Pyxis: Book Three of The Stardust Series

by Autumn Reed

  “Wow,” she breathed, finally. “That is a lot to digest.”

  “You think?”

  “I know you won’t tell me much,” Jess said, “but why is it up to Jackson? Is he like the boss or something?”

  Since there was no way to explain the dynamics of Zenith teams, and especially Team Jaguar, I replied, “Something like that.”

  “Okaaay. So, you decide you want to start dating Chase and then you two go to Jackson, and what, get his blessing? It’s not like he’s your father or your priest. Sounds a little cray cray to me.”

  I snickered but shook my head. “It’s not like that, exactly. More like Chase not wanting to ruffle feathers by breaking the rules. If he tells Jackson that we want to date, he’s probably hoping that Jackson will be fine with it.”

  Jessica raised an eyebrow. “Still seems strange to me, but let’s move on. What are you thinking? Feeling?”

  I groaned. “I wish I knew. Right now, I’m still having trouble getting past the fact that they’ve kept this from me for the last six months. It’s annoying and, honestly, a little embarrassing. I can just imagine the six of them sitting around and discussing how innocent, sheltered little Haley can’t handle a romantic relationship. Forget embarrassing and jump right to humiliating,” I said bitterly.

  “Hales, you know I’m one-hundred percent on your side, but I think you might be wrong about this. From an outsider’s perspective, it seems like they were being respectful of you by deciding not to put any kind of pressure on you to date them or whatever. They probably did see how sweet and innocent you are and didn’t want to chance overstepping. It’s pretty gallant, actually. I don’t think you’d find that many guys our age, and a little older, who would put your virtue, so to speak, above their own desires.”

  Laughing, I sputtered, “Their desires? I seriously doubt that had anything to do with it.”

  Ice cold water drops landed on my bare legs, and I looked over to find Jess with her water glass in hand and an evil smile.

  “Did you just flick me?”

  “Yes, and you totally deserved it.”

  “Excuse me? What did I do?”

  Jess sighed loudly and flopped back against her lounge chair. “I never thought you were naive, but now I’m starting to wonder. Do you not realize how those guys look at you? How all of them look at you? Chase may have been the only one to make a move, but that doesn’t mean that every single one of the sexy six pack hasn’t fantasized about it.”

  “Jess!” I yelled in a loud whisper. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “No,” she said firmly, “you don’t be ridiculous. I’m not kidding. They are all into you. Theo all but admitted his interest when we were walking the Strip last night. And, I’m guessing that, if nothing else, they were all attracted to you when they made the pact. I think that they were honestly trying to do what was best for you . . . at least at the time.”

  Stunned, I considered Jess’s words. Was it possible that they’d all, or even some of them, been legitimately attracted to me from the beginning? I had seen signs but lacked the experience needed to trust my intuition about such things. And, if they were trying to protect my “virtue,” what did that mean for my future with them? Is that what the team (besides Chase) still wanted—to stay away from me for my own good?

  “So, what are you going to do?” Jess asked, interrupting the whirlwind of thoughts swirling through my head.

  “I have no freaking clue.”

  “Well, if I remember correctly, you described your kiss with Chase as ‘perfect.’ So, are you still interested in him?”

  “Of course,” I responded quickly, feeling my lips tip into an unconscious grin. “I mean, you’ve seen him, so you know how attractive he is. Plus, he’s sweet, and we have fun together; I feel comfortable with him . . . at least, I used to. Right now, things are kind of awkward.”

  “Awwww,” she beamed, “you totally love him.”

  “What? That is not what I said, Jess,” I retorted, feeling heat creep up my cheeks.

  “Maybe not, but I was watching your face while you talked about how smokin’ hot and sweet and fun he is. And, if that wasn’t a look of love, then I don’t know what is.”

  “I did not say smokin’ hot,” I grumbled, unable to completely deny her statement. Is it possible that I’m in love with Chase? I hadn’t allowed myself to even consider it before, but now that the idea had been put out into the universe, I felt a sudden shift, like the Earth’s tilt was becoming unbalanced.

  “So you admit that you lo—”

  “Okay, yes, I have feelings for Chase,” I interrupted. “But, if I was truly in love with him, I wouldn’t also have feelings for other guys,” I countered smugly, almost like I needed to prove to Jess it wasn’t true in order to convince myself.

  “And when you say guys . . . you mean five other guys?”

  Knowing she was right, I covered my face with my hands and nodded. “It sounds really bad when you say it out loud,” I murmured, the words coming out muffled from behind my hands.

  Jessica whistled. “You have gotten yourself into quite a pickle, chica. Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally jealous of your fan club of drool-worthy men, but I’m not envious of your decision.”

  “You could just tell me what to do,” I said hopefully.

  She laughed so hard that I noticed a couple of guys on the other side of the pool eyeing us. It wasn’t surprising considering the movement was making things jiggle inside Jess’s rather skimpy bikini top. Worried that they might come over if she continued, I smacked her on the arm. “Okay, fine. I’ll figure it out myself. Can we change the subject now?”

  “Finally,” she said dramatically. “All of this talking about you was getting old.”

  “I’m so sorry,” I replied sarcastically. “Please, tell me all about Jessica World.”

  Jess, never too shy to talk about herself, went into great detail about her plans to meet up with friends from Coleville over spring break. Even though I had never met any of them, of course, I felt like I knew them since she’d basically shared every detail of her high school experience with me. She always said it was for my benefit, and although I was grateful, the truth was that Jess loved to talk. All things considered, it was rather shocking that she’d managed to keep me a secret for so many years.

  She was in the middle of a story about two of her friends who had broken up and were maybe getting back together when she stopped mid-sentence, staring over my shoulder. “Damn, I was so right about the smokin’ part.”

  I turned to find Chase headed our direction in a pair of swim trunks and flip flops, a towel slung over his bare shoulder. Between his perpetually golden skin, blond hair, and ripped body, heads were literally turning as he walked past. I felt a flutter of excitement before the flutter transformed into an all-out rumble of nerves. This would be the closest I’d come to being alone with him since the coffee shop, and having his perfect torso on display was definitely not helping my skittishness.

  “Hi, Haley. Jessica,” Chase said with a warm smile as he hovered, clearly unsure whether he should sit.

  “Chase! Join us,” Jess said enthusiastically, ignoring the cautious look I was throwing her. “But, you should put on a shirt before we’re surrounded by hordes of giggling females.” Oh my god, did she really say that?

  Settling onto the lounge next to me, he laughed, but I could tell that he was embarrassed by Jessica’s comment. “I didn’t bring one, sorry.”

  “Well, that is too darn bad,” Jess responded. “I guess Haley here will have to protect you.”

  “And how do you propose I do that?” I quipped, immediately regretting it, especially when I saw the impish glint in her eyes.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I think if the two of you started making out, other girls would get the idea.”

  “Jess!” I hissed, my face instantly flaming. “Please ignore her,” I said to Chase without meeting his gaze. “Apparently I can’t take her anywhere.”


  Thankfully, a waitress—who had been ignoring me and Jess for the last hour—chose that moment to appear. “Can I get you anything?” she asked Chase with a flirtatious toss of her red hair.

  Chase waved his hand, indicating that we should go ahead, and Jess haughtily ordered lemonades for us both.

  “I’ll take an orange juice, please,” Chase said politely, giving no indication that he’d even noticed her interest. Then, he turned to us and said, “I am so messed up from this crazy work and sleep schedule. I just woke up, and it’s already late afternoon. I can’t decide if I should eat now or hold out until dinner.”

  “Jess and I were planning on an early dinner at one of the casual hotel restaurants before we get ready for the show, if you want to join us,” I offered, not taking time to think it through.

  Chase smiled. “That would be great, thank you.”

  Awesome idea, Haley, I thought. Now I would have to spend even more almost one-on-one time with him. Then, I remembered that Theo had the same schedule as Chase and grabbed my phone. “I’ll let Theo know the plan.”

  “So, Chase,” Jess said while I typed out the text, “how much time do you spend in the gym every day? I’m guessing a lot.” I nearly dropped my phone. Seriously, Jess?

  He ruffled the back of his hair. “Umm, I don’t go every day, but I try to do something active most days.”

  “Chase is a swimmer,” I cut in, hoping to move the conversation to safer ground.

  “Oh, that’s right. I forgot that you mentioned it,” Jess said, before addressing Chase again. “Are you on your college swim team?”

  “No, I don’t have time between classes and work. But, I competed all through high school and try to keep up the training as much as possible.”

  “Well, that explains your Ryan Lochte body,” she said, shooting me an obnoxiously innocent grin. So much for safer ground.

  Chase let out a nervous laugh. “I’m not anywhere as fast as him, but thanks. Speaking of swimming,” he said as he stood, “I was hoping to get in a few laps.”

  Yes, run away, Chase. Run while you can.

  “Go ahead,” I told him, “we’ll stay here and be lazy.” Once Chase was out of earshot, I turned to Jess. “I can’t believe you would purposely embarrass him like that,” I said disapprovingly.

  “What? It’s just so cute when he gets flustered. And even more so when you both get all rosy-cheeked . . . better than watching The CW.”

  “Wow. Did you honestly rate my real-life drama above The Vampire Diaries? I’m strangely flattered and offended all at the same time.”

  “Admit it, Hales; TVD ain’t got nothin’ on you. I mean, Elena only had to juggle the eternal love of two gorgeous men—you have six. Maybe I should change my major to film studies and pitch your story to The CW.”

  “Ha. Ha. No, thanks.”

  After dinner with Chase and Theo, which was pleasant and not at all awkward—probably because I’d threatened Jess within in an inch of her life not to embarrass me or the guys—we went back to the suite to get ready for our night out. Since it was still hot, we took a cab to the Bellagio for the show.

  The theater was large and filling in quickly, the audience eager for the show. Glancing at the program, I had to admit my excitement as well, having never actually attended a live performance of any kind. Jess and I settled into our plush seats and I glanced around, my eyes drawn to the domed ceiling lit in blues and purples.

  As soon as the lights dimmed and the show began, I couldn’t tear my eyes from the stage, constantly amazed by the incredible acrobatics surrounded by air, fire, and, more often than not, water. When the show concluded, the audience applauded enthusiastically and loudly; the buzz of conversation filled the air as we filed out of the theater.

  Still high on the excitement, I came to a sudden halt and swayed on my heeled sandals when a towering form stepped in my path. I looked up to find Ethan smirking down at me. “You should watch where you’re going.”

  “You should not get in my way,” I bit back.

  He had sent me a text earlier to say he would accompany us back to the hotel after the show, and despite my protests that it wasn’t necessary, he insisted. However, once we reached the crowded sidewalk, I was exceedingly grateful for his presence. We’d walked the Strip the night before, but it had been earlier in the evening and not nearly as busy. Wow, is it always like this on Saturday nights?

  Although there were still plenty of tourists out, many of the people appeared decidedly seedier. There were men handing out fliers to clubs—all kinds of clubs—and most of the women we passed were tipsy, if not already drunk, talking or singing loudly with their companions. A group of raucous men whistled at me and Jess, and one of them shouted an obscenity.

  Ethan glared at the men and moved to my side, slipping an arm around my waist. “Still annoyed with me?” he asked smugly, already knowing the answer.

  “Fine,” I said reluctantly. “You were right.”

  “I’m sorry, what was that? Not sure that I heard you with all of the casino noise.”

  “Don’t push it,” I replied.

  Noticing that Jess was watching us intently, I wondered what she was thinking. “Ethan, did you know that Haley was obsessed with White Fang when she was younger?”

  I gave her an odd look, unsure where she was going with this. “I did not,” Ethan responded, his expression appearing similarly confused.

  “Yep. She swore to me that she was going to marry Ethan Hawke someday. Obviously, he’s way too old and not nearly cute enough for her, but you . . . you would make an excellent replacement.” She smiled widely, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “It would be so cute if you ended up with an Ethan after all. Don’t you agree, Haley?”

  I glowered at Jess, suddenly wanting to smack her, but Ethan just laughed. His hand snaked up my back and swept through my hair, which was hanging in soft waves down my back. “See, Starburst? Told you I’m Mr. Wright.”

  Jess’s mouth opened in shock, then she mouthed, “Starburst” and “Mr. Right,” a question mark in her gaze. Knowing I couldn’t explain the Wright/Right wordplay without revealing Ethan’s last name, I sighed. After Theo’s playful mood at dinner and my banter with Liam and Knox this morning, Ethan’s flirting was clearly the icing on the cake for Jess.

  When the crowds forced Ethan to draw away from me, she leaned in close and said, “I can’t believe you forgot to mention the crazy chemistry you have with Ethan.”

  I can’t believe I forgot about the crazy chemistry I have with Ethan.

  Unconventional Measures

  The sun streamed through the gap in the curtains, and I wondered how late it was. Jess was still asleep on the other side of the bed and the rest of the suite seemed fairly quiet. Despite a full day and an evening show, Jess and I had stayed up late talking, dreading the fact that our time together was quickly coming to an end.

  Realizing that I hadn’t checked my secret phone since arriving in Vegas, I leaned over the side of the bed and dug through my purse. A message timestamped from yesterday afternoon appeared on the screen, and not surprisingly, my response message failed to send. With a deep sigh, I returned the phone to its hiding place and then flopped onto my back on the bed.

  Jess stirred. “What’s up, Hales?” she asked as she turned toward me and groaned. “Man, do I need some coffee.”

  “Nothing, I’m just mad at myself for missing a message from my dad.”

  “Did he contact you again on the Batphone?” she asked, fluffing the pillow.

  I laughed. “Yeah. But I was so busy gallivanting around Vegas that I haven’t checked it as often.”

  “You still haven’t told the guys about the phone, have you?”

  “Nope. Hence the need to check it in secret and the limited ability to do so.”

  “So, did his message say anything useful?”

  “Not really. It was pretty generic, like his past ones. I understand his need to be cryptic, and I’m thankful that I have some ab
ility to communicate with him, or at least hear that he’s okay every so often, but this system is so frustrating.”

  Jess grabbed my hand and held it. “I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for you, but remember that it wasn’t always this way and things will change again . . . for the better.”

  One corner of my lips tugged downward. “I hope you’re right. I just miss my dad; it’s been seven months since the fire, and these random text messages aren’t enough.” I sighed. “Plus, short of a miracle, I don’t see him coming out of hiding any time soon.”

  “Well,” she said, releasing my hand, “what do you honestly think it would take to make that happen?”

  I blew out a puff of air. “A serious threat to my life. But he’d have to know where I was in the first place. Or, my preference, taking down the man responsible for this whole mess. And that seems like wishful thinking.”

  “I definitely prefer the second option.” She gave me a warm smile.

  “Come on, let’s get some breakfast,” I said as I pushed myself up from the bed.

  “Can you imagine your dad meeting the guys?” She laughed. “I would pay money to see that.”

  I tossed a pillow at her and then padded to the kitchen with Jess on my heels. Knox was sitting on the couch, and he looked up from his phone when we entered the room. “Wow, Haley, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you sleep this late.”

  I smirked. “I know. While you’re in Mexico, I may sleep in all week. No early morning runs for this girl.”

  He chuckled. “Mhmm. And while you’re being a couch potato, I’ll be working out almost all day. You’ll be left in my dust when I get back.”

  “We’ll see about that,” I challenged. “I’m not sure if you noticed that I said I wouldn’t be running early. I didn’t say I wouldn’t be running at all.” Jess followed me to the kitchen and shot me an amused smile, clearly enjoying the banter between me and Knox.