When Stars Burn

Chapter Fourteen: So Much More Of My Nothing

A/N: Hi everyone! Can't believe it'll be March here pretty soon. Spring's around the corner—yay! Although, I'll be honest, fall and winter are my writing months but still, I look forward to new beginnings. Lots of amazing things took place in February and I want to thank you all for sticking around for all of them—the Wattpad Block Party, the CIBC-short story for all my Filipino readers out there. And of course, for still following Star's story here. 

On that note, here's the latest chapter.

Enjoy!

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In the twenty minutes it took to wait for the Walterson guards to come and pick up Hailey, we kept her in a spare bedroom where we supplied her with some water and a little food even though she had no appetite. I gave her some towels so she could wash her face. Her eyes were wide and a little blood-shot but whatever surge of energy she got from Luisito's small sample earlier had faded fast and she once again became anxious and skittish. She curled into a ball on the bed, staring off into space while Julian and I sat on the other side of the bed watching her, talking in hushed tones. I tried to give him some details, carefully leaving out ones he didn't need to know.

Julian had only wandered out when he came after me in the kitchen and was told by someone there that I'd stepped out. I told him the truth about what the man was doing to Hailey but not who she was to me beyond our work together at the Lighthouse. As for my brother and Ram's appearance, I told him they were in town for business, trying to leave it at that.

"What would someone in your brother's and Ram's line of business be doing at a party like this?" Julian asked slowly.

I studied his face, wondering if his sheltered life indeed kept him in a bubble. I momentarily envied him for that.

"College parties aren't always clean fun, Julian," I said quietly. "And I'm not just talking about screwing and drinking."

"You're right," he agreed with a sigh. "I never looked past the screwing and the drinking because I don't want to find what my brother did and destroy myself the same way."

I squeezed his hand and smiled softly. "You're lucky. I wish I didn't know some of the things I know."

Someone knocked on the door and Kit's face popped in, looking as somber as it did when Julian quickly explained to him earlier that someone was coming to pick up Hailey. Selene promised not to send the cops in. She didn't want the spectacle any more than any of these kids wanted to go to jail.

"They're here," Kit said before stepping aside.

Julian and I stood up, ready to help.

I expected one of the Waltersons' guards.

What I didn't expect was Gareth Walterson himself—my father. Mine and Hailey's.

I schooled my features into a perfectly passive expression as he came into the room even as my heart thumped madly in my chest.

He stopped when he saw me and I readied myself for the resentment I'd seen in his eyes the day he told me that he was cutting me off from his life. He was done with the monthly deposits, he was done with listening to further pleas for more money, accusing me of going along with my mother to swindle him for more money to pay for booze and drugs. It was the first time he'd ever laid eyes on me since I was born and there were no fatherly hugs, no questions about how I was doing. He just wanted nothing to do with me.

Today, he looked old for a man his age, dark hair shot with silver, his eyes lined heavily.

My face felt hard like granite as I stood there, half-dreading what he was going to say in front of Hailey and Julian.