Brighter Than The Stars: Book One

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒯𝑒𝓃: 𝒩𝑜 𝒫𝓁𝒶𝒸𝑒 𝐿𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝓂𝑒

Madeline felt exhausted, testy, and the disappointment still hadn't diminished by the time she'd returned home, or at least, her home for the time being. Her parents had asked her to stay and spend the weekend with them, but she had papers to write for class next week, and placing her focus on that was better than focusing on the person missing from the funeral she'd attended.

Madeline dropped her keys onto the hook by the door, kicked off the red heels she should have changed out of before starting her drive, and clipped her curls back from her face.

Her roommate since freshman year, Eva, sat on the couch, dressed to the nines while she flipped through channels.

"You going out tonight?" Madeline asked before she dropped herself on the couch beside her.

"Yup. Just keeping myself occupied while I waited for you. Wanted to hear how your death party went."

Madeline shook her head, unable to stop herself from laughing. "I believe the correct term is 'funeral'."

Eva winked as she pulled her long blonde hair to the side. "By the sound of the guy, I'd say my version is a hell of a lot more accurate. Did your bestie show?"

Hearing those words caused Madeline's shoulders to slump and heart to sink. "Elijah was a no show. I even stuck around after the burial to see if he was running late, or wanted to avoid seeing everyone. No luck."

"I was wondering why you were barely out of town when I messaged you." When a horn honked outside, Eva hopped up from her seat. "That's Travis. How do I look?"

When Eva did a slow motion spin, Madeline had to admit, her backup bestie could pull off trashy-classy with the best of them. "I'd do you."

Eva shot her a wink, grabbed her useless coat she'd surely forget at the club, and her clutch. "That's why I love you. By the way, you got some big ass mail while you were gone. I left it in your room."

Her grandparents and another damn care package. Normally it would be a bunch of clothing, maybe some gift certificates for restaurants in the area. But there was usually something inappropriate added to the box of goodies. If they sent her one more box of condoms, Madeline was going to call and have a word with them. Plus, they were just wasting their money on them at this point. She hadn't even opened the first box yet.

Since it was already late, Madeline opted out of studying for the night, deciding a crappy rom-com and pajamas would suit her much better. The long staircase she had to climb to get to her bedroom on the third floor nearly took all her energy this time around, of which there was little to spare.

What she needed was a hot shower, and probably stood a chance of having one with everyone out of the house. She'd debate on that while grabbing her pajamas.

Except there wasn't a package from her grandparents waiting for her when she opened her bedroom door. Instead, a man was fast asleep in her bed, her photo album by his side. A man who, not fifteen minutes ago, she questioned if she'd ever see again.

His body now took up the entire length of her bed, his feet dangling off the end. His hair was still dark, bordering on black, but instead of long and spiked, he'd grown with the times and it was now cut much shorter and smooth.

She remembered him being so thin, probably from lack of food at his dad's, but that wasn't the case anymore. He was muscular. Not quite to the extent of a fighter, but his arms seemed to strain at the fabric of his black t-shirt. And the scruff. He had the perfect amount of scruff on his face, bordering on beard territory; something that had always been a weakness of Madeline's.

There was little parallel to the boy she used to know, but all the signs were there. The color of his hair, the thick eyebrows, with one resting slightly higher than the other, the slightly crooked nose from when his father had broken it.

A small groan escaped Elijah, followed by his eyelids opening. That color she'd never forget. Pale green surrounded by an almost aqua along the rim. Then a fatigued smile that deepened every moment he looked up at her.

"I heard you went back for the death party," Elijah spoke in a groggy voice. "I'll admit, it has a nice ring to it."

The first thing you forget after someone leaves your life is the sound of their voice. At least, that's what people said. But she remembered his as if she'd been hearing it all along. It was deeper than it used to be, which was fair, seeing as he was now thirty. Still, it was familiar; like lyrics to a song you hadn't heard in years, but could still sing along to.

And that's what he'd chosen to say with the voice she remembered.

Madeline laid beside him, noticing the heat seeming to emanate from his body. Rather than answer him, she placed her hand on his side, and her head on his chest, just to listen his heartbeat. "You're alive."

Elijah held her back, placing a small kiss on the back of her head. "Did you think I wasn't?"

"It's always been a worry," Madeline admitted. "I remembered that feeling of not knowing for years until you left that letter in the mailbox. If you died, would we ever find out? I thought you'd go to the funeral just to see if your father was really dead. When you didn't show... just didn't know what to think, I guess."

He expelled a heavy breath above her, his hand clutching her arm that laid across his stomach. "Almost went. I had a bag packed, and then I realized I could finally look you up on social media."

Fortunately, since Madeline didn't drink, there wasn't much there, if anything, incriminating. "Did you find anything interesting?"

Another long breath that heated the top of her head. "Interesting enough that I'll kick myself for the rest of my life for not looking you up sooner."

The comment raised her interest enough for Madeline to sit herself up to look down at him with narrowed eyes. "And that is?"

Elijah's hands came up to wipe his face, but once they dropped down to his chest, she saw an anguished expression she never wanted to see again. "I don't know how to tell you this, M&M."

"Well, figure it out." What started as curiosity had turned into frustration. It was her own damn social media, and Madeline had no clue what he could have found.

"In all fairness, they've only had that feature up for like a year." Then he pushed the words out. "We've been living in the same city for the last two years."