Page 58 of Where the Stars Heal

“You’re perfect,” he says quietly, guiding me under the hot water and spinning me to face him.

My cheeks warm with his words, and for a moment, a sudden urge to hide myself washes over me, but I push it aside. With my hand on the back of his neck, I pull him under the stream of water with me. His eyes are fixed on mine, intense and unwavering, as I follow the path of water sliding down his sharp jawline, catching on his lip ring. His tongue darts out, spinning the small piece of black metal, and before he can say anything, I close the space between us and kiss him. Slow and deep, seeking entrance. My hands slide down to his shoulders while his hands move slowly up my back. The water rushes around us as we lose ourselves in each other.

26

SHE WAKES ME UP

ASHER

I blink once, twice, and sway on my feet. A faint yellow light flickers to my left, casting shadows everywhere I look. My mind scrambles to figure out how I got here, where the peachy scent went, and why the air reeks of rusted metal and damp concrete. My lungs burn as I drag in a shaky breath, trying to calm the pounding in my chest.

“Ash, man, we fucked up.” Aiden’s voice screams at me, sharp and panicked.

I spin, the world tilting violently on its axis, and I reach out, grabbing the light post, its cold surface steadying me just enough to stop me from collapsing. Shit, what was in those pills?

A tingling sensation courses through my body, and my fingertips go numb. I wonder if that pothole over there is big enough for me to crawl into, just to disappear while the numbness takes over. Crawling away sounds better than standing here with Aiden, who won’t stop screaming at me and pacing up and down the sidewalk, tearing at his hair.

“They’re coming!” he yells again.

My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth, and my brainworks in double time to unlock my jaw as I push myself to stand next to him.

“Who’s coming?” I slur out.

My head snaps to the side, the sharp sting of Aiden’s hand radiates across my cheek. “Dude, get it the fuck together! We’re in deep shit here,” he spits, his movements becoming frantic.

Tires screech, and a deafening pop vibrates through my skull, and screams echo around me. My vision blurs, and I stumble backward just as someone hauls me up by my shirt.

“Consider your debt paid,” he murmurs in my ear.

Pain radiates through my knees as they slam into the pavement. My hands scrape against the cold concrete, catching my fall. A sharp metallic tang fills my nose, the smell cutting through the haze in my mind.I lift my head, my stomach sinking into the depths of despair.

“No, no, no!” I cry out, crawling over to Aiden.

His body lies motionless, lifeless, his easy smile gone. His eyes vacant, staring past me, hand outstretched toward me. His once-white shirt now red from the blood that’s pooling out of his chest. Pain slices through me as if someone dragged a knife down my chest, splitting me open, and my body disconnects.

“HELP!” I scream through the lump in my throat.

My hands fall to his face, my fingers trembling down his neck as I lift his head, holding him tightly to me. My body shakes uncontrollably, and I lose all control.

“Please, please, Aiden, come back!” I sob into him.

“Asher, wake up!”

My heart thrashes against my ribs as I gasp for air, snapping my eyes open. Halle hovers above me, her legs straddling my hips, her hair tumbling in front of her face as her shaky hands grip my shoulders. Sweat dampens my skin, the memory of Aiden’s death lingering in the shadows of mymind. His body lying dead in the street, unmoving. My stomach churns, and dread clings to me as I look into Halle’s concerned eyes.

“Hey, hey,” Halle whispers. “It was just a nightmare. You’re here, in your room with me.”

“Did I hurt you?” I choke out, my eyes roaming over her body.

I’ve woken from these nightmares countless times before, tangled in my sheets from thrashing around, drenched in sweat with my body still shaking from the horrors of my past. What if I hit her in my sleep? What if I hurt her? I could never forgive myself. Never trust myself to sleep by her side again in fear of my nightmares taking control.

“No, of course, you didn’t.” Her hand moves to cup my cheek, her touch easing some of the tension in my muscles.

Her legs tighten around my hips, and the warmth of her chases away the panic lingering in my chest. I let out a slow, shaky breath as my trembling fingers trace up and down her thighs. The sight of her wakes me up. Dressed in nothing but my shirt and her panties, her hair messy from sleep, she makes my heart race for an entirely different reason. I need to feel her, to be inside her. She brings me light and comfort, and right now, I need her in every way.

Sensing the shift in the air, the look of raw need reflected in my eyes, she leans forward, kissing me softly.

“Take what you need,” she says against my lips.

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