Page 62 of Only Some Stars Fall

I had been trying to keep to myself, but I knew Mr. Anderson still wasn’t back, and I had seen Hux’s mom busying herself around the resort. I thought it was best if I just kept my distance from the family and got my work done.

Elle informed me that the morning after Tyler’s party, Hux went out on his own looking for his dad. He was supposed to keep in contact with his mom, but I’m guessing the weather and remote conditions may have messed with the cell service. No one had heard from either of them yet.

Elle texted Alex and me last night to let us know that Hux’s mom notified the warden service. This morning, a team of them were heading out to comb the woods. There had been talk of bringing in helicopters, one of the fastest ways to look for missing people in this part of the state, but the weather and strong winds kept the searchers on the ground for now.

“Look at that stack of books, no wonder your suitcase was so heavy.” Alex hands me a fresh cup of coffee and sits cross-legged in the wicker chair beside me.

“Can you believe it? This is the book I started the week we got here. Look, I’m not even halfway through.” I place thebookmark back on the same page where I opened the book an hour ago and plop it down on the coffee table in front of us.

“You were out having fun, working, falling in love. You were living, Evie Baby. That’s not a bad thing.” She smiles over the brim of her steaming cup. The rain has barely let up since that horrible night. Knowing that Hux and his dad are still out somewhere in it, this place has quickly gone from an idyllic beach read to a Stephen King nightmare.

“Doesn’t feel so great right now.” I blow out a slow breath and lean my head back against the chair. “Has there been any word?”

“Not yet, but they will find them.” She squeezes my hand. “If I know of two men capable enough to survive in the woods in this weather, it’s the Andersons.”

“You must be so worried about your dad. I’m sorry, I haven’t even checked on how you’re feeling.” When Mr. Croft heard his best friend hadn’t returned home, and now Hux seemed to be missing, he had been one of the first to rally the search teams. He didn’t even wait for sunrise and headed out last night.

“Did I say two capable men? I meant three, plus my dad’s with a group of people who are all trained to do this kind of thing.”

“But with us leaving soon, this was the last bit of time you had with him. I’m sorry, I feel like I have really messed things up this summer.”

“Everly, this isn’t your fault. Mr. Anderson has been going out on these missions for the last two years. He knows the risks of going out into the woods alone.”

“I know, but if Hux and I hadn’t fought, maybe he would have thought this plan through and not made the same stupid decision to go looking for his dad alone in one of the biggest storms in years.”

“Everly, it’s not your fault. Listen to me.” She turns herbody, no longer looking out at the lake but instead directly at me. “They are going to find them, I promise.”

“I need to know he is okay, Alex. It might not change the outcome for us, but I need to hear he’s okay.” A stray tear slips down my cheek. I quickly brush it away with the sleeve of my sweatshirt.

“He will be, and you don’t know that.”

“He told me it’s over, that his feelings weren’t real.”

“Everly, you’re a smart girl. Don’t even begin to tell me you believed any of that crap he spewed.”

“What would be stupid is if I didn’t listen to the words someone says loud and clear. You saw his face. He was completely disgusted.”

“I saw a big old tree of a man who was angry and scared, that’s all I saw. You are everything he’s wanted, including the fact that you are living a life away from here. He wants to be with you, here and there,andhe knows he can’t right now. He’s just too proud to admit it.”

“I would have done long distance. I would have done anything to keep us together,” I plead as if Alex needs convincing.

“I know, but he doesn’t want to be the reason you sacrifice your freedom. He wants you to be a sophomore in college like all the other nineteen-year-olds. It’s something that got ripped away from him, and he doesn’t want to do the same thing to you.”

“What am I supposed to do? We are scheduled to leave in two days. And if they aren’t back by then and we stay, once he returns, it’s not like it will matter.”

“Well, first, we sit here and wait to hear they’re back, and while we do that, I’m going to read one of these hundreds of romance books that you dragged to the Maine woods out loud toyou.” She smiles, contemplating the various titles before selecting a book from the stack.

“I’m so happy you came back East this summer, Al.” I hadn’t realized how badly I needed this time with my best friend.

“Hey, it’s always you and me, forever, you know that. To be honest, I couldn’t have done this trip without you. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, there was a lot of buried baggage with my dad. You being here allowed for some normalcy to the whole situation.” Alex and I rarely get mushy, but after such an emotional week, it feels like it has to be spoken out loud.

“I’m glad I could be here. It’s been amazing watching you two get back some of what you had.”

“As for us against the world forever… just keep in mind, I am a month older than you, which means I’ll probably die first, so you’ll have to make it without me at least for a little while.” I stick out my tongue at her as she swats me with the book.

“Shut up, and let me read you this book about aliens falling in love or whatever this is you’ve brought.” She studies the cover a little closer, and I laugh and snuggle deeper into my chair, listening to Alex read as the storm rages outside.

After about ten chapters,and a short porch nap, Alex and I decide to go to the bar at Anderson’s. The house, hell, the whole town, feels too quiet, and we are definitely in need of a distraction.

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