Page 74 of Where the Stars Heal

Weaving between the weathered headstones, the world outside seems to fade. I couldn’t bring myself to come here yesterday. Instead, I holed up in the dingy motel at the edge of town. The walls closed in as I tore apart every moment of my life. How I got here, how time after time I kept screwing it all up.

How stupid I was to think that Halle was here to save me.

A bitter scoff escapes my lips, breaking the silence. Noteven my own mother could stand the sight of me when I showed up unannounced on her doorstep this morning. She pushed at me, her voice shaking with anger as she spat the words that I’d heard before:I don’t belong and never will.

Her tears fell fast and uncontrollably as she blamed me for everything. For the trouble our family went through, for her sister leaving town, unable to live with the pain of her son lying here in the ground. With one look, I knew she would never come around. There’s too much grief, too much anger and loss. Too much damage has been done.

So I begged. Begged her for the location of Aiden’s grave.

Reluctantly, she gave it to me on the promise that I find my closure and never come back, her words landing in a final blow. I wasn’t to stick around for longer than today, but I had nowhere else to go. Not a damn clue about what to do next.

God, I miss Halle. I miss my friends. I miss Sunlit Cove.

When I finally reach Aiden’s grave, my legs threaten to buckle under me, and a cold wave of doubt crawls through my mind. I’m not even sure being here will help. His headstone is simple and boring, and a sharp pang of annoyance hits me in the chest. He would have hated that. Aiden was never the type to fade into the background; he was always the loudest in the room, demanding the world to notice him.

I drop to my knees, the damp grass soaking through my jeans, my fingers grazing the cool stone as I trace his name.Aiden Evans.

Memories of our childhood claw their way to the surface, tightening around my mind. Us as kids, running through the neighborhood playing tag, racing our bikes down the street until our legs burned, and camping out on the loungeroom floor after staying up too late. I close myeyes, shaking the memories from my head, but they keep coming. We would storm the halls of high school like we owned them and show up to parties, daring the world to challenge us. From the innocence of our youth to the downfall of our adolescence. Each moment hits harder than the one before.

I fall forward, my hands gripping the edge of his headstone. The walls I’ve built over the years crumble, and rage rips through me as my throat closes, choking the scream that’s building inside me. My shoulders shake with such force that a sob breaks free, followed by another and another, blurring my vision and turning the world around me.

Shadows stretch across the uneven ground, casting long patterns from the setting sun. Hours have slipped by, and I know I should leave, but my legs feel heavy, and there’s a pounding ache settling in my forehead. Before standing, I press my hand into the cool grass, taking a moment to calm myself. Halle’s smile flashes in my mind, cutting through the darkness, and I cling to it, drawing from the strength she told me I always have.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper to him, hoping that wherever he is, he can hear. “I should have been better for you, should have pulled us out sooner.”

A rustling sound cuts through my thoughts, and my shoulders tense at the light footsteps that approach from behind me. Unhurried but deliberate, and when a stick snaps too close, I jolt, scrambling to my feet and spinning to face whoever’s there. But when my gaze lands on him, the tension drains from my body.

“Hunter.” I whisper, relief washing over me.

Without thinking, I stride up to him, closing the distance between us, throwing an arm around his back in a quick,tight hug. I pull back and look at him, and a pang of guilt twists inside me. His white shirt is wrinkled, and the dark circles under his eyes make it look like he hasn’t slept in days.

“What—” The word gets caught in my throat, my voice faltering as I take another step back.

The realization of Hunter being here, standing in front of me, hits me like a punch to the gut. If he’s here, does that mean… My eyes dart around the graveyard, searching, hoping, dreading.

“She’s not here,” Hunter says, his gaze knowing.

I force a sad smile as a war happens inside of me. A twisted mix of both relief and disappointment. I don’t want her here. Halle doesn’t need to come back to this town, to the trauma it holds for her. She deserves the peace she’s found in Sunlit Cove. But something inside me, the selfish part of me, had still hoped. Even with all this distance between us, the need to be with her remains. A quiet force tugs me toward her, calling me home. Can she feel it, too?

“What are you doing here?” I ask, this time my voice more steady.

Hunter steps forward, his gaze flicking across the rows of headstones, his shoulders stiff, like he’s uncomfortable, and I notice the clenching of his fists. Then it hits me. He’s searching forher. For his mom. I stay silent, giving him the space to figure out his next move. But when his hands relax, I know he’s given up, at least for now. He looks at me, his expression unreadable.

“You hungry?” he asks.

“I could eat.” I shrug.

Without another word, he spins on his heel and stalks toward the iron gates. With nowhere else to go and no reason to stay behind, I take one last glance at Aiden’s graveand follow Hunter, wondering why he came after me. Back to the town he swore he’d never return to.

The diner is packed. Booths overflow with groups of friends, young families, and elderly couples. It’s almost unrecognizable. If it weren’t for the nineties posters hanging all over the walls, I would think it was a different diner. Not the quiet, almost forgotten place I remember from years ago. Things have changed since I’ve been gone.

We push through the busy diner, passing tables of loud conversations and laughter. At the far end, we find a quiet booth tucked into the corner. The vinyl creaks as we slide in, the table slightly sticky, and the scent of fried food and bitter coffee hangs in the air.

Hunter sits across from me, his body tense like he’s on high alert, scanning the diner and everyone in sight. Leaning back, I raise a brow at him, a silentwhat the fuck?

He shakes his head, dismissing my concern. Then, leaning over the table, he smacks the back of my head, his eyes narrowing on me as he sits back.

“The hell you doing, man?” he snaps.

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