Page 72 of The Fake Script
He takes it off, and as I blink my eyes open, a chorus of “Surprise!” erupts around me.
Books. Lots of them. And friends. My best friends, but also a significant portion of the New York Raptors team. And just as I predicted—coffee. A huge coffee fountain that I want to bathe in.
I shake my head, closing my eyes and opening them again, just in case. But it’s all still here.
I turn to Auston, who’s all smiles. “You rented a bookstore for my birthday?” I ask, feeling my jaw drop.
He shoves a hand in his pocket. “I did. Do you—”
I throw myself into his arms, squeezing him tightly. “It’s perfect. Thank you so much.”
Everyone claps and whistles, turning what began as a spontaneous thank-you hug into a giant awkward one.
We break apart and lock eyes fora second. I’m sure everyone is expecting us to kiss, but I hold my ground. Not that I don’t want to kiss Auston. There’s little more that I crave right now. But not under these circumstances. He’s the only man I’ve ever kissed, and if I kiss him again, it’s going to mean something.
Auston laughs nervously as we both take a step back.
Placing a hand on my hip, I let my eyes roam around the store, which has been taken over by party decorations—all book themed. There are banners spelling “Happy Birthday, Emma” made entirely of book pages, another one spelling “Chapter 27,” and vases with bouquets of roses made from folded book pages. I also spot a DJ in one corner, a full bar, and two large buffet tables that I’m dying to check out.
“You did all this,” I say, bringing my eyes back to Auston. “It’s incredible.”
He smiles. “Thank goodness for Pinterest. Saved my life.”
I arch an eyebrow. “You use Pinterest?”
“Duh. Of course.” Then, he explodes into laughter. “Okay, fine. It’s new to me. Robyn showed me the ropes. I didn’t know such a thing existed, and honestly, it’s pretty amazing.”
I stifle a chuckle, looking around. “It is. And clearly you got the hang of it pretty quickly.”
“Mastering new talents is part of my identity.” He winks.
I let out a laugh as my friends come up to greet me, hugging me in turn.
True to his word, Auston kept this celebration low-key. I’d say there are only around twenty guests, which is perfect.
The DJ starts playing ambient music as I catch up with my friends.
“So?” Alice gushes. “Did he nail it, or did he nail it?”
My grin is so wide it hurts. “It’s amazing. I can’t believe he did all this for me.”
“Looks like Melissa Fortner was onto something after all.” Hayley shoots me a knowing smirk, leaning into her boyfriend, Maxime.
“Wait till you see the buffet,” Alice says. “You’re going to love it.”
I can’t wait any longer, so I make a beeline for the buffet table. And she’s right. I’ve never in my life wanted to eat anything so badly. From the book-shaped cupcakes to the bookmark lollipops and the bags of “bookworms,” it all looks delicious. Plus, there’s a separate buffet dedicated to KitKat bars alone, spanning literally every flavor: Strawberry, matcha, sour orange, green tea. I didn’t even know half of these existed.
Auston and I reconnected only a month ago, yet he knows me so well. If you’d asked me to plan out my perfect birthday party, this would probably be the result. Or maybe not, because every detail is so carefully planned, I’m sure I wouldn’t have thought of everything.
Mari strides up to me and gives me a warm embrace. “Happy birthday, Emma! Isn’t it great?”
I nod. “Thank you. It’s so crazy.”
“Socrazy,” Beth agrees. “Happy birthday,” she says, drawing me into a hug.
“Lucas couldn’t make it?” I ask, peering at the small crowd and failing to spot her boyfriend.
She shakes her head. “We broke it off again. You know how it is. But it’s probably for the best. We don’t need any Sharks versus Raptors drama tonight.”