Page 79 of Fractured Constellations
“Blade—” She twists in my lap to look at me, but I place my finger over her lips.
“No, Goldilocks. He put you in danger, knowingly, and all for what? More money which he doesn’t need,” I tell her, my jaw tight with just how furious I am with him. “We’re meant to help heal people, not put them in more danger. He deserves everything he gets, and I want nothing more to do with him.”
“But he’s still your dad,” she argues, and it makes me love her more, even if she’s misguided in this.
“Some things matter more than loyalty to your blood,” I state, staring into those beautiful, diamond blue eyes of hers.
“So we agree then? Let’s leak all the information we have to the medical authorities and let them deal with it,” Chase suggests, and both Thorn and I nod. “Star?”
She takes a deep inhale, turning back around to face him.
“Okay. I don’t want him to be able to do this to anyone else.”
Chase gives her a nod, then taps the keys on his laptop keyboard. “Done. I expect we’ll see movement on this within the next forty-eight hours.”
It takes much less time than that, and by the end of the day, the scandal is not only all over the news, but the company is under investigation, stocks and shares plummet, and Dad has been arrested. I should feel something other than a sense of satisfaction, he is my father after all, but I don’t.
He wronged the woman I love, the other part of my soul, and for that, if nothing else, he has to pay. I hope they lock him up and fucking throw away the key.
“PILLOWTALK” BY CONNOR MAYNARD
LUNA
I keep watch over my guys for the next few days, but they seem to be taking the fact their family company is on the brink of bankruptcy and the arrest of their father in their stride. There’sstill an undercurrent of anger there, a rage towards the man who raised them, and I feel a smidge of guilt that it’s my fault. Then again, I didn’t ask for him to use me in his medical trials without giving me all the information or even seeking my consent. Didn’t ask him to effectively groom my mother so he could access me.
Richard has attempted reconciliation several times, but each time it’s rebuffed, his calls ignored.
The guys move Mom into a new home, given the old mansion is still—for the moment—in Richard’s name and so has been seized along with his other assets. All the staff have come to us in The Cottage, and it’s nice to have Jerry back, plus Bernard to make all the delicious foods.
Mom’s new place isn’t far, a small apartment closer to town that she loves already. She’s had some friends over for a girl’s night, which I was invited to but politely declined just because I’m trying to stay away from too many people as instructed.
She’s settled into her new life really well, even getting a new job now that she refuses any money from Richard. She's working at the local coffee shop, and is full of stories of her lovely customers and co-workers. I caught Chase putting money in an account for her, so she doesn’t actually have to work, but she enjoys it and it just makes me love my guys more that they’re taking care of her too.
May twenty-first rolls around, my birthday, though I didn’t mention it to the guys, not wanting to make them feel like they need to do anything. They’ve already done so much, missed so much of school, postponing until September in order to focus all of their attention on my care and recovery.
I walk down the old oak staircase to find the entire downstairs has been decorated with balloons and streamers, all in galaxy colors.
“Happy birthday, Moonbeam!” Thorn sings, skipping up to me and pulling me off the last step and into his arms, smacking a kiss against my cheek.
“How did you know?” I ask, laughing as he swings me around and the others come into view.
“We know everything about you, Star,” Chase tells me as Thorn sets me back on my feet. Chase pulls me into his arms, using his hand to tip my face up to his. “Happy birthday.”
I smile as he kisses me, heat flaring in my core at the touch. They’ve not done anything sexual since I came back from the hospital, and it’s driving me batshit crazy. He pulls away just as I’m spun and end up in Blade’s strong embrace.
“Happy birthday, Goldilocks,” he murmurs in his deep, gravelly voice, lowering his lips to mine and kissing me thoroughly. My entire body feels like it’s on fire, and I whimper, feeling his lips curve into a grin as he pulls back. “Patience, baby.”
I pout at him, which has his smirk pulling up even more, the asshole. He releases me, tangling our fingers and pulling me to the kitchen, where I find four bowls of porridge, two with pots of Nutella beside them. I laugh at the memory of tasting their porridge that first morning, of Thorn catching me.
I’m guided to my seat, which they decided was the head of our table, and I sit down, all three of them joining me. Taking a spoon, I put a big scoop of the chocolate goodness into the creamy porridge, stir it in, then bring the spoon to my mouth, and I sigh as I find the temperature perfect.
“Just right, huh?” Thorn asks from my left, and I grin at him after I swallow.
“Just right.”
The rest of the day is spent exactly as I want it. We walk along the beach, then watch the sunset until it’s dark and stars twinkle in the sky.
“We have another surprise for you,” Chase tells me, and I arch a brow at him.
