Page 55 of Love Unwritten
Rafael was worried that not many people would show up given the last-minute notice, but the turnout was better than I expected.
After thirty minutes of Nico sticking by my side, I tell him to go play with his friends.
“You’re really not leaving?” he asks.
“Not unless you want me to.”
A friend yells for Nico to come play, but he doesn’t budge.
I grab one of the Nerf guns off the table and kneel in front of him. “Don’t spend your birthday worrying about me. I’ll be here the whole time, protecting the cake from anyone who gets any funny ideas.” I’d already seen a few kids eyeing the custom-made cake by Alana Castillo, and I wouldn’t put it past them to sneak a swipe or two of frosting when no one is looking.
Nico hesitates to take the toy from me.
“Nico!” another kid calls out, but he ignores them.
“I promise to stay.”
“You pinkie swear?” He holds it up for me.
I lock my tattoo-free pinkie finger around his. “On my life.”
“Okay. But I’m going to come find you every thirty minutes just to be sure that you didn’t run away with the cake.”
“Deal.”
It doesn’t take long before I’m dragged away from the dessert table by Dahlia and Lily Muñoz. Lily passes me a magazine full of foam darts and a Nerf Hail-Fire blaster.
“Why do I need this?” I check out the toy.
“You’re on our team. Adults only, and girls versus guys. And the winners get a free spa day.” Lily loads her toy with the foam darts.
“Seriously? Girls versus guys? Are we five years old again?”
Dahlia passes me a blue plastic breastplate. “I know, but you weren’t there. Julian looked so smug when he bet we would lose against them.”
Lily raises a brow. “You know he was baiting you into playing, right?”
“Yeah, yeah. I got it.” Dahlia waves her sister away. “But he didn’t plan on us recruiting Ellie.”
I shake my head. “Oh no. I’m the last person you want on your team.”
“Why?” Lily asks.
“Because I’ve played with Nico enough times to know I suck?”
“Don’t worry. I got you.” She cocks her toy with a smile.
“Lily here used to line my Barbies up and use them for target practice,” Dahlia says.
My mouth falls open.
Lily shoves her sister with a laugh. “That happened one time!”
“Only because Julian told you Lego figures make better targets.”
“I hate to say it, but he was right. They always made the most satisfying sound whenever they fell and broke apart.”
Dahlia and I share a look before she speaks again.