Page 59 of Only Some Stars Fall

We walk up the dock toward the partygoers. My cutoff shorts are crusted with sand, and the straps of my white bikini peek out of my tank top. My hair flows down my back, crimped from the lake water and the messy bun I had thrown it in earlier. My cheeks are warm, indicating I got a bit of sun today. I feel pretty, with no makeup, no party prep, or hours picking out an outfit, just a natural glow from spending the day on the water with my friends.

As expected, the empty pizza boxes have been thrown on the fire, and other than some stale chips, the food issparse, but the booze is not. Josh, Hannah, and Alex don’t seem bothered by the hunger pangs, finding the keg and pouring themself large cups. One is passed my way. I know better, but I take it anyway. I tell myself I will nurse it all night. My mind is still on Hux. I scan the yard but know I won’t find him.

I notice Ashlee with a few of her friends. The Calloways check out tomorrow, punctuating that summer, and these summer parties are ending after tonight. Alex and I still have next week, seeing neither of us play sports. We don’t have to be back on campus until Labor Day. I imagine next week will feel eerily quiet, with most families heading out at the end of this weekend.

I smile at Ashlee, giving her a small wave just as Nick comes up beside me and places an arm on my shoulder. “Hey, I am really glad we all got to hang out today.”

I feel a little uneasy with the physical closeness, but I remind myself we are friends, and this is just him being friendly. “Thanks again for being so great to my friends. It was nice to be able to take them out on the lake! I really appreciate it.” I look around for Alex or Hannah, hoping they can join us and make this conversation feel less intimate.

My eyes land on a couple of people stretched out on lawn chairs glued to their phones, which reminds me.

“Hey, I am just going to pop inside and look for that phone charger. My phone must have been searching for service on the boat and drained the battery.”

“You want help?” he asks innocently enough.

“No, thanks, I am sure there is one in every outlet. Go enjoy the party! I’ll find all of you in a few minutes.” I quickly shrug off his arm, and before he can follow me inside, I disappear through the sliding glass door. I find a charger, plug in my phone, and sit on the overstuffed couch, taking a deep breath. Most people are outside, and the rest are doing shots in thekitchen while loudly singing a song that is too sloppy to recognize.

Why is it that when you are the most anxious for your phone to turn back on, it feels like it takes a lifetime? I impatiently tap my foot on the mahogany wood floors.

And that’s when I hear him. This time, it isn’t that magnetic feeling I get when he is physically near me. This time, it’s a tone that startles me to my core, even through the closed glass door.

“Where the fuck is she?”

“Chill out, man, I don’t know. She went inside looking for a phone charger.” Nick’s voice is brimming with annoyance.

I hear the whoosh of the glass door being aggressively thrown open as I stand up from the couch.

“Hux?”

“Who else would it be, Everly?” he responds, seething. His shirt is completely soaked, and I realize the rain has started. Now that the door has been left open, I can hear the wind and the frantic laughter of the drunk partygoers, who seem to be taking the turn in weather as some kind of game.

“I had just come inside in search of a?—”

“I have been trying to call you for hours,” he shouts. “Elle said you and Alex took your friends into Silsby for the afternoon. I even made her cover the bar in the middle of a rush to go looking for you down there when it started to get dark.” I can see the concern under his anger.

“I’m sorry we were out on the boat?—”

“Yeah, I know whose fucking boat you were on. One of my friends had the decency to fucking text me when you and Nick finally showed up here.” His anger quickly changes to full-blown disgust when he spits out Nick’s name.

“Wait, I didn’t show up with just Nick. I was with Alex, Hannah, and Josh. They wanted to come, I hadn’t heard from you, and I want my friends to have a fun visit. I planned to textyou as soon as my phone turned back on.” I look down at the still-black screen.

“I did respond! Your phone fucking died, Everly,” he yells, throwing his hands up. “And I call bullshit that this is all for your friends. If that was true, why did I get a text that the two of you were cuddled up together ten minutes ago? My friends just made that up?”

Before I can defend myself, he steps closer, his wet chest heaving.

“Listen, I get it, he’s always been more your type, rich college boy, fits right in with your city friends. I’m sure you’ll be quite happy together. We all know this story, right? I was just the summer guy you used to get your confidence back.”

I stand there, tears pricking my eyes, stunned. What is he talking about? He knew I wanted my friends to spend time with him. Who cares if they live in the city or if their parents have money? None of that matters to me, and I thought I had made that clear to him.

“I’m never going back, Everly. In no universe do I leave here. And honestly, watching you and your friends talk about all your ‘plans’ for when you get back to ‘reality’ makes me sick.”

“Hux,” I whisper, and my voice shakes.

“No. You know what, I’m done with this. We always knew it wouldn’t work; you’re a sophomore, for fuck’s sake. I broke my rule by getting involved with the summer help. Shame on me, but this is done.”

He turns to leave, and I will myself to move, not caring if we once again make a public spectacle. I push my body in front of his, tears running freely down my face now.

“You know none of that is true!” My voice is hoarse and cracking with emotion. “You know my feelings for you are real. Yes, we haven’t figured out how to make it all work, but we can.We will find a way.”

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