Page 71 of A Sky Full Of Stars

We move on to other topics, perhaps to avoid getting too deep, and as the time passes, we somehow find ourselves on the hood of Lainey’s car, staring up at the sky. A comfortable silence fills the air, and while I know there’s so much we should be saying, for now, we’re embracing the notion that we’ve never met before tonight. Only the longer the “real talk” remains unspoken, the more I want to know.

“What happened in New York?” I ask, keeping my gaze locked on the stars. “You haven’t mentioned dance once in this entire conversation.”

Lainey sighs as she sits up, and a pit forms in my stomach. Since she’s back at Heartwood U, I can only assume things didn’t end the way she thought they would, but I’m nervous about what she’s been through.

“Can we pretend I was never a dancer in this new version of us?”

The pit deepens and my insides twist in knots, but since I know a bit about wanting to keep my feelings to myself, I don’t push it. “If that’s what you really want.”

She looks to the sky, perhaps seeking answers like I often do, and when her gaze lands back on mine, I see the hesitation before she speaks. “New York was—”

Her phone rings, cutting us off, and she startles, jumping down from the hood to reach into her car. Her teeth clench as she stands up, but before I have the chance to ask if she’s okay, she releases a breathy laugh and shows me the name on the screen.Luke.

“Miss me already?” she asks into the receiver, playful rolling her eyes.

“Why aren’t you answering your door?” he snaps, and I have to remind myself that he’s her brother. Siblings argue. It’s not a good reason to punch him in the face.

“Maybe because I’m not home,” she snaps back as I slide off the car to stand beside her.

“Where are you?” he asks, and the fact that I can hear him clearly in the silence of the lot makes me wonder how loud Lainey and I have been.

Lainey scoffs, before giving me an apologetic smile. “I’m at the store, Luke. Why does it matter?”

“It’s late and I left my wallet on your counter. Is your douchebag boyfriend home?”

Boyfriend.My eyes widen as Lainey flinches and subtly steps back, tilting her body away from me.

“How badly do you need it?” she asks, avoiding the question of her boyfriend as an uncomfortable feeling settles in my chest. I only hear a few broken words after that, but from the look on Lainey’s face, I can only imagine Luke’s off on some rant. It’s his MO.

“Relax. I’ll drop it off in the morning,” Lainey groans, confirming my thoughts. “If you’re going out tonight, I’m sure someone will pay for your drinks.”

She hangs up and turns around, blowing out a raspberry as she does. “So, that was the guy neither of us knows.” She shrugs with a hesitant smile, and I laugh until I remember what Luke said, the laughter fading. “He forgot his wallet and—”

“Who’s the lucky guy?” I blurt, cutting her off. The words are out of my mouth before I’ve had a chance to stop them, but I stand tall and own it. “Sounds like Luke’s a big fan.” I somehow manage to keep my tone light, even though my feelings on the topic run deep.

“Luke doesn’t love the idea of me with anyone. It doesn’t matter who it is.”

She’s not wrong there. We’ve all heard his threats, only back then, they weren’t aimed at someone that Lainey wasactuallydating. It was more the idea of her dating. “He cares,” I say honestly. “I’m sure, I would have been the same with Summer.”

Lainey frowns and I instantly regret bringing Summer up. I want to know about her and her boyfriend, and I’ll bet she’s going to change the subject now.

“Speaking of Summer…”

“Things are okay. I just need to give her time.”So back to this douchebag.“Anyway, we were talking about—”

“Okay. Yes, I had a boyfriend. Well, more of a…”

Jesus. A dark cloud of jealousy smothers me as my muscles tense. “What the hell, Lainey? I kissed you and you didn’t think to tell me?”

Lainey stands tall, her gaze full of fight, and fuck if it doesn’t make her sexier. “That’s right,” she snaps. “Youkissedme.”

“You didn’t exactly push me away,” I argue back, until I remember that she did. “At least not at first.”

She huffs out a breath, her shoulders dropping. “I know. It’s complicated and I felt like you needed it.”

She what?

My jealous anger subsides as her words give me pause, a new fire taking over me. She’s right. At that moment, Ineededit more thananything,but… “What if I need it now?” I tease, trying to see if I can push her, wanting to see how she really feels. Wanting to make her mine.

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