Our Hill of Stars

10 Baggage

E L I

The memory of my kiss with Ashlyn stayed with me as I drove home. Her hair was silky in my fingers. Her lips were hot on mine. I felt fully engulfed in her. I couldn't pull away from her. The kiss deepened, both of us leaning into it. My head spun as I drove down the darkened road.

We lay together under the stars, kissing and talking until after midnight. I got a text from Justin around that time, asking when I would be home. I figured there must be an issue and I told Ashlyn I needed to get home since I needed to work in the morning. It was true, I did have to work. But I'd go to work tired as hell if I got to spend more time with Ashlyn. Unfortunately, any text from Justin sent me flying.

I pulled up our long driveway and saw the lights on in the living room. No other lights were on. I killed the engine and ran into the house. Justin rushed to clean up beer cans and empty pizza boxes. He looked like a deer caught in headlights when he saw me.

"You didn't," I said.

He stared at me wide-eyed, garbage bag in his hand, caught red-handed. "Uhh..."

"Justin, how could you?" I didn't yell at him. I didn't want to wake up Hazel, but I was livid. "You had people over? Drunk people?" My voice had a quiet, but sharp edge to it.

"No one was drunk," he said.

I waved my arms at the beer cans littering our living room floor. "Do you know what will happen if the cops bust you here?"

I fought the urge to go check on Hazel. Justin was an idiot, but I didn't expect him to endanger our sister. Still, he knew better than to have a party in the house.

"It was just Sage and Devon. We had a few drinks and watched a movie. Hazel's been asleep the whole time." He took up an attitude with me.

"I don't care. You know the rules. If you want to live out your bad boy act, then you don't do it where our little sister lives."

"Yeah? And where were you?" Justin threw the trash bag on the floor a few cans roll out. "You've been gone a lot lately."

"Excuse me?"

Justin folded his arms over his chest. "You've been gone every night for like a week."

My jaw clenched. "I've gone out three nights in four days. You are constantly out and the few times I need your help you pull this crap?" I kicked one of the empty pizza boxes off the coffee table.

"Yeah, whatever." He stormed out of the room and out the back door.

I kicked at the garbage bag. The cans crunched under my feet. The smell of cold pizza and beer wafted up. My text message notification dinged. It was from Ashlyn.

I had an amazing time.

I sat on the couch's armrest. I can't wait to see you again.

The question was, when? I couldn't trust Justin. I had tried to set up a sleepover, but apparently, all Hazel's friends had summer plans. Swimming, horseback riding, day camp... I was able to get a sleepover scheduled in three weeks, but I couldn't wait that long. There was a need deep in my chest to see Ashlyn again and soon.

Tomorrow night? And she followed her text with a little heart emoji.

I knocked my cell phone against my head, trying to think of a solution. Justin would just act out if I asked him to watch Hazel tomorrow. I couldn't bring Ashlyn here though. After seeing how attached Hazel was to Holly, still, I couldn't risk bringing another girl home to meet her. After all, Ashlyn was only here for the summer. Introducing her to Hazel would be a mistake. I wanted to see her though. I texted Cole.