Page 61 of Under Rusted Stars

By the time they come, we are exhausted and all lying on the bed together. I fall asleep surrounded by my men, and it’s what happiness is truly made of.

Hours later, once we are all awake, Bodhi is making us all get dressed to go walking. I groan and complain the whole time, and even as we go outside. Luke and Kate are making dinner and staying behind.

“Why are we outside?” I ask with a sigh.

“I want to show y’all something,” he says, taking my hand. “It’s not far. I promise.”

“Only because I love you,” I say. He grins at me and walks ahead, excited about whatever it is he is showing us. I love seeing him happy like this. We stop outside a little cave entrance, and he waves us in as he disappears into the dark.

“I’m about to end up on a milk carton,” I say, following him. We go a little ways before it opens up and soft lights are strung across the ceiling. Bodhi lies on the ground looking up, so we join him and look up at the lights surrounded by rusted stars.

“Mom found this place,” he says. “She told me if I was ever scared, I could come here, and I’d be safe.”

“Oh, Bodhi,” Rhett says softly.

“The night she killed herself,” he says, pausing for a moment. “I laid right here, and I knew I was safe. Every time after that, that I wanted to talk to her, I came here.”

“That’s why you bought this property,” I say, and he nods, wiping away stray tears.

“Lying under rusted stars has always been my sanctuary, and I wanted to share it with y’all,” Bodhi says. “I want you all to have a place that makes you feel safe, too.”

“Thank you for sharing it with us,” I say.

As we look up at the lights, I snuggle closer to Bodhi. He kisses the top of my head, and we all stay quiet as we soak in this moment. Eventually, I break the silence.

“Thank you, Nora,” I say, speaking into the universe. “For creating such an amazing man…”

“Thank you,” Bodhi says quietly, kissing my head again. Lying under rusted stars, I’ve finally found peace.

Epilogue

Olivia

Four Weeks Later

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I say as I pace the bathroom. “This is bad. Like, really fucking bad, Kate. What if… I can’t lose them. I can’t. This can’t be happening.”

“Liv,” Kate says, jumping into my path to grab my shoulders. “Baby, breathe. You’re okay!”

“I can’t be pregnant, Kate,” I say tearfully. “It could be… What if…”

“They will not leave you if your rape resulted in pregnancy,” Kate says. “Do you honestly think those men would do anything other than dote on you? It’s literally all they do, Olivia.”

“But…”

“No,” she says simply. “Liv, if you want an abortion, I will sneak you out of this house and hold your hand through it. If you want them to take you, I will wait in the car. If you want to keep it, I will teach that baby so many cuss words.”

I laugh through my tears, and she gently wipes them away. “I just… I’m so afraid, Kate.”

“No matter what happens, you will always have me,” Kate says. “Always, Okay? And hell, if they get stupid, me and Luke will be the daddy.”

“Who’s a daddy?” Luke asks, walking into the bathroom. He glances at the test on the counter, and his eyes go wide.

“Shh,” Kate hisses at him.

“I’m so happy for you,” Luke whispers, hugging me.

“It might be Miguel’s,” I mutter.