Page 67 of With Stars in Her Eyes

“Reading about scoundrels and dukes crossing their swords, of course,” I answered for him in a sloshy, way-too-loud slur of words.

“Oooh.” A husky laugh came from the seat beside me. Jeannie must have sat beside me at some point. “Marshall has got good taste. That one’s one of my favorites.”

I might have snorted water up my nose as I laughed. Whatever happened, it ended in a coughing fit that had Jeannie patting my back. “I’m getting that useless fuckboy chef Marshall won’t fire to make you something to eat.” Jeannie pushed to standing before I could object.

“Why are you looking daggers at me, Samantha. What’d I do?” Marshall said.

“You have thirty-six missed calls on your phone, Marshall Greene.”

“So?”

“So, three of those were me calling you to try to get Thea’s number so Courtney could call her and explain why she wasn’t going to be here tonight.”

“She really didn’t just run away?”

“No, sweetie. She didn’t. She wouldn’t do that.” Samantha pushed my empty glass at Marshall. “Can you go get her some more water? And call your dad back too.”

Marshall looked happy to have a job that would allow him to escape Samantha’s fury, so he hustled off to the kitchen.

Samantha sat beside me in the chair Marshall had vacated. “I don’t know what happened between y’all. She didn’t tell me, but she was freaking out this morning before she left for the airport because she needed you to know she felt bad about leaving last night and was going to talk to you about it today. She said something about crying and then leaving too quickly, and that she was worried you would get the wrong idea. I just sent her your number, so she’ll call you as soon as she can.”

“I knew it wasn’t just dust in her eye.” A plate slid in front of her with steam rising off it. Jeannie gave me a crooked smile. “Are you a french fry angel?”

Jeannie gave Samantha a shoulder squeeze, but her nod at Marshall included a wordless reproach.

“Anyone else gonna be mad at me tonight?” Marshall said under his breath. “Goddamn.”

“Call your dad, dude.” Samantha poked his chest once.

Marshall folded his arms over his chest. “He’s the one that flew out of town again without saying goodbye to me. I don’t even know what time zone he’s in right now—”

“Don’t care. Figure it out. And you’re driving her home, right? Abbott’s outside waiting to walk me home, but I can go grab my car if—”

“Yes. Of course I’m driving her home.Jesus.”

Samantha left the pub without another word. Outside she wrapped her arms around a man who looked like he might be tall enough to make even Marshall seem normal. He must be her husband. He had light brown skin and long curly hair. When the man noticed my attention, he gave me a small thumbs-up as if to sayI’m rooting for you.

My spinning head flopped forward onto the Formica table.

Dideveryonein a five-block radius know I was a mess over Courtney?

“Marshall Greene, what in the Stars Hollow bullshit is this town?” I opened one eye.

Oddly, my best friend looked as emotionally wrecked as I was. “If you figure it out, I reckon you should let me know.” He reached over and stole a handful of fries before I could bat his hand away.

I was in bed, and my phone was ringing.

I was in bed, and my phone was ringing, and I might have thrown up at some point. I smelled my shirt.

Idefinitelythrew up at some point.

It was still dark out.

I was in bed. And my phone was buzzing.

Why was my phone buzzing?

Oh my god, Courtney.