Page 56 of Where the Stars Heal

Unlocking the door, I reach for the buckets of ice just as Connor swings it open. His eyes widen as he catches the two of us standing there, Halle not even bothering to cover up what we just did.

She flashes him an innocent smile. “Hey, Con.”

Connor leans forward, casually sniffing the air, and gasps dramatically. “Naughty, naughty, you two,” he teases with a sly grin.

I roll my eyes at him as Halle slips out the door, snickering to herself while making a beeline for the bathroom down the hall, leaving me to deal with Connor on my own. She’s gonna pay for that later. We’re not going back to her place tonight. Not after I’ve felt her tight pussy around me. It wasn’t enough. I want more. I want to take my time, have her mouth wrapped?—

“Asher! Earth to Asher!” Connor waves a hand in front of my face.

“Huh? Did you say something?” I mutter, shaking myself out of my head as I step into the hall.

Connor lets out a low whistle. “Wow, you’ve got it so bad.”

He’s not wrong. And I’m not even going to deny it.

“Hold up,” Connor says, grabbing the back of my arm just as I push through the door leading back out to the bar.

Laughter rings out from the pool tables, and the clatter of glasses and shot glasses slamming down fills the air. The place is still alive.

Connor slides up next to me, his voice low. “Piper is here,” he warns me, leaning in so only I can hear.

My jaw locks at the mention of her name. The fuck is she doing here? I haven’t seen her since… Shit, since I pulled her back here and made her straddle me. I was out of my mind, spiraling over Halle.

“Just giving you a heads up, man. Madi’s fuming. She’s worried about Halle running into her. Apparently, the girls filled her in on who she is.”

Narrowing my eyes at Connor, he raises his hands before taking the ice from me.

I’m on edge now, coiled tight with a nagging feeling that something’s about to go wrong. It always does when Piper is around.

Just as I go to follow Connor, I hear, “Heyyy, Asher, baby!” come from behind me.

A cold shiver rolls down my spine in disgust as I turn to face her. I step back, trying to put some space between us, but Piper never could pick up on my subtle “fuck off” gestures.

Closing the distance, her hand wraps around my bicep. My nostrils flare as I pull back, her sickly sweet, fruity scent invading my senses, making me want to gag. My nose scrunches, and I try again to pull away. If Halle sees this, she’s going to lose her mind, and I can’t have her spiraling now. Frantically searching for a way out, my eyes dart around, and I catch everyone behind the bar watching.Connor, Hunter, and Madi are all standing there, looking like they’re ready to murder her… or me. I can’t tell. Panic crawls up my neck, threatening to suffocate me. Just as I manage to uncurl her hand from my arm, she pushes up on her toes and presses a kiss to my cheek.

“I’ve missed you, baby,” she purrs, settling back down on her feet.

I see Madi gasp, her hand flying to her mouth in shock, Connor smirking, and Hunter’s flare of approval just as Piper is yanked away from me. Her shocked yelp draws attention from the nearby tables. But I don’t look at them, no, my gaze falls on Halle. Where she came from, I have no idea, but she looks at me like a woman possessed. My heart skyrockets in my chest as she spins to face Piper.

25

I CAN STILL FEEL HIM

HALLE

Rolling my lips together, I stop mid-step as a woman saunters up to Asher. Her long, sleek black hair brushes across her hips, and she’s wearing a tight black dress that barely skims below her ass. I scoff under my breath. I’ve met girls like her before. The kind who strut around thinking they own the place like they can get anyone to do anything for them with a flutter of their eyes and a sweet smile. But behind the act, they’re cruel and ruthless, and will stop at nothing to hurt anyone that stands in their way.

Her smile is all coy as she steps up to my man, laying her hand on him like she has every right. Red clouds my vision as my eyes zero in on her pink claws, digging into his arm like she owns him. I’ve never met her before, but the worried look I catch on Madi’s face as she stares at the two of them, the way Hunter’s lip curls and his fists clench at his sides, it all clicks. I’d put money on this being Piper. The one who thinks she has a claim on Asher.

Weaving silently through the crowd, I keep my eyes locked on them. All my life, I’ve been beaten down, made tofeel unworthy, like I don’t belong anywhere. But not here. Here, I do belong. This is my family now, too, my place, and I’m so damn tired of giving people the chance to walk all over me.

I move closer, the floors here sticking under my boots from spilled drinks, coasters, and stray straws littering the ground. A squeal from where people are playing pool breaks through the hum of loud conversations, but my attention doesn’t tear away from Piper and the way she moves in to kiss his cheek. A fire ignites in the pit of my stomach, and my mind tunnels in on the sight of her lips on his skin. Rage I can’t explain engulfs me, it’s all-consuming and hot. Reaching them, my hand lands on her shoulder, my fingers digging in, and I yank her back with more force than I intended.

She stumbles, her heels slipping out from under her, and for a split second, I think she’s going to hit the floor. But before she lands on her ass, her friends are there catching her.

“What the hell?!” she screeches, her voice grating, and I wince.

I want to yell at her, to get right in her face and tell her to back the hell off. Just as I step forward with the words on the tip of my tongue, Asher comes up behind me, his arm wrapping firmly around my waist.

---