Page 151 of Knot Their Starlet

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Good girl.

Now hang up.

My mom’s protests fade into the background. I can’t hear over my pulse roaring through my veins.

Now is not the time to appreciate being called a good girl.

Plus, I don’t think I’ve ever hung up on her before.

I’m sure my mom would have a lot to say about me being a male-centric attention whore if she caught wind that I hung up on her because an alpha told me to.

“I’m going to hang up now, Mom,” I say, my voice a faint whisper.

“Don’t you dare, Andromeda. Don’t you⁠—”

“I’ll call you later, Mom.”

And then, for the first time in my life, I hang up on her.

I sit with my phone in my hand in Leo’s quiet room, staring out the window, frozen in shock. My heart hammers away in my chest.

The feelings that bubble up threaten to drown me. The guilt, the urge to call her back immediately and apologize, the certainty that I’ve just made everything astronomically worse.

I flinch when my phone starts vibrating in my hand.

I’m going to die.

A pair of pressed slacks appear in front of me.

Everett.

He gently pulls my phone from my hand, shutting it off and slipping it into his pocket.

When I don’t meet his gaze, he kneels down in front of me so we’re at eye level.

“You heard all of that?” I rasp.

“Yes.” He nods.

Well, at least he’s honest.

“We were worried about you, and it seemed you left the door ajar.”

“We?” I glance over my shoulder to see Beck, Leo, and Eli all wearing matching expressions of concern, sadness, and absolute, unbridled fury.

I bury my face in my hands, unable to feel the force of all their eyes on me. Not after they just witnessed all of that.

I don’t know how Everett does it, but he’s able to send the other three away with just a look.

One of them shuts the door behind them, the latch catching with a click.

The mattress underneath me sinks as he sits beside me.

Far enough away that our legs aren’t touching, but close enough that I can almost feel the heat radiating off his body.

My shoulders tremble as silent tears track their way down my cheeks. And he just sits there, not saying anything, his hazelnut whiskey wrapping itself around me.