Page 20 of Where the Stars Heal

Her eyes narrow, and she glares at me, irritation bringing her back to life.

“There she is. Welcome back, sweetheart.” I chuckle, trying to lighten the mood for her.

“Don’t call me sweetheart. You’re not nice, you’re Mr. Angry.” She fires back at me, smacking my hands away.

Did she just call me Mr. Angry?

Laughing at the nickname, I rub at my jaw, trying to hide my amusement from her.

“Mr. Angry, hey? That’s… I’ve never heard that one before.” I try and fail at hiding my smile from her.

“You’re so annoying. What do you want, Asher?” She huffs and folds her arms into her chest.

“I don’t want anything.” A sliver of annoyance creeps itsway in, pushing out the protectiveness I had earlier. This fucking girl. Here I was helping her, and now she’s huffing at me, asking what I want.

“You were freaking Hunter and the rest of the guys out with your panic attack. I used to have them myself, so I knew how to bring you back.”

I start toward the door but pause, turning around to face her. “You are fucking welcome, by the way,” I say mockingly.

I turn back to head inside, but before I can take a step, her hand lands on my bicep, stopping me from making a move. A jolt of electricity runs down my arm from her warmth, and I clench my fists with the sudden feeling. A little gasp leaves her, the sound so soft that if I wasn’t standing so close to her, it would have been lost. Before I can say anything, she shakes her head slightly and drops her arm, taking a small step back, putting distance between us.

There’s tension in the air, and I know she can feel it, too. I can see it in her eyes, the way she looks at me, but she’s defiant, retreating into herself and slamming those walls up. The mask she wears to cover the darkness slips on as she blinks and shifts on her feet, her shoulders pulling back.There’s the Halle I don’t trust.

“You had panic attacks?” she asks, her voice still unsteady despite the mask she’s put in place.

Had, have, will never be rid of, but I don’t say any of this to her. She doesn’t need to know my story. Not now.

Instead, I offer all I can. “You’re not the only one that suffers, sweetheart.”

The words hang in the air, lingering between us, making the tension feel charged, and I know if I stay any longer, I’ll cave to those sad eyes and let her in further. So, I turn on my heel and walk back inside, leaving her standing there.

Needing a moment to myself before I head back out intothe chaos of the bar and everyone’s questions, I head into the office, closing the door behind me. My heart pounds in my chest as I lean against the desk, trying to make sense of everything that just happened.

The door swings open, and Hunter stands there, the faint sound of music drifting in behind him from the front of the bar. His brow furrows as he looks at me with a mix of suspicion and concern. I feel the weight of his stare pull me down, and I pinch the bridge of my nose, waiting for his questions.

“Where’s my sister?” he demands.

Shit, did she not come back inside? I should have made sure she came back inside. Fuck, what was I thinking leaving her out the back of a bar by herself late on a Saturday night? I start spinning my lip ring nervously, but before I open my mouth to reply, Hunter hits me with more questions, one after another, laced with worry.

“What the hell happened to her?”

“Did she say anything to you?”

“She didn’t skip out, did she?”

“Is she okay?”

“I don’t fucking get it, man. Why is she like this?”

“She just kept saying sorry, and I didn’t know what to do.”

He finally takes a breath, and I’m just standing there, staring at him, trying to work out if he breathed at all through that. How is he not bending over and heaving right now?

“Fuck, man, you Dawsons need to calm down.”

Hunter moves to the couch and sits down with a loud groan. Leaning back, he spreads his legs wide and brings his hands to his head, pulling on his hair in frustration.

“I just don’t know what to do here,” he admits, soundinghelpless. “She sleeps all the time and locks herself in her room. She won’t talk to me, she won’t come and hang out with any of us. I don’t know what happened to her to make her like this, man.” His voice breaks, and he leans forward, resting his forearms on his legs, and stares down at the floor.

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