Page 87 of In the Stars

Before I can react, he raises his arm, and something metallic flashes.

“Gun!” someone yells, then there’s chaos, people pushing and shoving to get out of the way. A loud bang sounds, and I fall to the ground, groaning in pain.

I lower my hand to my chest, feeling wetness there. My vision flickers, but my hand is bright red when I bring it up to myface.

Fuck, he shot me.

“Wesley!” Jaxon yells as he rushes over to me and presses his hand over my wound. “Wesley, oh my god, baby! Stay with me, please!”

I grunt when he pulls his shirt off and pushes it against where the blinding pain is radiating. God, it fucking hurts, the agony searing through me. My heart hammers erratically, skipping a beat here and there before it kicks up and thumps harder.

Other people crowd around me, but I only have eyes for Jaxon, clinging to those gray orbs as tears spill over. “Please, Wes. Stay…look at me! Stay with me.”

“I’m okay,” I grunt through the pain.

I reach up to touch Jaxon’s face, regretting that I’m getting blood on him but needing to feel his skin under my fingers. “I’m okay. It doesn’t hurt that bad.”

Hot tears drip on my face. I hate that he’s crying. My vision wavers, and I realize I’m crying too. I wipe at my face with a heavy hand, wanting to keep looking at Jaxon. My sight needs to be clear so I don’t miss anything.

“I’m going to be fine, baby,” I whisper, though I try to project my voice so he can hear me over the commotion. “Kiss me, please.”

Weeping in earnest, he bends down and presses his lips against mine. I can taste his anguish, and it sears something inside me. But feeling his kiss brings such a profound peace that it’s startling.

Resting his forehead to mine, he says, “Stay with me, Wes.”

“I’m here, baby. I’m okay,” I repeat.

Someone picks up my head and puts something soft under me, and I relax, sighing as wetness drips from my mouth. I fight to lift my hand to wipe it away, but it’s like I have no control over my limbs, and they don’t listen to my commands.

“I can’t do this without you,” he sobs, holding the shirt harder against my chest. “I can’t live without you.”

“You don’t have to. I’m gonna be okay.” The lie is heavy on my tongue. My vision dims and the pain starts to fade. My limbs are heavy, and all I want to do is sleep. I’m so fucking tired.

I force my eyes open so I can peer up at Jaxon, so I can see him until I can’t anymore. “I love you, Jaxon Morgan. You’re the love of my life.”

“I love you too, Wesley. You’ve always been it for me. I’ll never find…”

All sound dims as I look into his beautiful gray eyes, watching his lips move but unable to make out the words. Then my vision flickers, darkness closing around the edges. The whole time, I stare at my Jaxon, hoping he knows I’ll be okay. Thathe’llbe okay.

It’s not so bad now. It doesn’t hurt so much anymore.

In fact, it doesn’t hurt at all.

THIRTY-TWO

JAXON

I’m numb.I can’t feel anything. Nothing penetrates me, not the tears, not the sobs, not the condolences, nothing. Nothing can soak through because I’mso fucking numb.

I’ve been numb since the doctor told me those ominous words. “We tried everything we could.”

But they didn’t. They couldn’t have. If they did, Wesley would still be alive. He wouldn’t be lying in a casket right now, those beautiful brown eyes closed forever. No heartbeat under my palms when I lay them on his chest. If they did, I wouldn’t be listening to his bandmates give his eulogy. If they tried everything they could, I wouldn’t be sitting here with a fist-sized hole in my heart, looking at the lifeless face of the only man I would ever love.

My father sits beside me, lending me his strength. He’s been through this. He knows how hard it is. But he had decades with my mother. I’ve only had two years with Wesley after we were reunited.

I wasn’t done loving him yet.

“I’m here, son,” Dad whispers to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as he pulls me against him.

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