Page 27 of Only Some Stars Fall

I give Elle an appreciative smile as I slide the glass back, and she refills it. This process continues until the chairs are stacked, the lights have been dimmed, and the room around me seems a little fuzzy. The warm liquor dilutes my anger for the time being.

“Better?” Elle asks as she closes out the cash till.

“Much!” I say with a goofy smile on my face.

“Well, don’t get used to it, this was a one-time deal. I am no stranger to heartbreak, and guys like Hux were made to do some serious damage, but never again, understand?” She puts her hand on mine, giving it a light squeeze. It might have only been a month since I met Elle, but I already know she is someone who I hope stays in my life forever.

“Understoodth,” I say, giggling at my slurred speech.

Elle rolls her eyes. “All right, I need to straighten up out back and do some restocking for tomorrow. Stay here, and I will drive you home once I’m done. I mean it, don’t leave your seat. Got it?”

“Yes, boss,” I say, saluting her before a fit of giggles attacks again. Elle rolls her eyes for the second time, grabbing a rack of dirty glasses and disappearing out back.

I pull out my phone while I wait, scrolling through social media, something I’ve barely done since being here. I see that Hannah is enjoying her time eating her way through Italy. Her carefree spirit comes through her photos as she laughs with jelly on her lips and a pastry in her hand. There’s another photo of her on the beach with a handsome Italian man kissing her cheek. Her skin is sun-kissed and a little sandy.

I also take a moment to check in on Josh, my adorable, kindhearted lacrosse player. His feed is full of shirtless rugby games and tailgating with his buddies. In my buzzed state of mind, I send him a quick text.

It looks like you’re enjoying your summer and haven’t been skipping the gym.

I follow up with the kissy emoji and hit send before even thinking about how flirty that probably comes off.

At this point, I don’t care. My body feels warm, I feel happy, and who cares if Hux doesn’t want me, I can think of two guys who would be ecstatic to have me knocking on their door, one of them right down the road…

My phone dings, alerting me of a new notification. Josh. I can’t help but smile when I see his name.

Mysummer would be much better if you were here with me. Glad you noticed my hard work. Miss you, cutie.

Well, there it is. This is exactly why people advise against texting when drunk. Unfortunately, I’m a repeat offender. Alex has had to forcefully remove my phone from my fingers a time or two, especially when it comes to Austin. This could be considered one of those times, but then again, Alex has always been completely mystified by my uninterest in Josh. She would probably be cheering me on if she was here. That’s the thing though, she’s not, so this can be blamed on her. It’s all her fault.

Well, you know where to find me, Aurora Lake, Maine. Middle of nowhere but come for a visit, I am sure I can show you a good time.

I add another playful emoji and then click my phone off, setting it facing down on the bar since my head is starting to spin a bit. I have a feeling I’ll put the nail in my coffin if I puke on the bar, so it’s best to stay off screens.

I drum my fingers on the bar, getting antsy. I need to pee, so I make an exception to Elle’s rule and jump down from my barstool, swaying a bit and using the bar to steady myself. Another eruption of giggles comes out of my mouth as I swing my bag over my shoulder. I turn to head to the bathroom when I walk straight into a large body.

For a split second, my heart skips at the thought of Hux.My heart is such a fucking traitor.Quickly, I realize this doesn’t feel right. The smell of this man’s shirt isn’t of pine and lake waterbut of too strong cologne. His shoes are Reebok, and his button-up shirt is tucked into his belted jeans.

“Oh, uh, excuse me,” I say without looking up, hoping to conceal the fact that I am anything but sober.

The man leans down toward my ear. “Seems clumsiness is something you need to work on, isn’t it.” He chuckles. There isn’t anything especially sinister about the way he laughs, but it raises the hair on the back of my neck all the same.

When I look up, I recognize him immediately. He is the man I spilled not one but two martinis on. I look around frantically and find that he and I are the only people in the bar. The dining room lights have been shut off, meaning the servers have gone home for the night. Also missing are his wife and two young children. Maybe he’s come to ream me out for the earlier mishap, or maybe his wife left with Hux, but from the way he is smiling at me, I have a feeling this conversation is going to go in a much worse direction.

“I just wanted to say thank you for your exceptional service tonight and offer you a little bonus. He slowly pushes a hundred-dollar bill into my apron’s pocket. The unwelcome touch forces me to step back, but there is nowhere to go. I am sandwiched between the bar and him, with two barstools on either side. The spinning in my head, as well as my heart rate, starts to increase. I know Elle is nearby, but why hasn’t she come back yet? Do I yell, or am I just being dramatic?

“I will say, having two drinks spilled on my lap made for an uncomfortable dining experience, but lucky for you, I think I know how you could make it up to me…” His sly smirk makes my stomach flip, and I feel the bile making its way up my throat.

“You see, the other family we are vacationing with headed out on an overnight white water rafting trip. Their cabin is empty, and I happen to have the spare key. So I was thinking, I could meet you there in about thirty minutes. We candiscuss in private how to make this better. Seems only fair, doesn’t it?”

I’m paralyzed. My palms start to sweat, and my hearing becomes muffled. I can’t move. I can’t make a sound. A piece of crinkled paper, the receipt from the meal with his family, appears in his hand. I make out a cabin number scribbled on it as he leans in once again. He doesn’t go for my apron this time, but instead, the top of my V-neck shirt. Just as the piece of paper brushes the top of my breast, the man is yanked backward with such force he knocks over the table behind him, crumpling to the floor.

Before the man even has time to get up on his own, he is being thrust up by the collar of his shirt to meet the angriest Hux Anderson I have ever seen. His normally beautiful blue eyes look black, and his chest is heaving.

“Listen to me, motherfucker, if I ever catch you so much as looking at her or any other employee here for the rest of your trip, I will bury you so far in the ground not even the coyotes will find your body. Do you understand me?” Hux’s spit sprays across the man’s face as he yells.

“Yes, yes, I-I’m, sorry, I?—”

“Save it for your fucking wife. I won’t kick you out because your scumbag behavior shouldn’t punish her and your kids, who deserve a hell of a lot better. I can promise you, you will never be welcome back to Anderson’s after this.” Hux releases him with force, causing the man to stumble back a few more feet.

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