Read Online Stardust (The Starlight Trilogy #3) by Alexandra Richland - Free Book Online
Authors: Alexandra Richland
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She was so used to darkness.
Connie sat at the edge of the bed and folded her hands in her lap. “Beth, it’s not beneficial for you to stay here. You won’t heal this way.”
“I don’t want to heal. Don’t you understand?” Beth let out a whimper. “I won’t feel whole again until I’m reunited with Aidan.”
Connie rolled her eyes. “That’s ludicrous. I knew you before you officially began dating Aidan. You weren’t helpless. In fact, you were doing very well on your own.”
“I don’t want to live if he’s not with me.”
Connie scowled. “You know, I never said anything before because you’re my friend and I didn’t want to be rude, but your relationship with Aidan was never healthy.”
Beth’s anger rose up over her anguish. “Excuse me?”
“Your dynamic with him is what got you into this mess in the first place. You always put his needs before your own instead of considering what’s best for you as well, and he did the same. You were both self-sacrificing to a fault and depended on each other way too much.”
Beth scrambled to the opposite side of the bed, as far away from Connie as possible without ending up on the floor. “You have some nerve to tell me our relationship was no good! Aidan made me a better person. As for depending on someone, that’s called true love. I’m sorry you have the misfortunate of lacking a relationship as strong as ours.” She thrust her finger toward the door. “Leave. You’re not welcome here.”
“No. Not until you hear me out.”
Beth scoffed. “You’ve said quite enough already, thank you very much.”
Connie crossed her arms over her chest. “You and Aidan existed in a bubble for so long, where the sun rose and set solely for the two of you. Did you ever consider you weren’t the only people affected by what occurred in Luther Mertz’s office?”
Beth frowned. “What do you mean?”
Connie’s mouth dropped open. “What do I mean? How about Olivia , for starters! She lost Nathan just like you lost Aidan. He hasn’t returned home. He hasn’t contacted her, nor can she reach him. Now you’ve abandoned her, too, to mope around here like everyone else ceases to exist.”
Connie shook her head. “You think your pain is the only pain that matters and no one else can relate or come close to feeling as bad as you do. Well, you’re wrong. I’m upset, too, you know. Yet I’ve still made it a priority to check in on Olivia. Why can’t you make the same effort? She’s always been there for you. And this is how you show your gratitude?”
Beth clutched the covers. “I didn’t mean to abandon her. Being here just feels right. I don’t know how else to deal with everything that happened.”
“You fight! And I don’t mean in the physical sense. I mean mentally and emotionally collecting yourself enough to move forward and take back control of your life.” A tear rolled down Connie’s cheek. “I went through hell during my first year in L.A. and bottled up my feelings for a long time, trying to forget what happened to me. When Aidan went after Luther, something inside me snapped. I dreamed about revenge for years, but confronting him didn’t cure me like I hoped it would. And I guarantee Aidan came to the same conclusion. I don’t know why he’s so disturbed, but it’s obvious his contention with Luther is not the culprit. It’s simply an outlet for his pain.”
Beth bowed her head. She’d never forget Connie’s attack on Mr. Mertz—the torment on her face, her tragic, desperate attempt to hurt him like he’d hurt her. Perhaps if she had put as much effort into learning about her friends as she did with Aidan, she would’ve noticed that Connie was troubled—Nathan, too. While she made it her mission to help Aidan find peace, her friends deserved the same consideration. She’d failed them.
Beth scooted back across the bed and finally took a good look at Connie, past the perfect teeth, perfect complexion, perfect
Connie sat at the edge of the bed and folded her hands in her lap. “Beth, it’s not beneficial for you to stay here. You won’t heal this way.”
“I don’t want to heal. Don’t you understand?” Beth let out a whimper. “I won’t feel whole again until I’m reunited with Aidan.”
Connie rolled her eyes. “That’s ludicrous. I knew you before you officially began dating Aidan. You weren’t helpless. In fact, you were doing very well on your own.”
“I don’t want to live if he’s not with me.”
Connie scowled. “You know, I never said anything before because you’re my friend and I didn’t want to be rude, but your relationship with Aidan was never healthy.”
Beth’s anger rose up over her anguish. “Excuse me?”
“Your dynamic with him is what got you into this mess in the first place. You always put his needs before your own instead of considering what’s best for you as well, and he did the same. You were both self-sacrificing to a fault and depended on each other way too much.”
Beth scrambled to the opposite side of the bed, as far away from Connie as possible without ending up on the floor. “You have some nerve to tell me our relationship was no good! Aidan made me a better person. As for depending on someone, that’s called true love. I’m sorry you have the misfortunate of lacking a relationship as strong as ours.” She thrust her finger toward the door. “Leave. You’re not welcome here.”
“No. Not until you hear me out.”
Beth scoffed. “You’ve said quite enough already, thank you very much.”
Connie crossed her arms over her chest. “You and Aidan existed in a bubble for so long, where the sun rose and set solely for the two of you. Did you ever consider you weren’t the only people affected by what occurred in Luther Mertz’s office?”
Beth frowned. “What do you mean?”
Connie’s mouth dropped open. “What do I mean? How about Olivia , for starters! She lost Nathan just like you lost Aidan. He hasn’t returned home. He hasn’t contacted her, nor can she reach him. Now you’ve abandoned her, too, to mope around here like everyone else ceases to exist.”
Connie shook her head. “You think your pain is the only pain that matters and no one else can relate or come close to feeling as bad as you do. Well, you’re wrong. I’m upset, too, you know. Yet I’ve still made it a priority to check in on Olivia. Why can’t you make the same effort? She’s always been there for you. And this is how you show your gratitude?”
Beth clutched the covers. “I didn’t mean to abandon her. Being here just feels right. I don’t know how else to deal with everything that happened.”
“You fight! And I don’t mean in the physical sense. I mean mentally and emotionally collecting yourself enough to move forward and take back control of your life.” A tear rolled down Connie’s cheek. “I went through hell during my first year in L.A. and bottled up my feelings for a long time, trying to forget what happened to me. When Aidan went after Luther, something inside me snapped. I dreamed about revenge for years, but confronting him didn’t cure me like I hoped it would. And I guarantee Aidan came to the same conclusion. I don’t know why he’s so disturbed, but it’s obvious his contention with Luther is not the culprit. It’s simply an outlet for his pain.”
Beth bowed her head. She’d never forget Connie’s attack on Mr. Mertz—the torment on her face, her tragic, desperate attempt to hurt him like he’d hurt her. Perhaps if she had put as much effort into learning about her friends as she did with Aidan, she would’ve noticed that Connie was troubled—Nathan, too. While she made it her mission to help Aidan find peace, her friends deserved the same consideration. She’d failed them.
Beth scooted back across the bed and finally took a good look at Connie, past the perfect teeth, perfect complexion, perfect
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