Starless Nights (Hale Brothers Series Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

know each other?” the guy says. He smiles real big at me, while stepping out from behind her and extending his hand. “Hi, I’m Charlie.”
    Being polite I shake his hand back, when all I want to do is rip it off because it touches her. “Beau.”
    Leila doesn’t say anything. She’s just watching me.
    “So, how do you two know each other?” he asks curiously. I look down at her and can see that she is waiting to hear my response. Her face flushes.
    “We grew up together,” I say without breaking eye contact with her.
    “Really, well that’s fantastic. Babe, you were just saying how you were missing home. It must be so nice to see a familiar face.” Leila shoots him a look and he smirks at her. I don’t understand the look but it does tell me that they aren’t new friends. She’s been with him for a while.
    I need to get out here.
    Reaching into my bag, I pull out my wallet. Leila sees this and takes the cup of coffee back to the counter and pours it into a to-go cup.
    “So do you live around here?” Charlie asks me. My eyes swing back to his.
    “Uh, yeah, I live just around the corner.” Without Leila standing in front of him, I’m able to get a good look at the guy. I would say that we are about the same height. He has really dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. He looks like what I would expect a New Yorker to look like, he even has the accent.
    “How convenient,” he says with a slight edge. “You’ll get to drop in and see Leila regularly.”
    “Maybe.” I can feel him trying to read me and I don’t like it. Too many emotions are coursing through and I’ll be damned if I let some guy that I don’t know pass judgment on me or feel threatened by me. Taking my wallet, I walk away from him and toward the counter. Leila sees the money and holds up her hand.
    “Coffee’s on me. It was nice to see you, Beau.”
    Nice to see you? That’s all she has to say? Of course it is, an easy dismissal. She’s got to keep face in front of the boyfriend.
    My hand shakes as I reach out for the coffee. She sees this and her brows furrow a little.
    “Thanks Leila.” I turn, walk back to the chair, grab my things, nod at the guy, because he’s given me no reason to be rude to him, and push out the front door.
    I can’t get out fast enough. The summer humidity slams into me and I take a deep breath. The door closes and I turn to the right to walk away. While squeezing the cup a little too tightly, it bends, and the hot coffee sloshes out. My heart was just ripped out of chest, my stomach is in knots. There is no way I can drink this coffee. Not wanting it anymore I drop it into the nearest garbage can and push forward. I’m not sure where I am headed; I just know I need to walk.
    The sun has started to lighten the sky and more people have crowded onto the sidewalks. Who knows where they are all going, I just need to be lost in them.
    Seeing her again pulls all these familiar emotions that I haven’t felt in so long. This is the third time that she has unexpectedly appeared in my life. The first time was when we were eight, the second time when we were sixteen.
    All around me things are happening: taxi cabs racing down the street, horns blaring, dogs being walked, people laughing, buses whizzing by. But as I focus on the pounding of my heart, all of it fades away.
     

     
    After Leila and her family moved away from the island, I honestly never expected to see her again.
    Grant and I were on the beach outside of the café skim boarding when Chase walks out and calls over to us. Grant skips off to him as I run after the board.
    “Hey Grant, you remember my cousin Leila, right?” Chase says behind me. My heart stops and I trip over the board. Please tell me that I didn’t hear him say what I think he just said.
    “Oh yeah! It’s good to see you. Are you visiting or did you move back?”
    “Moved back.” My eyes slide shut. I feel wrecked and I haven’t even done anything.
    “That’s awesome! Beau,