Page 27 of We Are the Stars

“What? It’s a genuine question.”

“I don’t know him well enough to be into him.”

“You have a ‘but’ tone going on.”

I spin around and sit cross-legged in front of him. “I don’t have a ‘but’ tone. But—”

“Aha! See!”

“Ugh.” I poke his stomach. “Fine. Anyway, as I was saying, I don’t know him well enough to be ‘into’ him, but I’m not going to complain if I must look at him all day—you know, when he keeps his mouth closed and doesn’t scowl.”

“So shallow,” he teases.

“And there’s this… I… Crap, I don’t know.Something. He needs a friend. He needs someone to believe he isn’t a complete shitbag. I could be that person.”

“You just sat here and told me you assaulted him. How are you that person again?”

“I only did it because in that moment he deserved it. He needed someone to knock him down a few pegs. I just happened to be there.”

The look on his face says he still doesn’t believe me. “What really happened?”

I sigh, and then recount everything that happened.

“He exploded like that?”

“Yeah. Kind of.” I wince. “It wasn’tthatbad, though.”

“And Bryan didn’t say a word?”

“Nope. I don’t even know if he heard it—he plays music back in his office—but I’m certain Carsen told him about it. I’m also certain there’s a good chance I no longer have a job.”

“Uncle Bryan would fire that kid before he fired you, especially after he heard what happened,” Fish reassures me.

“I don’t know…”

“He would,” he insists.

Then he keeps talking, and I stop listening, because Fish doesn’t get it, just like no one else gets it.

Carsen’s not a bad guy. He’s misunderstood, angry, and hurt.

He’s broken, but not irreparable.

“Anyway, remember what I said, Elliott, okay?”

“I will,” I lie, because I have no idea what he said.

“I’m heading to bed. You good?”

“As good as I’m going to get.”

“You working tomorrow?”

“Yep. Two until close.”

“Cool. Maybe I’ll come bug you.”

I mock gasp. “You’re going todrive?”

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