Chapter 6
Stella
I quickly settle into a routine in Westwood Spring.
I’m practically never in my room. I wake up, explore the town, and come back to my room to sleep.
This town has a magic that’s hauntingly beautiful.
It’s as if every corner, every shop, every individual, hides a secret that they’re waiting for me to uncover.
It’s new and exciting.
I come out of one of the shops, yet again fascinated by the way they use their powers, then freeze when I spot what looks like construction workers atop a nearby building.
Massive trees shoot up between buildings, their trunks twisting and stretching. Vines slither upward, coiling into intricate patterns. Magic hums in the air, and I can’t help but grin. I’m mesmerized. It’s so unlike what I’m used to seeing. I cross the street, eager to get a closer look.
A voice calls down from above. “Hey there!”
Startled, I glance up to see a man leaning casually over the edge of the roof, grinning at me.
“Hi,” I call back, stepping closer.
Before I can ask him anything, he jumps. My breath lodges in my throat.
But a gust of wind catches him, carrying him down in an elegant arc. He lands with the grace of someone used to defying physics.
I blink. He controls the wind.
He flashes a playful smile, utterly unbothered by my stunned silence.
I laugh, the whiplash too overwhelming. “You almost gave me a heart attack!”
He chuckles. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
Everyone on the rooftop is looking at us. Except for one person.
“Nate!” the wind guy calls up, laughter in his voice. “You can take a break, you know?”
No reaction.
I smirk. “Looks like this one’s the team’s workaholic.”
Wind guy laughs. “You’ve got no idea. Nate wouldn’t take a break if his life depended on it.”
Then his smile falters. His gaze flicks over my shoulder. “Oh no. Here we go.”
I turn. Adrian is heading our way, along with his 3 sisters.
I recognize the girl ahead of him. Red hair and annoyance clear on her face—Isabella, Adrian’s sister. I don’t recognize the two other girls trailing beside her. One has gentle brown hair and striking blue eyes. The other’s younger, with soft blonde hair and a curious gaze.
I look back at Adrian, wondering how it’s possible for us to meet in every corner of this town.
Adrian
My sisters insisted on coming with me to check on my best friend, much to Isabella’s dismay. Hazel and Layla used to always team up together when they were younger. It isn’t until . . .
I banish the thoughts away and keep heading toward Mabel’s shop, where I know Jay and the others are working.
I stop in my tracks when I see a familiar woman talking with my best friend.
Stella?
There she is, with that curious tilt to her head
I swear she’s everywhere.
Our eyes meet from across the street. Electricity sparks down my spine. I hesitate, then keep walking, hoping no one noticed the stutter in my step.
Before I can even think about what to say, Isa says, “Well, I see the jokester isn’t working with the others.”
Jay smirks. I swear these two never stop . “We all need a break sometimes, fireheart.”
Isa’s glare could melt steel. Jay gave her the nickname when they were teenagers, and he never stopped using it. I never really learned where it came from and I don’t bother asking. All I know is that it really gets under Isa’s skin.
I chuckle, trying to lighten the mood before Jay and Isabella can get into a fight, and head towards my best friend.
But, before I can say anything, Jay wraps me up in a hug, and my heart aches.
He never hugs me in public, especially when Isabella is around, so I instantly know something happened.
“What’s wrong?” I ask in a low voice, wrapping my arms around him.
“Mabel mentioned my parents,” he admits on a whisper. Shit. I hug him tighter. “It just . . . brought back memories I don’t want to remember.”
“You know you can come by anytime, right?”
I can see the exact moment Jay puts on his brave face: the bright smile, the shining eyes, the shoulders rolled back. It always breaks my heart to see my best friend like this but . . . we all cope in different ways, and I can’t judge his ways any more than he can judge mine.
“Well,” he says, voice tipping back into his usual mischief, “looks like the boss is finally taking a break.”
I glance up. Sure enough, Nate is standing on the roof, his eyes locked on Hazel. My sister is looking back at him with the smile I only ever see on her face when she’s around her best friend.
A familiar sadness bubbles back to the surface. I wish my sister could smile like that around me. Her smiles with me are smaller, quieter, and I’d give anything to change that.
But I’ll keep trying. I’ll always keep trying.
Stella
I wish I could have what they have.
That’s all that’s been running through my head since Adrian and his sisters came over.
The teasing, the caring, helping each other out .
. . It’s all so beautiful to see. And so different from what I’m used to.
Derek’s the only one that’s ever helped me with training for the tournaments.
He’s the only person who’s ever stood by me, but even then, it’s different.
Our bond was built on training, on tournaments, on pushing each other to win.
Not on quiet moments, understanding, or shared laughter.
I glance down at my phone.
Still no messages.
I hate how often I’ve been checking it. I hate how much my dad’s last message still lingers in my chest. And I hate how some part of me keeps hoping for more words like that.
I slide the phone into my pocket and look up—just in time to catch Adrian’s smile.
It lights up the entire street.
His eyes slide over to mine and now I’m submerged in a dense, green forest. The noise, the burning sun, the people . . . everything drifts away for a second as the air comes alive with electricity.
The moment breaks when Jay laughs loudly, and I turn away, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.
I murmur quick goodbyes to the group, but my mind is already miles away.
Derek’s the only friend I’ve kept through the years, and I realize now that, even if I wasn’t alone, I’ve felt lonely for so, so many years.