Page 23 of Forever Golden

“Just trying to figure out when you got to be so gorgeous.”

She smiles big with the compliment. “Mmm… in a few days, the answer to that question will be fifteen years ago.”

I nudge her smart ass with my foot, and she flops against the arm of the couch, giggling.

“That’s right! Youdohave a birthday coming up!”

Her expression goes blank and for half a second she believes I actually forgot. “Ha-ha.”

I leap to her end of the couch and squeeze her as hard as I can, right before covering her entire face with kisses.

“Okay, enough! Get… off me!” she yells, shoving me hard.

It doesn’t work. Having her fight back only fuels the attack.

“I will literallypayyou to get off me right now,” she pleads.

“Ten bucks.”

“Five,” she counters.

“Deal.”

I back off and she wipes her face where I kissed her last.

“You’resoannoying.”

“Well, since I’m annoying, guess that means I don’t have to buy you a gift. Cool. See ya!”

She grabs my arm when I try to stand.

“Okay, wait! Let’s not get crazy.” She cozies up to me now, forcing my arm around her shoulder while batting her big, blue eyes. “Now, what’s this you say about gifts?”

“Gift. Singular,” I correct her. “And it has to be something small.”

She’s thoughtful for a moment.

“A new phone case?”

I do a bit of mental math, making sure I’ll have enough left over after groceries.

“Mmm… I think I can swing that.”

“Cool,” she beams. “I’ll take black.”

Of course, you will. Since that’s the hair and accessory color of the month.

“What about a party?” I ask.

Ok, so, the word‘party’might be a bit ambitious. This would be more like a gathering of friends who’ve eaten before stopping by and aren’t expecting anything more than a movie and a couple balloons strung to the porch.

Scar shoots me a look. “A party would require me to have friends.”

Her reaction feels like a knife twisting in my gut. Why? Becauseherpain always feels likemyfailure.

“Youhave friends, but if you aren’t particularly interested in inviting them, it can be just the two of us.”

“That’s lame,” she says with a sigh, drawing a laugh out of me.