Brighter Than The Stars: Book One

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓇𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓃: 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝓃𝑔 𝒟𝓇𝒾𝓋𝑒

Elijah had gone home to change before her parents arrived, while Madeline finished her coffee, then headed upstairs for a shower. She'd planned on taking her sweet time in it yesterday, but there Elijah was, and she hadn't taken one at all.

Her phone was ringing on her bed by the time she was done. Madeline rushed to accept the call coming from her dad's cell phone, putting it on speakerphone so she could comb her wild hair.

"Good morning, sweet father of mine."

"Your mother's driving like a bat out of hell, so it's good I had the sense to set up our wills last year," her dad joked. "Is he really there? "

Madeline licked her lips and dropped herself on the bed that still smelled like him. A slight aroma of shaved wood and metal. "He went home to change, but he'll be back before the two of you get here."

There was a long pause before her dad responded. "Maddie, where does Elijah live?"

That was the part she still couldn't get over. Truth was, when she'd woken up that morning and looked up at Elijah sleeping peacefully, she'd forgotten for a moment that she wouldn't have to say goodbye at the end of the weekend.

"Somewhere in town. He moved here a few months after I did. He was going to go to the funeral, but decided he could finally let himself look me up on social media first, and that's when he figured it out. I felt like I was going to have a stroke when he told me that one. We both have the same favorite restaurant, even.

"He said our North Star probably guided him straight to me, but he wasn't paying attention." Just the thought of that caused tears to prick at Madeline's eyes. "I'm trying not to dwell too much on the fact that it took two years, but then I think about all the time we could have lost if his dad hadn't died.

"Anyhow, after he looked me up and saw I was living here, he felt it would be easier on him if he didn't go to the funeral. He's not ready to go into his dad's house yet. He was going to have me call you two in a couple of hours, but mom called me first."

Her dad let out a heavy breath against the phone. "What's he like, Maddie? "

She licked her lips as she thought about the question. "It took me a few seconds to register who he was, honestly. Eva snuck him up to my room before I got home, and he was asleep on my bed. It gave me a chance to study him before he woke up. He's so different, dad. Taller, muscular, facial hair. He has glasses now."

"So, right up your alley?" Her dad teased.

It was true. Maddie had a thing for glasses. And height. And facial hair. But she didn't really care about muscles either way. Not that she'd be confirming her father's allegations. "There are some things that are the same," she continued. "His smile and facial expressions. Still easy to talk to. Still sweet."

Her father let out a breathy laugh. "Sounds like the two of you picked up right where you left off."

"In a way," Madeline agreed as she caught a snarl with her comb. "I thought we'd hit some awkward stage, but we didn't. All the hugs felt natural. Conversations went smoothly. But it feels different. We're both adults, which gives it a different sort of feel. Familiar, but new, if that makes sense."

"I understand what you mean," her dad told her. "Two different people, same connection."

"Exactly."

"Mitch, let her know we'll be there in an hour," her mom said in the background.

"You'll be here in an hour," Madeline confirmed. "Which means I better get going and try to finish my paper. Don't be surprised if my grades are lower this semester."