Page 42 of Where the Stars Heal

The emotional damage runs deeper than he’ll ever know—the hurt, the anxiety, the self-doubt carved into me over years of being beaten down. But fixing it? That’s on me. Hunter can’t help with that, and I think I might be able to now. Fight back against the whispers in my head, that is.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers to me, and I squeeze him one last time before pulling back.

I wipe the tears from my face and smile at him. “Maybe it’s not too late for us to start over again as a family, but this time just you and me. If it’s okay with you, Hunt, I’d like to start paying my way. I like it here, and I want to give it a real shot.”

My brother’s face breaks into a smile, the kind where it stretches wide and lights up his eyes. Something between us shifts, like it was the cue the universe was looking for, and I can’t help but widen my smile back, feeling a sense of hope settle in my chest.

“You got it, lil sis. You can start Friday night,” he says, stepping away.

A loud whoop sounds from behind the door, followed by Connor yelling, “Halle’s staying for good! Let’s celebrate! I’m calling Madi!”

A small laugh slips out of me and Hunter groans, muttering, “For fucks sake,” while Connor’s footsteps echo as he runs away.

“Hey, Hunter,” I call softly before he disappears back inside. He turns, and I meet his eyes.“Thank you.”

I watch him head back inside, and my heart trips over itself. The back of my neck tingles, my skin warms, and the magnetic pull I always feel when he’s near intensifies. Through the door, I catch sight of Asher leaning casually against the wall, his gaze fixed on me. My pulse starts to race, and when our eyes meet, his mouth curves into a slow, knowing smile before he pushes off from the wall and walks down the hallway, silently asking me to follow.

19

SHE LIGHTS ME ON FIRE

ASHER

I’m so fucking proud of her. The strength Halle carries is inspiring and fuck me, if it doesn’t make me want to fight my own demons even harder.

I’m going to have to talk to Hunter because if there’s one thing I’m certain of, it’s that I’m not sneaking her around. Halle’s not someone’s dirty little secret. She deserves to be shown off, not hidden behind closed doors. And I get that her relationship with Hunter is fragile right now, but this is worth it. There’s no going back, not after that kiss.

From what I overheard with Connor moments ago when we were shamelessly eavesdropping, they’re working it out and finding their way back to each other. And for Halle, I’ll take that burden from her. I’ll be the one to step up and talk to Hunter about us. Shit, he’s probably going to want to knock me out, and I can’t say I’d blame him. I know I’m not good enough for her, but I sure as hell am going to try.

I’ll just have to remind him that it’s her choice, not his, and if what happened between us under the waterfall means anything, I know she wants this, wants us. She melted in my arms.

Anticipation thrums through me as I step into her room, every nerve alert. I can feel her behind me, silently following, her soft, sweet scent filling the air, and my eyes nearly roll back. She smells incredible, and now that I’ve had a little taste of her, I need more.

“Were you spying on me, Asher?” she asks.

Turning, I take a small step toward her and reach behind her to push the door closed. Sparks flicker between us, my chest tightening with want as I hear her breaths turn shallow like she can feel the same electric tension I feel. I leave my hand on the door and take another small step forward, causing her to back up against it with a gentle thud. Her eyes dart between mine, and the intensity in her gaze sends a thrill through me, lighting up every nerve.

“And what if I was, sweetheart?” My voice comes out thick, husky.

She doesn’t say anything. Her gaze roams around my face as I watch her mind working in overdrive, her thoughts spinning out of control, caught between hesitation and curiosity. She’s nervous and not sure how to make that first move. And that’s okay. I’ll take control for her until she’s ready to let go, to show me how dominant she can be. Because I know it’s in her. I’ve seen it come through in her attitude, in her snarky remarks, and the way she doesn’t take any shit from me. But this is new territory for her, and I’m not sure how much experience she has, if it’s good or bad, but I’ll teach her before I let her use me.

“I’m proud of you. That conversation couldn’t have been easy, but you did it,” I murmur.

“I did it,” she whispers back, almost as if she needs to convince herself.

Yeah, she goddamn did, and now I can make her mine. I pull my hand away from the door and eliminate the smallspace between us, pressing up against her. With my pulse pounding in my ears, I thread one hand through her hair, the other cupping her cheek. Her legs begin to shake, so I press in closer, holding her up with my body as I bring my mouth down on hers. I watch as her eyes flutter shut, savoring the warmth of her beneath my touch for a split second before I gently sweep my tongue out along her lips, asking for permission. The tension between us hums as I wait for her to let me in.

She melts to me just like she did under the waterfall. As her mouth opens, my eyes close, and I claim her with my hand tightening around her hair. I deepen the kiss, and a soft moan escapes her parted lips, the sound of it traveling through me, lighting me on fire. I can feel myself begin to harden. She thinks I’m in full control here, but what she’s doing to me, the way her tongue meets mine, her hands pulling at my curls, it all has me unraveling. My control is hanging on by a thread, and then, out of nowhere, she bites down hard on my lip ring.Fuckkk me.

I snap. Losing all sense, my hand travels up the shirt she’s wearing, my thumb flicks over the hard peak of her nipple, and she squirms under me, seeking relief. Parting her legs with my knee, I push against her core. We both groan, losing ourselves in the moment, before a loud knock on the other side of the door jolts us apart. Halle’s startled eyes meet mine as she tries to push me away, but I hang on to her, not wanting to let go of this moment just yet. Shaking my head, I bring my finger to my lips, silently asking her to stay quiet.

“Yo, hate to be that guy, but Hunter’s asking where you guys went.” We both sag in relief at Connor’s voice, the tension easing slightly. “And I have no idea if this is a secret or not, something you should probably fill me in on, yeah?But just sayin’… the walls here are paper thin,” he says, amusement thick in his tone.

Smirking, I glance at Halle, whose cheeks are a deep shade of pink, and a low chuckle escapes me as I move her behind me. Shielding her from Connor’s dramatics. I crack the door open, grinning as Connor smiles at us like he just caught Santa on Christmas Eve.

“Naughty, naughty,” he teases as he waggles his finger in our direction.

Rolling my eyes at him, I fight back another laugh as Halle sighs behind me.

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