Page 48 of Where the Stars Heal

Madi walks up to us, sinking down on my other side with three glasses of wine balanced in her hands. We take one each, and I waste no time, taking a long pull, hoping the wine will calm the fluttering nerves inside me.

Asher had warned me that the girls would pounce at the first chance they’d have, wanting to know all the dirty details. He even smirked and wished me good luck with a wink as we pulled back into Hunter’s driveway. Uncertainty ran through me, and like every other moment, Asher saw my spiral begin before I felt it. He was quick to reassure me, saying whatever I wanted to share was entirely up to me.

For the first time in my life, I feel like I have friends who genuinely care about me. I’ve never experienced this kind of friendship with girls before, where I actually want to tell them everything, right down to the details that make my skin tingle and my body burn.

“Ah… what do you want to know?” I ask hesitantly, glancing between them.

“Everything, girl,” Madi says with a sly smile, keeping her voice low for only us to hear. “We want to know how things went with your brother and we want to know what’s happening with you and that fine, broody asshole over there that can’t keep his eyes off you.”

Avoiding his gaze, I shift, crossing my legs and taking a smaller sip of wine this time, still trying to take the edge off my growing nerves. I can feel the weight of his attention on me. The pull inside of me, undeniable, screaming at me to stand and walk over to him, to wrap myself in the safety of his arms. But this feels so new, and I don’t know if that would be too much. My fingers tap against my glass as the butterflies begin to take flight, sensing his presence near.

“Hunter and I…” I start, but my eyes betray me glancing toward him.

Asher catches my gaze and winks, his tongue darting out to spin his lip ring. It’s a silent gesture of encouragement, one that only I can read. He knows that I’m sitting here, unsure how to do this, and with that one knowing look, he calms me.

“We worked things out. I’m not sure how much you know about his life before he came here or about my life,” I say softly, looking at the girls and finding their attention solely locked on me.

Tessa reaches over, grabbing my hand while Madi wraps an arm around my back, resting her head on my shoulder. Their love, patience, and unconditional support surround me and encourage me to keep going.

“We don’t know a lot,” Madi says gently. “Just that when Hunter moved here, he had plans to get you here, too, and what your mom did.”

“But as for the details, what happened in the midst of it all, why you didn’t move here sooner, or how life was for you after Hunter left, we don’t know anything, Halle,” Tessa adds, her eyes full of questions, ones she won’t ask out of respect.

Taking a deep breath, I let go and open myself up to these girls, who have become my family in every way that matters now. I hold on to their acceptance tightly as I begin to share the pieces of my shattered heart.

“Ray, our stepdad, he isn’t a good person. He was controlling, lazy, and mean. I’m not sure exactly what he did to Hunter—that’s something he hasn’t shared with me—but I now know he was protecting me from him.” I pause, taking a sip of wine to give myself a moment to gather my thoughts.

Tessa tightens her grip around my hand, silently offering me her strength to keep going.

“When Hunter left, I was alone, and I had to learn, fast, how to look after myself. Ray would tear me down with his mean words, day after day, night after night, until I believed him. It was a way to keep me in line.” My voice trembles with the memories. “I’m worthless. A waste of space. No one will ever love me because my legs looked like hail damage. A burden. No good for anything but to clean and cook.” My voice cracks, but I push through. “And year after year, I grew to hate my brother for leaving me all alone.”

“Everything I did was controlled—what I wore out of the house, where I went. Things got worse after my Mom left, but I had nowhere else to go. I hated the town I lived in, but it was all I knew until the day I found a letter from Hunter.”

My chest tightens, and my palms grow clammy as the minutes pass us by. Birds chirp above us when the lights turn on, casting a glow across the yard as the sun starts to set.

“We’re here for you, Halle. Take your time,” Madi whispers to me.

“Turns out, all those years where I thought Hunter had abandoned me, he hadn’t. Ray kept him away. All the letters he sent me, I never saw, and the phone calls he made, I never knew about. How messed up is that?”

“Oh Halle…” Tessa murmurs as she wipes under her eyes. “We had no idea.”

“That’s fucked up,” Madi cuts in. “I want to kill him.”

Tessa and I chuckle at her sudden outburst, making her grin at us with determination in her eyes. It’s a little scary, but the protectiveness she radiates reminds me of Hunter, and I’ll gladly soak it in.

“Anyways, that’s my story. Hunter and I talked, and we are moving forward now.”

Madi bumps my shoulder with a grin. “Right, well then… tell us about Asher now.”

Tessa waggles her brows at me, her smile mischievous as ever. I groan, burying my face in my hands, shaking my head. They’re not going to leave me alone until I spill everything.

“Aww, Tess, look at her. She’s turning red,” Madi teases

“Fine!I like him, okay!?” I blurt out, feeling the heat in my cheeks intensify.

The girls squeal, kicking their feet in excitement. Their energy is hard to ignore, and a wide smile takes over my face. From across the yard, Ace notices the commotion and bounds over to us, jumping straight into my lap. A lightness seeps into my chest, washing away all the nerves I had. I tip my head back, laughing as I squish Ace to me, patting behind his ear.

“Did you guys hook up?” Tessa asks, leaning in eagerly.

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