Page 50 of The Star

“She isn’t into me.” I sigh. “Ran for her life away from me, told me we need to go back to ignoring each other. She’s with some dude she used to hook up with in the hood tonight.”

“Am I still allowed to fuck her?” Levi asks, totally off topic.

Hayden snorts when my head snaps to Levi, death in my eyes.

Levi holds his hands up in defense. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding.”

I blow out a breath, then fall back in the sand again to stare at the stars. “I just need to think.”

My friends lie down in the sand next to me, letting silence fall over us again. They let me think, giving me the peace I so desperately need right now. They just offer their presence, the calmness that them being in my atmosphere brings.

After an hour, I still haven’t figured out how to handle this situation with grace and dignity, so we stand up together and walk to where we’re parked. Without a word, I open the driver’s side door to my Jeep and get in, but before I start the engine, Hayden makes his way to me and stands in the doorframe.

“If you like her, fight for her, Carson. Fuck the rest.”

I give him a little nod, and he walks to his car without another word.

* * *

Sunday rolls around, and Logan still hasn’t come home. This morning I broke a glass in my fist as I poured orange juice into it, so it’s safe to say this is really fucking getting to me.

As I turn on my TV and settle into bed around 10pm, she still isn’t home, and I can feel every hair on my body standing straight up. I want to strangle her, bend her over, and make her ass and thighs red until she’s screaming at the top of her lungs. I check my phone again, and when there’s still no notifications, I dial her number for the hundredth time today.

After one ring, I hear vibrating through the wall.

I spring out of bed like a jack-in-the-box, and I’m through the door to the bathroom, then through her bedroom door before I can take another breath.

“Where thefuckhave you been?!” I yell, slamming the door behind me as she squeals in surprise.

Once her face has relaxed again, and I’m creeping toward her with malice lining my features, her expression goes sour. “Excuse me?!”

I smirk at her, taking another step. “You think you can just disappear? Turn your phone off and ignore me?”

“I didn’t realize I needed your permission to hang out with my friends,Dad.” She rolls her eyes, rounding her bed and throwing the blankets open so she can slip in.

“Logan,” I growl, but she speaks again before I can continue.

“What’s your fucking deal, dude?” She pulls the covers over her lap and tilts her head as she looks at me. “I don’t fucking answer to you!And,we decided to go back to ignoring each other, so why are your panties in a knot?”

My nostrils flare as I blow a breath out, and I stop moving toward her to cross my arms over my chest. Trying to figure out how to explain my insane behavior is more difficult than I thought it would be. Mainly because she’s being such a brat about it. Don’t chicks like crazy possessive dudes?

She blinks hard, shaking her head in question when I don’t answer her.

“I don’t know!” I throw my hands up, leaning my head back to look at the ceiling. “I want to fucking strangle you!”

She laughs. “Forwhat?!”

I sigh and drop my head back down to meet her gaze. I find humor in her eyes, and it makes me want to scream. She’s always so fucking cool and collected, and it drives me absolutely wild. I would give my left nut to see her as unhinged as I feel right now.

“Carson.” She sighs. “Quit being a bitch.”

I grit my teeth. “Shut up.”

She laughs again, her eyes sparkling. “I’m not your girlfriend. I’m not even yourfriend.Why are you so bent out of shape right now?”

My eyebrows pull down, and I grin. “We aren’t friends?”

“No.” She rolls her eyes. “We aren’t. You hate me, and I hate you. That’s how this works.”

---