The Star Who Waited Chapter 2

Five days after my death, Zoe brought my ashes back to the city. I didn't have much family in the country. My only brother was on a business trip overseas and was currently on a flight back.

When Zoe carried my urn into my apartment, my Ragdoll cat, Nugget, hadn't eaten in two days. I had left three days' worth of food, thinking I’d be back. I never thought I wouldn't make it. Zoe used to come over all the time. Seeing her, Nugget immediately pounced, meowing for food. Seeing my cat triggered Zoe, and she almost started crying again.

After filling the bowl, Nugget rushed to eat. Zoe walked into my study to start packing my belongings. I was a full-time author, so I spent more time in my study than my bedroom. The desk was exactly how I left it. Next to the computer sat a framed photo of our high school friend group. In the photo, Zoe was linking arms with me in the center, and Parker stood on the far right. Through the crowd, I was smiling at the camera, but Parker’s eyes were looking sideways—at me.

Zoe was currently furious at Parker. She packed everything else and reached for the photo frame last. Just then, Nugget, full from dinner, zoomed into the room. Seeing Zoe reach for the frame, the cat launched a surprise attack. Crash! The frame hit the floor, glass shattering everywhere.

Zoe jumped. She picked up the cat and noticed something tucked inside the backing of the broken frame. "Meow." Nugget realized he messed up and let out an apologetic squeak. Zoe bent down and pulled out a letter hidden behind the photo. It was a love letter. We were both confused.

The paper was yellowed with age, but the handwriting was sharp and clear. Every word was filled with a hidden, grand, unrequited love. June, loving you is too bitter. I don't want to like you anymore. But further down, in tiny print: Never mind. I'm lying.

When our eyes drifted to the signature, both Zoe and I froze. Signed: Parker. The current king of the entertainment industry. And my high school desk mate whom I had secretly loved for years.

Suddenly, I remembered. Parker had given me this frame during our senior year. I had moved many times over the years, but I always kept this frame by my computer. I never knew it held such a secret.

I thought back to the phone call—the way Parker gritted his teeth and said "I don't believe you" with a trembling voice. My heart ached unbearably. So ghosts can feel heartbreak, too?

I watched Zoe whip out her phone and unblock Parker. But before she could dial, a breaking news notification popped up on her screen. #ParkerSuicide

Zoe’s hands shook as she clicked the trending topic. A video from a gossip account with millions of followers had been posted ten minutes ago. An ambulance was parked outside a luxury villa, surrounded by security. The camera zoomed in. A hand hung limp from the stretcher—slender, pale, undeniably his. Dark red liquid dripped from his fingertips, splashing onto the ground like blooming flowers.

The headline screamed: Parker found dead by wrist-slashing at home. Suicide note suggests he died for love. I stared at the words "Died for Love." My brain short-circuited. No, no, it shouldn't be like this... Why would he die? How could he die?

In an instant, memories flashed through my mind like a reel of film. They stopped at that snowy winter day when we were seventeen. Parker stood at the bottom of the school steps, reaching his hand out to me. "It's a deal then, June." His eyes curved into crescents, his smile impossibly gentle. "When I become a superstar, you're going to be my manager."

A gust of wind blew, covering the world in white snow. It felt like a long dream.