“He’s fine, Minnie. He’s just too heavy for the balloons, so when we let him go, he just fell all the way down. Clay caught him,” Silas tells her as if it might make it all better.He has no idea how wrong he is.
Cecilia slowly looks up at him, venom seeping through her pores. “You better hope the couch is comfy, because there isnoway you’re sleeping in our bed tonight. And don’t you eventhinkabout going into one of the guest rooms. I’ll know, and it will just make things much worse for you,” she tells him with rage in her voice as she stomps out of the room.
I walk over to Clay, who had already started disconnecting the balloons from Gracie. He passes her over, and once she’s secure in my arms, I look up to a terrified Greyson with a scowl.
“You’re lucky it’s my birthday, and I really want to get laid tonight. Because otherwise you’d be getting the same treatment.” I lift my head and turn, walking back to the entertainment room with the rest of the girls.
Two hours later, it’s time for cake and presents. I’m just about to blow out my candles when Aubrey stops me. “Wait! You need to make a wish.”
Normally, I wish for something stupid that I don’t really care about because I’ve never truly had something I wanteddesperately enough to wish for. And as great as my life is right now, there is one thing I would want.
I look around at my friends, watching Clay hold his wife, Cecilia holding her son while her husband tries to gain forgiveness that I’m sure she will grant him shortly. I think about the way Aubrey and Shane always look at each other, a clear destiny written amongst the stars for them. Then I turn to Greyson, who holds the most precious little girl I’ve come to love in his arms.
That’s what I want. I want a life and a future with them.I want them to be my forever.
I close my eyes and lean in, praying for my wish to come true, then I blow out the single candle lighting the number twenty-eight. When I open my eyes, I find Greyson watching me intently, a clear message passing through our gaze. Words we haven’t dared to speak but feel deeply.
I’m in love with Greyson Ford.
Later that evening, once the kids have been put to bed, we all wander down to the basement to prevent waking them with all the noise. The guys are playing pool in one corner while the girls and I are playing DJ with the music. Drinks are still flowing, but I noticed Greyson and Silas stopped drinking a little while ago and are now sipping on juice and water.
I’m going through the playlist on Morgan’s tablet that’s connected to the speakers when I fall on a particular song. I hit play with a smirk on my lips and turn to Greyson as the song “Time of My Life”starts to play.
His head flips my way as I giggle but continue to feign innocence and dance to the music with the girls. Once the second chorus passes, I turn back to Greyson with an expectant look.
He stands across the room from me, shaking his head. “Bunny…”
I hold the sides of my dress and sway my hips as I nod my head at him eagerly. “I told you we were doing this.” I start to run on the spot, showing him I’m really going to do it.
“Emma, don’t!”
“Too late! Catch me, Johnny!” I sprint toward him just as the chorus hits once more. And as luck would have it, Greyson catches me and lifts me into the air at the perfect moment.
Pure laughter falls from my lips as our friends all cheer and howl. Greyson brings me back down, keeping me in his arms. “You’re absolutely crazy,” he says, laughing.
“Crazy about you, yeah,” I tell him, smiling.
“Good, because I’m crazy about you, too.” He presses his hand to the back of my puffy hair and feasts on my lips, invading my mouth with his tongue and swallowing every moan that travels up my throat as I melt into his arms.
“Okay, okay. We get it. You guys are crazy about each other.” We pull apart and look at Aubrey, who watches us with both a happy expression and a disturbed one. “I love you both, but I really don’t need to see you eat each other’s mouths like that.” We all chuckle at her comment.
The rest of the night goes on with dancing and drinking. It’s 1:00 in the morning when the mood starts to die down, which makes sense since we aren’t teenagers anymore and some of us are up with children all day.
Everyone is preparing to leave when Aubrey goes over to the piano in the corner of the room. I honestly don’t know why Morgan and Clay have one since neither plays. “How about a song to end the night, big brother?” she says, smiling sweetly at Greyson.Wait, what?
“You play?” I ask him.
“No.”
“Liar,” Aubrey answers with a wicked smirk, putting him on the spot. “Greyson was accepted at Juilliard when he wasseventeen. But he chose to follow his dreams with hockey. If he hadn’t, he’d most likely be an amazing pianist today.”
I gasp and turn back to Greyson, who breathes deeply through his nose with his eyes closed. I guess this is something he doesn’t tell people. “I’m not playing.”
I grab onto his arm, desperately begging. “Oh, please! I want to hear you. Please, please, please! Just one song. It’s my birthday, and I’m your girlfriend. Don’t you want to do that for me?”
“Oh, and he sings, too,” Aubrey adds with a soft giggle that earns her a glare from Grey.
“Oh my God! Now youhave toplay! Please, Greyson. Pleeease!” I bounce against his arm, shaking him.
