Locking Stars (Stars Series #1)

3

It's later in the night and I'm reading a book. I finished all my homework for the night and since Daphne isn't here I get some alone time. My phone buzzes from next to me and I reach for it. It's a text from Daphne.

Hey! Would you mind driving my car over to Brooks' house to pick me up. We decided to watch a see movie and his car is out of gas so Tyler is driving us back to their house.

I reply back with, Yeah sure be there soon!

I grab my things and my phone buzzes again, Brooks said Derek is home so he can let you in.

Uh oh. I retract any nervous thoughts and walk out to Daphne's car. The drive to the house is a tad anxiety inducing. Derek intimidates me a bit and I don't know why. Well apart from him being 6'3, he just has something about him that draws me in.

I pull up to the house and just like last time, my heart races. Only this time, I know what's on the inside. I get up to the door and knock. Nothing happens for a good few seconds so knock again. I hear footsteps so I wait. The door swings open and an annoyed look crosses Derek's face. Once he realizes it's me the annoyed expression doesn't leave but it softens a tad.

"What are you doing here?" he asks.

A little nervous now I say in my best voice. "Daphne and Brooks were out and their car broke down and I'm hear to pick up Daphne once Tyler brings them back." I say kind of rushed.

"Well they aren't here yet." he says. His annoyance is clear but I'm freezing my butt off out here.

I cross my arms across my chest in an attempt to get warm. "Well, can you at least let me in, it's freezing out here."

Derek rolls his eyes and opens the door to let me in. I rush inside and I'm welcomed by a nice warm house. Derek shuts the door and pushes past me, walking to the kitchen. I watch as he takes a plate from a top cabinet and grabs, what looks like leftover pizza, from the fridge. He places it in the microwave and then walks from the room.

I stand there awkwardly and look at the room around me. Lots of sport teams flags and pictures hang on the wall. Hockey, football, basketball, and more.

Derek returns to the room beer in hand and acts like I'm not even there. Anxiety bubble in my stomach at the silence so I break it. "So," Derek looks up at me from the counter. "How long have you guys lived here?"

Derek swallows and starts to talk, "Few months. Since June I think was when we moved in."

I nod. The room goes silent again and I awkwardly rock my heels back and forth. "Okkk," I drag out in nervousness. "Where's your bathroom?" I ask. Smooth.

"Upstairs and to the right." he says pointing down the hallway.

I bid him thanks and walk upstairs. I find the bathroom but in actuality I don't need to go. I just needed to get out of there. The upstairs is a hallway like area. One door is the bathroom but down the hall there are two more doors. One to the left and one to the right. My curiosity is drawn to the one across from me.

The curiosity drags me in and I enter a bedroom. The bedroom is simple. A four poster bed, an unmade bed, of navy blue sheets and a black comforter. Hung on the wall are posters of hockey legends I remember my dad used to talk about when I was a kid. And the one thing that stands out in the room is the dark wood guitar hung on a hanger that is  mounted to the wall.

It's a beautiful guitar. It almost looks untouched but when I walk up to it you can see the scratches and marks of use.

"You just like to wander around don't you?" A rough voice says from behind me.

I jump and cover my chest looking at him. "You have got to stop doing that."

He scoffs, shaking his head. "What if you were collecting secret evidence?" He mocks, smirking at me.

I cross my arms over my chest and give him a look with my eyes saying I am not amused. "Funny. I'm not being nosy. Just curious."

He mimics me and crosses his arms but his arms are definitely nicer than mine and his muscles flex through his black shirt.

"Your guitar is beautiful." I say looking back at it.

He looks at the guitar behind me and nods. "It was my dad's."

I look back at it and then to him. "Was?" I ask.

He looks down at his feet. "He died a few years ago."

I frown. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

He shakes is head and looks back at me "Didn't expect you to."

"Do you play?" I ask, trying to lighten the mood.

He walks up near me and I back up a little. His pace doesn't stop and I end up against the wall. His hand goes up by my head and he stares at me while I stare back. I can feel his breath on me and I gulp.

Instead of the few things that went through my mind he grabs the guitar off the wall and says in a low voice. "A little." I almost shiver but I stop myself. He then places the guitar back on the wall and backs away from me.

A sound comes from down stairs and voices holler for me and Derek. I look back at Derek and he's already walking out the door. I take a deep breath and exit the room.

Downstairs, Daphne, Brooks, and Tyler are standing by the counter talking about the movie Daphne and Brooks saw.

"It was so stupid!" Daphne exclaims and

Brooks laughs. "Daphne, it was a spy movie, it wasn't stupid.

Daphne glares at Brooks. "Well it made no sense." She leans her elbows against the counter and uses her big blue eyes to entice him. "I bet you couldn't tell me what the movie was about."

Brooks just stares at her.

Tyler laughs and Derek chimes in chuckling at my side. "Dude, speak." Derek jokes.

Brooks glares at Derek and Tyler who just laugh. Daphne giggles and stands up walking over to me. "You ready?" I ask.

She nods. "Just give me a sec." She walks back to Brooks and gives him a kiss, which he returns.

Tyler fake gags. "Alright you two, break it up." And the whole room breaks out laughing.