Page 9 of Under Rusted Stars

“Yeah,” I sigh. “I don’t want to fight with anyone. As long as he doesn’t start his shit, I’ll be okay.”

“Luke is friends with him and Rhett,” Kate tells me. “I guess I am, too.”

“I can coexist with him without starting shit,” I say. “I’m just… I’ll have to get used to it. It’s hard to see him without remembering what he did.”

“I get that,” Kate says. “At the end of the day, you come first. I might be okay with him, but that doesn’t mean you have to be.”

“We should talk to the sheriff about Jason,” Dad says.

“Rhett will be over there with Bodhi and Luke. She could just talk to him,” Kate suggests.

“I don’t want the whole town knowing my business,” I say with a frown.

“Yes, you do,” Mom says. “Let them talk their shit, but know that if he shows up, everyone in this town will have your back.”

“That motherfucker won’t be able to go anywhere or do anything without being noticed,” Dad agrees. “I know telling someone your trauma will be hard, baby, but your safety is more important than your pride.”

“That’s a little harsh,” I mutter.

“What’s harsh would be burying my baby girl because she wouldn’t help herself,” Dad says bluntly. “You know we will tell you like it is, and we will do anything to keep you safe.”

“Yeah,” I sigh. “Alright. I’ll talk to Rhett.”

Chapter Four

Olivia

I shut the car door and look at the cabin. I hear laughter coming from inside, along with power tools. It's dark outside, but they have every light on in that cabin. “What the fuck are they doing?” I ask Kate.

“You gave Luke a task and left him alone,” Kate laughs.

“Oh God,” I laugh as we walk onto the porch. I open the front door and find three shirtless men standing in the kitchen. The cabin has an open floor plan, so there isn’t much separating the living room and kitchen area. Luke and Rhett have a beer, but Bodhi is drinking water. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I find it interesting.

I don’t realize how long I’ve been staring at Bodhi until he turns and catches me. “Hi,” he says with a smirk.

“What the fuck are y’all doing?” I ask.

“It’s Luke’s fault,” Rhett laughs.

“It’s always Luke’s fault,” Kate says as she grabs a beer from Luke.

“Beer?” Luke asks me.

“I don’t drink, but thank you,” I say, tilting my head as I notice my back door. “Guys… where the fuck is the back door?”

“Oh. The frame is damaged, so it wasn’t actually latching,” Luke says. “Bodhi had wood from another project, so we fixed it. Just have to put the door back on.”

“Ah,” I say, looking at Rhett.

“Yes, Olivia?” he asks.

“Can we talk?” I ask. “About Jason…”

“Is this because I’m a cop?” he asks, setting his beer down on the counter.

“Uh. Yeah,” I say. “I don’t want to, but my parents are right. My safety is more important than my pride. I left for a reason, and I don’t want to… I just need to be smart about this.”

“Yeah,” he says softly. “Let’s get this door back on, and we can sit down and talk.”