Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Author:Trish Doller [Doller, Trish]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2013-09-23T16:00:00+00:00

I dream about Alex.

He comes into my room and I’m wearing a Hello Kitty nightgown. I’m seventeen—not a little girl—so it barely covers me, the bottom ruffle falling just below my hips. He lifts the hem, but I’m not afraid because it’s Alex, who whispers that he’s not going to hurt me. Except when he touches me he turns into Frank, who laughs his phlegmy smoker’s laugh and tells me he always knew I liked it. That no one will ever want me because I’ll always be his special girl.

I break free from the circle of Frank’s arms and stumble out of bed. I snatch up my shirt from the floor and pull it on, holding it closed with my fist, covering myself as I look for my jeans. “Where are my pants?”

“Callie.” Someone is saying my name. It’s not Frank’s voice, but I ignore it anyway. I have to get out of here. Away from him.

“I need to find my pants.” The words are soaked with tears and desperation.

“Callie.” Reality snaps into focus as Alex grabs my shoulders. “What the hell is going on?”

I blink once. Twice. My heart rate is crazy fast and I touch his face to make sure he’s real. “It was only a nightmare.”

“Only?” He brushes his fingers along my cheek and they come away wet. “You were crying in your sleep.”

“It was pretty terrible.” I dry my eyes on the collar of my shirt.

“Do you, um—do you want to talk about it?”

“No.” My skin feels as if ants are marching beneath the surface. I don’t want to think about the dream, let alone share it. Not even with him. Especially not him.

“You probably think I’m the weirdest girl you’ve ever met.”

“I think …” He rests his chin on top of my head and there’s a kind of security in the hollow of his neck. “… that we all have stories we don’t tell. If you want to share it, you will. Or, you won’t.”

“Thanks,” I say. “What time is it?”

“Not sure. Three, maybe?”

“Three? Are you sure? Shit. I’m so dead.” I wriggle into my jeans and stuff my feet into my sandals. My cell phone has dozens of voice mails and text messages from Greg, Kat, and even Connor. This is so bad. “Shit.”

Alex dresses quickly and grabs the keys to his truck. “I’ll drive you.”

“Drop me around the corner?”

“All things considered …”

“Yeah.”

Under any circumstances the ride to the house would be short, but tonight it feels even shorter. Alex pulls alongside the curb around the corner and looks at me. “I feel like a dick for making you deal with Greg by yourself.”

“You’re not.” I lean over and kiss him quick. Because if I linger, I will have even more reason not to want to get out of the truck. “And I’ll be fine.”

“Here.” Alex slips something into my hand, and it isn’t until I’m away from the truck that I look down and find a plastic-wrapped fortune cookie in my hand. I’m tempted to open it right now, because what I need most is good fortune, but there’s no time.

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