“Birthdays haven’t been exciting since I was a kid,” I say, shrugging. “I’m not sure I need to celebrate surviving another year. Woohoo.”
“I, for one, am very happy that you survive every year,” he says.
I grin. “Sucking up will get you everywhere. I might even sleep with you if you keep it up.”
He chuckles. “Do you have plans for your birthday?”
“No. I don’t think so.”
“Are your parents planning anything? Are they working? What about Cash?”
“I feel like you’re fishing for nefarious purposes.”
“I wouldn’t call them nefarious, but yes, I want to know if you’re available.”
“As far as I know, no one is planning a surprise party, so I think we’re good. What do you have planned?”
Laiken smiles. “Ah. I’m not giving you details, but I’m thinking once your parents go to work, I’m going to take you out for the day. We’ll be back in time for them to get home from work—as if we’d been home the entire time. Celebrate with them. Then you come over when they’re asleep, so I can give you your present.”
My gaze drops to his crotch. “You’re going to wrap that thing in a bow and let me ride it like a stallion while you buck and try to throw me off, but I’m holding on so tightly that you can’t shake me. I’ll win awards. Medals. I’ll be written about in sonnets. Right?”
He shakes his head, laughing. “No. Though, yes, if that’s what you want to do, you can definitely ride me all night. Though I’m going to point out that you can do that regardless of the day.”
I grin smugly and sit back in my seat, taking another sip.
“Speaking of riding, you’re still holding out on me. Why is this still so one-sided?”
“Your dick is like the holy grail of big dicks. I’m obsessed. When that obsession fades, you can ride mine.”
“Somehow, I’m not sure this is a fair trade.”
“Okay, fine. At the very least, on your birthday, you can ride mine. It’s just a month later.”
“One day a year. Let’s not get too crazy.”
I throw my legs over the side and get up. “I’m going to use your bathroom.”
Laiken nods.
I’m barely fifty feet further from mine, but I think my mom’s home and I would rather be here with Laiken, anyway. I lovehis house. Especially since the colors are becoming far more peaceful. It no longer feels like the walls are screaming at you.
I do my business, stopping in the kitchen for some water. I enjoy other drinks, but I drink my weight in water most days. It’s hot on Kala. One of the things we really have ingrained in us at school is hydration because it is so hot.
I stand in the open fridge and chug my glass of water. While I wait for it to fill again, my eyes snag on an open notebook on the counter. I’m not sure what exactly catches my attention.
While sipping this freshly filled glass, I wander to it and nearly spit out my water. My eyes skim across a whole lot of King Arthur storylines that haven’t been written yet. It’s a list. The first dozen are crossed off.
“Oh my god,” I murmur. “Laiken is...” Oof. That’s dumb. I should have figured it out. LIHW is his initials with a random W at the end!
I pick up the notebook and return, giving Laiken a pointed look. He has his brow raised as I sit on the edge of the chair and hold up his notebook.
He cringes. “Where did you find that?” he asks, reaching for it.
“Wide open on your kitchen counter. I was drinking water.” I hold my glass up as if it were proof of my words. “It caught my attention because I’m obsessed withKing Arthur’s Camelot. You’ve been LIHW this entire time and didn’t tell me?!”
“Only Nason knows,” Laiken says, closing the notebook.
“Ouch.”
