Release the Stars by Harper Bliss Page A

Ava set the bottle on the table with noticeably less force. “I haven’t even properly said hello. Come here.” Ava opened her arms wide.
    Charlie curved her arms around Ava’s waist.
    “I’m so happy to see you,” Ava whispered in her ear.
    This was not how mere friends greeted each other, but she still replied, “Me too.” When they broke from their hug, they stared at each other for a brief moment until Charlie broke the connection. “Right. Sherry.” She poured them both a small amount and they headed outside.
    As soon as they sat, Ava knocked hers back.
    “What happened?” Charlie asked, fiddling with the tiny sherry glass. Sherry wasn’t her favorite drink.
    “I don’t know where to begin without sounding like a rambling woman.” Ava took a deep breath. “Earlier at Nosh, Eric, out of the blue, started flirting with me. I called him out on it and, in the process, also informed him that I’m interested in someone else. He is one of my best friends, after all. I should be able to tell him things like that.”
    An unwelcome tingle sprouted in Charlie’s stomach. She pushed her glass of sherry in Ava’s direction.
    “He asked who, of course, and I told him about my feelings for you.” Ava was so matter-of-fact about this, Charlie was glad she was sort of rambling because she wasn’t able to add to the conversation. Her brain needed to process first. Ava continued, “He nearly went ballistic. He was probably jealous, but still, that’s no excuse to talk to me that way.”
    “What did he say?” Charlie hoped she was doing a good job of masking her emotions.
    “That I must be going through menopause and stupid bullshit like that. Really nothing worth repeating. I… feel so betrayed by him. Like our friendship means nothing because he suddenly decided he still has feelings for me. After five years! I mean, I know what it’s like to be single and all that. I know it’s not pleasant sometimes, but come on… Have some self-respect.”
    “Has he apologized?” Charlie had no clue what else to say. Wasn’t she toying with Ava’s feelings just as much?
    “I didn’t give him a chance. I stormed off. He’s been calling and texting but I put my phone on silent.”
    “Friends can be assholes sometimes. Nobody’s perfect, right?” Charlie eyed the sherry she had shoved away. She kind of wanted it back now. “I’m sure he feels awful.”
    “I hope he feels that way for a long time.” Ava reached for the second sherry and knocked it back as well. “I’m sorry for being such a drama queen today, Charlie. Emotions have been running a bit high of late.”
    “You really don’t need to apologize to me.”
    “He did ask one very pertinent question, though.” Ava’s gaze flicked from Charlie to some undefined point behind her. “Why can’t I have you, Charlie? If I’m so crazy about you, why can’t we be together?”
    “I think we need another drink.” Charlie went inside to fetch the bottle of sherry. She used the time to inhale deeply a few times.
    “It’s okay,” Ava said as soon as Charlie returned with the bottle. “I know why you don’t want to be with me. No need to explain again.”
    This made Charlie feel like an idiot. She refilled the glasses. Ava downed hers immediately again.
    “Do you want to swim?” she asked, her words slurring.
    “I presume these are not your first drinks of the day?” Charlie examined Ava’s face closely. Her eyes drooped and the corners of her mouth curved downward.
    “I was at brunch, remember?”
    “I’m going to make some coffee.” Charlie didn’t wait for a reply and ventured back inside. Ava had a fancy, professional-looking coffee maker, and it took Charlie a while to figure out how everything worked. In the end, she managed to brew a large mug for each of them. When she gave Ava her coffee ten minutes later, the level of the sherry bottle had gone down farther.
    “Drink this,” she instructed, moving the bottle to the other end of