Page 38 of Only Some Stars Fall

“Hey, you okay?” Nick lightly touches my pale feeling face.

Hux crushes his cup, throwing it to the side. He stalks out of the room, without glancing back.

“Um, yeah… yeah! I’m fine, I just need a little air.” I try plastering a fake smile on my face as I swallow hard, my hands involuntarily shaking at my sides. My whole body is going into fight-or-flight mode, and I fear a panic attack is only moments away.

“I’m going to step outside for just a minute, you keep dancing!” I am already starting to dodge sweaty bodies gyrating to the music, music that’s started to make my head pound.

“I’ll grab us another drink and meet you out there!” Nick calls, but I am already at the door. All I know is I need to get outof this house. To find Hux? I’m not sure, but I need to get out of this room.

The cold night air hits me as soon as I step out into the yard, instantly turning my sweat into cold beads of water that make me shiver. A large group of guys are standing around the keg to my right, but I go unnoticed standing against the house in the shadows. I really don’t think I’ll ever get used to how dark it gets up here.

I try to calm my breathing and organize my thoughts. Why am I still so affected by Hux, and better yet, why does he seem so bothered by my actions? He’s made it clear he doesn’t want me for anything other than a hookup, yet he looked like he could murder someone as he watched Nick and me.

And then there he is.

Hux walks over to the group of guys around the keg, his dirty-blond hair disheveled as if he, or someone else—Don’t even go there, Everly—has been tugging on the ends. I recognize his buddy Kenny in the group, who slaps him on the shoulder as he approaches.

“You all right, man?” he asks when he gets a look at Hux’s stone-cold expression.

“Fine.”

“Your face says otherwise. You look like you just got into it with someone.”

At that moment, Hux turns his face to the side, peering over his shoulder and staring in my direction. I’m almost positive he can’t see me, but a shiver runs down my spine, and this time, it’s not because of the temperature.

“Nah, I’m sick of these immature parties. Sure as hell isn’t anybody in there worth my time.” He seethes while still looking into the darkness I am occupying. I see the corners of his mouth move upward in a slight grin, but the anger is still in his eyes ashe laughs with his buddies. Tears sting my eyes once again and I back quietly to the door.

Right before I can open it and slip back inside, hopefully unnoticed, Nick stumbles outside with a happy and definitely drunk smile on his face. He holds two beers in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.

“There you are, babe! When you said you needed air, I didn’t know if that meant air because you’re going to puke or air because it’s so fucking hot in there, so I brought you a beer or water just to be safe.” He laughs while holding up the options.

Without saying a word, I take a beer from his hand and suck down a hard pull. My cover is blown, and the keg crew has gone quiet, other than a few whispers and snickers as they watch Nick and me. But as the beer flows down my throat, my hurt turns to anger, and in an instant, I’m back to not giving a damn what Hux Anderson thinks. After all, no one here is important enough for his time.

“I’m ready to get out of here. Did you say your parents are away for the night?” Never in my life have I ever been this forward or even this drunk, so my insides cringe a little bit. Even though I want to gag at my own behavior, it doesn’t stop me from making sure I say it plenty loud enough for a certain group to hear.

“Why, yes, they are. Are you thinking of a nightcap at my house?” Nick then lowers his voice, leaning into my ear. “Finish what we started on the dance floor?”

I link my arm in his. “Lead the way.”

“Sure thing.” He nods to a few of his friends playing beer pong on the back deck and leads me down to the dock. “I brought the boat. It’s a lot faster than driving.”

Even in my impaired condition, I know we probably shouldn’t be driving a bike, let alone a boat, but all I desperatelywant is to get away from this party and away from Hux’s glare that has been seared into my mind.

My feet stumble on the dock, but somehow Nick keeps us upright. When we reach his boat, Nick jumps in first and takes a moment to catch his balance. Then he puts his hand out to me. I extend my arm and almost make contact when my body is violently ripped backward into what feels like a brick wall.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” It’s a growl I have never heard from Hux, no matter how mad I’ve seen him this summer. “Are you fucking out of your mind? You’re going to get into a power boat in the middle of the night with this drunk asshat? Are you looking to fucking die?”

I whip around so fast that Hux’s head snaps back. “What does it matter to you?” I scream. “No one here matters to you, remember? I’m not a concern of yours; you’ve made that clear. So what do you care?” I push my fists into his chest as tears run down my face.

“I sure as hell am not going to watch you and this jackass kill yourselves out of pure stupidity. I thought you were a lot fucking smarter than this, Everly. Do you know how fucking dangerous the lake is at night, and you were going to drive out into it drunk?”

“Just leave me alone, Hux! I don’t know what you want from me, but I am tired of this back and forth. Just go back to your friends and Ashlee, and let me be!” I push him one more time, swaying a bit but steadying myself as I dart off the dock onto the small rocky beach.

“What the fuck, bro.” I hear Nick yell as the sound of keys jingling is followed by a splash.

“You’ve been coming here since you were a kid, Nick, you know the story, don’t fuck with me. When your dad gets home, have him stop by the bar and I’ll gladly give him the money for a new set ofhiskeys.”

“You think you’resosuperior, don’t you? King Anderson, like we should all bow down to you just because you’re pissed you had to come back and try to save your washed-up family resort.” Hux has now turned his back to Nick, walking away and leaving him standing in the middle of his boat shouting.

---