Fixing Luna

07

There are a few people who can get under Kyler Bennett's skin as of the moment, but unlike his obnoxious lead actress named Luna Cooper, his dearest cousin Paynes Reed was on a completely different scale.

The man knew how to push all the right buttons and annoy the hell out of him as casually as breathing. He was a living embodiment of a devil incarnate, nevertheless, Paynes was the closest relative that he had other than his brother who lives a few states away from him.

"Ugh! Can you please put your damn feet down!? I just vacuumed that couch!" Kyler whined for the third time that day, dragging Paynes away from his white couch. He was no neat freak, but it bothered him so much when someone put their feet on his couch especially if he just bought that couch a week after receiving his first director job. He even sleeps more on his couch than he does on his bed because he adores it so much—it's his baby at the moment.

"When will you be leaving!? I can't wait to throw you out of my apartment! You even have your own house an hour away from here so why are you staying in my apartment why!?" Kyler couldn't hide his annoyance at the sudden visit, for whatever reason, he had been completely on edge since he left the hospital yesterday. Aside from his pounding head from the whiskey that he had last night, seeing the suitcase that belonged to his cousin sprawled open in his living room was enough to snap the last thread of patience that he barely had.

"Aww cousin dearest I miss you too no need to be shy I know you miss me too," he teased but Kyler's flying slippers were his only response.

"Man go get laid you're acting like a woman in menopausal stage!" That earned Paynes a flying remote. As much as he hates to admit it, his sour mood has little to do with Paynes, something that he wouldn't admit to himself and certainly not in front of his cousin.

"Remind me why are you here again?" 

"Business meeting downtown," Paynes shrugged, tossing his beanie onto his opened luggage, Kyler took a deep breath, trying his best to ignore his annoying cousin. Despite Paynes' messy personality, he was still a respectable architect in L.A, from high-rise buildings and celebrity houses, his cousin made a name for himself with his talent alone. 

Scowling and barefooted--since he threw his slippers to his cousin and was too lazy to get it back--he went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of scotch and some ice. Paynes joined him a few minutes later, smiling like an idiot at his phone. His cousin was dating a luxury brand model, and Kyler had seen her briefly at their family Thanksgiving dinner last year but didn't stay long enough to know more about the beautiful lady.

Somehow, Kyler Bennett felt insecure knowing that his turning thirty in a few months and was still a bachelor. Not that he minds it a lot, he dated a few girls during his younger years, but nothing was good enough for him. Kyler can't seem to find the right woman yet and he wonders if he will eventually find her.

"So, will you tell me what's messing your moods? Or rather who?" Paynes sat next to him with a knowing grin plastered annoyingly on his face, Kyler hated how intuitive his cousin was.

"Nothing," he lied, finishing a glass full of scotch in one sitting. Paynes eyed him suspiciously but did not pry more about it. Something that Kyler was grateful for once.

"So, tell me about this first movie of yours," luckily, he changed the subject and Paynes let him talk eagerly about it. Everything still felt like a dream to him, and without knowing it, Kyler had been spilling everything that happened on set, including a particular woman who had been messing with his mood.

"-and she's a real pain in the ass! Can you believe that? She walked out after saying that I'm a jerk and it's my problem that I hated her attitude!" He whined, pouring himself another glass of scotch. Realizing what he had just done, Kyler stopped midway, turning his head towards his cousin who was now grinning triumphantly at him.

Idiot, mentally scolding himself for digging his own grave.

"So, who's this actress that's messing with my cousin huh?" Paynes asked, showing no effort to hide his delight about the topic. Kyler groaned in defeat; it was no use in hiding it from him anyway.

"Do you know that rising actress?" He started, watching Paynes brows arched in confusion.

"I mean, Luna Cooper," The moment her name came out of his lips, Paynes eyes widened so fast it caught him completely off guard. Wondering why his cousin was acting like he grew another pair of heads. 

"You got to be kidding me, Kyler!" Paynes exclaimed, shaking his arms slightly. 

"What?" 

"You're talking about Luna Eliana Maximilian Greene! Oh my god, I can't believe it!"

"What?" Kyler seemed to be lost for words, surely, they were talking about two completely different women who named Luna.  

"Silly, it's her real name," 

"Okay?"

"Oh my god, can I see her? We haven't seen each other since senior year!"

"W-wait you're classmates?" Okay, he wasn't expecting this turn of events. Nope, not.

"Of course not, she's in class A with her gang. I dated one of her best friends during senior year wait did you just say Luna Cooper? So that's mean she married that nerd after all?"

Married? Gang? Kyler could feel his head spinning, either it was the scotch invading his system or the fact that Luna Cooper was married. Although he anticipated the married part due to her screen name, the tiny annoying part of his consciousness was still holding on to the fact that there might be another reason for that. She's a married woman and for some reason, he hated that fact as he tossed the now-empty bottle of scotch and stood up to get more alcohol, he needed something strong. Something stronger than the uncomfortable feeling in his gut.

"Gang?" He voiced out ignoring the latter part about Luna being married. 

"Yeah, they're pretty famous during high school. Can't believe Sheldon's little brat was now a famous celebrity, I remember her always chasing that nerd, and guess after all those years she finally got him," although Kyler wanted to ask more questions about Luna, the sudden burst of irritation in his body refused to. He doesn't want to hear anything about Luna's teenage life anymore. She's just a woman who pisses him off every chance that she can get. She doesn't matter to him, she's just an actress that he has to work with. Nothing more, nothing less. For the first time, Kyler Bennett desperately wanted a film to end. Because the sooner things ended between Luna and him, the better for his sanity. The last thing on his worries was to be involved with a woman like her, a married woman of all people. 

Kyler lost count of the empty bottles lined up on his kitchen island, as he drowned his frustration in alcohol half listening to Paynes rambling about his work and his girlfriend, not that he wanted to listen to his cousin's love life when he didn't even have one.