Beneath the Stars (Falling Stars 4)

The man so sweet and unruly and gorgeous that just looking at him felt like heartbreak.

“I…like him.” I shrugged it.

“Obviously,” Violet said. “And?”

My head shook. “I have no idea. He totally friend-zoned me, but every time we’re in each other’s space, that feels like a lie.”

I left off the part where he’d blown my mind with that friendly orgasm he’d given me this morning.

“Well, I’d say that’s plain as day to anyone.”

Great.

Not what I wanted to hear.

But like I’d told Rhys, I wasn’t sure how to pretend, either. How to act like he didn’t make me come alive every time he stepped into the room.

My tongue swept across my bottom lip, and I struggled to find an explanation. “I know what everyone thinks about him, Vi. I know his reputation. I know he’s known to burn through women so fast he doesn’t even slow down long enough to catch their names. I know he’s thought to be irresponsible and reckless and wild.”

The jokester.

The player.

Emotion trembled at the corner of my mouth. Overcome with the truth of it.

“But I look at him and…and I see more.”

Helplessly, I shrugged.

I guessed that was the whole of it.

I saw more.

I saw brilliance.

I saw goodness.

I saw a glowing, beautiful soul.

Beyond that, I saw the demons.

The pain.

The regret that he thought he kept shrouded behind all those wayward, affable grins.

And I wanted to be a part of them all.

A soft smile graced Violet’s mouth. “There is definitely more to him than he lets everyone see.”

She reached out and took me by both hands. She squeezed tight, and that was when the worry billowed through her expression.

When I felt it burn up my arms and take root in my chest.

I could hardly breathe around the weight.

“You think he’s wrong for me.”

Here was this man, a superstar in his own right, a man who splashed his conquests all over social media.

And then there was me, my experiences skewed and slowed and years behind most others my own age because of the fears that I refused to continue to allow to hold me down.

“There are some years separating y’all.”

“Age doesn’t matter.”

Her head shook. “No. It’s the needs and the goals and the hearts that do.”

“So, you are worried?”

She huffed out a disbelieving laugh. “Have you met the man? Of course, I’m worried.”

A slight giggle slipped free, though it was filled with sorrow. “I swear, I feel like I go after the most complicated things.” The words were whispered, the knot in my throat making it difficult to speak.

Smiling, Violet reached out and brushed back a lock of my hair, tucking it behind my ear and tipping up my chin.

All her care pouring free.

“That’s because you feel the most complicated things. I’m not sure someone like you can go for easy or light.”

“Then you understand why I can’t look away from him.”

Her smile was sad. “You feel him.”

I fought the tears that gathered when I nodded. “In a way I’ve never felt anyone. And…and I’m not afraid, and somehow I’m still terrified.” I choked around the words, half laughter and half pain.

Violet exhaled, and she kept fiddling with my hair. “I love Rhys, Maggie. So much. He’s such a good man. Kind and generous and playful. He loves his mama. This family.”

She waved around the room.

“Even though he pretends like he’s not, he’s crazy smart. Talented far beyond being only a show cow the way he acts.”

She swallowed hard. “But it’s abundantly clear there are ghosts there, too, and I know you see them. I think you have to ask yourself if you’re willing to tackle them with him. If you’re ready for that.”

Concern slipped out with her words.

Pain for me.

Knowing what I’d been through at the hands of the wicked.

The same as Emily.

The same as her sister—Lily.

My heart clutched thinking about her. The trauma she’d endured and how she was handling the aftermath now. Her courage. I was beyond thankful to have her on my side.

Evil had knitted us together.

Ruined us and made us stronger.

A tear slipped down my cheek. “I think we’re getting way ahead of ourselves, don’t you? Rhys and I are just friends.”

She rubbed the tear away with her thumb. “And you both are liars.”

My stomach tumbled and my heart sped, and I looked away for a beat to clear my head before I found the courage to return my attention to her. “For the first time, he makes me feel like I’m ready to try.”

She nodded slowly. “Just…be careful, Maggie. I’d never tell you to guard your heart because we have to live wide open. Ready for what life has to offer. Willin’ to take chances because love is always worth the risk.”

She raked her teeth over her bottom lip, giving me a second to process. “Don’t ever forget what my daughter said…we all deserve love. Find it. Cherish it. And know, beyond all else, that you deserve a love that makes you feel like you’re flying. One that lifts you up rather than drags you down. Don’t ever settle for less than that.”