Page 15 of Where the Stars Heal

I’m taking the blueberry muffins out of their bags and setting them on plates at the kitchen table when I hear a door open down the hallway. Then feet scuffling, and a loud groan, like it’s an inconvenience to be awake, which makes me chuckle. Hunter comes around the corner, looking like he had a rough night. His hair is standing up in every direction, and he pulls a white shirt over his head as he rubs his eyes. I silently laugh at the sight.

“Still not a morning person, I see?” I shake my head at him and turn to grab our coffees off the counter.

“Halle, are you… Are you okay?”

I sit down at the table, looking at Hunter, who’s stopped in his tracks, sounding utterly confused, and roll my eyes at him.

“I’m fine, Hunter. Look, don’t make it a big deal, okay?” I say to him as I cut a muffin in half and take a bite, mumbling around it. “I just thought I’d try a little more today.”

I swallow the muffin and stop myself from moaning out loud in front of my brother. Shit, these do taste amazing. Madi wasn’t wrong at all.

Hunter’s eyes warm as he takes a sip of his coffee, moaning with satisfaction as he slumps down into the chair.

“Ew, Hunter, don’t moan in front of me.” I scrunch up the bag the muffin came in and throw it at him. He takes another sip and this time exaggerates his moan louder. I shudder and make a gagging sound at him, which causes him to fall into a fit of laughter.

It’s funny how a couple of weeks ago, I never thought I’d see or hear my brother laugh again, yet here I am, sitting across from him, watching him laugh so hard it reminds me of when we were kids. Only this time, he’s not my hero. He’s the brother that left me behind.

The front door bangs open, and a bark rings out through the house. Excitement hits me when I hear Ace scurry down the hall, and I jump out of my chair just as he races up to me. Picking him up, I giggle as he lands sloppy kisses on my cheek.

“Who’s a good boy?” I say, scratching behind his dark ears.

“Halle, I think my dog is in love with you, and I don’t care for that at all. Gimme him back.” Connor breaks our hello with his arms outstretched, waiting for his dog, but theplayfulness he’s showing me tells me he doesn’t really mean it, so I turn away from him, holding Ace closer to me and jokingly say, “Sorry, Connor, but I think Ace and I are best buddies now.”

“Con, man, look what Halle got me this morning. Coffee and muffins,” Hunter gloats as he takes a massive bite of the muffin and sighs like he’s in heaven.

He points at Connor and asks with a mouth full, “Why don’t you ever bring me coffee and muffins?”

Oh my god, is he pouting right now? I think he is.

“Hunter, pick up your bottom lip or you’ll trip over it,” I say, putting Ace down and sitting back on my chair.

Grabbing my coffee, I notice a shift in the air, and everything goes silent. My heartbeat kicks up, and I look at Hunter, trying to work out what just happened and why it’s gone so quiet. But he’s just staring at me like I grew two heads or something.

“What did I say? Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask, feeling the beginnings of my anxiety start to creep its way through my mind and body.

Hunter’s mouth tips up on one side, and he shakes his head slightly.

“Nothing, it’s just… that’s something Mom used to say to us all the time,” he says tentatively as if he knows that any mention of Mom could set me off.

I smile back at him weakly and shrug, not wanting to get into it right now. So far, today’s been going better than I expected. It’s the first day since I’ve been here that things are starting to feel okay and the fog inside my head isn’t overpowering.

“So, what’s on the agenda today, my friends?” Connor claps his hands and breaks the silence, leaning back on the kitchen counter. “And where’s Asher? Has anyone seenhim this morning? Did Piper go back to his house or what?”

“Man, I hope not. Otherwise, I owe Madi,” Hunter fires back, grabbing my leftover muffin and shoving it in his mouth.

“Hunter!” I squeal. “That was mine, and I wasn’t done.” I pout at him.

“Now who’s pouting, lil sis?” He smirks.

Connor walks over to the fridge and starts rummaging through it. “Hunter, dude, would it kill you to stock this thing once in a while?” he complains.

Slamming the fridge door, he straightens and pulls half his hair up, tying it back in a knot as he tilts his head at us.

“Well, his truck’s out front, so he’s either here or back at Piper’s.”

“Wait, is that why he smelled sickly last night?” I scrunch my nose.

Who the hell is Piper, and why did he find me in the park last night smelling like her and beer? Gross.

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