I’d been planning the surprise party for Bram ever since I‘d learned that he’d been in Romania with Poe and Remy during his birthday, and I wanted everything to be just right.
“That looks unbelievable,” Lilah said, eyeing the cake.
She looked pretty, her dark blond hair falling in waves around her face, green eyes bright to match her sweater.
“It was fun to make.”
“Are those… Snickers?” Willa asked, leaning in to get a closer look.
The baby clutched at her long blond hair, then reached for the cake with one chubby hand.
Willa laughed. “Not yet, little man.”
“Not Snickers exactly,” I said, “but same ingredients: peanuts and caramel and marshmallow instead of nougat. Bram is crazy for Snickers.”
“Oh my god, it looks sinful,” Willa said. “Definitely give that recipe to Rock.”
In the living room, Remy was talking to Jude and Drago about a book he’d just read while Nolan and Rafe talked to Neo and Rock about the restaurant. Poe was out with Bram, assigned the job of bringing him home in exactly — I checked my phone — four minutes.
Ray wound around the men, his tail wagging, happy to have more company in the loft, and music played in the background. It was April, the balcony door open a crack to let fresh air into the loft.
I was actually starting to believe it would actually get warmer, that the dark days of winter were behind us for good.
My phone dinged and I looked to find a text from Poe.
“They’re on their way up,” I told everyone.
I gathered them around the top of the stairs, shushing them to be quiet, laughing when it seemed impossible.
The door opened downstairs and I heard Bam’s deep voice, heard Poe say something to him as they started up the stairs.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been excited in a good way, and I couldn’t wait to see the look one Bram’s face when he saw everyone gathered to celebrate his birthday.
Except when he stepped into the living room, I’m pretty sure I was the one who looked surprised.
Because Bram was carrying a cat.
And not just any cat: the demon cat who’d been lurking around the loft for the last three months.
“Surprise!” everyone yelled.
The cat screeched, sprinting from Bram’s arms and disappearing down the hall with Ray on its tail.
“What the fuck?” Bram said at the same time I said, “You brought the cat into the loft?”
“He loves you,” Bram said at the same time I said, “But he hates you.”
Because I was past the point of pretending the cat liked Bram.
We laughed and he pulled me into his arms. “You did this for me?”
I looked up at him. “I wanted you to have a birthday party. You brought the cat in for me?”
“I wanted you to have a demon cat. There are cat supplies in the car. That’s what Poe and I were doing.”
I smiled up at him. “I really really love you.”
“I really really love you.”
