Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 48854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
“Lighten up,” he tells me. “It’s a party.” Thankfully, he’s dragged away by a couple of his friends. When boys try to be men, they fail miserably. I watch them laugh at something, drinks are being swallowed, and yet I can’t cheer up.
Moving through the guests, I smile and greet those who look my way. But I don’t feel happiness. It’s as if the emotion has taken a vacation and I’m left on the shore, waiting for it to reach me.
When I reach the patio, I smile because it’s the only area of the house that’s not as busy. Stepping out onto the cobblestones that pave their way through the lush green grass, I leave the noise behind me and make my way to the middle of the maze my father built when I was a child.
It was one of my favorite places to go. Deep laughs capture my attention, and I turn to see three young men, possibly Cassio’s age, all standing out on the grass. One of them is smoking, while the other two look on at the party inside.
As people spill out of the house, the breeze picks up, causing the outdoor fire to dance as if it’s listening to the rhythm of the music. But the three young men steal my attention once again.
One of them is silent, while the other two shove at each other, laughing out loud. The quiet one turns to me, his eyes locking on mine as if we’re magnets and he needs to find his polar opposite.
Dark hair falls to his eyes. From here, they look as dark as night. His angular jaw is shaped with care as if a sculptor fell in love and created the most beautiful face he could. Full lips seem to pout as if he’s not happy to be here.
There is a deep-seated ache in my chest to go to him and learn his name. But I don’t. Instead, I’m frozen to the spot, staring at a stranger who looks like a Greek god in the flesh. His friends continue their raucous behavior, but he’s different.
He still has my attention, just like the first time I saw him. When the song changes, the moment is broken, and I turn and race into the maze. It’s a beautiful rose-filled sanctuary and when I reach the middle, I settle on the cold concrete bench that has my name scrawled on the back.
I tilt my head up, my eyes finding constellations I’ve come to learn over the years. I’ve always loved the sky at night. A magical myriad of glowing promises that there is beauty in the world.
“Polaris.” A deep, soothing voice startles me. “The North Star.”
I snap my gaze to the stranger with the messy dark hair. The curls tease his forehead, one of them fallen into his left eye, making him look younger than I expect he is. When the corners of his lips tilt into a smirk, I notice the two dimples that form in either cheek.
He looks like one of those guys who can steal your heart, break it, and you’d still thank him for the pleasure.
“You know the stars?”
“I know of them,” he tells me, sliding his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He moves closer, and the way he walks is controlled, his back straight, and his shoulders broad in a dark button-up. He doesn’t look like one of Cassio’s friends. They’re all dressed in bright colors and obnoxious patterns.
“How does one know of them and not know the constellations?”
He shrugs one shoulder, his head tips to the side, and his smirk turns to a genuine smile. “There are some things that not even experts know.”
I ponder this for a little while as I watch the stranger move in the darkness. In the center of the maze, there aren’t any lights on; the only illumination is from the moon that hangs heavily above us.
“I suppose,” I answer. I’m not proud of my response. I could have found something more intelligent to say, but this boy, this man, has my mind racing with thoughts I should not be having.
“Do you like the stars? Do you believe they seal our fate?”
My brows furrow, but I can’t help the laugh that escapes my lips. “Are you talking about destiny?”
“Perhaps.”
“No,” I answer. “Destiny is for those who believe in fairy tales and happy ever afters.” I may sound far too negative for my age, but after what my father told me, I doubt I’ll ever be able to follow my destiny. Even if I were banging my head against the wall, I’ll always be fated to end up where my father wants me to be.
“That’s quite a sad outlook for such a pretty girl,” the stranger remarks. I wish he’d come closer, but he stays at a distance.