Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 114951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
But an explosion of birthday decorations muted it all.
There was a giant hand-painted banner strung from one end of the room to the other, a bright yellow with neon pink letters — my two favorite colors. Balloons littered the floor and floated in bunches of five or six around the room. Framing the poinsettia were bouquets — plural — of my favorite flowers.
White and yellow daisies and pink carnations.
On the floor, there were two pink pillow cushions serving as chairs, and Shane had turned a box into a table, covering it with a cloth and a breakfast spread right out of a magazine: French toast, bacon, fresh berries, and perfectly scrambled eggs.
In the center of that table was a small box wrapped in yellow paper with a pink bow.
“Shane…” I covered my mouth, eyes wide and fingers trembling as I looked around and tried to take it all in. “What is all this?”
My boyfriend — boyfriend, God that word still made me giddy — looked as cozy as ever in his gray sweatpants and The Fray hoodie. We’d seen them together over the summer and he’d bought us both the same one in the hopes that I wouldn’t steal his.
Futile hope, that was.
His hair was a mess from sleep, but his grin was that of a boy who’d pulled off the perfect surprise. He crossed the room and took my coffee cup from my hand, setting it on the table next to my breakfast before he swooped me into his arms.
“This is your birthday celebration,” he answered easily, hands smoothing my hair from my face so he could plant a proper kiss on my nose. “One you’ve always deserved.”
I shook my head, blinking over and over and trying to make sense of it all.
“You told me last year when we left for Christmas break that no one ever really cared about your birthday,” he reminded me. “I wasn’t your boyfriend then, but I was still pissed. It killed me to think that a day that should be all about you was instead focused on a holiday. A pre-holiday! It’s not even the real one!”
I laughed. “I mean, technically, it’s the night Jesus was born.”
“Technically no one actually knows what night Jesus was born, and it was probably April. Anyway,” he said, waving his hand like we’d gotten off topic. “The point is that we were apart last year. You were with your family, and I was with mine. But this year, and every year after this, we’ll be together. And I promise that I will always make your birthday special. I will always celebrate you.” He swallowed, his eyes searching mine. “I love you, Ari.”
Tears flooded my eyes. “I love you, too.”
“Now,” he said, waving his hand over his elaborate setup. “Please, m’lady, have a seat and let your boyfriend serve you. After breakfast, we’re going to build a snowman — complete with a party hat — and then I’m taking you to see the new National Treasure.”
“The sequel that’s in theaters?!”
“The very one. You can drool over Nicholas Cage all day and live out your puzzle-solving fantasies.”
“Can we make snow angels, too?”
“Would it be a proper birthday without snow angels?”
“And can I get Butterfinger Bites at the movie theater?”
“You can, as long as you save some sweet tooth for the cake I stayed up all night baking for you.”
“You baked me a cake?!”
“Funfetti. Your favorite.”
I threw my arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. “You really do love me.”
Shane framed my face with his big hands, thumbs smoothing my jaw, his eyes on mine.
“More than you’ll ever know.”
Circle of Trust
Ariana
Present
“You made it!”
Grace wrapped me in a fierce hug before welcoming me inside, taking the batch of cookies I’d made from my hands as soon as I was in the door.
“And you brought cookies?!” Grace beamed before turning to yell down the hall. “Ariana brought cookies!”
There was a cheer of joy from where I assumed the rest of the girls were gathered, and I smiled, my cheeks flushing with heat.
I was so nervous I wanted to puke.
I hadn’t had girlfriends in so long, I couldn’t remember what it was like to have a girls’ night. The last time I’d had anything even remotely similar was when I was thirty.
Almost a decade ago now.
But after I moved in with Nathan, I found myself going out with my friends less and less. I was obsessed with Nathan, for one, and fully in love with falling in love. I wanted him to take up all my time. I craved it.
When the honeymoon phase settled, I realized it had been a long time since I’d seen a lot of my friends outside of work or a group gathering. And when I did get brave enough to make plans with them, Nathan would lament my leaving, making a big show of wrapping me up and begging me not to go in a playful, teasing manner. It always ended with us making love before I’d go, and then I was ready to hurry back home to him.