Page 127 of Fallen Stars

Oliver grazes the top of my hand with his finger. The simple touch steals my attention and assuages my distress. I glance down at our hands and smile. Comfort and pleasure blanket me head to toe as I stare at the silver glinting in the sunlight. A solid silver band on his left forefinger and a matching one on my right. Our promise to each other until we choose another ring in the future and one of my few touchstones.

“Better?”

I lift my gaze as I lace my fingers with his. “Better,” I repeat in affirmation.

We meet up with everyone in the VIP area by the stage. All our friends are present except for Travis, who is working the event. Also joining us are Oliver’s parents, Delilah’s siblings, and Tymber. Later, the Messer family will join us. We eat and chat, catching up since we last spoke or saw one another.

As it nears time for Hailey’s Fire to take the stage, I notice other smaller closed-off sections near the stage. When I read the signs on a few, I chuckle under my breath.West. Langston. Barron. Calhoun. Kemp.There isn’t a section for each founding family—not all of them want to be feet from the stage during a rock concert—but the families that want their name in the limelight paid for their own VIP experience.

Whatever. The money just gets funneled back into the town.

I don’t miss that the Calhoun section is next to ours.Joy.

The last time I saw Abigail was a week before Christmas in the grocery store. Oliver and I were loading a cart with way too much food, excited about our first Christmas together as a couple. When we rounded the end of the baking aisle, our cart almost rammed hers… and Desmond’s.

She apologized profusely, although I think it was for more than our carts almost colliding. Desmond and Oliver remained stoic, and I stayed tight-lipped as she rambled.

It was awkward as fuck. But it was closure for me and her. The end of an uncomfortable chapter in our lives.

If Abigail sits in the section beside ours, I pray Desmond is with her. After everything they’ve been through as a couple, he deserves to love her out in the open.

“Wish me luck.” Oliver leans in and presses his lips to mine.

I try to deepen the kiss, but he breaks it before I’m able. I push out my bottom lip.

“Not that you need it”—I fist his T-shirt and press my lips to his with a chaste kiss—“but good luck.”

Oliver, Hailey, and Trip exit VIP and head for the stairs on the side of the stage. As they do one last instrument check, the seats under the amphitheater canopy fill with enthusiastic residents and visitors. Abigail and Desmond enter the Calhoun section, hand in hand, followed by her brother and nephew, Ray III and Tucker. James, Estrella, and Sydney Messer join us in our VIP section. As Tymber sparks a conversation with James and Estrella, I check in with Sydney.

Of the hundreds of people who were in the same situation, Sydney is the only person I’ve spoken to.

A few months ago, her parents reached out to Tymber and asked if I would speak with them. Sydney was struggling to readjust to her previous life. Not that I blame her; she’d been in hell twice as long as me. Her parents asked if I’d be okay withmeeting sometime. They thought that Sydney might have an easier time recovering if she had someone in her life that related.

Over the past three months, I gained a little sister. In return, Sydney has reclaimed part of herself. We may have connected because of our trauma, but it isn’t the only reason we talk anymore. Oliver showed me what a real family looks like. Love and happiness. A place where you belong.

With Sydney, I’ve discovered something similar. A sibling of sorts. Someone I connect with in a familial way. A support system for years to come. I may limit what I share with her about my experiences during that time, but when she has dark days, she has someone to lean on or chat with who understands.

“Happy fucking Memorial Day, Stone Bay.”

Applause and whistles fill the air as Hailey hollers into the mic. I snap my eyes to the stage and lock onto Oliver behind his drum kit.

“Sorry, parents. This isn’t a PG show.” She laughs. “But I’ll try to keep the curse words to a minimum.”

The crowd joins in on her laughter.

“It’s been almost a year since we’ve been on this stage.” She presses a hand to her heart and taps a couple times. “We’re so grateful to be here.” With a small step back, she peeks over her shoulder at Oliver and nods.

Energetic rock music booms around us for the next forty-five minutes. Sweat soaks Oliver’s shirt. Trip bangs his head throughout most of the set. Lyrics rip from Hailey’s lips as her fingers crank out notes on her guitar. When she’s not singing, Hailey jumps around on the stage or leans against Trip as they play.

When the song they usually play last comes to an end, I clap and cheer and give Oliver the biggest smile. He winks and drops his sticks near the bass drum.

“We love you, Stone Bay.”

Deafening cheers echo through the amphitheater.

“Before we leave the stage, we’ve got one more for you.”

My gaze flits to Oliver and I furrow my brows.

---