“All right, cool. Who knows. If you stay in Valleywood, you might find a man who can make your heart flutter. Hell, I had two chasing after me.” He snickered as the phone disconnected.
“Huh?” was all Star could get out, wondering if he’d heard wrong.
He removed the phone from his ear, staring down at it.Did Tanner say he found two men?Star and Tanner had come out to each other, and because of the climate, they kept each other’s secret. But to him, it sounded like his friend was out and living his best life.Did something change while I was dead?
“Fuck, everything is happening so fast,” Star said, but oddly, he didn’t feel panicked, just doubtful.What happens if I don’t get the part?But he still had to try.
“Are you okay?”
Star looked at Dent, hearing his question. “Yeah.” He smiled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore you. Especially after you helped me just now.”
Dent shrugged, leaning forward to pick up his coffee. “It’s no big deal. I had little going on today, and you seem like you need someone to talk to, even if it’s a stranger.”
But you’re not a stranger to me. You’re like the big brother I never had who protected me for seven years.
“But on the flip side, I feel like we’ve met before,” Dent said.
That brought a small smile to Star’s face. “Same here.”
“So, it sounds like you’re going to Valleywood. It’s a nice place.”
“You’ve been there before?”
Dent nodded. “Yeah, I helped my bosses move the main office there. They asked me to stay, but I declined in favor of running the office here with my best friend, Mellow. We plan on starting a real estate company once I get my license. I go back and forth to Valleywood now and then to see my bosses.”
Star knew who Mellow was by name since that was who Dent had been accused of killing. Star hoped he’d be able to help Dent. He didn’t want his friend to be accused of murder. Thinking deeply about what he could do, Star reached for his coffee, taking a sip, happy that it was still hot. He sighed in appreciation as the strong, dark, bitter liquid with a hint of sweet slid down his throat, filling his stomach. Coffee was not accessible in prison, and it was rare that he got to drink it. Even though he had Dent to protect him, Star still had to pay for things he needed, like soap, shampoo, and other necessities.
Sighing, he took a few more sips before putting his cup down, then gazed up at Dent. “Thanks for the coffee.”
Dent nodded. “I take it you’re feeling better.”
“Somewhat.” He exhaled. “I’m sorry you had to help me out. It’s just—I’m not—Thornton and I—” He paused, unsure of what to say. “It’s complicated between him and me.”
Except for when it came to Thornton, Star had never considered himself timid, nor did he shy away from things bothering him. He was reserved sometimes and spoke up when the need arose. Star never bothered with others' business and kept to his small group of friends. But there were parts of himself he hid from everyone around him. Star felt he could only show a different side of himself when he was acting.
He missed his parents and wished they were alive to comfort him when needed. He was lonely and deeply hurt when his aunt and uncle had not seen him as a part of the family, even though they were flesh and blood. He’d envied Tanner because of how much love and support he got from his family. When Tanner went off to college, his parents held a grand celebration for him. Their other friend Mark, his parents bought him a brand-new car with all the bells and whistles and gave him a loan to open a martial arts dojo instead of going to college. In comparison, Star’s aunt and uncle didn’t even attend his high school graduation. After his parents died, Star had no one in his corner cheering him on.
It's no wonder I latched on to Thornton when he told me I’d do well as a model. I needed someone to lift me up, but he dragged me down to Hell.
“You don’t have to explain anything to me,” Dent told him. “But if you want to, I’ll listen. I feel like you could use a friend with no strings attached.”
Star smiled and picked up his cup, drinking the rest of his coffee before setting the empty mug down. His gaze was drawn to the activity outside the window, and he tried to organize his thoughts. His mind was a jumbled mess, and it would be good for him to take some time to sort out his thoughts, but truthfully, he didn’t want to leave Dent’s side. The man’s presence was comforting, even if the other man saw him as a stranger.
“Do you believe in second chances?” Star asked, facing the man who was once his friend and hoping to capture that friendship again.
“It depends on what the chances are,” Dent responded.
“If you could go back in time and fix your past mistakes, would you?”
“That’s hard to answer. I’m the type of person who rarely dwells on the past; I look toward the future,” Dent answered.
“How? How do you do that and not worry about the consequences? What if you did something and later regret it?”
“I go with my gut when encountering those situations,” Dent replied.
“Is it that easy?” Star mumbled.
“Do you regret walking away from your friend?” Dent drank more of his coffee, looking at him. “Do you think you gave up whatever chance you just turned away from? You still have time to correct it.”
