When Stars Collide

by Sara Furlong-Burr

  When Stars Collide

  By

  Sara Furlong Burr

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

  Without limiting rights under copyright reserved below no part of this work may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  Copyright© 2020 When Stars Collide by Sara Furlong Burr

  Cover by M Designs. Editing by There For You Editing.

  To Diana.

  You continue to be a source of inspiration to me every day.

  RIH, my friend.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  CHAPTER ONE

  “It’s hot as balls out here,” I lamented, peeling away the last strands of my hair plastered to the beads of sweat that hugged the back of my neck, reluctantly gathering them up into a ponytail.

  Steps behind me, a chuckle emanated from my boyfriend, Peter, who despite having a solid eight inches worth of leg on me, was struggling to keep up with my pace. “Waxing eloquently as always, are we?” He widened his stride, soon matching mine step for step.

  “Always.”

  I scanned the shoreline of Smith Mountain Lake, searching for our friends, Elle and Luke. Situated in a valley nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the man-made body of water sparkled in the afternoon sun, its hue reflecting the sapphire sky. Although I’d gone to college in Roanoke, just a short distance away, I’d never made my way here before, instead opting to focus on my studies and getting the hell out of Virginia.

  “Son of a mother loving— Ah!” Peter sucked in a pained breath as he hurriedly lifted his flip-flop-adorned feet across the sand, once again falling behind me in our trek across the beach. His legs spread farther and farther apart with each step, reminding me of how someone would probably walk after participating in a day-long bicycle trip without stopping for breaks.

  “That’s pure poetry,” I goaded, watching him awkwardly struggling to win a losing battle with the sand. “Seriously, you could give Elle a run for her money.”

  Peter spoke from between clenched teeth. “This is exactly what walking through the blistering plains of Satan’s playground must feel like.”

  I nodded. “Except with more bitching.” I led us down to the water, where the wet sand would provide him with a welcome reprieve.

  “I’m glad you find the fact that I may never walk again so amusing.” He ambled a few steps farther, until he reached the point where the water hugged the sand, just barely enough to lap over his feet, and let out a sigh. “You know that feeling when you finally get to relieve yourself after a lifetime of having to pee and having no choice but to hold it in because there’s no bathroom in sight and it wouldn’t be socially acceptable to just drop trou where you’re at? This is way better than that.”

  “If you would have put on tennis shoes instead of those foot thongs, you could have relieved yourself a long time ago.”

  A couple passing by stopped mid-conversation, their heads whipping around to peer at Peter in disgust.

  “Don’t worry,” I assured them, “the only thing he’s relieving over there are his feet.”

  Despite not being able to see Peter’s face, the reddened skin around his ears told me he was blushing something fierce.

  “So,” I began, surveying the crowds of people gathered underneath the communities of beach umbrellas scattered up and down the shoreline, “are you sure Luke said to meet him here?”

  “Positive.” Peter scanned the landscape before turning back to me again. “Let’s walk a little farther that way.” He nodded to the south, where the crowds of people appeared to be thinning out. “I think Luke said that he and Elle were staying at the hotel right across the street over there.” He gestured toward a quaint Victorian structure, the façade of which rivaled the color of the sand underneath our feet. “They’re probably not too far from there.”

  “Are you going to tell me what’s up with this covert secret squirrel operation you and Luke are orchestrating?”

  “I’m not sure what you mean. Can’t my best friend and your best friend just meet us for a fun day at the beach?”

  “Sure, but can you blame a girl for having a few questions after she’s whisked away from the airport to urgently meet said friends for plans that she—and, presumably, Elle—knew nothing about before she landed?” His silence told me everything I needed to know, but irritated me, nonetheless. “Did Luke swear you to secrecy?” I pressed.

  “Perhaps.”

  “And there’s no possible way I can make you talk, is there?”

  “Not a chance.”

  “What if I promised to do that thing you like?” I raised my eyebrow seductively … or so I hoped.

  Puzzled, he tried to match my expression, appearing just as ridiculous as I was sure I had looked. “And exactly what would that be?”

  “I don’t know. I was hoping you could tell me.”

  He laughed, his blue eyes mirroring the splendor of the lake beside us. “As tempting as that sounds, Luke bought my silence with our twenty-year friendship. Although, I will say that the thought of you doing my bidding comes dangerously close to trumping that.”

  His fingers traced the length of my arm, eventually entwining with my hand, further reminding me of how much I missed his touch back home in New York. When we’d first decided to rekindle our relationship after it had run its course many years before, our visits twice a month seemed like they would be enough to make things work until we figured something else out. A year later, we were both growing weary of the travel and the brief time we were able to spend with each other before we had to return home to face the harsh reality of our situation. Though neither of us said as much out loud, it was becoming all too obvious that we needed to figure something out soon.

  “There.”

  I followed Peter’s outstretched finger to the apex of a small sand dune in the distance. Perched on a blue-trimmed beach blanket, sat Luke Hutchins and Elle Sloan, the blond-haired boy and the shy brunette beauty, both of whom I’d met ages ago when I was a student at Cogsworth University. Elle appeared to laugh at something Luke said as he ran his fingers through her hair.

  “For God’s sake, we’ve stepped straight out of civilization and right into a Hallmark movie,” I quipped.

  “I know, I can feel my testosterone levels dropping by the second.” Peter’s exaggerated shiver practically shook his entire body. “Just promise me, no matter what happens, that will never be us.”

  With the way he presented his request, I couldn’t tell whether he was legitimately pleading with me or just being his usual sarcastic self.

  “Peter Monroe, I’m appalled that you would even think that I could be in a relationship that’s anything other than a
Cinemax movie—the ones they show after midnight, of course.”

  “Here’s to that.”

  Our free hands met for a high five just as we approached the foot of the dune, catching the attention of the lovebirds above us.

  “Hey, you guys!” Elle all but leapt up from the blanket and slid down the sand to greet us, throwing her arms around Peter before letting him go to wrap them around me, crushing my ribcage in her excitement.

  “Elle, if you squeeze me any tighter, I’m going to consider this my first mammogram,” I grunted.

  “Oh.” She loosened her grip from around me and placed her hands on my shoulders, instead. “I’m sorry. It’s just been, what … three months since we last saw each other? When did you get in?”

  “Almost two hours ago; when Peter all but made me chase after his car in the airport parking lot, yelling at me to jump in before he sped off to come here.”

  “I’ll have you know, I was every bit the gentleman and slowed the car down before yelling at her to hop in,” Peter interceded.

  “Why the rush?” Elle peered at him questioningly.

  “Oh, you know, wanted to beat the traffic and all.”

  I looked up in time to see him exchanging a quick glance with Luke, who was beginning to make his way down the hill. Anyone who didn’t know Luke may believe his slow stride was just him being overly cautious and not wanting to embarrass himself by possibly face-planting down the dune in front of the entire beach. But for those of us who knew him, his discomfort was evident. The result of his continued recovery from a horrific car accident that had left him with two broken legs and amnesia, the latter of which had stolen ten years of his life from him. He was walking without his cane now, but he still had a slight limp to his gait.

  “Mena,” he addressed me with open arms as soon as his feet met more level ground, “it’s good to see you.”

  “Luke, glad to see you still remember me.” I hugged him, stealing a peek over his shoulder in time to see Elle shaking her unamused head at me.

  “Mena, I’m pretty certain that no matter how many times I hit my head, it could never erase the memory of you.” He chuckled as he released me for his grasp to greet Peter with their usual bro hug, consisting of a hard slap to the back.

  “Did you seriously have to break out an amnesia joke?” Elle muttered next to me.

  “What? Too soon? Would you like me to calendar them out for another year or so?” I nudged her softly with my elbow, and despite herself, her lips curved upward, betraying any discontentment she was trying to project.

  “He looks good,” I observed, watching Luke and Peter quietly talking to each other just out of earshot.

  “He’s doing a little better every day.” Elle’s face lit up. “We still have a long way to go. More physical therapy, perhaps. But considering where he was a little over a year ago, he’s nothing short of a walking miracle.”

  “No, the real miracle is seeing that smile on your face. It wasn’t too long ago that I thought it was gone forever.” I looked over at Elle, noticing tears beginning to well in her eyes. “Just so you know, I’ve met my hug limit for the day. So, don’t go getting any ideas.”

  “Noted.” She rubbed the corners of her eyes with back of her hands and held them up in the air. “Keeping my hands to myself.”

  “What’s going on over here?” Luke asked as he and Peter walked back over to us after finishing whatever private discussion they’d been having.

  “Oh, nothing. Elle’s just going all Full House on me over here. You know, the usual.”

  I studied Luke, noticing that something seemed off-kilter with him. The confidence he usually projected had been replaced with a hesitation in his voice and a slight shake in his hand.

  He’s nervous. Why, though?

  “So, Sloan,” Luke turned his attention back to Elle, “should we go and see about those drinks we were talking about earlier?”

  “Um, sure.” Elle made a motion to Peter and me. “There’s this little tiki bar on the south side of the beach—”

  “Why don’t we let Monroe and Mena hold down the fort here while we go and get the drinks ourselves?”

  I raised an eyebrow at Elle, only to be met with an equally as confused look from her.

  “All right, then. I guess we’re taking orders.”

  “I’ll take a John Collins. And don’t expect a tip.” Peter smirked.

  Elle snickered. “Fine, just as long as you don’t expect your drink not to have a little spit in it.”

  “I’ve had worse.”

  “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Elle pursed her lips, cringing. “What about you?” she asked me.

  “I’d say surprise me, but after that conversation, I’m going to take a hard pass on that. A rum and Coke will be fine.”

  Peter reached for his wallet in the back pocket of his shorts.

  “I got this round,” Luke stopped him. “You can get the next one.”

  “Looking forward to it.” The two shared another knowing look, revealing a glimpse of the secret to which only the two of them were privy.

  More perplexed than before, I took Peter’s hand and climbed with him up to the top of the dune, taking a seat on Luke and Elle’s beach blanket. “Okay, spill it,” I pressed.

  “What makes you think I have anything to spill?” His eyes shone, silently laughing at me.

  My mouth pressed into a hard line, my frustration evident.

  “Have I ever told you how cute you are when you’re on the verge of losing your mind?”

  “You’re pretty cocky for a man who’s one butt cheek away from spending the night on the couch.”

  “Oh, so it’s like that, is it?” Wrapping his arm around me, he pulled me into his body, rubbing circles on my arm with his thumb. “Just think about it; you’ll figure it out,” his voice whispered softly in my ear.

  Let’s see. You whisked me away from the airport for secret plans with your friend, who’s acting just as strangely as you are, and Elle, who the best I can tell, has no idea what’s going on, either. We’re at one of the most picturesque places I’ve ever seen, and said friends are now walking hand in hand toward the lake and not the tiki bar …

  “Holy shit!” I blurted out, my eyes widening. Below us, Elle and Luke paused mid-stroll, abruptly turning around. Luke shook his head; Elle stared at me, concerned. “Oh, never mind. For a second there, I thought I’d left my toaster oven plugged in back home, and then I realized I don’t even own a toaster oven. So, carry on.”

  “Smooth, Inspector Clouseau.” Peter kissed the top of my head as we watched Luke and Elle return to their stroll down the shoreline.

  “Maybe we should go after them.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “You weren’t there the night they met. I basically did all the talking to set up their first date. And if Luke’s about to do what I think he’s about to do, we may be here for the rest of the day—hell, possibly into this evening—waiting for him to make a move while they awkwardly stare at each other, instead.”

  Peter pulled me in even closer to him, but I wasn’t entirely certain whether it was to keep me all to himself or because he was legitimately concerned that I may take off after them. “I remember Luke telling me about that night. He’s not usually intimidated by much, but he knew better than to get on your bad side … and that he’d better watch himself around you.”

  “Good. That’s what I was going for.”

  “He was so struck by how protective you were of Elle. How you had her back and what a good friend you must be to her. Then he proceeded to rattle on about how he felt that was the kind of friendship we had.”

  “And what exactly did he say about that?”

  “I don’t know, the Titans were playing and I kind of tuned him out. Everything was ‘blah, blah, blah, loyalty, and blah, blah, blah, you’re like a brother to me, Monroe.’”

  “Sounds about right.”

  My heart rate increased in anticipation with each st
ep Luke and Elle took. Luke had been right in his initial assessment of me. I had been protective of Elle—I still was. Someone had to be. Between her absentee, alcoholic mother and the abuse she’d endured growing up, she’d been something of a lost lamb in a forest of wolves when I met her at Cogsworth. Truth be told, I was, too—I had just been better about hiding it. Together, we’d clicked, traversing the campus jungle and settling into a life away from the small towns from which we were accustomed. And then Luke, the proverbial knight in shining armor, came along and permanently altered the trajectory of all four of our lives.

  “Any farther and we’re not going to be able to eavesdrop on them.” I strained against Peter’s arms to try and catch a brief snippet of any conversation that may be going on between them.

  “I’m not one hundred percent certain on this, but I think that’s by design,” Peter replied. “My guess is that Luke wants to avoid any chance that we may ruin the moment with our colorful commentary.”

  “I prefer to think of it as enhancing the moment, myself.”

  “Speaking of said moment …”

  Ordinarily relaxed, Peter’s body tensed around me, like he was subconsciously worried that there was a sliver of a chance that things weren’t going to go as anticipated—as if that would ever happen. Still, even I felt my own pulse quickening. With everything Elle and Luke had gone through—a whirlwind relationship, an abrupt breakup, and their reunion after Luke’s accident a decade later—they deserved a chance to be able to exit the roller coaster they’d both been strapped to and calmly walk hand in hand into the sunset.

  Luke turned to face Elle, holding both of her hands in his. Hidden by sunglasses and her hair whipping in the wind, I wasn’t able to get a good look at her face, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through her mind at that moment, whether she suspected what was to come. Most of all, I wanted to hear what Luke was saying to her, because I knew damn well that no matter what it was, it would be polished and perfect. Through the beating of my own heart pulsating in my eardrums, I was only able to catch fragments here and there, until the very end, when either my heart rate settled down, or Luke’s nerves had caused him to speak just a smidgen louder.