Warmth spreads through me. “I am?”
Laiken nods. “You are. I don’t want to spend a single day without your dramatics.”
I roll my eyes. He catches my hand as I’m leaning back. “I mean it, Lie. I don’t want to spend a day without you. Understand?”
My heart races as I stare into his eyes. I get the impression he’s telling me something else between the words he’s said aloud. “Yes,” I answer. “I don’t either.”
“No matter what happens,” Laiken says, “I’m not going to change my mind about you. About us.”
I nod. “I hope not. I feel silly saying this, but I think you divorced your wife and didn’t love that one boyfriend of four years because you and me… we’re just…”
“Exactly,” Laiken says, his thumb rubbing the back of my hand softly. “Exactly that.”
“We haven’t been together very long,” I point out.
“We’ve been together every single day of your life except those months you went to college.”
“Yeah, but that’s?—”
“Yes, it’s different. My point is that I already know everything about you. And now you know everything about me.” He holds up the notebook. “All that’s left is growing old together, Lie.”
Because I think I’m going to turn into a weepy mess, I say, “You’re already old. I’m never going to catch up.”
Laiken laughs.
“Me too,” I whisper. “I want that too.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
LIE
I notice right awaythat I’m alone in bed. It takes me another minute to realize I’m at home. And a minute longer than that to remember why.
It’s my birthday.
I’m not huge on celebrating my birthday. I think the last time I got really excited about my birthday was when I turned ten. I don’t remember exactly what changed for me after that birthday, but I do remember the distinct feeling of not liking that I was getting older.
Everything changes when you get older, and I enjoyed being a kid. It was probably something as simple as, ‘You’re ten now, you can do this on your own.’ I don’t hate chores, and my parents never gave me a lot of them. I think it was just the knowledge that as I grew up, more and more things would become my responsibility, and I was no longer allowed to simply run around and have fun.
As it turns out, I was completely right! My childhood after my tenth birthday was still great. But I no longer looked forward to my birthday. I no longer wanted to get older.
I stayed home last night instead of sneaking out and back in because my parents have been known to decorate my door as I sleep. Once, I woke up with a small cake on my nightstand.
This morning, as I open my eyes, there’s a strange shadow stretching across my floor. I stare at it for a long time, unsure of what I’m seeing. Without moving, I follow the shape with my eyes. It’s weird and wiggling and stretching from my bed.
My heart races as I think something creepy, like a damn clown, is sitting behind me but when I spin around, my bed is clown free.
“Thank fuck,” I murmur and my eyes land on what’s causing the shadows.
There’s a cut-out sign stuck to my window from the outside that reads ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LIE’ and is covered in hearts. I sit up, my face split in a cheesy grin, and peek out my window toward Laiken’s house. He’s sitting outside and sees me as soon as I sit up.
Happy birthday,he mouths. My heart skips around like crazy as I stare at him.
I spin around again when there’s a knock on my door, and it opens to my dad. “You’re awake,” he says, smiling. “Happy birthday, son.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
There’s no way to hide the sign, so I don’t bother trying. Dad gives me a smirk. “From your secret boyfriend?”
