Trailing Stars (Trailing Stars #1)

Chapter 16

I swipe my phone off the counter and walk a distance away to answer. "Hey, Hannah."

I mouth along to her question: "Are you coming home yet?"

I sit at a free table and prop up my head. "No. I'm not coming home yet."

"You didn't sleep at all last night—"

"And then I slept in until 1:30. And I've only been out for like four hours. I'm fine."

The silence on the other end is deafening. Hannah's voice comes out a little more slowly like she's trying to talk me down from a tantrum. "Yeah, but it's getting late. The sun isn't even up anymore."

I glance towards the glass doors. The snow is reflecting the streetlights and the little moonlight streaming through the clouds, so it's that dark, rosy pink color. It's enough for me to see that the snowfall has slowed down and that it really is after sundown.

"It's still not that late," I say, sitting back.

Hannah sighs. "I guess, but I'm just worried."

I feel the usual twinge of guilt that always comes when she says something along those lines. I adjust my grip on my phone. "I know, but I'll be fine."

Desperation seeps into her voice. "I'd feel a lot better if you were home right now, Mona."

The guilt grows. I grip my phone a little harder. "Okay. I'm on my way."

Hannah lets out a breath. "I'll see you soon."

"See you soon."

I hang up and stare at my phone for a second before I get up and make my way back to Nathan and Clara. They look at me expectantly, and I offer them a grim smile.

"I have to head home," I explain.

Clara makes a face. "Right now?" I nod. "Because of Hannah?" I nod again. Clara frowns. "Your sister is controlling."

I swipe my journal off the counter. "She's scared I might... disappear... too, if I'm not always in her line of sight."

Clara's expression softens, but her eyes are still steely. "Still. She should trust you a little more."

I glance away, running my hand over the star on my journal. "I think I've given her a lot of reasons not to trust me."

Neither of them says anything, the chatter around us amplifying the silence. When I look up, I meet Nathan's eyes first. They're sparkling stars in the dim lighting. The color grounds me a little, but it also makes me feel like I'm not really here. Like I'm standing in a field, staring up at the clear night sky watching the stars glisten above me.

Nathan's voice breaks me from my thoughts, but even then, I really have to focus to understand what he's saying. "You can't keep blaming yourself, Mona. And it makes sense that Hannah's worried about you, but she shouldn't be as overbearing as she is."

I shrug. "I still have to head home."

Nathan stands, pulling his keys out of his pocket. "I can drive you."

I shake my head. "No. It's fine. Riding in cars makes me feel guilty."

Clara furrows her eyebrows. "But not scared?"

I hesitate. "Well... Scared, too. I count my breaths for something to focus on and to see how many times I can do it in case I die..." I blink, shaking my head. "Sorry. That was morbid."

Nathan gives me a grim smile, nodding. "A little bit. But I'll drive carefully. I always do." Clara snorts, making Nathan glare at her. "I drive carefully when Mona's in the car."