Trailing Stars (Trailing Stars #1)

Epilogue

Four Months Later

"Are you sure this is how you want to spend your last day here?" Clara asks as she leans against the counter.

I nod, sitting back and resting my elbows on the countertop. I keep my eyes on Nathan as he switches on the LED spotlights to illuminate the microphone. "Yeah. I'm sure. I won't see you guys for the entire summer."

Clara smiles, propping her head up. "So you're done packing?"

A pause. I turn, so I'm facing Clara, giving her a smile. "So are Nathan's siblings coming?"

Clara laughs, but she doesn't press me on how much more I need to pack. "Yeah. They're coming."

Right on cue, the bell above the door goes off. Evan, Jacob, and Audrey file in. They wave goodbye to someone. Probably either Nick or Delilah. The moment the door shuts behind them, Audrey sprints straight for Nathan, throwing her arms around his waist as he stands. He laughs, letting her climb onto his back for a piggyback ride. He weaves through the crowd towards us, nodding to whatever Audrey is telling him.

"Audrey is so annoying," Evan grumbles.

Clara rolls her eyes. "Don't act like you don't love your big brother like she does."

The tips of Evan's ears turn red as he glares down at his shoes. Clara and I glance at each other, identical smiles on our faces. It's hard not to smile when Evan is finally warming up to Nathan. Especially when he tries to act indifferent about it. Reminds me a little bit of Kate. Which, of course, reminds me a little bit of Morgan.

I look at my bracelet, the half of the silver heart glinting in the dim lighting. I wonder if the other bracelet is still where I buried it with Morgan. I can probably check when I go back home for the summer. But for now...

"Hey," Nathan says as he joins us, helping Audrey slide off his back. He eyes my journal on the counter. "You ready?"

I'm about to respond when my phone vibrates. I excuse myself and slip into the back room to answer. It's Hannah. I roll my eyes, but for an entirely different reason now—not that I would've rolled my eyes when she called a few months ago. Back then, I would've thought she was calling to tell me to come home, suspecting that I was about to disappear. But right now, I'm pretty sure she's calling with entirely different suspicions.

"Hello?" I answer, sitting on one of the couches.

"You're leaving tomorrow and you still have a lot to pack," she says.

"I'll get to it when I get home."

"Which is when?"

"Like nine tonight. Maybe. I don't know. I'll let you know."

Hannah sighs. "Okay. Whatever. But if you have to scramble in the morning, that's not on me."

I sit back, crossing my free arm over my chest. "It's fine. You're the one driving me. And you have the day off. So it's not like we have to leave right when we wake up."

Hannah grumbles something about annoying little sisters. The rumbling tapers off into silence, and I feel a shift on Hannah's end of the line. Then she gently asks, "You know you can stay with me for the summer, right? I know you're coming back in the fall for school, but I wouldn't mind having you stay with me no matter how annoying you are."

I roll my eyes, but a smile spreads on my face. "Thanks..." I wait for Hannah to stop laughing before I add, "I think I want to stay with Mom, Dad, and Kate for the summer. It's closer to Morgan, too."

There's no judgment or apprehension or anything in Hannah's voice when she says, "If you're sure." Her voice turns teasing as she asks, "So you don't want to stay close to Nathan?"