Page 54 of Only Some Stars Fall

Until I hear a rustle in the bushes to my left.

“What was that?” I whisper as I start to panic.

“I mean, as long as they don’t have a cub near them,” Hux continues, not even listening to my distress over the unexplained noise in these bushes.

“Hux!” I hiss as a squirrel flies out of the bushes and scampers up a nearby tree.

Between a fit of laughter at my fearful face, Hux continues to throw raspberries into the air to catch in his mouth. “Calm down, there are no bears today. For real, would I ever put you in danger?”

Placing my hand on my hip, I shake my head at Hux and throw a rotten raspberry at him.

“Jerk.” A smile creeps across my face.

“Doyou care if we head straight to the main house? My shift starts in a few minutes.” Hux turns onto Anderson’s road.

“Not at all. Alex is working the dinner shift, so I can grab her car and head back to the house.”

Pulling into the packed parking lot, Hux quickly throws the truck in park. I start to slide over to the passenger seat, but he pulls me back and kisses me, his lips lingering on mine for a long beat.

“Thanks for coming with me today.”

“Thank you for teaching me to fish.” I smile up at him, kissing him again.

We walk across the lot and up the back stairs, and Hux says hello to multiple guests as we pass. It’s already busy, and I can tell it will be a long night for everyone working. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Nick sitting with his friends at one of the outside picnic tables. His expression is hard to read. I know it can’t feel good to see Hux and me together, but if he is harboring any anger, it’s not visible.

Walking into the bar, I spot Alex with her back to me, deep in an animated story with two people. Without even knowing what she’s laughing at, I find myself quietly giggling. Everything about Alex is contagious.

“Hey! There you are! I’ve been trying to call you all day. I was worried Hux here turned you into aDatelineepisode,” she yells across the bar.

Hux rolls his eyes and kisses the top of my head before heading around the bar to get started with his shift.

I turn back to Alex, about to explain that the river had zero cell service when I notice the two people she’s talking to, giddily waiting for me to recognize them.

“Everly! Surprise!” Hannah and Josh stand in front of me, decked out in flannel and outdoor attire that looks utterly ridiculous on them. I’m willing to bet the price tags are still attached.

“What! What are you guys doing here?” My voice gives away the fact that I am a bit shell-shocked at their unexpected arrival.

“Well, you mentioned to Josh that if he wanted to find you, he knew where you were, and I couldn’t turn down a chance to see how yourInto the Wildexperience has been going. So here we are!”

“Oh, wow, so you’re like, staying here? At Andersons?”

“Yup! We rented a cabin so we could spend all the time with you—and Alex, of course!”

I look back over my shoulder at Hux, his expression serious. Swallowing hard, I look back at my friends and smile.

Looks like reality is coming a little sooner than planned.

TWENTY-FIVE

EVERLY

“I’m just saying,a little bit of a heads-up would have been nice,” I mumble as toothpaste dribbles out of the corner of my mouth.

“I know, I know. They begged me to keep it a surprise, and you’re right, I know how much you hate surprises, but I didn’t want to ruin their fun.” Alex grabs the toothpaste from my hand, slightly hip-checking me to the right so we can both stand at the small vanity.

I know I sound ungrateful, and I do love that my friends have traveled all this way to see me. I have missed them much more than I expected. Silsby has felt like this sacred place these last few months. However, I’m worried I’m not ready for my other life to find me just yet.

“I get it, and you’re going to love Hannah and Josh. I just… I don’t know. I’m not sure how everyone is going to ‘mesh,’ you know?” I tell Alex.

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