Page 10 of A Forever Love
“I don’t like her,” I tell Carter as we step into the mudroom. A spare booster seat is tucked away here for occasions when I’m riding with someone other than Dad.
“Who? Jena?” Carter inquires as we exit the building through the back entrance and head to the parking lot.
“Yeah. She thinks I’m stupid.”
“She doesn’t think you’re stupid. She just treats you like a kid.” Carter halts in front of his uncle Gavin’s new car and unlocks it.
“He’ll be mad,” I warn, crossing my arms and tapping my foot impatiently on the sidewalk.
“Nervous, mittens?” Carter arches an eyebrow before getting to work on arranging the booster seat.
“No. Uncle Gavin loves me, so it’ll be you in trouble.”
His eyes crinkle at the corners as laughter bubbles up within him. “You might be right. I think if I tell him it’s your birthday and we’re getting a cake, he’ll be okay with it.”
The storybook I’ve been clutching slips from my grasp, and a wild beat echoes in my chest like a frantic drum. “I don’t want a cake.”
“Hey.” Carter abandons the booster seat, and with the back of his hand, gently wipes away the tears running down my cheeks. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t want my dad to think I’ve forgotten about my mom, Carter. I miss her, but he misses her even more, and I miss them being together,” I blurt out in a rush between hiccups.
Carter opens his arms, and I bury my face against him, leaving a wet mix of tears and snot on the cotton of his black T-shirt. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t like, Mere. But let me at least take you out for an ice cream, okay?”
I nod, pushing my red curls off my sticky cheeks. “Can I sit in the front seat today?”
He smiles, then shakes his head. “I promise, when you grow up, you’ll always have the first claim on the passenger seat of my car. But right now, I want you to be safe to see that day. Got it?”
“Okay.”
Twenty minutes later, Carter parks outside our favorite gelato shop in town, but there’s a bigger surprise waiting for us.
“Where did the shop go? Did you forget the address?”
“No. It’s closed. There’s a bakery in its place instead.” He kneels down before me. “You don’t want a cake, I get it. But a cupcake should be okay, right?”
My gaze dances between the new shop with a pink and gold sign and him. “I…I don’t know. Should it be?”
“Of course. A cupcake isn’t a cake. You don’t cut it. Plus, you don’t have to share it with a whole group of people.”
“But can I still share it with you?”
“I’d love that, mittens.”
Hand in hand, we step inside the bakery. The sweet smell of cake surrounds us, making my mouth water as I gaze at the colorful cupcakes. Carter places his hands gently on my shoulders, guiding me toward the display case. My finger trembles as I point to the chocolate cake with pink and purple frosting and a blackberry on top.
When we finally take our seats at a table by the window, Carter asks, “Can you do something for me?”
“What is it?”
“I want you to make a wish.” His words hang in the air, and in that very moment, a waitress arrives, placing a solitary cupcake before me, complete with a glittery pink candle.
Something heavy settles in my stomach. “I don’t want to celebrate.”
Carter leans in closer, his eyes locking on mine with unwavering intensity. “And we aren’t. It’s me making a promise to my best friend that I’ll always be here for her on her birthday with a cupcake and a candle. I want you to make a wish today, Merida. Ask for something you want more than anything else in your life.”
A surge of fervent emotion courses through my veins as I close my eyes and make a wish. “I wish that I never have to love anyone, and that no one ever loves me back.” I’m just about to blow out the candle when Carter swiftly places his hand between me and the tiny flame.
“What the fuck was that?” I’ve never seen Carter so angry before.