He kisses my temple before climbing out of bed.
I watch his tight butt as he walks to the bathroom, flipping on the light. “Come brush your teeth and wash your face. I don’t need you mad at me on your first full day as my girlfriend.”
In the bathroom, he pulls out a container of my favorite skin and hair care products. “This is new.”
“I wanted you to be comfortable here.” I already am. Comfortable, safe, and at home.
I wrap my arms around his waist. “Wow. You are so in love with me.”
He close-mouth laughs, but says nothing and instead reaches for his toothbrush to brush his teeth.
FORTY
SUTTON
I swear,whenever I sleepover at Cooper’s, there’s always something happening in the morning. When we wake up, Jaxon is sitting and smiling brightly at us from the foot of the bed.
I rub my eyes to make sure I’m not dreaming.
“Gooooood morning!”
“Jax, what are you doing in here?” Cooper yawns, pulling the comforter up my body. It slipped when I sat up. “What time is it?”
“Five and it’s your birthday,” Jaxon responds. “You know what that means.” He pauses, waiting for us to respond, but half asleep, neither of us do. “Shots. Shots. Shots.”
“Make it stop,” I groan, pulling a pillow over my head.
“We don’t need to be up till seven…at the earliest.” Cooper sighs. “This can wait.”
“Wrong. You see, Dawson’s boyfriend, Jake, has soccer conditioning at six, and he spent the night here.”
The stupid birthday shot rule.
I don’t remember who started it, but it originated freshman year. Whenever it’s someone’s birthday, the boys take a shot first thing in the morning. Before practice, a game, class—whatever comes first, whatever time it may be.
Elliot and I somehow got looped into the festivities.
Luckily, Jaxon, Beckett, and Dawson’s birthdays are during the summer. We all still take a shot, but it’s not before the sun is up.
“Since when do we include significant others?”
“Since when have any of us dated?” Jaxon combats.
“We didn’t include my ex.” It comes out muffled because I’m still hiding under the covers. Cooper pinches my side.
“No one liked the loser.”
Beckett calls for us from downstairs. Chase opens the door. “You coming?”
“Two minutes. Get dressed.” Jaxon walks to the door. He grabs onto the edge, and glances back at us. “Soot, gotta tell ya, you look great in his bed.”
Cooper throws something at him, and Jaxon pretends to be scared, shutting the door behind him.
“Did you have to be born today?”
“Unfortunately.”
“I don’t want to do it.” I groan.
