Luna

It had been two weeks since the close call with my parents in the elevator, and Colton and I had become quite skilled at sneaking around. We had successfully kept our relationship under wraps, but it was becoming increasingly challenging. We missed each other so much that we couldn't fully express our love in public anymore, and we had to be cautious when sneaking into each other's apartments.

One particular day, I accompanied my family to celebrate Colton's mother, Evelyn's 60th birthday at Dansville. The venue was adorned with beautiful decorations, and the party was in full swing by the time we arrived. I took a deep breath, attempting to calm my nerves. As soon as I walked in, my eyes scanned the room until they found Colton. He was engaged in a conversation with Hannah Fuller near the bar, and she looked absolutely stunning in her gold dress. A mix of anger and jealousy washed over me, causing my heart to sink.

Sensing my sudden change in mood, my mom asked, "Luna, are you alright?"

I mustered up a smile and replied, "Yeah, just feeling a bit overwhelmed. It's quite a large party."

My mom nodded, but I could tell she wasn't convinced. I excused myself and made my way through the crowd, trying to avoid looking in Colton and Hannah's direction. I needed a moment to collect myself.

I found a quiet corner, took a few deep breaths, and reminded myself that there was no reason to be jealous. However, seeing them together made me feel insecure. Anyway, I decided not to let it ruin the evening. After all, we were here to celebrate Evelyn's birthday.

As I rejoined the party, I noticed Colton scanning the room, probably searching for me. I wasn't ready to see him, so I turned around and hurried to the other side of the room.

I was in a rush and accidentally collided with a server carrying drinks. The tray was like, "Oops!" and the glasses were all wiggly, and I was like, "Oh no!" slipping on the wet floor. Just as I was about to hit the floor, a powerful arm caught me, lifting me off my feet.

"Whoa there, miss," a deep, cool voice with a thick accent said. I looked up and saw this super hot guy with amazing blue eyes and a mega charming smile. "Got you just in time."

"Thanks," I said, heart still racing. "I nearly made a total idiot out of myself."

He chuckled and softly placed me back on my feet. "No harm done. By the way, I'm Aaron Latsis. And you are?"

"Luna," I said with a smile, even though I was embarrassed. "Nice to meet you, Aaron."

"Happy to help," he said with a wink.

So, we started chatting, and I found out that Aaron is this businessman from New Zealand and he buys potatoes for Trebles, which is like a major client of Colton's family business. He was really charming and easy to chat with, and I relaxed. Just as I was getting into our chat, I sensed someone behind me.

"Having a good time, Luna?" Colton's voice interrupted, sounding a bit annoyed.

I turned around and saw him, his eyes darting between Aaron and me.

"I was just chatting with Aaron here. I just learned he's the new potato buyer of your parents' business."

"Hey, I'm Aaron Latsis," Aaron said, offering his hand to Colton. "Pleasure to meet you. Colton, right?"

Colton nodded and gave him a strong handshake. "Nice to meet you, Aaron. I see you've met Luna."

"Oh yeah," Aaron said, giving me a grin. "She's quite the delightful company. Actually, if I'm lucky, I might've just met my future wife."

I nearly choked on my drink. Colton looked pissed and jealous, but he tried to act cool. "Is that so?"

Aaron chuckled, obviously enjoying the situation. "Come on, who wouldn't want to marry someone as lovely as Luna?"

I felt myself blush, caught in the middle of this unexpected banter. "Aaron, you're so nice."

Colton got closer, his hand possessively on my back. "Luna and I have known each other for a long time."

"Wow, you guys are like old pals," Aaron said, not missing a step. "You know how old friends can become something more, right?"

"In fact," I interrupted, attempting to change the subject, "Colton and I are simply... business partners."

Colton gave me a disapproving look, but he went along with it. "Right. Just business."

Aaron's raised eyebrow conveyed his amusement amidst the tension. "I'm certain that the two of you have a remarkable partnership."

I thanked Aaron, attempting to sound nonchalant. "I've really enjoyed our conversation."

"Same here. Until next time, Luna." He said, then turned to Colton. "Talk to you soon. I'd love to discuss more about the potato business."

"No problem," Colton replied, his tone remaining indifferent.

When Aaron walked away, I couldn't stop myself from smiling at Colton. "Jealous much?"

Colton hissed and ran his hand through his hair. "Can you blame me?"

"No," I murmured quietly.

The tension between us was palpable as we stood there for a moment.

"We seriously need to stop pretending," Colton finally said. "It's getting tougher to hide my feelings for you."

"I know," I said, feeling both relieved and anxious. "We need to talk ASAP."

He said yes and whisked me behind the stage curtain. When we got there, we carried on talking.

I sighed, trying my best to keep my voice steady. "I saw you and Hannah talking. She looked... super comfortable with you."

Colton didn't look pleased at what I said. "Luna, don't worry about a thing. She's only a friend. I only have eyes for you."

"I know," I said, feeling kinda silly. "But seeing her with you... made me feel jealous."

Colton came closer and held my hand. "Sorry if I made you feel that way. But trust me, I'm totally into you, Luna. You're the only one for me."

I gave a little nod, feeling a bit better. "Thanks, Colton."

As we leaned in and kissed each other, our surroundings faded away and it was just the two of us, caught up in the moment. Thoughts of love consumed my mind, oblivious to the party and everyone around us.

Suddenly, a loud crash shattered the tranquility as the curtain we were hiding behind collapsed on the floor. We found ourselves standing in the center of the room, locked in a passionate embrace, with everyone staring at us in sheer disbelief.

"Luna? Colton?" My mom's voice broke the stunned silence.

I hastily stepped back, my face flushing bright red as I awkwardly glanced at everyone at the party. Colton appeared equally mortified.

I was like, "Hey everyone," trying to sound very casual. "Surprise?"

My dad couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Wow, didn't see this coming!"

Sebastian followed Dad, laughing his head off, and said proudly. "Oh, we knew it all along! Right, Sweet?"

"You can tell they have something just by the way they look at each other." Sweet agreed.

Colton's parents, Chris and Evelyn, exchanged glances and then glanced at us. Evelyn was the first to recover. "So, you two are like... together?"

Colton nodded, holding my hand. "Yup, Mom. We are."

I looked at my parents, feeling nervous about how they'd react. But, surprise! Mom actually smiled. "Well, we've been waiting for this moment!"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Dad asked, while he was still laughing.

I just shrugged, feeling relieved and embarrassed at the same time. "We wanted to keep it a secret for a while. We were unsure about how everyone would take it."

Chris stepped up, shaking his head with a grin. "We're just happy you're happy, son. Welcome to the family, Luna."

Evelyn nodded, glancing back and forth at us. "You two look amazing together. I'm so happy for you both."

"Thank you, Evelyn. We are truly happy." I said, and we hugged each other.

Colton's sister, Erin, offered her congratulations, as did Grandma Pia, Grandpa Kristov, and everyone else. We expressed our gratitude to them all.

Colton leaned in and whispered, "You see? Everything worked out."

I smiled, feeling a warm and fuzzy inside. "Yeah, it did."

Everyone went crazy clapping and laughing, and I was so relieved. Finally, we stopped hiding, and it seemed like everyone was genuinely happy for us.

The flashing cameras relentlessly captured our every move, while the media, filled with excitement, had a field day gathering all the juicy details to be written and shared in their columns the next day or on various online platforms. But we no longer cared if the world knew. In fact, we were grateful that we could openly express our love for each other to everyone we care about.

Colton and I were glued together all night at the party, talking, flirting, and dancing like crazy. It was a night we'd never forget, not just because of Evelyn's birthday, but also for the two of us. I figured we'd handle any challenges that would come our way. We were always better when we were together, no matter what.