Page 47 of Where the Stars Heal

I glance back outside at the girls, still lost in their own little world. Madi and Tessa succeeded in pulling my girl into the fun. Their hands are linked as they spin in a circle with Ace in the middle. Their laughter carries over to me. Halle’s eyes find mine, and her smile widens effortlessly. For a moment, in the chaos that’s happening around me, everything fades, and a lightness seeps into me.

She’s home.Weare her home.

I send her a wink, smirking as I catch the blush creeping up her neck.

“Asher, where you been man?”

“ASH.”

“Yo man, what’s up?”

Voices call out from all directions as I weave through thecrowd. I spot Hunter disappearing into his room and take after him, sidestepping anyone who tries to grab my attention and nodding to those who do make eye contact. The energy in the house is loud and rowdier than ever. Halle’s going to lose her mind when she comes inside. That’s if the party hasn’t already spilled out the back.

“Hunter,” I say as I step into his room, my tone sharp, “what the hell is happening?”

Hunter picks up his phone from the dresser, spinning to face me, his jaw tightens and annoyance radiates off him. He’s clearly just as pissed as I am about this situation as he exhales sharply.

“Someone overheard Connor in town talking about tonight, word got out, and here we are,” he says with frustration.

“Halle’s going to hate this,” I say cautiously, taking a seat on the edge of his bed.

Hunter groans, running a hand through his hair. “Man, I know, but what can I do now? Can’t you distract her? I mean, I know you two have a thing going on.”

Shock jolts through me, my brain momentarily freezing before I start coughing, choking on air as his words sink in.

“What the hell?” I manage to choke out.

“Oh, come on… I’m not blind. You can’t keep your eyes off her, and she’s different around you. She doesn’t hide as much.” His words land like a punch, leaving me more confused than ever.

He doesn’t sound angry, but I sit here bracing myself, expecting his fist to fly any second. The tension in the room is suffocating, but he doesn’t make a move. Hunter just stands there, arms crossed, watching me. Waiting for me to say something, anything. But I’m stuck, still in shock that he’s known this whole time.

“Is it serious?” he asks, finally breaking the silence.

“It’s serious for me. Your sister…” I pause, choosing my next words carefully. “She’s stubborn. I can’t speak for her, but, Hunter,” I look at him, hoping he can see the sincerity and depth of what I feel for her in my eyes, “she means everything to me.”

“She’s always been stubborn, you know,” Hunter says, uncrossing his arms as he grins at me.

The knot in my chest loosens, and I let the weight of my worries fall from my shoulders. His acceptance isn’t something I was expecting, and I’m not going to question it. Being with Halle feels right.

“I’ve never seen my future clearly before,” I admit, my voice steady. “All these years, I’ve been running from my past, from the nightmares that haunt me. But for the first time, I can see clearly.” The words catch in my throat as I lean forward, bracing my arms on my knees before continuing. “She makes me want to stop running. Her strength… It’s addictive, and I want to fight all my demons, to give her all I have because she deserves everything and more.”

I lay it all out, raw and honest, hoping he understands how much she means to me, without saying the wordsI love herbecause when I say them for the first time, it’ll be to her and no one else.

Hunter steps up to me, his expression unreadable as he grabs my shoulder. “You deserve to be happy too, Asher,” he says in a brotherly tone. “You don’t give yourself enough credit for everything you’ve been through or for where you could be right now if you didn’t fight for this life.” He squeezes my shoulder and steps back. “You know, I always thought of you like a brother, Asher,” he says, making his way to the door. The tension creeps back in between us as he pauses to look back at me. “But if you hurt Halle in anyway…” His tone hardens, and the muscle in his jaw ticks. “Brother or not, I’ll come for you. Don’t screw this up.”

With that, he walks out, leaving me to fall back onto the bed as a tidal wave of relief floods my system. The emotional tension of hiding my feelings finally breaks, and a low chuckle escapes me as I rake my hands through my curls just as the sound of a door slamming down the hallway cuts through the loud music.

I jolt upright as I hear Connor’s voice yell out, “Halle, I’m sorry!”

Worry slams into me when loud laughter follows his apology. I’m on my feet in an instant, my heart beating wildly as I push through the crowd, heading straight for Connor.

22

I’LL BE FINE

HALLE

“Tell us everything!” Tessa squeals as she drops down next to me, sweeping her long strawberry hair into a low ponytail and taming it against the warm summer breeze.

---