Page 140 of Now Their Starlet

“Let them watch,” I murmur, leaning in and trailing kisses down his neck.

“Your dad—Edison is coming home soon too!” he gasps.

That, unfortunately, does stop me in my tracks. As much love as my dad has for me, I’m sure he doesn’t want to walk in on his daughter having sex. What he doesn’t know doesn’t hurt him. Cameron has certainly made me fall apart with his fingers or mouth late at night, when it’s just the two of us working in the dim, glowing light of our screens, but Cameron is right that everyone is due to return home soon.

“You know... it kinda feels like you’re pushing off being with me,” I murmur.

“I’m not pushing it off, per se,” he shrugs sheepishly. “I just want it to be special, you know?”

“How romantic⁠—”

We’re interrupted by the sound of his phone chiming.

“Who is it?” I ask, when he reaches for his phone on the desk.

“Beck,” Cameron says. “Maybe he’s asking what they should bring home for dinner.”

He answers the call with me still in his lap, automatically putting it on speakerphone.

“Hey—”

“Are you with Andi?” Beck asks, his voice panicked. “Inside the house?”

“Yeah, I am. Why?” Cameron’s hand comes to rest against my hip as he straightens.

“Don’t let her outside.”

“What? Why not?” I ask.

“Shit, am I on speakerphone?” Beck curses. “Starlight, don’t—don’t come outside.”

“I asked why, Beck. What in the world is going on?”

“I—I—I don’t know what to do!” Beck’s voice cracks. “Please just don’t come outside⁠—”

My feet are already on the floor.

“Wait, Andi!” Cameron yells, scrambling after me.

They should know better than to tell me not to do something without telling me what’s going on.

Beck, Leo, and Eli were all out at some sort of business meeting. Are they back home?

I sprint out the front door, my bare feet pounding against the pavement. I make it to the driveway at the front of the house and freeze in place.

It’s like time stops.

Beck is standing there, head in his hands. Leo is pacing back and forth, speaking clipped responses into the phone.

And Eli is on his knees, doing chest compressions.

Chest compressions on Edison.

Eli is doing fucking CPR on my dad.

Edison’s head lolls with each of the harsh compressions. I’m pretty sure I’m hearing the cracking of ribs. It’s a harsh and violent sound that makes me move towards Eli.

I don’t know why. It would be absolutely idiotic to stop him, but I’m not thinking straight.