Page 113 of Starstruck

Not anymore.

I shuffled above the wooden swing, wiping away at the tears that were close tofreezing. “How do I tell her?”

“Just talk to her.” He nods his chin at me. “I’ve known Goldiepractically all her life, and I can tell you there is not a vengeful bone in her body.” His hand clapped my shoulder. “She’ll hear you out.”

I tore my gaze away from Nate and shifted it back to the house,silently wishing on every star that hung above us for the one by the fire inside to hear me. Like I said, what good was my future if she wasn’t in it? Every time I tried to envision a reality where I’d kept my lies hidden and lost her in the struggle, all I could see was darkness—cold, empty voids that suffocated me.

I didn’t want the shadows anymore.

I wanted her. Her light.

“Okay…” I breathed, my knees cracking as I stood. “Okay, I’m gonna do it.”

Nate’s smile widened as he stood too. “Let’s get you back in.”

He clapped me on the back as we made the walk back to the house, the lilacsunset completely gone from the sky and replaced by midnight blue and black fusion. The lights were still on in the house, the amber lights dying the snow that sat by the windows the same colour.

I prayed that the twinkle from the stars was all the confirmation I needed thatshe’d let me tell her, that she’d let me near her long enough for the truth to fall out, and part of me believed it so much that I picked my steps, taking me a few paces ahead of Nate and under the cover of the porch.

I tapped the snow off my boots, Nate doing the same as he caught up with me,before we headed for the front door and back into the warmth of the house.

The hinges didn’t creak as we opened it, or if they did there was no way for usto hear them over the yelling we could hear coming from the hallway. The deep calls only got louder as we sank into the house, and before we could look at each other and guess what was happening, Goldie’s dad came from inside the dining room, her mom, Addy and Goldie right on his heels and telling him to stop.

He was bright red, his knuckles white from how tightly he was gripping hisphone, and if it was possible for steam to erupt from a person, I’m sure it would have as his eyes fell on me, darkening like a great white who’d caught a whiff of blood.

He began charging toward me then, and my heart began to hammer against mychest with each stride he made. Nate barely stepped in front of me before he reached me, pushing the phone at my chest and spitting at me, “Is this true?”

“What?” I stuttered, too overwhelmed and confused to make sense of anything.

He pushed the phone at me again. “This. Is this true, you little asshole?”

“James,” Nate warned, stepping further between the two of us.

“I’m not talking to you; I’m talking to this fucker right here.” James boomed,ignoring the wails from Betty coming from behind him.

“Dad, stop it!” Goldie cried, and I swear I felt my heart chip as it echoed in myears.

My eyes bolted for her and my heart cracked again as I trailed the tears thatwere streaming down her face, my mind a mess over what could have been happening to cause it.

“Read it!” James screamed down at me, practically shaking the walls.

My hands scrambled to grip the phone properly, the adrenaline coursing throughmy hands and pulsing in my finger tips. I nearly dropped it as the screen lit up my face, and as I focused my eyes, I nearly did, but only because of what was written across the screen.

Singer of Chart-Topping Hit ‘Neverland’ Tristan Harper Reportedly Survives Near-Fatal Overdose

Tristan Harper, the artist behind the chart-topping single “Neverland,” is said to have survived a life-threatening overdose that led him to seek refuge in the United States.

Sources reveal that Harper’s overdose stemmed from a spiral of bad habits, fueled by the pressures of newfound fame and the lifestyle that often accompanies it.

As of now, neither Harper nor his team has issued a statement regarding the incident, leaving fans and the public in the dark about his current condition and future plans.

chapter thirty seven

love's never lost when perspective is earned

The panic set in my bones and solidified the second I heard my dad yellingdownstairs.

The sound of it sent a shiver through me, and before I could stop myself, I was rushing down the stairs, the urgency of it overwhelming. My heart pounded, my steps quickening with each one I took. Addy was just a few steps behind, but I didn’t slow down. My eyes locked onto the shadows of our parents in the kitchen, their voices rising, and for a moment, I stood there, bracing myself for what came next.

---