“Oh, don’t be silly, Jaden,” she retorted.“Open your gift.”
Softening my glare, I turned my gaze down to the bag and pulled away the tissue paper to find a sparkling pink apron and cookbook inside.The fabric had “Jaden’s Kitchen” written in golden letters across the front.I clamped my jaw shut.Would it be rude to toss a gift overboard?
“Thanks, Carla,” I said and placed the gifts back into the bag.
“Oh, you’re so welcome, Jaden!”she practically beamed.“I figured you could finally learn how to cook for your family before the baby gets here.I’m sure Pascal would love to teach you.”
I doubt it.
“I’m not sure we need to give Jaden more access to sharp knives,” Scott commented, inspiring some soft laughter among everyone, but when I glanced over at him, he wasn’t laughing.He looked oddly serious.When I could feel my returned glare begin to harden, he finally softened his and stepped closer to place a wrapped box in front of me.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I ripped off the wrapping paper to find Scott had gifted me a rather large jigsaw puzzle of Mount Everest.I cocked a brow before glancing back up at him.“Thanks,” I said, trying not to sound too sarcastic.
“No problem.That should keep you plenty busy for a while,” he replied with an odd smirk.
I didn’t know I needed to be kept busy.
“Alright, my turn,” Darren suddenly jumped in, standing from his seat to pull out a small wrapped box from his breast pocket.
Oh, look, more jewelry.
Pulling away the paper, I flipped open the lid to find a silver necklace with a white eight-carat diamond pendant cut into the shape of a heart.But it was the word “Mother” plated across the stone in little pink diamonds that really caught my attention.
Goddammit.
I could feel everyone’s eyes on me as I stared at the necklace, and my skin suddenly felt incredibly hot with anger.
“Pretty,” I said before closing the lid and setting it back on the table.“A bit premature, but still very pretty.Thank you.”
I could hear the annoyance in Darren’s breath as he reached for the box and pulled the necklace out.Stepping behind me, he draped the jewelry over my chest and secured it around my neck.A sickening weight of denial sank into my skin just below my collarbone, heavy and cold as it hung from my throat.
“Oh, that looks beautiful, Darren,” Carla purred.“What a thoughtful gift.”
I eyed the words “shut the fuck up” in Carla’s direction, but I doubted she could read that deeply into it.
I sucked in a breath as Darren’s lips pressed into the back of my neck, his hands running along my bare shoulders to light my skin on fire.
“I think it suits younow, perfectly,” he drawled, a hint of danger in his low voice.
Begrudgingly, I swallowed back my disagreement, hoping the moment would pass quickly so I could find a way to accidentally chuck the stupid neckless into the ocean.
And I was soon granted that reprieve when a four-tier round cake of white frosting and rose gold trimming was brought out and placed on the table in front of me.It sparkled in the candlelight, my name written across the middle in bright pink letters, while thirty gold candles covering nearly every inch flickered in the night.
And then everyone started to sing.
I sat there awkwardly as everyone around me sang in celebration of my birthday, except for Darren, of course, who had returned to his seat beside me.He was too busy enjoying the spectacle of my poorly concealed discomfort, smirking quietly in response.After a subtle eye roll, I looked away from him and blew out the obnoxious number of candles spread throughout the cake.
Once the cake had been cut and passed around, the attention finally divided among the crowd, leaving me a few short moments to breathe as I choked down small bites of cake.While the crowd remained distracted, I took the opportunity to quietly step away.
“I’m going to run to the bathroom,” I told Darren as I stood from my seat.But before I could step away, Darren snatched my hand, halting me in place.
“Running away already?”he asked, a hint of arrogance in his voice.
“To relieve my bladder?Yes.Unfortunately, pregnancy can have that effect,” I retorted sharply.
Darren stared back at me for a few harsh moments before he released my hand.
“Don’t take too long,” he warned.
