Page 9 of Only Some Stars Fall

“Who’s up next?”I yell to the bow of the boat where the girls are lying out tanning. I slow down and kill the engine as my best friend since childhood, Kenny, swims back to the stern and climbs aboard, clearly winded. Kenny got a full ride playing college football down south, making him not the typical local. Lucky bastard got out and has managed to stay out.

The water is freezing, as in hypothermia is a serious concern, but Kenny has always been a little wild. The weather has finally started to warm up, and today’s the first day in weeks that I have had off from the resort, so I couldn’t wait to get out on the water for a bit.

“Man, dude, I didn’t see that last turn coming. You really sent me fucking flying!” he says as he strips off his life jacket, hauls the wakeboard up on the back of the boat, and heads for the beer cooler.

“Yeah, yeah, and you call yourself a jock.”

“I prefer the term professional college athlete, actually.”Kenny jokingly flexes his muscles and stares off into the distance like he is posing forSports Illustrated.

I pick up and throw a Nerf football, hitting him square in the chest. Kenny hunches forward, acting as if I hurt him. Ashlee walks up behind him, throwing her arms around his neck. “Is Hux picking on you again?”

“Don’t worry, I can take him.” Kenny laughs.

“Oh, I know you can.” She winks at me and stretches her arms overhead, coming up on her tiptoes. I don’t know who started the thong bathing suit trend, but I am extremely grateful for its recent return. I have the perfect view of Ashlee’s amazing ass, a sun-kissed peach. The girl seriously is any man’s definition of perfection. She knows how to take care of herself; born and raised in North Carolina, she is the ideal mix of sweet and spicy with a slight southern accent. Granted, she has never had to work a day in her life, and has a fabulous personal trainer, but she’s actually fun to hang out with one of the few vacationers I enjoy.

And let’s just say I very much enjoy all parts of her.

“Why have you been so pouty today?” she asks, plopping herself down on my lap. “I would have thought this morning… and multiple times last night would have put you in a better mood,” she whispers into my ear.

“I’m fine,” I say, my tone clipped. “Though a repeat of this morning would be hugely beneficial.” I feel her grind her ass into my lap a little more with a wiggle. Blood rushing to my crotch immediately makes me wish our friends would magically disappear. Another massive perk to Ashlee, who is only here for the summer, is that she, like me, has very little interest in commitment. We have always been friends first. Normally, sex would completely destroy that, but we are both very aware that in the real world, our lives would never mesh, and our relationship is always strictlya summer fling.

“Maybe later.” She turns up the radio and heads back to her girlfriends, leaving me to quickly adjust my shorts.

“Keep it in your pants while I’m on board, okay, dude?” Kenny takes a seat in the passenger seat. “I’m not like that housekeeper trying to get a free show.” He laughs.

I grin. “Man, not much works up Ashlee, but she did not see the humor in that situation. I thought it was fucking hilarious. I should’ve asked if she wanted to join us just to see how mad Ash would get.”

“I’ve seen that girl around the resort, she’s pretty damn cute.” Kenny looks out over the water.

“Ugh, I think she’s just in the way, constantly.” It’s been a little over a week since Everly fell through my cabin door, and since then, she has mostly made herself scarce, making me feel a bit harsh about my comment. On numerous occasions, I’ve seen her sneaking out the back door to avoid me. I’m not sure why exactly she gets under my skin, but damn, does she ever. I’m not ready to admit to myself that she’s a hard worker and that the whole staff, especially Elle, loves her, and yet I can’t ignore the annoyance I feel toward Kenny for commenting on her like that.

“Well, she can get in my way any day.” He laughs as he heads to the bow.

Why do I have a sudden urge to push him off the damn boat?

Kenny is snoring loudlyfrom the bow of the boat. Elle and Carley are draped on top of one another, also sound asleep. We are anchored in one of my favorite coves, where the afternoon sun always hits this part of the lake just right and lightens up the mountains surrounding us. The gentle wavesthat rock the boat, combined with the sun, always put everyone to sleep after a few beers.

I look out at the shoreline and think about how much time I have spent in this cove. When Storm and I were young, we would pile into the old tin boat our father had given us and beeline it here. We would spend hours exploring the various little islands and inlets, building forts, exploring every inch of woods, and looking for hidden treasure. Sometimes, we would lose track of time, coming back in the pitch dark. Our father would give us hell, tell us how unsafe it is to be on the water in that little boat that late at night. We knew he was just jealous, missing exploring the lake himself.

Once we became teenagers, and Dad finally let us start taking this boat out on the water, girls entered the picture. Not that this boat is anything special; everything in our lives is second-hand from the resort, but a speed boat is fun no matter what condition it’s in. Both Storm and I always had a healthy appetite for women and zero trouble attracting them. We would bring our girlfriends, who changed frequently, out to Deerhead Cove, where we quickly lost interest in exploring the water’s edge and spent more time exploring every inch of our companion’s skin.

“I just can’t believe college is actually over. Felt like the time would never come, and now that it’s here, it feels like it came too quickly.” Ashlee pulls me out of my own head, and away from the memories, which probably is a good thing. I should stop thinking about the past before it leads me somewhere darker.

We sit reclined in chairs at the stern of the boat. Her eyes closed behind her sunglasses, face pointed up toward the sun. For the last hour, we have been quietly talking and sharing stories from the past year.

“It feels like overnight I became an adult with a shit ton of responsibility.”

I stay quiet, choosing to keep my eyes on the mountains in front of us. It’s impossible for me to put myself in Ashlee’s shoes. I have felt like an adult with too much responsibility most of my life. Dropping out of college a year before finishing my bachelor’s degree and being forced to come back to a family business that is barely staying afloat was the biggest slap of reality I could have ever expected.

“Wild to think that in two months, I’ll be working full-time for my dad in Charlotte. Bye, bye freedom.” She sighs.

“Tell me about it. I know that feeling.” I sarcastically laugh.

“It’s not that I’m dreading work, I’m actually looking forward to it. I just hate the idea of working my life away in an office sixty hours a week, you know?”

“I think the grass is always greener, that’s what I think.”

“Any progress on getting yourself back to New York?” she asks quietly, treading lightly. She knows it’s a sensitive subject.

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