Page 27 of When Stars Fall

I burst out laughing and snatch it from her. “Who bought you this?”

She shrugs, and I put it on. Must have been an ex-boyfriend. There have been a couple from here who she took to the odd movie premiere or event. For the most part, she’s kept her life locked away, out of the spotlight.

Good job, Wyatt.Way to remind her of someone else.

I shift the ingredients around and organize the kitchen tools into a pile. She takes a seat at the island, watching me. Occasionally, I glance at her.

“Like old times.” I cut up the sweet potatoes.

“It’s weird having you here.” She stares at me with an expression I don’t recognize and then she focuses on tracing the pattern of the granite with her fingertip.

I don’t regret coming. Each minute I spend with her, I am that much more certain that I made the right choice to seek her out. Whoever else she’s been with, she’s been settling. A love like we experienced is a once-in-a-lifetime event.

I fly around the kitchen getting everything started. When I have a break in my duties, I splay my hands on the island and try to decipher the emotion behind her words. “Do you wish I hadn’t come?”

“I don’t know yet.”

I stand straighter. Not a clear answer. Time. I just need time. There’s not a doubt in my mind I can bring her around. Her quietness is unnerving, so I take out my phone. “Music?”

On the wall is a Bluetooth Connect button, and she hits it to pair it with my phone. I scroll through my playlists until I come to my favorite one. A little melancholy, but the songs fit how I’m feeling. Sad, but underneath that, hopeful. The door isn’t closed on us. Get a crowbar and pry it wide open.

As the music plays, I sing along and cook. She watches me with a mixture of amusement and sadness. Even ten years later, her moods shift around me, creating the climate in the room. One of the reasons our split wrecked me so much was because I didn’t see it coming. I thought I recognized her moods better than my own. I was wrong. I still don’t—not well enough.

I finish everything and plate our meals as the first bars to our song start playing. Alicia Keys saving my ass again.

“It’s fate.” I grin.

She laughs, a real laugh, and shakes her head. “It’s not fate when it’s on your playlist.”

“Life’s about timing. The timing here is impeccable. While the food rests, you can humor me.”

She eyes me. “And how would I do that?”

I hold out my hand. “It’s our song.”

“Wyatt.” She looks from my hand to my face. “That’s not a good idea.”

“There’s no one here to know but you and me. One dance.”

She hesitates for another breath and then takes my hand. I secure her in my arms. Her cheek is on my chest, and her ear is pressed to my heart. A sigh.She sighed.

“Who knew that night was the start of this?” We sway to the music and I run my hand along her spine.

“Not me.” There’s happiness in her voice. “I had no idea what was coming. The high highs and the low lows.”

“Do you ever wish you’d backed out that first night at the club? Decided I wasn’t worth it?”

“Never, Wyatt. Never.” The song comes to an end and she draws back, still not making eye contact.

“Ellie,” I say. “If that’s really true . . .” What I want to say is on the tip of my tongue, but I’m not sure she’ll stick around if I voice what I’m thinking.

We can have it again. Better this time.

She takes her plate and heads for the kitchen table out by the living room. I follow her with my own plate and take a seat across from her.

Ellie focuses on her salmon for a moment. “It is true. I don’t regret what we had in the past. A lot of those memories, I cherish them. We had so much fun. You, me, and Isaac. We did set the town on fire for a while. But that lifestyle wasn’t sustainable. The drugs. The alcohol. The parties. The endless need to feed the paparazzi.” She gestures around her. “Look at how I live. Could you live like this? On the island, away from the glitz and glamor? Could you turn away from the constant attention?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose because I haven’t gotten to the nitty-gritty of what we’d do if we tried again. I want her. There isn’t too much I won’t give up to get her.

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