Page 63 of Read Between the Stars

But just as I get to my feet to head back inside, I see it. A quickly fading white light across the sky.

No…

It was out of the corner of my eye and it could’ve been anything. Another satellite that disappeared behind some smog or an airplane more than likely.

I’m kidding myself. I know what it was. But even if I believed in that shit, I would take it as a sign that my time here is over; that Kasey and I were only meant to be in each other’s lives for a little while, to help each other through this part of our stories so we could move onto the next chapter. I’ve been hanging around for two weeks waiting for something; I don’t know what - the urge to finally leave? Kasey to call and say she was wrong and wants to see me? Or the ability to finally accept that she’s not wrong…

All I know is I can’t bring myself to go anywhere; not a single step. Even if I never see Kasey or Luna again, the thought of not being near them is unfathomable.

I continue inside and back to the bedroom and sit down to take my shirt back off, intent on giving the sleep thing another try. I’m about to lie back on the pillow when my phone buzzes on the nightstand, displaying Kasey’s name.

“Kasey?” I answer after picking it up.

A few silent seconds tick by before I hear her speak. It’s a hoarse whisper, and I can hear the tears in her voice.

“Ben,”

I grab my shirt and start pulling it back on.

“Kasey, are you alright?” I hear a couple of ragged breaths as I make my way to the door. “Kasey, talk to me, what’s going on?” I sit on the chair by the door and cradle the phone with my shoulder as I get my sneakers on.

“I’m… not okay,” she answers, and her breathing is labored like she just ran a marathon - or from her own personal demon. “I need help, I need-”

“I’m coming, I’m on my way,” I assure her as I lock the front door behind me. I hustle to the truck, keeping the phone to my ear. “Kasey, I’m getting in the truck right now, I’ll be there soon. Do you want me to stay on the phone with you?”

“Okay,” she says shakily, and I can tell she’s in serious pain. My tough, independent girl is struggling so badly she can’t hold up her usual armor.

“Okay,” I say back as I start the engine and the phone switches over to the truck’s Bluetooth.

I make my way to her house, and though we’re on the line with each other, we don’t say much other than me occasionally checking to see that she’s still with me.

When I pull up to the house, it seems completely dark. I use the key that Kasey once showed me hides in a tiny bird house on the front porch, and quietly let myself in.

“Kasey?” I whisper, not knowing where she is because it’s seriously darker in here than it is outside. I pad quietly down the hallway, careful not to wake Luna. When I come through the doorway of Kasey’s bedroom, I see her. She’s sitting on the floor near the window, the moonlight barely illuminating her profile, but enough for me to see tear streaks on her cheeks. “Kasey,” I say her name again and hurry over to her, but stop short when I see an opened Jack Daniels bottle in front of her, along with a short glass tumbler filled halfway with the dark brown liquid.

Kasey has one arm wrapped around her knees that are drawn up to her chest and the other hand in her hair, tugging at the strands.

I look between her and the alcohol, trying to decipher if she’s had any or not. I can smell the potent aroma from here. I can only imagine what it’s doing to her.

“Please, take it away,” she pleads in a meager whisper, her face scrunching in emotional pain. She’s fighting so hard and clearly feels like she doesn’t have much left in her. I quickly grab up the bottle and glass and take them to the kitchen where I dump both down the sink and vigorously rinse them out. Judging by the amount that went down the drain, she didn’t have any. Something sure as fuck made her want to though.

After placing the bottle on the front porch so she doesn’t have to see it in the morning, I hurry back to her room where she still sits, her long, toned legs Indian style, hands in her lap and head hung low. Her shoulders start to heave with sobs.

I crouch down in front of her and brush a strand of hair out of her face. I admit, I don’t know what to say or do to make this go away. All I can do is just be here.

“What do you need?”

Her lower lip quivers as she shakes her head back and forth.

“I don’t know. I don’t know, I just need it to stop, for it all to go away and leave me alone!”

She’s feeling desperate and defeated, and the fight seems to have gone out of her. She needs to rest.

“Kasey, come here, babe.”

I cradle her head in my arms and kiss her cheeks before coaxing her to stand with me. I pull her onto the bed and hold her snugly against me as I run my fingers through her hair.

“Just let go, baby. I’ll hold you and keep it away until it leaves you alone.”

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