One Starry Knight: A Scifi Alien Love Story (The Starry Knight Saga Book 1)

by Carrie Lynn Thomas

  “Oh god.” Her face is in her hands again, and she’s a shaking torrent of sobs.

  “I’m sorry.” I fight the urge to cross to her side. To wrap my arms around her. “I can’t do this anymore. The boyfriends, the drinking, the hitting, the fighting, the crying. I can’t do any of it anymore. I can’t be here and watch you destroy yourself anymore.”

  She cries harder, and Stella’s car hums in the driveway. Pink dawn sweeps into the kitchen. I’m running out of minutes.

  “I hope someday you can find a way to be happy.” I rise from my chair and slowly pick up my bags. Slipping my backpack over my shoulder, I watch her. My mom. The woman who brought me into this world. Who once treated my scraped knees with kisses and Barbie band-aids. Who taught herself to sew so she could make me a princess Halloween costume when I was four. Her arms and head rest on the table. She weeps and trembles, and I gently touch my fingers to her shaking forearm. It’s strange, this moment, how little emotion is left in me. Shouldn’t I feel more, hurt more, cry more?

  “Goodbye,” I whisper, but she doesn’t look up.

  The last steps out of my house are like being underwater. Dark, airless, soundless. Then I step into the air and sunshine and find Stella waiting patiently in the car. I close the door behind me and step off the porch turning for one last look. I see my mother and me on that porch, all those years ago. My dad had only been gone for weeks and my mom was crumbling. Holding her up, taking care of her, that is what got me through.

  “I’m sorry, Daddy,” I whisper. So very sorry.

  He appears, a ghost of an image, standing on the porch. His expression is blank, and my stomach twists and burns. This is wrong. All so wrong. I should go back in there. I’m about to go back in there. Then he smiles and nods and mouths the word, go.

  I blink. It’s only a house.

  Climbing into the car, Stella curls the corners of her lips. Not quite a smile. We’re not ready for smiles yet.

  “Are you ready?” she asks, and I nod.

  Losing Adam is not going to break me.

  Epilogue

  I do my best to keep an outside calm, but inside I’m an earthquake. The corridor stretches out before me, my stomach shakes, my heart thunders, my ears ring. My colorless fingers clutch the boarding pass in my hand.

  I run, weaving through the crowded travelers, dodging rolling suitcases, and squeezing by lumpy backpacks and computer bags. I’m nearly crushed by a beeping cart, jetting passengers to faraway gates.

  It’s my final flight today. I’ve already survived three. Three takeoffs. Three landings. Three trips down the jet way to the waiting plane. Each one easier and harder than the last. Now I’m in Denver with one short flight left between me and my grandparents.

  A stray toddler cuts across my path, and I swerve wide to avoid him. Gate A29. I nearly topple over a suitcase. Gate A30. I’m behind a family walking like they’re stuck in honey. I push through a crack between their shoulders. Gate A31. Out of breath, I race to the ticket agent next to the gateway door.

  "You're lucky. We were about to close the doors.” She glances at my boarding pass and waves me through the door. I’m in the tunnel. A thin shaking floor beneath me. A loud roaring plane in front of me.

  At the end of the ramp, a flight attendant waits with an impatient smile.

  "You just made it," she says when she sees my boarding pass.

  “So, I heard.”

  I step onto the plane. Dodging elbows and feet, I squeeze down the aisle until I reach my seat.

  There’s a father with his young daughter next to me. She can’t be more than four or five, and her blond hair is pulled into pony tails with purple rubber bands.

  “What’s that daddy?” she asks as she presses her face to the window.

  “Those are the wings.” Her dad lays a patient hand on her shoulder. “That’s how the plane flies through the air.”

  “It won’t fall, will it?” The little girl swings around and frowns.

  “Of course not, sweetie. That’s why it has the wings…it’s like a bird.”

  My breath is trapped for a moment and my heart aches.

  I exhale and tear my gaze from them. Zipping my boarding pass into my backpack, my fingers slide across cardboard. I close my eyes, letting the pain swim through my blood.

  Adam’s box. Adam’s unopened box. Although I opened the letter attached to the top, I’m not ready for what’s inside. Not now. Probably not tomorrow.

  Someday.

  I slip an envelope from the outside pocket and tuck the backpack under the seat. The engines roar beneath me, and I grab the armrests. The plane starts and stops. A flight attendant walks by and motions to my seatbelt, and I pull it across my lap. Like I had on the previous three takeoffs today, I open the envelope with Adam’s letter. I unfold the paper and close my eyes. I’ve already memorized the words and branded them to my heart.

  The plane jerks and my eyes fly open. Glancing down, I notice a wrinkle where I’m tightly grasping the paper. I loosen my fingers and read the words.

  Dear Sage, I’m leaving you this box.

  The plane moves. The wheels buzz along the runway. Faster and faster.

  I hope that you’ll open it, think of me, and know how much I loved you. Know how much I’ll always love you.

  The plane is lifting, air rushing beneath the wings.

  And when you’re done, I hope you’ll let it go. Burn the box and everything it holds and every memory we have. Let go and find new love. Make new memories.

  The plane shakes and shivers and shifts.

  Take care of yourself, Sage. You are strong. Love Always, Adam.

  The Story Continues…

  The Starry Knight Saga Book 2

  The Lost Knight

  Coming November 1, 2019

  Pre-order Now

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  About the Author

  Carrie Lynn Thomas loves books so much that she naturally turned to writing her own. One Starry Knight is her first book. She’s also hard at work on the sequel, a contemporary young adult romance series, and a sweet romance series. When not reading or writing, you can find her in her craft room working on one of her many unfinished projects. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, two daughters, two dogs, and one crazy cat.

  You can also visit her at www.carrielynnthomas.com or connect with her on Social Media at the links below.

  Acknowledgments

  The journey of this book has been a 10+ year journey for me, full of so many ups and downs. I found new friends, lost some friends, celebrated, cried, and learned so much about myself in the process. And there have been so many amazing people who have been part of this journey with me—whether just for a chapter or two or the dozens and dozens of drafts and versions. I could not have gotten here without each and every one of them. So I’d like to express my upmost and eternal gratitude to…

  First and foremost, God. Always.

  To the critique partners and beta readers I’ve had throughout the years—Jennifer, Nicole, Rena, Amber, Heather, Tris, Lisa, Tamera, Angela, Melissa, and Ela. Thank you for the hours you spent helping me mold this story and my writing into what it is today. I’ve learned so much from each of you talented ladies and I’ll be forever grateful.

  To the amazing writing community. From the years I learned by lurking on the Absolute Write boards, to all the amazing feedback from agents and publishers during my querying days, to the talented authors willing to share their tips and tricks at the AWP and RT Conventions, to The Writing Gals and 20booksto50k communities. There are so many generous and amazing people out there who are willing to offer a hand and share their vast knowledge.

  To Susanna Kearsley. Your generosity and kind heart gave me the cou
rage and strength to keep going at just the right time. You’re an amazing author and an even more amazing human. And someday, somehow, I’m going to pay your gift forward.

  To Cera, Joyce, Sarah, and Liv. You ladies are the sisters I’ve always wanted. Thanks for being the most amazing friends a girl can ask for. Your creativity and courage inspire me all the time and I love you all so much!!!

  To my wonderful family, Mom, Dad, Lynn, Tom, Jon, Ali, Teddy, Randy, Deb, Chris, Katrina, Chloe, and Kaden. Whether we’re connected by blood or marriage, you are all family and your love and support has meant the world to me. Whether you’ve directly helped me with the book, inspired me to chase my dreams by chasing your own, or just been adorably cute, I couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you. Love you all!

  To Mom, Deb, and Aunt Lori. Thanks for reading. Thanks for the feedback, the proofreading, and all of the love and support. And a huge thanks for always being willing to read yet again and again.

  To Anna. When I started Starry Knight, you were 11 years old. At the time, I thought maybe I could be an inspiration to you and your sister—to never give up and to chase your dreams. But now, here you are about to enter your senior year of college with so many great opportunities ahead. And you’re seizing them—making the most of everything. I am so proud of you and so inspired by you. Thank you, baby girl. I love you so, so much.

  To Hailey, my mini-me. You grew up with this book. I can remember you at barely five, begging me to print a second copy of the manuscript so you could read it too. And I can remember you a few years after that, starting your own novel so we could write together. And when you finally were old enough to read Starry Knight, you stayed up all night to finish it and begged me to read the awful first draft of the sequel the next day. Your support and opinion means the world to me and inspires me daily. And your help with everything from the plot to the cover has been amazing. You are such a great daughter, and I love you more than you’ll ever know.

  And I saved the best for last (of course). To Joe. My thanks to you needs a book of its own. You were my first reader, my first fan, my first believer. You’ve encouraged me every step of the way. You’ve picked me up when I got knocked down. You’ve pushed me when I’ve been too scared to move. You’re my best friend, my person, my everything. Thank you. And just for the record, I love you more.