Page 65 of Starry Skies, Stolen Kisses, and My Best Friend's Brother

“Friends respect boundaries.Or do I need to start calling you Bryan?”

He frowns.“I won’t apologize.I’ll respect your boundaries, but I’m not giving up.”

I nearly tell him I don’t want him to give up.

“I’m going to see if Abi has any more material for me.”I cannot be in the same room with him right now.

The sky above is a dusty blue, the sun casting long shadows as I walk toward the river.The leaves on the trees rustle in the gentle breeze, their vibrant greens swaying in unison.The river sparkles in the sunlight, its waters rushing past.But as I get closer, I notice that Abi and Mark are nowhere to be seen.He’s nearly always down here.

I find one of the lifeguards who’s been here nearly as long as I have.“Where’s Abi?”

He shrugs.“She and Mark said they had to talk about some stuff and asked me to hold down the fort.I think they might have gone back to his house.”

I take the trail through the cabins and then grab a golf cart.It’s too far to walk.

Six carts are sitting outside the house, which isn’t Mark’s but actually belongs to Levi.

This must be serious.Maybe my dad found out, and they’re doing damage control.

I knock, and Abi answers the door.“Are you alone?”she whispers.

I nod.

“Good.Get in here.”

She yanks me in by the arm and slams the door shut, locking it.She pulls me down the hall to the living room where all of Seth’s brothers sit on couches and chairs.Ethan stands up and offers me his spot, and Abi and I take it, cuddling close together.

“What’s going on?”I ask.

“Well.Levi is finally on board, so we thought we’d have a family meeting and make some decisions.”

“You’re missing a few key members.”Obviously, Seth, but so are his parents.Somehow little Ollie managed to make it here though.

“That’s the point,” Ethan says matter-of-factly.

“So what is Levi finally on board with?”I doubt it’s his Levi the Lumberjack persona.

“We all want Seth to stay in Whisper Springs.Permanently.”

“He’s leaving in January.He’s been adamant about that.We’ve talked about it, and I’ve even offered to go with him.India awaits.”

“But why does he have to leave?He doesn’t need more money.He can stay here and work with Dad and us.”

I shrug.We’ve talked about his issues, but if he hasn’t shared them with his family, I won’t be the one who does.

“She knows,” Abi says.“I can see it in her face.”She turns to me.“Why can’t you tell us?”

“Because it’s personal.Ask him yourself.He might tell you.”Everyone is staring at me.I don’t like this at all.

“We’ve all tried.He just uses lame excuses like he’s already committed to this company in India,” Noah says.“But I checked with one of his friends that he usually works with, and he said that Seth can totally get out of the contract without losing anything.”

Mark turns to him.“Since when do you talk to Seth’s friends?”

“Since I needed an attorney, and Seth recommended him.”

“What the hell do you need an attorney for?”

“None of your business.”

---