Val and Ren. And suddenly, he wasn’t so sure if they’d still be his friends when they’d learned what he had done to Luna.

Vin suspected that not even Val would treat him like he had before, much less after his best friend would discover that he had slapped her. Not to mention Renee’s reaction. She was going to punch his face in seconds with all her might while yelling obscenities with her eyes flashing the most impossible bright green colour.

Vin’s mind went back to his life in New York and without a second thought; Vin pulled out his cell phone and dialed his mom’s number. Just a couple of tones and she answered.

“Hi, my love.” Her soft gentle tone of voice sounded at the other side of the line. Vin felt guilt consuming him alive like his veins were full of liquid fire burning his soul and took a deep breath.

“Ma…” Was all he could force out of a throat that suddenly felt thick and dry. Vin felt so ashamed of himself that he wanted to beat the shit out of himself.

At the other side of the line, Delora frowned deeply. She knew her son better than anyone else and just listening to that little word in his deep strangled voice made her soft hair raise all at once. She took a deep breath and sat on the couch.

“I’m here, Mark. I’m listening, sweetheart.” Delora said, making herself comfortable in her seat. She suspected that this phone call was going to be of those ones that would take more than a few minutes.

Vin blinked furiously, trying to clear his blurry vision through tears. Delora listened in complete silence to how her son was crying at the other side of the line. She shut her eyes tightly and swallowed the invisible knot in her throat.

“Mark? What’s the matter, honey?” She asked, feeling her heart beating fast.

He was scaring her even though he wasn’t aware of that fact. Mark would always be her little boy even though she was very aware of the fact that he was a grown thirty eight year old man and a celebrity.

“This is me you’re talking to, Mark. I love you, honey. Now tell me what’s bothering you.” She added, frowning, concern written all over her face while forcing her own tears back. Delora was a strong woman and now she was more worried than scared.

Vin cleaned his cheeks as a ragged sigh escaped his lips. He then cleared his throat, swallowing hard. “Ma,….I… I did a horrible thing…” He trailed off, feeling his voice faltering and his world falling apart.

“Come on, Mark. It can’t be that bad, honey.” Her voice gentle yet exasperated. Just listening to him crying was killing her inside.

Vin took a deep breath and poured his heart out to his mother, hoping that she would be able to show him a path to follow.

—————-

Closing her eyes, Luna let the water flow over her body, trying to relax and forget everything concerning Vin Diesel, but her mind wouldn’t let her. It seemed to be determined to torture her with visions of both of them together and all of the events that had taken place over the weekend. Luna wondered if these visions were going to haunt her forever, like a painful punishment for her mistake.

After a long moment, she stepped out of the shower and dried off. Afterwards, she wrapped a big towel around her body and headed to her bedroom.

Luna got dressed in shorts and a tank top. She then picked up the ring, staring at it for a few seconds and then she put it back on her right ring finger. Luna took a deep breath and headed out towards the kitchen. She went directly to the fridge and pulled out a can of diet coke, then turned around, leaning against the counter, opening it and pulled out a cigarette. Luna lit it up and took a long puff, closing her eyes. She was going to take a sip of the can when the doorbell rang.

Luna glanced at her chrono, frowning and left the cigarette in the ashtray. She sighed softly and headed to the door. It was after midnight and she wasn’t expecting company at all, maybe it was a neighbor asking for something.

Luna tip toed on her bare feet and peered through the peephole. Her eyes were wide open as she gasped, shocked; a huge shiver crossed her spine when she saw who was at the other side of the door. Vin.

Luna cursed to herself silently as she shut her eyes. Fuck, her mind echoed. How the hell did he know where she lived? She wondered, biting her lower lip, her mind racing when she realized that he probably had asked Mike, who had driven her back a few hours before.

Luna recapped her options. She could pretend she wasn’t at home. Maybe he would give up and would turn on his heels, but for some unthinkable reason, she suspected that he wasn’t going to give up so easily.

The bell rang again a little longer than necessary, pulling her out of her thoughts, confirming her suspicions. After a moment of hesitation, Luna removed the security chain and opened the door.

Vin tensed as soon as he heard the chain being removed and took a step back. He didn’t want to scare her, invading her personal space. In seconds, the door opened and Luna appeared at the other side, blocking the entrance. Luna’s face was cold and unreadable.

Vin swallowed hard and fixed his gaze on her cheek; it wasn’t bruised. Silently, Vin gave thanks to God for that, he wasn’t sure if he would have been able to not throw up if he had bruised her. His heart skipped a beat and he cleared his throat.

“Luna….May I coming in, please?” He asked as he took off his sunglasses, his voice hoarse, almost a murmur.

Luna looked at him in complete silence, studying his eyes. His brown chocolate eyes were slightly red but his pupils were dilated.

“Please, Luna. I need to talk with you.” He pleaded with her, not moving a single muscle in his body.

Luna narrowed her eyes suspiciously, tilting her head to one side, thinking if she should let him enter or if she should just slam the door in his face.

“Please, Luna.” He begged, sighing hard.

In response, she rolled her eyes and moved backwards, letting him enter her apartment. Vin let out the air he had been holding for quite long time with a painful sigh.

“Thank you.”

Luna nodded, glancing at him from the corner of her eye and headed toward the kitchen.

Vin entered and closed the door behind him. He then went motionless looking around.

Luna’s apartment was really small, just a living room, a medium sized kitchen with an interior bar stool down an open space, and another room that Vin supposed was her bedroom. But in spite of that, he immediately felt warmness around him like an invisible veil that he had never felt before, not even at his own house. This caused his heartbeat to lower its rhythm. Vin took a deep breath and let out the air, slowly, relaxing his muscles that had been tensed since he entered.

Vin’s eyes wandered around the room, trying not to stare at his surroundings. There wasn’t that much furniture, just that which was necessary for a purpose. Vin noticed that in one corner, hanging from the wall over a small table with the telephone, a block of notes and a pen, right beside the kitchen’s doorframe, there was a big calendar with a picture of him.

Vin couldn’t help but chuckled silently, rolling his eyes, looking in the opposite direction. He didn’t want to make her feel embarrassed. He had already hurt her bad enough with his scorn.

“What do you want to talk about?” Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Vin looked at her, frowning slightly.

She was leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen, her arms crossed over her chest. Vin went silent, looking at her, puzzled. He hadn’t realized until now that she had long legs.

His eyes traveled slowly over the surface of her body, noticing the details. Black shorts, matching tank top. No bra, bare feet. She sure as hell spends time in the gym, he found himself saying silently.

“Yo, Vin!” She called, her voice cold. Vin shook his head, blinking.

“Huh?”

Luna narrowed her eyes and turned on her heels. She could have sworn that Vin was staring at her body. She pulled another can of diet coke out from the fridge, picked up her pack of cigarettes and headed back to the living room.

Vin was still exactly where he was, he hadn’t moved at all. Luna placed the can on the coffee table and sat in the armchair.

“You can take a seat if you want.” She said as she pulled out a new cigarette, lighting it up. She then made herself comfortable in the armchair and raised her legs, resting her feet at the edge of her seat, sipping from her can.

Vin shook his head and moved forward, taking a seat on the couch in front of her. He then looked down at the can and picked it up, opening it.

“Thank you.” He said, taking a small sip. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to let me talk to you after….well, you know.” He continued, feeling his heart beating fast. Luna stared at him, putting out her cigarette.

“I’m not a rancorous person.” Luna replied and took a sip from her can. Vin cleared his throat and swallowed hard.

That revelation was only making him feel even worse. After a moment of hesitation, Vin took his jacket off, putting it next to him.

Luna’s heart started to beat faster as soon as Vin’s tight t-shirt appeared in front of her eyes, revealing each and every muscle of his toned chest and arms. Luna cursed herself silently for paying attention to him in that way after what had happened a few hours before and stiffened slightly in her seat.

“You’ve got a nice place here.” Vin said as he lit a cigarette up, taking a long drag. “I didn’t know that you lived this close to the office.” He added, sipping from the can.

“One Race rented the place for me. Your company is paying the rent though. It’s part of my legal contract.” Luna said coldly. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to have Vin sitting in front of her inside of her apartment anymore.

Vin nodded, it made sense. Low rent and close to the job.

Luna took a deep breath and cleared her throat. “Listen, Vin. It’s late. If you have something to say then say it. If not…” She trailed off, feeling uncomfortable.

Vin rubbed his scalp as he heaved a hard sigh, looking down.

Honestly, he didn’t have a fucking clue where to begin. He had forced Mike to tell him where Luna lived and he had got in his car, driving to her by pure instinct. He hadn’t been thinking about what to tell her or how to tell her.

Luna cleared her throat when she realized that Vin was lost in thought. Vin raised his head and focused his attention on her. Without a word, he put out his cigarette, stood and went directly to the calendar with his picture. Luna tensed on her seat, cursing silently, but didn’t move.

Renee had given it to her for her birthday. She had ordered a customized calendar with pictures that had never been published before. In fact all those pictures belonged to Renee’s and Val’s private collection. There were pictures of Vin alone, a couple with Val and one with Renee laughing, sat on one knee of each one.

Vin fixed his gaze on the picture of the current month and realized that it was one that had been taken a few years before he turned out to be Vin Diesel, the famous movie star.

In the picture, he was sitting in what appeared to be a basketball court while reading a book. It seemed as if someone took it with him oblivious to that fact. Vin grinned broadly remembering those days.

Back then Val and he had been laughing while making fun about how they were going to become famous someday.

Still lost in thought, Vin picked up the calendar from the wall and stared at his picture.

“I don’t recognize me, Luna. I’m not happy with who I have become over the years.” Vin said absently as he frowned looking down at himself.

Luna’s heart started to beat a little faster than she would have liked and she felt how her hands were trembling slightly. After a few seconds, Vin raised his head and locked eyes with her.

“When Val and I moved here we had a lot of plans.” Luna couldn’t help it and a slight grin graced her lips, trying to picture them. Vin frowned without letting go of her gaze and continued. “But….we soon discovered the hard way that we were just a couple of dreamers.” He heaved a hard sigh and put the calendar in its original position. “We had been living in New York, but we seemed like two morons lost in the middle of the big city, dazzled by the bright city lights. Back then we didn’t know what hit us.”

Luna closed her eyes for a few seconds and then looked down at the floor in front of her. Before she could stop herself, she was speaking.

“When I came to LA all I knew about Hollywood was that it was the place where all the movie stars lived. I have been dreaming of this city since I was a child. I felt overwhelmed.” Luna murmured absently as she reached for her can, sipping. “Back in Spain I used to stand in front of the mirror, pretending that I was saying my speech before the Academy because I had won the Oscar for the best scriptwriter.”

Vin chuckled at that, remembering how he had done exactly the same on more than one occasion, but in his case, he had won the best male character. He went to the couch and sat again, looking at her as he made himself comfortable.

“The day Renee took me to Rodeo Drive and we ran into several actors, I almost came in my pants.” Luna added, chuckling lost in thought.

Vin laughed silently. He had more or less the same reaction the first time he met Spielberg.

Luna laughed softly remembering how she had been in the middle of the exclusive street, jumping up and down, screaming ‘oh my God, oh my God’ for more than ten minutes while Renee was laughing at the top of her lungs.

“When Spielberg phoned me to tell me that he had watched “Multifacial” and that he had written a role just for me to appear in “Saving private Ryan”, I actually did.” Vin said as he looked at Luna. She snapped her head up and they locked eyes. Slowly a grin graced his lips. “I mean, I came in my pants.” He pointed.

Luna’s brow went up and his grin turned wicked. A few seconds later they both burst out laughing.

After a long moment, Luna took a deep breath, catching her breath and tilted her head to one side. “Why are you here, Vin?” She asked softly, staring in his eyes.

Vin sighed hard and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I always hated men who hit women or kids with all my heart and soul, Luna.” He said sincerely, locking eyes with her. “What I did is unforgivable and I feel like shit right now. I have no excuses for my behavior, nor am I looking for any. I just … I’m more than sorry. I need you to tell me that you forgive me for what I did, even though I know that I don’t have the right to ask you for that.” His voice held no trace of doubt or performance. He was saying the honest truth.

Luna noticed and swallowed hard. “I already did at your house.” She said softly, frowning slightly.

Vin heaved a hard sigh and stood. He then moved forward and crouched in front of her, resting one hand on the armchair. Luna followed his eyes and stiffened slightly, making more space between them.

Vin noticed how she had tensed when he had moved closer to her and for a second her eyes flashed with fear. Vin cursed himself silently, feeling his heart aching with the suspicion that Luna was afraid of him.

“When you look at yourself in the mirror, Luna, what do you see?” He asked, locking eyes with her.

Luna arched her brow, surprised by the question and then thought a little about it. What she saw? A woman in her mid thirties, with a temper and alone. A woman in love with a famous actor who didn’t know that she existed. A woman who spent her time daydreaming of a man who was out of her reach. That’s what. But of course she wasn’t going to tell him that, and much less at this point of events.

“Actually, I try not to look at myself in the mirror.” Luna mocked, grinning. Vin smiled broadly. Good answer, he thought silently. “Especially early in the morning.” She added and her grin widened. Vin laughed at that and then went serious.

“Do you want to know what I used to see?” He asked in a murmur as he cleared his throat. Slowly Luna nodded ‘yes’. “I used to see Vin Diesel, the famous actor. But I looked at myself today after you left and I didn’t like what I saw…” He trailed off, frowning deeply. “I saw a fucker who had slapped a woman without thinking about it twice and had disrespected her just because her words had hit right on the mark.”

Luna felt her throat closing with every second that passed and swallowed hard.

Suddenly Vin felt the urge to tell her all the things he had been hiding from the rest of the world for so many years that he almost had forgotten that they were there. So, Vin cleared his throat and plunged ahead.

“My life is fucking chaos, Luna. My last two movies have been a failure and I’m almost out of the business. When I’m not high I’m wasted or on my merry way to one of those states. I’m trying to shoot a movie that nobody wants to support. I’m fucking chicks who sometimes could be my own daughters because of their ages and I don’t give a fucking shit about any of them. I have no friends who I can trust apart from Val and Ren. And on top of it, my mom had been scolding me an hour ago.”

Luna blinked and two unnoticed tears rolled down her cheeks. He chuckled at his last words, and then continued.

“My brother is married with two kids and my sister is on her way to church. Val and Renee are completely set just waiting for a good occasion to marry and have kids. I’m thirty-eight years old, I’m single and I’m alone.” He wiped her cheeks with his thumb and continued speaking. “I know you don’t give shit about it, but I needed to tell you this and don’t ask me why because I don’t have a fucking clue.” Vin finished his little speech, took a deep breath and let the air out slowly.

He suddenly felt like a heavy stone had fallen from his shoulders just because he had said all these things aloud to the last woman on earth who would have caught his attention.

Luna stared at him speechless, unable to move a single muscle or speak. She had been listening to him with her eyes wide open, unable to believe that Vin had spoken so honestly.

She wanted to hug him and tell him that everything was going to be ok and that she was going to be with him, at his side forever. But Luna bit her tongue and kept silent, because the same man who was now in front of her, staring in her eyes facing his demons was the one who had slapped her a few hours before.

Luna took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Just at that moment, she felt how Vin was now stroking her cheek with the back of his knuckles. Luna snapped her eyes open, flickering to his. Their eyes locked and time stopped around them.

The man in front of Luna was also the man she loved and she spoke.

“Why are you telling me these things?” She said almost in a whisper, she couldn’t force her voice to sound louder. “Why now?” Vin shrugged his shoulders.

“I told you. I don’t have a fucking clue.” And it was true.

He had no idea why he was telling her at all. Vin only knew that he was feeling grateful because she was listening to him after what he had done.

Luna grabbed his hand that was still on her cheek, rubbing her skin and squeezed it gently. And that very moment, Vin realized that Luna was a better person than any other he had met in a long time.

“What are you going to do now, Vin?” Luna asked him. Vin looked at her puzzled for a second. “I mean, with your life.” She added. Vin squeezed her hand gently, chuckling sadly and got to his feet.

“Now?” He asked, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. Luna nodded ‘yes’. “I’m going to go back to my house, I’m going to forget everything I said to you and I’m going to go back to being the same selfish bastard without feelings I’ve been during the last four years.” With that he grabbed his jacket and turned around, heading to the door.

The next thing that Luna said left both of them shocked beyond belief.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going, Diesel?!”

Vin froze in place and slowly he turned his head to look at her. Luna jumped to her feet and went to his side, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.

“You think that you can come here, tell me all these things and then turn around on your heels and act as if you hadn’t said them?”

Vin looked at her through narrowed eyes. She was confusing him more than he liked. Luna took a deep breath and cleaned her tears.

“Do you really think that I’m going to let you go like that?” She asked, fixing him with a serious gaze as a heavy sigh escaped Vin’s lips.

“Listen, Luna. I’m not gonna change. I’m not gonna be the man you…” Luna didn’t let him finish.

“I know you’re not gonna change, Vin. But…, but now you have a new friend to call if you’re down or if you feel alone.” She replied, smiling slightly.

Vin looked at Luna as if she had grown a second head, completely amused. Luna grinned, offering him her hand.

“Hi, I’m NJ,” she said smiling shyly, “scriptwriter and a bitch.” Vin looked down at her hand for a few seconds and then back up her eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he shook it. “Nice to meet you.” Luna added, blushing slightly. Vin’s brow went up at once.

“Hi, I’m Vin Diesel, movie star and an asshole.” He replied and lingered on their handshake. “My pleasure.” Vin added, smiling broadly. Then, he turned on his heels and headed toward the door with her hand still in his. Luna followed him.

“I’ll see you around.” She said and their eyes locked. In response Vin slowly nodded ‘yes’ and released her hand, opening the door.

Luna held the door while he put his jacket on. He then turned to look at her. “That means we are friends now, aren’t we?” Vin asked, grinning and couldn’t help but his voice sounded tinted with longing. Luna chuckled and nodded ‘yes’. “Thank you, NJ.” He bent his head, kissing her cheek. Luna closed her eyes as a shiver crossed her spine.

“Anytime, Diesel.” She replied, smiling slightly. Vin nodded and headed towards the elevator.

Luna closed the door and pressed her forehead against it, closing her eyes. She wasn’t sure about anything anymore and that was something that scared the shit out of her. Ok, could she be Vin’s friend. At the end it wasn’t that bad after all. Better friends than nothing, Luna, she told herself, sighing hard.

Vin stepped in the elevator and leaned against the wall. Closing his eyes, he thought about the things he had said to Luna and realized that he never had said them aloud to anyone, not even to Val.

Vin chuckled sadly to himself while recalling his weekend. Damn! He had experienced and shared with Luna more feelings and emotions in two days than with any other woman in his entire existence. What the fuck is wrong with you, Diesel? He asked himself, narrowing his eyes as he thought about his new “friend” Luna.

—————————-

“Ok, guys. Do you want to know the baby’s sex?” The doctor asked while he picked up a little ultrasound scanner, pressing it on Luna’s rounded belly.

They locked eyes, feeling the same emotion and both nodded wildly ‘yes’, unable to speak aloud. The doctor shook his head, rolling his eyes.

“Great.” He said, grinning as he swiveled his chair to one side, uncovering a screen. “Let’s see…hmmm…here’s one leg and this is an arm….” The doctor trailed off while fixing his gaze on the screen, moving the little scanner to the left side of Luna’s belly. Vin’s eyes opened wide, while gently squeezing Luna’s hand as her eyes filled with tears. “Wow!” The doctor exclaimed, laughing hard.

Luna and Vin looked at each other for a few seconds and then they looked at him with eyes wide open. The doc gently pressed the little ultrasound scanner and turned his head, looking at Luna through narrowed eyes, grinning.

During all of her pregnancy, the baby had been in one position that never allowed them to discover if it was a boy or a girl. They had always entered the room, hoping that the baby had moved so they could see it, but not even once had they had succeeded.

It wasn’t that they really cared, as long as the baby was ok, but they were more than just curious.

Luna never had been patient at all and she was damn sure that she had been waiting enough time to know it. Luna wanted to scream, the uncertainty was killing her.

“Now, what is it? Damnit!” She cried exasperated. “Tell me what the fuck I’m gonna give birth to!” She added, feeling mad as hell. Vin squeezed her hand gently and bent his head, kissing her temple softly.

“Relax, mami,” Vin murmured against her skin. “or we’re not gonna need him to tell us.” He teased, grinning.

Luna shot him a murderous gaze, muttering obscenities in Spanish under her breath. Vin then turned his attention to the doc and fixed him with a serious gaze. The doc rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

“He’s a boy.” He said, again turning his gaze to the screen. “At least that’s what I think.” Luna gasped shocked and grabbed the doc’s wrist.

“What the hell you mean with ‘you think’, doc?” Luna said frowning deeply. The doc laughed hard and pressed a finger on the screen.

“You see this?” He asked and glanced at Vin. In response, Vin leaned forward slightly, fixing his gaze on the screen, frowning deeply.

“Yeah.” He said, looking back at Luna, shrugging his shoulders.

The doc grinned devilishly and swiveled his chair to look at them. He had loved this couple since the very first day they came to his clinic.

“Well, guys. He’s a boy or she has three legs.” He said nonchalantly and burst out laughing. Vin looked at Luna and then back at the screen. “Damn! This boy is going to be big, Luna.” He added between laughter. Luna rolled her eyes, giggling.

“Hell, yeah! Just like his daddy, here.” She retorted, grinning like a loony.

Vin blushed as he narrowed his eyes, flashing her with a ‘you’re gonna paid for that later’ expression on his face. That only caused Luna to stare at his eyes as she stroked his arm up and down, mouthing ‘I love your size”. In response, Vin smiled broadly, feeling his dick twitch.

Yesss…God bless pregnancy hormones, he thought silently.