Page 63 of Where the Stars Heal

Heat rises from my chest to my face, and my stomach twists as a familiar whisper echoes in the back of my mind:Dreams don’t come true for you.I wince at the thought, trying my hardest to ignore the small voice, but the whispers keep coming.

You’re broke.

You’d never be able to do this.

Why would anyone want to help you?

I take another step back, ready to run from the suffocating weight of doubt when I slam into something solid. Strong hands grip my arms, steadying me from falling over. Hints of mint invade me as I lean back into his broad, muscled chest. The safety of his arms chases away the small voice clawing at my mind. All the doubts slip away into the background.

“Talk to me. Give me what’s inside your head, Halle,” Asher orders gently.

“I just…” My throat closes over at the flood of emotion that’s racing to the surface.

He presses closer, his presence hugging me, staying silent, and allowing me to speak in my own time. This man—so patient, so understanding, so supportive—I have no idea how he fell into my world. How he sees me in ways no one else ever has.

“It’s perfect,” I blurt, waving my hand toward the store in front of us. “It’s everything I’ve dreamed of for the space I’d need. But…” I pause, taking a breath, “it’ll never happen. I don’t have the money, don’t know the first thing about running a business.”

“I told you once that we’re going to make your dreams come true, and we will,” he says with certainty, running his hands up and down my arms in a soothing motion.

“You trust me?” he whispers in my ear.

Spinning in his arms, I meet his steady gaze and nod. “Always.”

Asher leans down, his lips brushing over mine.

“I love you,” I murmur into his kiss.

My chest expands when the words leave my mouth, the same way it always does. Loving Asher is as natural as breathing, like he was made to fill the empty hole in myheart. He’s my person, and I’m going to hang on to this feeling for as long as life allows me to.

Shouts and hoots travel across the street, and Asher pulls back, laughing as we both turn. Connor, Madi, and Tessa stand there like fools, whistling and cheering us on.

“Love you too, baby,” Asher says, his smile reaching his eyes in the way I love the most.

“Now, you ready to party?” he asks, dragging me back across the street toward our friends.

29

I WAS THIRTEEN

HALLE

“Please, Hals, please, please, please,” Connor begs me.

Laughter bubbles out of me so forcefully that I have to bend at my knees to steady myself. The sight of Connor kneeling in front of me, begging me to get drunk and be his party buddy tonight, is hilarious.

“Get up, you idiot,” Asher smacks the back of his head casually as he walks past him with a case of beer perched on his shoulder.

“No one gets on their knees for her but me,” he calls over his shoulder, throwing me a smirk. “Hey, sweetheart.”

My neck flames, my ears turn hot, and my palm covers my face in embarrassment.

“Dude!” Hunter shouts from the speaker in the corner of the living room. “Need to know.”

Connor stands, chuckling as I bend to pick up Ace, giving him a scratch behind his ears.

“You sure he should be here tonight with everyone partying?” I ask Connor as Ace snuggles into me.

He reaches over to pat him on the head. “Nah, my sister’s coming to get him and taking him back to her place for thenight. I don’t want to stress him out or have a drunk idiot hurt him.”

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