Beneath the Stars

by Emily McIntire

  We don’t get further than the front sidewalk before Chase’s door opens. A blonde girl steps out, pausing to speak with someone just inside the door. I stop in my tracks, pulling on Jax’s arm, confused. Do we have the wrong place?

  She’s pretty. Tall and skinny with long blonde hair. Chase follows her out, and she throws her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. Okay, not the wrong place. Flashes of our past play behind my eyes. Jealousy I haven’t felt in so long simmers beneath the surface.

  Chase doesn’t wrap his arms around her, just lightly pats her on the back. His lack of response to her touch calms me. He looks up and spots us, a smile that’s only ever just for me lighting up his face. Stepping back from the blonde, he briskly approaches us. Excitement bounces around inside me, making it hard to stand still.

  “Goldi,” he breathes, wrapping me in a hug, lifting me up and spinning me around. The jealousy recedes, replaced by the familiar warmth of being in Chase’s arms.

  Jax waves his hand in front of our faces. “Oh hey, Chase. Nice to see you. Missed you, bro. Remember me? Jax. Chopped liver. Whatever name you prefer, really.”

  Chase laughs, setting me down, keeping me tucked into his side as he gives Jax a chin nod.

  The blonde girl appears beside us, her light-brown eyes focused on me. “Chase, these your friends from back home?”

  “Yeah. This is my girlfriend, Alina, and my best friend, Jax. Guys, this is Lindsay. She’s in my Business and Professional Communications class. We have a study group that gets together once a week. She was just dropping off some notes.”

  Lindsay plasters a smile on her face—a little too wide to be genuine, and puts out her long manicured fingers to shake my hand. “Nice to meet you. I didn’t know Chase had a girlfriend.”

  My spine stiffens as my grip on her hand tightens.

  Jax must sense my irritation, because he chuckles, attempting to lighten the mood. “Typical Chase, keeping the best parts of his life all to himself. The greedy bastard.”

  Chase pulls me closer into his side. “The best and biggest part of my life.” He drops a kiss on my forehead. “I’ve talked about Goldi. I mentioned last week she’d be coming up to stay the weekend.”

  Lindsay puts a hand up to her forehead. “Oh, that’s right. It must’ve slipped my mind. We talk about so much, it’s hard to remember all the details.”

  I smirk at her. I know girls like this and can see her game from a mile away. I’m not above marking my territory. I cup Chase’s face, his stubble scratching my fingers as I pull him down to meet my lips. I linger, teasing the tip of his tongue with mine before pulling back.

  “You’re the best and biggest part of me, too,” I whisper against his mouth.

  He buries his face in my neck, his cold nose sending shivers down my back. “Goddamn, I’ve missed you.”

  “Alright, lovebirds. What’s on the agenda for today?” Jax glances over to Lindsay. “You coming with us on the Nashville tour? Not really the best weather for it, but hey, ‘When in Rome,’ am I right?”

  “No, no. I have things to do today. Like Chase said, I was just stopping by to give him a copy of my notes since he’s missing tonight’s study group.”

  “Your study group meets on Friday nights?” Jax is incredulous, his face a picture of disbelief. “What the hell kind of college experience are you living, Chase? To say I’m disappointed would be a gross understatement.”

  Chase lifts his head from my neck. “I’m not here to party, dumbass. I’m here to get a degree. As fast as fucking possible so I can come home to what matters.” His hands creep down low on my back, fingertips slipping under the waistband of my jeans.

  The air of confidence from Lindsay’s posture deflates. That’s right hussy, you can’t touch us.

  “Alright, well, I’ll see you later, Chase,” she mutters.

  Chase barely glances at her, mumbling a goodbye. His hand tangles with mine as he leads us up the sidewalk and to his apartment.

  By the end of the weekend, she’s already forgotten. Lost in the sights and sounds of Nashville, and the happiness that wraps my heart, making it beat out the rhythm of a love song.

  “I don’t want you to go back,” Chase whispers into my hair. I’m lying on top of him, our limbs entwined on the couch, reveling in the peace that comes with his embrace. Jax is passed out in Chase’s bedroom, and this is the first time all weekend we’ve been alone. We managed to sneak in a few make-out sessions, but even though I told Chase I was ready to take that last step, he didn’t want to do it when Jax was in the other room. Said he wanted it to be special. Wanted to take his time.

  “Bein’ away from you is harder than I expected,” I pout.

  His arms tighten around me. “You aren’t second-guessing things, are you?”

  “No way. You’re stuck with me for good, mister. I just miss you so much. We don’t get to see each other as often as I imagined.”

  His fingers trail up and down my back, and he sighs. “It’s hard for me, too. Not being able to see you whenever I want is fucking torture.”

  It is torture, but nothing compared to the torture of knowing he wasn’t mine. This is child’s play, in comparison.

  “Have you talked to Lily lately?” he asks.

  My heart sinks. “Chase, she won’t even look at me when she passes me in the halls at school, and she dropped out of dance to avoid me.”

  I’ve tried to talk to Lily a thousand different times. I thought after some space, she would have cooled off enough to hear my side of things. But there’s only so much verbal abuse a girl can take. Eventually, I stopped trying.

  “She’s not answering my calls. Probably still pissed at me for leaving. Can you try to get through to her again, for me? I need to know she’s okay, and I’ll feel better knowing you’re with her.”

  I love Chase with every part of me, and that’s the only reason I agree. For some reason, he’s blind when it comes to Lily—too scared to see what’s right in front of him. He’s not willing to admit she treats me like trash, let alone that she’s off the rails and needs help. I just hope he doesn’t look back one day and regret how he’s handling things.

  “Yeah, I’ll see about her when I get back home. But don’t get your hopes up, Chase. She can’t stand the sight of me.”

  “Thank you, baby.”

  I kiss him, committing his touch to memory. Who knows how long it will be until I get to feel it again.

  11

  Chase

  Nineteen Years Old

  Goldi and Jax made the trip again at the end of March, Jax taking his “chaperone” role way too seriously, and not giving us a moment of privacy. Not like I’d fuck her with him eavesdropping anyway. I want us to be alone for that, but who knows when we’ll get the time. Three weeks after they left, the ache in my chest from not being with her was too much to take. So, I requested off work, filled up my gas tank, and took the trip home. Coincidentally, it’s also Anna’s birthday this weekend. I’m happy I’ll get to be here to celebrate.

  Goldi and I are at my house marathoning old horror flicks on TV, but I’m not paying attention. I’m too busy watching her. I didn’t know it was possible to feel this. Like my world is spinning around her, surviving off her glow. That makes me sound like a pussy, but I don’t give a fuck. It’s the truth.

  Almost everything in my life is finally going right. I’ve got the parents. I’ve got the girl. I’m getting the education. The only thing I’d change is the deteriorating relationship with my sister. Lily’s the one thing I can’t keep a hold of, and it fucking kills me. I never imagined she would shut me out the way she has. I admit I didn’t want to see it. I didn’t want to believe what everyone has been trying to tell me. I brushed it off like a fucking idiot, reassuring myself everything was fine. All so I wouldn’t have to face the fact that my sister is fucked-up, and I haven’t done shit about it. But I can’t ignore it anymore.

  The movie ends, credits rolling across the screen. My fingers trai
l up and down Goldi’s arm as she lies in front of me.

  “I love havin’ you home,” Goldi sighs.

  “I love being home.”

  She pushes her ass into me, and I bite my lip at the feeling. With all the time apart, we haven’t had too many opportunities to be with each other like this. The nineteen-year-old hormonal boy is raging inside of me for some contact.

  She reaches back and cups me. Her fingers slide up and down my length through my basketball shorts, making the blood rush straight to my cock. She looks back and smiles deviously. “How long ‘til your folks get home?”

  “Who fucking cares?” I growl, lust overtaking rational thought. I grind into her hand, letting her feel how much she affects me. It’s been a year of foreplay, and I’m losing my fucking mind wanting to get inside her.

  She moves suddenly. The hand that was working me so expertly, disappears. Before I can open my mouth in protest, she drops to her knees, her face level with my hard-on. Her hand glides slowly up my thigh and over my erection. I twitch underneath her palm, eager for more contact.

  She goes to remove my shorts and I lift my hips, anticipation racing through me as my cock pops out. I’m stiff as hell, aching to be in her mouth.

  I watch, transfixed, as she wraps her hand around me. A drop of cum leaks out of my tip, dripping over her fingers. She fucking moans, moving her hand up and squeezing. Another drop oozes out. This time she leans forward and her tongue peeks out to sweep across the head. It’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. I grow harder in her hand.

  “Does that feel good?” she asks, trailing kisses down the length of my shaft.

  “Fuck. Yes.”

  Her hand twists, moving toward the tip, her mouth continuing down until her tongue swirls around my balls.

  I throw my head back and bite my cheek to avoid coming.

  She’s steadily pumping me. I can’t help it and thrust into her hand, wishing like hell it was her tight pussy. The image has me groaning and speeding up my hips.

  Her tongue leaves my balls, tracing the vein on the underside of my cock, licking from base to tip. She blows on the head, setting my body on fire.

  I slide inside her mouth, her lips parting wide. My hands grab fistfuls of her hair. The urge to push her down on my cock is strong. But there’s no need. She lowers her head, sucking in her cheeks, and flattening her tongue as she takes me all. The. Way. Down.

  I hit the back of her throat and my balls tighten. Shit.

  She rises up, her hand following the path of her mouth, before bobbing her head back down and deep-throating me. Her nose touches my groin and my hips jerk up, my hands holding her head in place.

  She hums and I throb in her mouth.

  She swallows, her throat muscles milking me, and I lose it. My balls draw up, and my vision goes white as I pulse streams of cum down her throat. She moans like it’s the best thing she’s ever tasted, and fuck if that isn’t the hottest thing she’s ever done.

  I collapse back on the couch, softening in her mouth as she cleans my cock with her tongue. The sensation is too much to handle after she just blew my world apart.

  She releases me with a pop, smiling before crawling back onto the couch, and resting her head on my chest.

  At this moment, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.

  Goldi goes home an hour later, and I help Sam cook for Anna’s birthday. When Lily doesn’t show up for the celebration dinner, I blurt out my concerns. They aren’t surprised when I tell them—they’ve been having worries of their own. We should have had this talk a long time ago.

  “Dinner’s getting cold. We might as well just eat.” I look at the spread on the table.

  Anna sighs. “I guess you’re right. Do you have any idea where she is?”

  Guilt stabs my heart because I should have paid attention to where she’s been for a lot longer than just tonight. But still, her question makes irritation simmer in my gut.

  My head cocks to the side, eyebrows rising. “Do I know where she is? I’m not the one living under the same roof as her, Anna. Maybe you should pay closer attention to the girl you decided to play mother with.”

  “Watch your mouth,” Sam intervenes. “We’re all concerned, and I get that emotions are running high. But disrespect will not be tolerated. Am I clear?”

  I tug my hair. “I didn’t mean that. I’m just worried.”

  Anna smiles softly, reaching across the table to cover my hand with hers. “It’s okay, Chase. The truth is, we’ve been worried about her for some time. I’ve been treadin’ lightly, scared to push her away even more. That might make me a ‘bad mom,’ I don’t know. But there’s no guidebook on how to handle this.”

  Sam rubs Anna’s back, his brows drawn. “Let’s have dinner and see if she shows up. She could just be running late.”

  I eat as much as I can stand. The food tastes bland, overshadowed by the anxiety rolling in my gut.

  Where is she?

  I throw my utensils on my plate, feeling like I’m going to fucking explode. Something’s wrong. I can feel it. “I’m gonna go look for her around town. Drag her ass back home once I find her.”

  Sam nods. Anna stays silent, a somber expression on her face as she stares at her dinner plate.

  I drive around for the next few hours. I call Becca on the off chance she’s with her, but unsurprisingly she hasn’t heard from her in days.

  I’m stopped in a random parking lot, desperation creeping through my bones, when my phone rings.

  “Hey, Sam. She home?”

  “No, but I remembered something. We had her turn on the ‘find my phone’ feature on her iPhone. I should be able to track her down that way.”

  Why the fuck is he just now telling me about this? I could have been to her hours ago. My leg bounces while I hold the phone to my ear. After what feels like a goddamn century, he gives me a location.

  Half an hour later, I pull up to a single-story house in Sweetwater. It’s a small, run-down place, chain-link fence around the yard, and a square window on either side of the front door. The grass is overgrown, covering the sidewalk. If it wasn’t for the street lamp that’s flickering outside letting me see cars in the driveway, I would think it was abandoned.

  Anxiety tightens my stomach as I walk to the front door. I knock, but no one answers. I move over to the windows, peering inside, but the shades are drawn so I can’t see much. I’m about to take out my phone and call Sam when I hear mumbling from behind the door. I rush back over. A man stands in the doorway, eyes barely open, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

  My jaw tics as I take him in. He’s skinny as fuck, short brown hair that’s tipped with blond, pockmarks scattered on his face. He’s wearing a white undershirt stained with something brown, chains dangling from his neck. Good. Easier to strangle the life out of him if he’s so much as touched my sister.

  “Yeah?” he asks, scratching his stomach.

  “I’m looking for Lily. Is she here?”

  His eyes open a bit more, scanning me. “Who’s askin’?”

  “Her brother.”

  His posture straightens, a smirk covering his face as he moves to the side, and waves his arm inviting me inside. “She’s around here somewhere. Flyin’ high in the sky.” He takes the cigarette from his mouth, chuckling like it’s a joke.

  My fists clench. I will fuck this guy up. I move past him, keeping the lid on my rage and focus on what’s important—finding Lily.

  I walk into the house and scan my surroundings. The living room is trashed. A few random people lounge around in mismatched chairs and bean bags. There are lines of white on the coffee table and my heart sinks.

  I should have listened.

  I move down a hallway, checking rooms as I go. Finally, I get to the last room on the right. Before I even open the door, the smell of burning plastic assaults my nostrils. Memories of a past I try to forget flash through my mind. I close my eyes and breathe deep, fighting the urge to throw up my dinner.

 
I turn the handle but pause before taking a step, trying to calm my nerves at what I already know I’ll find. I walk into the room and my heart fucking stops.

  Lily is laid out on a bare mattress. Burned foil litters the floor around her, a lighter and straw next to her hand. The lighting is low. Just a lamp in the corner of the room casting an eerie glow over this completely fucked-up situation.

  “Lil,” I gasp, rushing to her side. She doesn’t stir. I drop, foil crunching under my knees, and grab her shoulders. “Lily, fuck. Wake up.” I shake her, but she doesn’t fucking move.

  This isn’t happening.

  I slide my arms underneath her, picking her up, her body limp in my arms. The only thing keeping me together is watching her chest move with her breaths. It’s slow, but it’s there. I focus on getting her the fuck out of this shithole and to a hospital.

  The guy who opened the door is slumped on the couch when I get to the living room.

  “Call an ambulance,” I snap at him.

  His cloudy gaze sweeps over Lily in my arms, but he shakes his head. “No can do, my man. If she dies, it ain’t gonna be on my property.”

  Black rage surges through me, blinding my vision. If I wasn’t terrified that every second wasted was a second closer to losing Lily, I would tear this motherfucker apart. Instead, I shake it off, rushing out the door.

  I’m dialing 911 as soon as I get Lily in my backseat. I’m panicking and have no clue where the fuck to go. The operator calms me down, letting me know I’m less than five minutes from a hospital. Somehow I get us there in one piece.

  There’s a group of people in scrubs waiting for us outside the hospital doors. I throw my car in park, jumping out as they move forward to take Lily from the back. I try to pay attention to what they’re saying, but the adrenaline pumping through me makes it hard to focus. Before I know what’s happening, they whisk her away. I drop onto the asphalt, my breaths coming quick, fear crippling my insides.

  It’s a few hours later and Lily’s stable. That’s the only thing that has provided me any relief since the moment I found her unconscious on the mattress.