Page 37 of Should Our Stars Collide

Kieran stares at him with a gobsmacked expression. First Zeke, and now Ash? He doesn’t know why, but he expected Ash to be more…rational?

Yeah, right, what was he thinking?

“Fucking hell, not you too.” Face dropping into his palms, he lets out a frustrated groan. “What’s wrong with you people? Can’t you see?!”

He doesn’t realize how worked up he got until he feels Ash’s hand on his shoulder. Instead of shaking it off, as all his instincts are telling him, Kieran lets him. There’s something unexpectedly grounding about the contact, as if the world is shifting around him, but the simple gesture helps him feel steady.

Nothing’s shifting, idiot. You’re just drunk.

And yet, the mocking voice in his head isn’t enough to move away from the touch. Instead, to his horror, Kieran finds himself ever-so-subtly leaning into it.

“Kieran, look at me,” Ash prompts him. “Look at me,” he repeats more sternly. And for whatever fucking reason, Kieran does, feeling almost compelled to obey. “It will be okay,” Ash says very slowly, as if speaking to a child. “Dawson’s not going to get hurt. Everything will be just fine, I promise.”

Kieran swallows. Why the fuck is this actually making him feel better? How is Ash staring intently into his eyes and basically promising him the moon quelling his panic?

Now panicking for a whole new reason, Kieran finally shakes Ash’s hand off, turning away from him.

“You can’t know that,” he contradicts, just to preserve some of his rationality.

“I can. This time, I can.”

Fuck. How can he make it sound so convincing? Kieran can actually feel himself relaxing just listening to him. Did Ash slip something in his water or something? There’s no other explanation.

“Whatever. It’s not like I can do anything anyway,” he says dismissively, praying to whatever higher power is listening that they’ll change the subject. Hell, he’ll even take the perverted talk over this.

“You are a good friend, Kieran. Dawson is lucky to have you,” Ash says, sounding so sincere Kieran wants to punch him. Or run away. In the end, he stays where he is, desperately trying to fight off the flush he feels spreading over his face.

“Yeah, right. Doesn’t seem like he’s glad he has to put up with me.” Cynicism. That should work. Plus, he’s not wrong.

He still doesn’t understand why someone like Dawson, kind and soft-spoken, has stuck by him this far. And, at times, he wonders if Dawson just feels sorry for him. It’s not like he gets anything out of his relationship with Kieran—these past few years have proven just how useless Kieran is as a friend.

Most people drop him once they get fed up with him, which never takes long. It’s only a matter of time before they decide he’s too much. He’s always been too much.

“You’re not too much.”

“What?” Shit. Did he say that out loud? He’d swear his lips hadn’t moved.

“You’re not too much,” Ash repeats, back to being serious. “The right per— The right people will never think you’re too much.” He doesn’t even give Kieran a chance to gather his wits before he plows on. “You’re a lot, but that’s agoodthing. So don’t try to make yourself smaller to make others comfortable.”

Heart beating so fast it might as well climb up his throat and jump out of his mouth straight into Ash’s hands, Kieran does what he knows to do best—fights, then flees.

“I never asked for your wise-ass advice. Mind your own business.” In an attempt to get his feet under him and get the fuck out of here, hefinds it’s not just his dignity that has left him, but his balance as well. Thankfully, the chair is still right there, and he falls back onto it with a thud. “Ouch.”

“Looks like you’re my business now,” Ash tells him, sounding very pleased about it. Jerk.

“Fuck off,” Kieran mumbles, though, to be completely honest, he doesn’t hate it all that much. When was he ever anyone’s business? Has there ever been a time like that? He can’t remember.

“Yeah, yeah. Once we get you home.”

9

Standing up first, Ash slides an arm around Kieran’s back, giving him a little hoist.

“You’re not coming home with me,” Kieran informs him, letting himself be pulled up to his feet. His hand comes up to push Ash away, but instead ends up grabbing the back of his shirt. Forsupport.

“Okay,” Ash humors him, voice dripping with amusement. He leads them towards the exit silently, but when Kieran looks at him, he can see him smiling.

Wait, why is he smiling? And why is he so eager to make sure Kieran gets home? Could it be…