by Autumn Reed
Staring into her eyes as she said those three coveted words, I understood what I hadn’t before. Her happiness was now the most important thing in my life. More important than jealousy or social norms or my selfish desire to keep her to myself.
Observing her reaction to Jackson’s injury confirmed what I’d already known by then. Haley was in love with all five of us, and it would be cruel to force her to choose. In the days since, I finally allowed myself to watch her with Liam, Theo, Knox, and Jackson, and I had no doubt they felt the same about her. Who was I to stand in the way of their happiness? I couldn’t do that to Haley or the guys. I wouldn’t.
“Chase, what the Mayflower are you doing standing around? If I have to help, so do you!” Theo met me at the bottom of the stairs with a playful scowl on his face.
“You don’t have to help, Theodore,” Liam hollered. “In fact, please stop helping. I beg you.”
“Don’t call me—”
“Theodore,” Knox, Liam, and I said in unison.
Haley hid her grin, badly, and took Theo by the arm. “Why don’t you and Knox set the table while I help Liam finish up?”
“It’s not my fault the potatoes exploded,” he muttered as he reached for the plates.
I followed Haley into the kitchen and gave her a peck on the lips. Between her flushed skin from standing over the stove and wisps of hair falling around her face, she looked beautiful. I wanted to yank her into the pantry and give her a real kiss, but I refrained, barely.
“What can I do?”
She glanced around the kitchen before turning back to me. “Will you check on the green beans?”
“Anything for you.”
Her answering smile was enough to make me give thanks right then and there that my decisions had led me to this moment. If I had another fifty Thanksgivings just like this one, it still wouldn’t be enough.
I mouthed, I love you, then strode to the stove, a confidence in my steps that hadn’t been there before. Everything was going to work out. I was sure of it.
A Note from Autumn Reed & Julia Clarke
Thank you so much for reading Vega! If you enjoyed the book, we would truly appreciate it if you would share your thoughts by writing a review on Amazon. To learn more about us and The Stardust Series, please visit our website or contact us at [email protected].
Also, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes details, and upcoming releases!
XO,
Autumn + Julia
Polaris (The fifth and final book in The Stardust Series!)
Coming 2018
About the Authors
Autumn and Julia met at work and bonded over their mutual love of historic homes, photography, and good books. While they didn’t plan on co-authoring a novel, what started as daydreaming transformed into brainstorming and then actual writing.
Together, Autumn and Julia make the perfect pair, balancing impulsive with indecisive and attention to detail with an eye for the big picture. Despite their different personalities, Autumn and Julia share a common vision in their writing and love bouncing ideas off each other. They see the creative process as a challenge, a game, and delight in living in a world of their own creation.
Read more at www.autumnreed.com and www.authorjuliaclarke.com.
