“Me too, Brae!”
“Tsh,” Calvin huffs.
I step aside to let them in when Calvin suddenly stops in his tracks at all the black balloons and death decorations. Before he can bitch at me, everyone jumps out of hiding and yells, “Surprise!”
“Holy sh… Wow!”
When I step up next to him, he pulls me into a hug and leans into my ear. “I’m going to pay you back for this later.”
“A sexy payback or an ‘I’ll make sure you never throw me a party again’ payback?”
“Now, you’re starting to sound like me. The sexy kind.”
“I can’t wait, then. Are you surprised?”
He kisses my cheek. “Totally.”
“Do you want to see your cake?”
I pull back, take his hand, and drag him into the kitchen. When he sees the coffin in black icing with a skeleton lying on top and the letters ‘RIP’ in white icing, he throws his head back and laughs. “Is that supposed to be me?”
“One foot in the grave,” I quip.
“Come here.” Calvin grabs me and dips me. “Thank you for this.”
“You’re welcome.”
He leans down with me and presses his lips to mine before letting me up.
“Do you want to see the gift I got you? Ah… sort of gift?”
He raises a brow andsmirks. “What’s a ‘sort of gift’?” I pull up my sleeve to show him my new tattoo. “You… got a tattoo for me?”
He fingers the Joker playing card on my upper arm. “How clever,” he breathes. Our eyes meet, and he drags his thumb across my bottom lip as if no one else is around. “You have a beautiful soul, Seth Griffin. I’m thankful every day that I met you and have the privilege to be in your life. I don’t know why this tattoo touches me, but it does. It’s a sign of permanence. It’s a sign that I’ll be able to trust you and rely on you. It’s a promise. Thank you for this. I love you.”
My heart literally stops, and I hold my breath for a second. “You do?”
“Yes. How can I not? I’d be a fool not to. I’d planned on telling you tonight, but now is as good a time as any.” He cups my cheek and kisses me again. “I haven’t told you this, but I have an appointment to get one, too. Slade is going to do a tiger on me.”
“I love that.”
“Does it hurt?”
I snort a laugh and wrap my arms around his neck. “So much.”
“Then I love you even more for suffering just for me.”
I bite my bottom lip and gaze at him, doing my best sultry look, but I probably look like I’m grimacing. “Wanna fool around tonight?”
“More than anything.”
I drop my arms and thread my fingers through his. “Let’s go say hi to your guests before I kick everyone out and drag you up to my room. I’d like you to meet my parents, finally.”
“I’d love to.”
“Nervous?” I ask him.
“No, they’re a part of you.”
