= Luna POV =
"Hey, what is that? Show me, " I whined. Anna rolled her eyes and showed me her phone. On it was my passport photo in a decorative digital frame, on top of a long letter signed by the Lovewin Family.
"So this was set out this morning, welcoming you to the fold. I guess you didn't receive it because you aren't in the loop, but everyone knows you are engaged to Rachel. Ryan is right in a sense; if you are caught having an affair, it will not only hurt Rachel's family, but your family will completely lose face and social standing," Anna explained and sighed. " I just feel like he should have explained these things better; I'm sorry he was so harsh towards you."
"Ah… I didn't think about that at all. I was so caught up in the mood and the music that I wasn't thinking about the marriage or the implications of what a fling would do to it," I said solemnly.
Judy reached across the table and patted me on the hand. " It's not your fault. This whole experience is totally out of your comfort zone; you didn't know you would react to things this way. Next time we go for one of these things, we'll all try to stick together and keep our hands to ourselves as much as possible. Don't worry."
I looked up and smiled " Thanks, Judy, I wouldn't want to piss Ryan off and get fucked for it again."
The girls across me froze. Oh shit, I just let that slip.
"What? What did….with the stranger or…" Anna asked, the first to break the silence.
"It's ok, I deserved it, I should have….and Ryan is hot, and I just got caught up in the moment," I tried to explain, then buried my face in my arms." Oh god, this is bad. I didn't just have sex with a stranger. I had sex with my fiancée's cousin! I am the worst!"
Judy suddenly stood up. " I'm going to kill him. That's why he was standing there looking so smug. He's dangling this over you, isn't he? He is probably using this situation to his advantage. If that fucker tries to blackmail you over this…and he was the one who found you! Why I ought to."
Anna, on the other hand, was having a completely different reaction. She was hunched over, her head in her hands, but her shoulder was shaking as if she was trying to suppress her reaction.
"Anna, this situation is no laughing matter. Move aside so that I can return to the rave and smash his face in," Judy said, her fists tight balls and her eyes looking steely.
Anna burst out laughing. Her hearty laughter swept through the diner and made me look up from my sulk.
Anna reached out and pulled Judy back down in the booth seat.
"Stop, it's okay. I know the Lovewins. I'll talk to Ryan or even Rachel to clear things up for you, ok?" Anna said, still holding onto Judy. She reached out to me and took my hand in her free hand. As you said yourself, you're in a loveless arranged marriage. No one else would understand your position more than Rachel would.
As weird as this might sound, I think she might be able to forgive you in this case. Sure, she might be upset with you; who wouldn't be?
However, I do need to insist that you try not to be alone with Ryan. I've seen when he gets into something he likes, he can be a bit…possessive, in an unhealthy way."
"But that does not excuse Ryan's actions at all! He can't go around taking advantage of someone else's partner," Judy said, pulling her arm out of Anna's hold.
Anna sat back, facing her body towards Judy, and smirked. " Oh, how do you, commoner, intend to correct a rich nepo baby? Are you going to give him an uppercut? Would you rather spend the evening with me or in jail for several years?"
Judy bit her lip and looked away, frustrated.
"Hey, Judy, it's fine. I …." I started, but Judy kicked me under the table.
"Hey, Loverboy, your toxic attachment style might kill you one day. You can't go around forgiving people who aggressively take advantage of you," Judy chided. " But OK, Anna has a point, and if you say it was consensual – although I don't believe you – I'll drop it. I want to go to college and graduate, not spend a few years behind bars, " Judy said and sighed, taking a big slurp out of her milkshake.