Fuck. I had no idea they had been planning this.
“Happy birthday, Riley,” Evan said from close by. I spun to him and wrapped my arms around his broad frame. “Thank you,” I murmured back.
The cake wasn’t the only thing they had. There was expensive champagne, to get the pre-party started, as Eddy put it. “We wanted to celebrate here with you first,” Dylan said, smiling broadly for once. “Before we head out to the party tonight.”
Eddy pushed the guys aside and thrust a brightly wrapped package at me. “Best friends first,” she declared before glaring at Beck and Dylan. “I’m already mad at you two fuckers for beating me to this.”
I snorted before I ripped open the package to find a pair of heels that exactly matched the bag Dylan had given me. “This designer doesn’t normally do heels,” she said, leaning closer. “But I convinced him to make you a pair specially. You can’t have that fucking stunning bag, without the matching shoes.”
The jewels were embedded across the round, enclosed toe, in the same formation as the knuckle duster bag. There were other similarities, and I immediately fell in love with the dark vibe of this brand.Designer.Jesus. How my life had changed since my last birthday.
Jasper was next, and I was slightly nervous to open it, expecting to find something vaguely inappropriate and embarrassing inside. Only he surprised me. It was a framed photo, one I hadn’t even known had been taken, when I was driving his Lambo. The black and white still showcased my face the moment I crossed the finish line first, and there was a unique blend of pride and joy written across my features.
“Jasper,” I breathed, staring down at it. “I … thank you.”
He shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal. “One of my friends snapped this on his phone and sent it to me, and with a little help, I turned it into something for you to keep.”
I brushed my fingertip across the black and white image. “This was the moment I found some of myself again. You know, after losing my parents.” I sniffled. “That first race, I froze up and lost control, because all I could think about was the crash. All I could remember was the screeching sound and the dread in my gut. But when I raced for you…” I lifted my head. “…it was as if some of the old Riley appeared again.”
He’d probably never know how much this image meant to me.
Evan made a low rumbling sound. “I can’t believe I have to go last after all of you fuckers were so sentimental.”
I laughed, shaking my head and turning to him. “I will love whatever you’ve given me,” I said. “Even if it’s just a hug.”
Evan rolled his eyes before turning away to grab a small bag off the table. I took it, marveling at how expensive the bag looked. It was one of those off white, thick embossed bags. It was only small, and when I reached in and pulled out the small white box, I was almost certain that this was jewelry.
I kind of wanted to joke about him proposing, but when I looked up, it was to find his nervous expression on mine, and I shut my mouth. This was no time to joke. He’d tried to find me something special and now he was worried it wouldn’t measure up to everyone else’s.
Slowly, I opened the box and stared down at the piece nestled there in a red velvet. It was a necklace, a thick gold chain, and there was a word that joined the ends together. It said “Bulma.”
I snorted and my eyes watered at the same time. I immediately knew what this necklace meant. Evan was reminding me of two things … one, our moment bonding over Dragon Ball Z, which was something I also cherished, and two, Bulma was married to Vegeta. We’d both eventually agreed that Beck was Vegeta. So this meant even more to me.
“I love it,” I said, shooting him a full smile. “Thank you.” I hugged him hard. “Will you help me put it on?”
He nodded, and stepping forward, fumbled at the back of my neck for a beat before he got the clasp clicked into place. It was heavy and expensive, that much I knew for sure, and the “Bulma” hung just above my breasts. I noticed that there were diamonds embedded along the L, and I just loved everything about it.
Beck strolled closer, his eyes glued to my chest. “Bulma? What does that mean?”
I snorted, and Evan and I shared a brief amused look before I turned back to Beck. “It means that I’m the coolest Dragon Ball character, and you all better watch out when I get pissed off.”
Dylan and Jasper both laughed out loud. “Looks like you finally found a nerdy friend, Evan,” Jasper said, holding his sides. “I’m happy for you.”
Evan just flipped them all off, and I stepped into Beck, who shot my necklace one last look before wrapping his arms around me.
Eddy popped champagne nearby. “Time for a drink,” she shouted, breaking the mood.
I laughed. Oh yeah, there were parts of this life I could definitely get used to.
* * *
The pre-partywith my friends turned out to be a ton better than the main event. I was currently wishing we’d never left our apartment. The main party was being held at some kid called Brian’s house—mansion—and the whole place was packed with drunken, sweaty college kids from the neighboring town. A mid-twenties dude with designer stubble attempted to DJ but really just played tracks from his iPod while wearing headphones and chatting up chicks.
“This party sucks,” Dante observed as we sipped from solo cups and watched a wasted guy egg his friend on to jump in the pool fully clothed.
“Agreed,” Eddy cringed. “Brian’s parties used to be way better than this.”
Not to mention that Beck and the guys had been waylaid the moment we got there, and I’d barely had a chance to see them. Sure, they were close, always keeping an eye on me, but I wanted them even closer. I didn’t like all of the darkness—and assassination attempts—hovering around us; it made me nervous.
