When the Stars Fall (Lost Stars, #1)

by Emery Rose

Jude. He gave me a slow, lazy grin that made my stomach flip-flop. It was only in that moment that I realized that my best friend slash bane of my existence was beautiful with his suntanned skin that made his blue eyes bluer and his dimpled smile and square jawline stand out. Now I understood why girls fell all over themselves trying to get his attention.

Some days it was a chore, trying to navigate all these ‘boy hormones.’

I’d never seen her dance before, and now I couldn’t drag my eyes away. Before, I’d thought of her as girl-next-door pretty. But now what I saw was something different. Girl-next-door hot.

“What happens when the stars fall, Jude?” “I’ll put them back in the sky for you,”

“Move aside, Rebel.” She scooted away from the door enough for me to open it and slip out into the hallway. “Hope you got a nice long look so you’ll know what you’re missing.” Petty? Maybe. But I was done playing nice. This was all on her. If she wanted me back in her life, she’d have to beg, grovel, and plead before I’d even consider it.

Jude was the lion and I was the bull. I’d figured it out last night. Leo and Taurus. Those were the constellations he’d put on my bedroom ceiling. It was us and I couldn’t figure out why he’d done it.

Being brave meant being honest and owning up to the things you’d done to hurt people.

Black Keys’ “Tighten Up” playing from his stereo. It was everything.

I had no idea how I’d lived without this for so long. Without him. Because he’d always been my person. And without him, my life had been so much emptier.

“You destroyed her and I was there to pick up the pieces. Not you. Me. I loved Lila as much as you did. Before everything, she was our best friend. And when you see a person you love suffering you want to make it better for them. That’s something you should understand. Since you’ve always had a hero complex.”

Then he smiled and I was stunned into silence, the words of rebuke dying on my lips. It was the first genuine smile I’d seen in so long. Jude had the most beautiful smile. When he smiled, the dimples appeared in his cheeks, and transformed his entire face. Oh Jude, you’re back, I thought. I didn’t know it was possible. I didn’t think he’d ever come back.

She kept trying to tell me that we’ve changed, and in a lot of ways we had, but we were still Jude and Lila. She was still my favorite person. My favorite everything. She still loved to argue with me and fight me every step of the way, and I could still read her like a book.

It doesn’t matter that we didn’t save all our firsts for each other. She will always be my first, my last, and my only true love. Forever. Always. My once in a lifetime. Not many people are lucky enough to find their soulmate at the age of nine, but I’m one lucky bastard. The day I met Lila, the stars aligned. And if necessary, I’ll spend a lifetime putting them back in the sky for her.