Page 37 of Only Some Stars Fall

I can’t solely blame the party for my nerves. Though Alex was a little wild, she wasn’t dumb, and I honestly wasn’t too worried about us getting in trouble. House parties seemed to be a nightly thing up here, and I had yet to see anyone make much of a fuss about it.

There is no doubt these nerves have everything to do with Hux, as much as I don’t want to admit it to myself. Hux has not so much as muttered a word to me since our incident in the laundry room. He was like a fever, hot, then cold, then back to scalding.

Frankly, I am sick of being sick.

Focus, Everly, I tell myself. Nick is coming tonight. I’m also well aware that his parents are away on an overnight hiking trip. I’m determined to let the night flow effortlessly anywhere it wants to go.

“What are you doing up here, pooping?” Alex cracks open the door, her hand jutting into the bathroom holding a red plastic Solo cup.

“Seriously! I am trying to finish my makeup, but the crowd down there is making this house shake like my hands when I have too much caffeine.”

“Yeah, I don’t think it’s the party, babe. Plus, your makeup looks fabbbulus… let’s goooo,” she semi-slurs.

Alex grabs my wrist in her hand and places it around her waist like we are starting a conga line, as we head downstairs.

When I get to the landing of the stairs and look out over the living room, I lean into Alex and whisper, “Alex, you are so dead.”

“You know, you might not be wrong… but thankfully you’re a cleaning lady, right?”

I pinch her ass, causing her to squeal and twist away as we join the crowd that not only fills the living room and porch but a lot of the yard as well.

The first houror so goes surprisingly easy. I chat with a bunch of the people I have come to know over the last month or so. Ricky, who I normally refer to as “Band Boy” because I can never remember his name, fills me in on his upcoming tour and we make plans to meet up for dinner when he performs in Boston this fall.

I slide up to Alex once the liquor starts to hit and gossip with the girls that surround her for a while. Conversation flows and I am impressed and proud of myself for how far I’ve come when it comes to social events. I spent a whole year at a city college and yet all it took was a month in the northern Maine woods for me to really start to learn how to come out of my shell.

Alex’s playlist is the perfect mix of country, pop, and some great catchy bops from our middle school days. As soon as on of my favorite songs comes on, I can’t help but get my hips moving just as Alex grabs my arms and pulls me into the middle of the living room, which has been turned into an unofficial dance floor.

I close my eyes and move to the music, fully letting go and enjoying the warm bliss that is filling my veins. Itfeels so good to just not care, to smile with my best friend, to feel sexy and free. Letting myself live in the moment, it’s intoxicating.

Strong hands find my hips, and without looking back, I allow my body to make contact with the mystery person. The man pushes himself into my lower back as I slide against him. I am immediately turned on by the thought of being wanted, and I pull my hair to one side giving access to my neck. At first, hot breath moistens my skin and then I feel the wetness of a tongue that grazes just below my ear. I turn, locking eyes with Nick.

There is a moment, maybe just a half a moment of pause. Am I disappointed? Did I think it was Hux? I refuse to answer those rapid-fire internal questions. It doesn’t matter. It isn’t Hux. Hux and I aren’t together. I was vulnerable, I opened myself up, and he pushed me away.

Nick smiles, that gorgeous confident smile, and my brain shuts off. I let my body take over again, spinning in his arms so I am facing him, my arms draped around his neck.

“Hi,” he whispers, his lips so close to mine that I can’t help but lick my own.

“Hi, yourself.” I grin, pressing my body even harder against his.

He unashamedly peers down at my cleavage, which looks even more impressive from being pushed upward by his own chest against mine. Then he moves his eyes back to mine.

“This dress is dangerous, you know?”

“Oh yeah?” I whisper. A seductiveness I didn’t even know I had bubbles up, helped by the drinks I’ve consumed.

“I’m thinking it might look even sexier on the floor if we get it off you.”

My cheeks heat, and though I am definitely turned on, an ounce of anxiety creeps in. I blush, breaking eye contact and looking downto the floor.

Just then, a tray of Jell-O shots pass by and Nick snags two of them, handing one to me.

“Cheers to a good night?” He holds the shot toward me, and we tap them together before gulping down the hideously blue gelatin that actually kind of tastes horrible. As soon as I lower my head back down toward his, I am met with his warm, wet mouth on mine. I freeze for a second, acknowledging to myself that his are not the lips I crave. I quickly stuff that thought down deep into the pit of my stomach.What the hell, right? Keep living, I think to myself, as I open my mouth and invite him in.

Our kiss is chaotic and a bit sloppy, and I also feel myself moving past the buzzed phase and into a territory I probably shouldn’t be in. At this moment, I don’t care. I let Nick explore my mouth with his tongue while his hands explore my ass. He lightly bites down on my bottom lip, causing me to giggle and pull back for a moment.

And that’s when I see him across the room.

Standing against the back wall, a red Solo cup to his lips, eyes cutting through me like a knife. All my giggles disappear and I take a step back.

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