Trailing Stars (Trailing Stars #1)

Chapter 20

For the next few days, I switch between meeting up with Nathan and Clara, avoiding Hannah, trying to work up the courage to say something to my parents, and listening to Kate tell me I'm stupid for not saying anything to our parents yet.

"You are a little stupid," Clara says, skating around the lake with me and Nathan.

Nathan shoots her a look. "It's not easy to make yourself ask for something like that, especially if you don't know if you want it."

Clara smirks. "Right. That's why you write ambiguous poems about it. That's so much easier."

Nathan's cheeks tinge pink. "Do you want one?"

Clara clasps her hands over her heart. "I'd be so flattered. Right, Mona?"

I look away, making a noncommittal sound. I skate ahead of them and do a flip jump. When I land, I turn back around to face Nathan and Clara, hoping they think the flush on my cheeks is from the adrenaline of doing figure skating tricks and not because of whatever Clara is teasing me about. But when I turn, I almost crash into Nathan.

He smiles, backing up. "Sorry. I always get scared you're about to fall. And I need to make it up to you for all the times you caught me."

Clara joins us, her arms crossed over her chest and a smirk already on her face. "Following the red trail, Nathan?"

Nathan glares at her. "I hate you."

Clara laughs. "You're the one that wrote the poem. If you don't want me to reference it, why'd you write it?"

"For—" His eyes dart to me, his cheeks turning a deeper shade of red.

"For getting feelings out," I explain for him. But also for me because I'm not sure I want to really talk about this just yet either. "Like I did, but I don't know how to say more about it."

Nathan shoots me an appreciative look. But when the words register, his expression becomes contemplative. "It's like the star is burning really brightly, and you know you can reach out to grab it. But at the same time, it's like you shouldn't because you don't know what's going to happen if you do."

I nod. "Exactly."

Clara glances between us. "You two are cute."

Nathan ignores her. "I think you should reach for the star, Mona. It's scary to not know what's going to happen when you grasp it, but maybe it's something you need."

Clara elbows him. "You should take your own advice."

I nod, skating backward. "It's good advice."

Clara gives me an exasperated look. "Then, why aren't you taking it?"

I shrug, turning in place to skate forward and toward our shoes, so I don't have to deal with Clara's gaze head-on. "Because it's hard to take advice."

While we trade our skates for our shoes, Clara sighs. "You two need to sort out your issues. I'm getting tired of trying to counsel you."

Nathan scoffs, standing with his skates in hand. "You're such a great friend."

Clara glares at him as she stands with her skates in hand, too. "Shut up. You know what I mean."

Before Nathan can argue otherwise, someone calls his name. He's barely turning when a little girl wraps her arms around his waist, smiling up at him. His half-sister, Audrey. Nathan smiles down at her, putting a hand on her head, but there's a strain to it. Especially when he looks up. I follow his gaze to Nick, his wife—I think Nathan called her Delilah—and Nathan's half-brothers, Evan and Jacob. Nathan's eyes turn steely.