Page 17 of Where the Stars Heal

Hunter and I drove here tonight, but I insisted on being the one to drive. I haven’t driven my car all week, and I know if I don’t at least once a week, she’ll stop working on me, and that’s something that can’t happen. A risk I can’t afford. I’ll need my car if this fails. If Hunter ends up kicking me out, I’ll be back to square one. I’ll have to start all over again.

When we pulled into the staff parking lot behind the bar, I noticed Asher’s truck already there, and I inwardlysighed. I was hoping to avoid him at all costs for as long as I could after this morning’s encounter. I still can’t believe I lost my cool and practically drooled over him in front of everyone.What is wrong with me?

After finishing with the fruit stock, I move on to restocking the bar’s holders with straws and coasters. I round the corner to start working on the tables scattered on the floor when I hear someone come through the front entrance.

Madison walks in, and I notice she has a Whiskey Cove work shirt on just like mine. Relief floods through me, and the tension in my shoulders eases. Having Madison here tonight will help. Her presence is comforting, and I can’t help but feel like we’ve been friends forever.

“Hey, Halle.” She smiles at me and hands me something rolled up.

Confused, I unroll it to see that it’s a work shirt a size bigger.

“Ah, thanks.” I hold the shirt up in front of us.

How did she know I needed a bigger shirt? Hunter must have told her, or maybe she knows that he’s useless and just came prepared.

“Don’t thank me, Hals, thank Asher. He texted me asking to bring another shirt for you.”

Wait, what? Asher texted her. How did he know? I didn’t say anything. My eyebrows pinch together as I stare at the shirt in my hand, even more confused now.

“How did he know I needed a bigger shirt? I haven’t even spoken to him,” I ask in disbelief. There’s no way he could have known.

“Asher’s very observant, Halle. He’s not loud like Con or in your business like Hunter, but he’s always there and just knows,” she explains and starts toward the back door.

“He said in his text that you seemed uncomfortable in the shirt Hunter gave you. He didn’t make a big deal of it, Halle, but that’s just him. He sees the things the rest of us miss.” She glances back at me with a knowing smile before disappearing through the door.

Staring at the shirt in my hands, I shake my head in confusion. I thought I had Asher figured out. Sure, we haven’t talked all that much, and the times we have, it’s been demands and harsh words full of assumptions. He’s been a total jerk to me. Mr. Angry at all times, who wants nothing more than to see me leave town… until last night. Something shifted in that park. Like the summer wind blew our hostility away. I’m beginning to wonder if Asher being angry toward me all the time is just a front for whatever lies underneath. Balling up the shirt, I disappear to the bathroom to change.

The bar is packed, and there are people everywhere. Loud laughter and hollars carry over from the pool tables. The booths are full, with everyone taking shots, and the music is booming. The glow of the neon bar sign flickers. It’s hot in here. I grab the basket of chicken wings and take them to the booth in the section Hunter left me to look after tonight. I stressed once again to him before we opened that I had zero experience behind a bar, so he gave me a section. Look after this part of the bar, clear the dirty glasses, run the food, and make sure everyone stays happy. I nodded at him like I could do exactly that. How hard could it really be?

“Halle, oh my god! You’re here. Halle, hi.” I drop the basket on the table to see Tessa leaning over some guy, smiling widely at me.

There are empty shot glasses in front of her, and her beer is half-empty. Oh boy, she must be pretty gone. She’swearing a purple sundress, and her hair’s tied up in a high ponytail. She looks stunning.

“Tessa, hey.” I give her a small wave and tuck my hair behind my ear.

Before I can escape and get back, she grabs everyone’s attention in the booth, throwing her arms out wide as she announces, “Hey everyone, meet Halle. She’s Hunter’s little sister, so be nice, okay?”

There are five other people in the booth with her, two girls and three guys, and she points at each person, adding, “She’s my friend, not yours,” and pokes her tongue out at them.

Ok, wow, she must be pretty drunk. I chuckle softly along with everyone else. They all smile at me and go straight back to their conversations.

The guy Tessa was leaning over pulls the beer away from her and hands it to me. “I think you’ve had enough to drink for tonight, Tess. Let’s switch it back to water.”

He leans back into his seat and watches her like he’s memorizing everything she does.

“I’ll go get her some water,” I tell him and grab the empty shot glasses from the table.

“Hey, Halle, right?” he asks me, his voice deep, and I nod.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jace, a friend of your brother’s.” He extends his hand, and I shake it, taken aback by how firm his grip is, his calloused palm rough against my soft skin. Jace is handsome in a way, with his deep brown eyes and stubble lining his square jaw, which gives him a rugged look.

“I’ll be back.” I smile and walk off.

In the short time I’ve been at Tessa’s booth, the bar has become busier. Scanning the crowd, I can’t help but take inthe lively energy of this place. Everyone is having fun. There’s so much laughter in the air, it reminds me of the arcade we always went to as kids. Everyone was always so happy there, too. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt that sort of happiness or laughed as hard as some of these people are right now. What it would feel like to be so carefree, to feel so included in a group of friends that feel like family. My chest tightens at the thought, and my eyes start to sting with the weight of knowing I’ll never feel that. I’ll forever be on the outside looking in.

Weaving my way through the crowds of people, I tighten my hold on the tray of shot glasses I’m carrying, afraid I’ll drop them and they’ll smash everywhere. My skin pricks, the hairs on my arms rise, and something pulls at my awareness. I look up to see Asher watching me, his gaze so piercing it sends a shiver down my spine.

Behind the bar, Madison is pouring a line of shots. Her long blonde hair is tied up in a messy bun, the strands at the nape of her neck sticking with how muggy it is in here. Connor is down the far end, stocking the fridges with more spirits, but it’s Asher who grabs my attention and pulls me in. My eyes roam over him as he lifts the white bucket full of ice, his simple black Whiskey Cove shirt strains against his biceps as he fills the ice bins in front of him. His forearms, corded with veins, stand out against his tanned skin. His dark curls fall across his forehead, and the black jeans he’s wearing mold to his muscled thighs. There’s a focus to his movements that makes it hard to look away.

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