Page 23 of Beneath the Stars (Sugarlake 1)

“Fuck, I’m sorry, baby.” I brush my thumbs over the pink marks.

She hums and leans back, running her fingers through my hair. Her touch is normally calming, but right now I feel like a live wire ready to explode. “Why didn’t you ever tell me about this?”

She huffs. “You weren’t exactly by my side much these past few years. What was I gonna do, yell it across the neighborhood? I figured you already knew.”

Jax clears his throat and my eyes snap over. I forgot he was even here. “Not to intrude on what is obviously a personal moment between you two, but I did see Lily with some loser the other day down by the shop.”

“What the fuck, man?” My eyebrows rise. Does nobody tell me anything around here?

He nods, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Yeah, bro. I was busy dealing with a customer, so I didn’t pay much attention, but now that I think about it, shit looked kind of sketchy.” He grimaces and rubs his hand on the back of his neck.

“I think she may be on drugs,” Goldi blurts. Her eyes are wide, hands covering her mouth like she didn’t mean to say it.

I chuckle, although this situation is the furthest thing from funny. “And how long have you been thinking this?”

“I was fixin’ to tell you, I swear. It just never seemed like the right time.”

I squeeze her thigh, tempering my agitation. “Lil would never do drugs, Goldi.”

She nods. “I’m sure you’d like to believe that. But, Chase, I’m tellin’ you. Somethin’ is not right.”

“I’ll talk to her, but I really think you guys are overreacting.” No way Lily’s doing drugs. She knows what they do to people, what they did to us.

I could, however, see her dating some dickbag and not wanting to tell me, afraid of how I’d react. I’m not exactly known for my understanding and patience.

I push down the dread creeping up my throat and reassure myself. There’s no fucking way she would get into shit like that. If she was having a hard time, she would come to me. It’s always been us against the world.

I brush off their concern. They just don’t know Lily like I do.

Jax hangs for a while longer before his mom calls him home. I figure now is as good a time as any to bring up ETU with Goldi. It’s not like I’m planning on going, but I don’t want to keep this from her.

“No way, Chase. Not on my watch.” Goldi stares me down, hands on her hips, a serious expression on her face.

“Baby, it’s not a big deal. I was never planning to go anyway. You’re out of your mind if you think I’m going to leave town now that I finally have you.”

She rolls her eyes. “Good Lord, get over yourself. It’s not across the country. It’s ETU—a little over two hours away.”

“Two hours isn’t three houses down, Goldi. I don’t want to be that far from you. What if you decide you can’t handle the long-distance? What if something happens? I need to be here.”

Her eyes soften as she puts her arms around my waist, kissing my chest through the fabric of my shirt. “That won’t happen. You can come down on weekends, I can come up. I won’t let you throw away college ‘cause of me.”

I blow out a breath, resting my chin on the top of her head. Anxiety is twitching in my stomach, but I ignore it. I want to be a better man for her, someone she can be proud to have by her side. Maybe college is the right choice.

I run my tongue over my teeth, leaning back to meet her eyes. “I’ll think about it.”

A smile lights up her face as she raises up to kiss me chastely. “I’m really proud of you.”

My heart pounds, a strange sensation filling me up. Nobody has ever told me that before. I like the way it feels.

10

Alina

Seventeen Years Old

It’s been six months since Chase left for ETU. I’m crazy proud of him, but it would be a lie to say it isn’t hard. When he was leaving, he swore he would be back every single weekend, but I don’t think either of us realized how unrealistic that is. Between him working to pay for his apartment, and me teaching dance to toddlers at the local rec on the weekends, time—and gas money—has been difficult to come by.

I was planning to hop in my little Kia and drive up there at least once a month, but my folks said no way, no how, could I go without a chaperone. That’s where Jax comes in, I guess. I don’t know what he said to Mama, but she melted like butter and convinced Daddy that if Jax came along, it was okay to go. I about keeled over and died right there when they told me. Jax? A chaperone? I can’t believe it, but I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

---