Page 26 of Beneath the Stars (Sugarlake 1)

“Alright, well, I’ll see you later, Chase,” she mutters.

Chase barely glances at her, mumbling a goodbye. His hand tangles with mine as he leads us up the sidewalk and to his apartment.

By the end of the weekend, she’s already forgotten. Lost in the sights and sounds of Nashville, and the happiness that wraps my heart, making it beat out the rhythm of a love song.

“I don’t want you to go back,” Chase whispers into my hair. I’m lying on top of him, our limbs entwined on the couch, reveling in the peace that comes with his embrace. Jax is passed out in Chase’s bedroom, and this is the first time all weekend we’ve been alone. We managed to sneak in a few make-out sessions, but even though I told Chase I was ready to take that last step, he didn’t want to do it when Jax was in the other room. Said he wanted it to be special. Wanted to take his time.

“Bein’ away from you is harder than I expected,” I pout.

His arms tighten around me. “You aren’t second-guessing things, are you?”

“No way. You’re stuck with me for good, mister. I just miss you so much. We don’t get to see each other as often as I imagined.”

His fingers trail up and down my back, and he sighs. “It’s hard for me, too. Not being able to see you whenever I want is fucking torture.”

It is torture, but nothing compared to the torture of knowing he wasn’t mine. This is child’s play, in comparison.

“Have you talked to Lily lately?” he asks.

My heart sinks. “Chase, she won’t even look at me when she passes me in the halls at school, and she dropped out of dance to avoid me.”

I’ve tried to talk to Lily a thousand different times. I thought after some space, she would have cooled off enough to hear my side of things. But there’s only so much verbal abuse a girl can take. Eventually, I stopped trying.

“She’s not answering my calls. Probably still pissed at me for leaving. Can you try to get through to her again, for me? I need to know she’s okay, and I’ll feel better knowing you’re with her.”

I love Chase with every part of me, and that’s the only reason I agree. For some reason, he’s blind when it comes to Lily—too scared to see what’s right in front of him. He’s not willing to admit she treats me like trash, let alone that she’s off the rails and needs help. I just hope he doesn’t look back one day and regret how he’s handling things.

“Yeah, I’ll see about her when I get back home. But don’t get your hopes up, Chase. She can’t stand the sight of me.”

“Thank you, baby.”

I kiss him, committing his touch to memory. Who knows how long it will be until I get to feel it again.

11

Chase

Nineteen Years Old

Goldi and Jax made the trip again at the end of March, Jax taking his “chaperone” role way too seriously, and not giving us a moment of privacy. Not like I’d fuck her with him eavesdropping anyway. I want us to be alone for that, but who knows when we’ll get the time. Three weeks after they left, the ache in my chest from not being with her was too much to take. So, I requested off work, filled up my gas tank, and took the trip home. Coincidentally, it’s also Anna’s birthday this weekend. I’m happy I’ll get to be here to celebrate.

Goldi and I are at my house marathoning old horror flicks on TV, but I’m not paying attention. I’m too busy watching her. I didn’t know it was possible to feel this. Like my world is spinning around her, surviving off her glow. That makes me sound like a pussy, but I don’t give a fuck. It’s the truth.

Almost everything in my life is finally going right. I’ve got the parents. I’ve got the girl. I’m getting the education. The only thing I’d change is the deteriorating relationship with my sister. Lily’s the one thing I can’t keep a hold of, and it fucking kills me. I never imagined she would shut me out the way she has. I admit I didn’t want to see it. I didn’t want to believe what everyone has been trying to tell me. I brushed it off like a fucking idiot, reassuring myself everything was fine. All so I wouldn’t have to face the fact that my sister is fucked-up, and I haven’t done shit about it. But I can’t ignore it anymore.

The movie ends, credits rolling across the screen. My fingers trai

l up and down Goldi’s arm as she lies in front of me.

“I love havin’ you home,” Goldi sighs.

“I love being home.”

She pushes her ass into me, and I bite my lip at the feeling. With all the time apart, we haven’t had too many opportunities to be with each other like this. The nineteen-year-old hormonal boy is raging inside of me for some contact.

She reaches back and cups me. Her fingers slide up and down my length through my basketball shorts, making the blood rush straight to my cock. She looks back and smiles deviously. “How long ‘til your folks get home?”

“Who fucking cares?” I growl, lust overtaking rational thought. I grind into her hand, letting her feel how much she affects me. It’s been a year of foreplay, and I’m losing my fucking mind wanting to get inside her.

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