Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
“Where did you go?” Gathe asked.
“Nowhere,” I replied.
“Liar. I said something, and you shut down on me. I was trying so hard too.”
I shook my head. I wasn’t saying his name out loud. I’d sworn I wouldn’t say it again after I unloaded on Halo on Friday night. It had helped, telling someone, but then that night, I had cried myself to sleep.
He pulled into his driveway, and relief that we were about to be out of the truck together so he would stop with the questioning came with that.
“You want to leave the bags in here or take them in to change into the beat-up shoes?”
He was trying to make me smile again. I wished I had it in me. For his sake at least.
“Just leave them in here,” I told him before climbing out.
He thought I believed his lie about stopping here so he could take a shower and change before we went to meet my parents for my birthday dinner. It was a bad lie, but I also knew him too well. Gathe was letting me walk in front of him.
Don’t be obvious or anything, bud.
“Gathe,” I said just before we reached the door.
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for the party,” I told him before turning the knob and pushing open his front door.
The place erupted in, “SURPRISE!”
Hot-pink balloons fell from the ceiling over my head, silver confetti sprinkled down around me, and a massive silver 22 with rhinestones outlining it covered the far back wall.
“22” by Taylor Swift began playing over the speakers, and I turned back to Gathe.
“What gave it away?” he asked.
“You’re a bad liar,” I told him.
“Happy birthday,” rang out, and I faced the others.
Halo smiled as she stood in the center of everyone, holding a white two-tiered cake with red heart sunglasses perched on top, red lipstick prints all over it, and the words I’m Feeling 22 in more red fondant on the front.
“I helped get folks here and paid for half, but it was Halo’s idea when she found out about your birthday,” Gathe said in my ear.
My eyes prickled.
Well, Crosby, I bet you never would have guessed this was the way it would all play out. I sure as hell hadn’t.
I felt a pang in my chest at the thought of him not being here. It was my first ever birthday without Crosby Cash in attendance. Last year had looked so very different.
I made my way over to Halo. “I hear this was your idea,” I said.
A nervous smile curled her lips. “Birthdays are important. And, well, it’s twenty-two.”
The first real smile I’d been able to manage in six days felt foreign as it tugged up the corners of my mouth.
“Oh my!” Halo said, her eyes lighting up. “You have the best dimples ever.”
Bane walked up behind her and flicked a lighter and lowered it until the flames began to light the candles. When he was done, Halo held it out toward me.
“Make a wish!” she exclaimed happily.
I didn’t believe in wishes, but for her, I pretended and blew them out. Another round of cheers went through the room, and Bane took the cake from her hands.
“I have something for you, but it’s not in here,” Halo said.
She’d bought me a gift too? This night was just getting odder.
I followed her through the room, holding a fake smile and saying, “Thank you,” to those who wished me a happy birthday.
I rolled my eyes at Than’s comment about being forced to come so I’d better make sure he got extra cake. Locke gave me a chin lift, which was about the extent of his talking to me. Not that I cared. Oz was even here, and he held up two fingers and did a double flash of them, then nodded.
When we reached the patio doors, she opened them and waved a hand for me to go outside. I walked past her and didn’t get far before I saw him. Stopping, I stood there. Not moving. The click of the door closing behind me didn’t even register. I was unable to do anything but stare.
Why was he here?
The burst of joy at seeing his face was being overpowered by the anger inching its way in, along with the pain that had reared its ugly head in full force, throwing off the cover I’d tried to tamp it down with today.
“What are you doing here?” My words held no warmth.
“I came to see you,” he replied, taking a step toward me.
I backed up one, and he stopped.
“No. You don’t get to do that. Show up and act like this is normal or expected. It’s my birthday. I am trying to enjoy it.” Or suffer through it.
“I’m sorry.” Two words that did not fix anything. They didn’t even put a Band-Aid on it.
“Yeah, well, me too.” The bitterness in my tone made him wince.