Her lips wouldn’t move.

Her brain couldn’t even function long enough to tell her mouth what to say.

Luna’s soul had truly left her body and begun its ascent to an astral plane. She saw herself, an empty, enraptured meat sack of a human with her idol, her love and obsession, sitting across the room from her with a brand-new haircut.

Oh God, she was going to cry. Tears began to sting her eyes, pooling in the corners.

Jewel always kept her hair on the longer side, nothing above her shoulders, but now she’d gone drastic fantastic pixie. The delicate point of a bejeweled diadem touched Jewel’s forehead while the rest of it circled her head. With her large brown eyes, super light skin, and dark brown freckles that dusted her cheekbones and nose, she honest-to-God looked like an elf straight out of a fantasy story—if the creator cared enough to include Black elves. But unlike Luna, whose skin skewed warmer, most people couldn’t tell Jewel and Ethan were Black, anyway.

One of the first things Luna loved about Jewel was her hair. They were the same—both had a white mom and Black dad and more intensely curly hair than they knew what to do with. But this new cut was perfect for her.

Perfect. Everything was just … perfect.

Never in her wildest dreams did Luna ever think she’d have a chance to meet Jewel. She just didn’t have that kind of luck. But there she was and there they were, and they were breathing the same air—

“Come on,” Alex said, tugging her forward. Ducking behind him, Luna wiped at her eyes, hoping no one would see. She took a deep, shaky breath through her scarf as she sat. Alex had chosen the love seat closest to Jewel for them. Harlow chose a solo cushy-looking chair, while Nicole chose to sit next to Stella on the long couch. Right, right next to her in a room full of empty seats.

Olive, who stood next to Jewel’s chair on the right, leaned down and whispered something to her. Jewel laughed as Ethan took up the empty space on her left.

The Golden Rule Trinity. Live and in person.

“Breathe, Moon Princess,” Alex murmured, taking her hand again. A gentle squeeze to ground her. Another asking her to come back.

Luna nodded. “I’m okay,” she said quietly. “No, I’m not.”

Alex laughed, breathy and unsurprised. “I know. I got you.”

“First, I want to say thank you for coming to Golden Weekend X: the tenth and final time I will host this event.” Jewel’s face brightened with a wicked smile. “My house is your house. Nothing and nowhere is off-limits. My staff has been instructed to treat you as they would me. Your rooms are ready, and your belongings are upstairs waiting for you.”