Page 50 of Stargazer

We stayed like that for a few quiet heartbeats. Until we were broken out of it by two obnoxious beeps that I could almost guarantee came from either Kitana or Carter.

My eyes lit up and I grinned at Griff before rushing to the door.

Carter.

The blonde male bombshell was in fact responsible for the ostentatious entrance. His partner in crime—another platinum blonde bombshell, also known as Kit—was by his side in the passenger seat of the blacked-out Jeep.

At least she was seated at some point.

But now?

Now she was standing through the sunroof waving like a crazy person before moving on to raise the roof, whooping at the sight of us.

Standing in the doorway beaming, I had Griffin casually leaning on the doorframe beside me. Without even sparing him a glance, I knew he was holding back a grin, trying not to show too much emotion—lest it ruin his blasé image.

I could just make out Billie in the back of the car, shaking her head with a huge smile on her face at our ridiculous friends.

It hit me then: they were here.

No longer able to contain myself, I basically squealed in excitement.

Almost running to them, Griff lazily trailing behind me, I intended to open the car door to let them out. But Kit didn’t give me a chance before she pulled herself on top of the Jeep, swung her legs over and slid right off to drop down in front of me.

Within a heartbeat, her arms flung around my neck and she squished me to her. And I squished right back.

When she pulled away, she took me in, eyes bright and happy.

“Hey sexy.” She beamed at me. Then pulled me back into her. “Never leave me again.”

A laugh tumbled out of me. “I missed you too.”

She winked and then flung herself at Griff—who caught her and grumbled a “Hello Kitana”—before she meandered to the house.

“Oh my God, look at this place,” she muttered to herself in awe. But I was too busy hugging the life out of Billie to reply to her, only vaguely aware of the two boys pulling each other in for a bro hug to my left.

Billie’s warm inviting smile captured my attention when she pulled back enough to hold my shoulders. “It feels so good to be reunited,” she gushed in that cool, calm and collected voice of hers.

My eyes crinkled with joy. “No better feeling,” I agreed.

She rubbed my arms comfortingly, giving me a look I knew meant she was silently asking me if I was okay. I nodded, communicating back my reassurance. We’d unpack it all later.

One would think we hadn’t seen each for years with the greetings that went down, when in actual fact it had only been like two weeks. But that was clearly too much time when it came to us and the bonds we had formed.

Moving towards me, Carter drawled, “My turn,” before lifting me into his embrace and spinning me around. When he returned me to the ground he winked. “I know you missed me the most, right Sunshine?”

I just nodded, not willing to burst his bubble and choosing instead to let him have his moment. I did miss him. I missed them all. But the one I’d missed the most had made that longing a little bit easier by closing that distance earlier—even if I was keeping him at arm's length right now.

I snuck a glance his way as he greeted Billie, his eyes snapping to mine the moment he felt my gaze, like they always seemed to do. He looked happy to have his friends here and I was almost certain it would ease an underlying tension I knew he carried. It may not have been visible—ever that stoic captain—but their presence would be welcomed.

Carter threw his arm around my shoulder as we strolled back towards the waiting house and an over-excited Kitana—who we could hear exclaiming at whatever new aspect of the house captured her attention.

By the time we took our first steps inside, we heard Kit call from the second story, “I call dibs on the ensuite.”

None of us were surprised. But realistically she’d need to share with Carter or Billie.

The others took in the expanse of their new living quarters with equal appreciation.

When she came back down and her eyes landed on the beckoning turquoise water of the pool, she didn’t hesitate to strip down to her bra and thong before running past us through the open doors and cannonballing straight in, an ecstatic squeal echoing after her.

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