“It’s red velvet with cream cheese icing.I also made brownies.”
“You are my bestest friend ever.”I hugged her tightly, making her laugh.
“I know.”She turned us toward her office.“This is technically a dining room, but I use it as my office since I sit on the couch when I eat.”She pointed to the hallway on the other side of the room.“That hallway leads to the bedrooms and bathroom.Sorry, only one bathroom.”
I chuckled, remembering the fights we had last time we shared a bathroom.“We will make it work.”
Ashlyn laughed with me.“Do you want food?”
“Cake is food,” I answered.
“Yes, it is.And I have a fire pit just off the patio.It’s ready to be lit.”
“Let me use the bathroom and toss my bag in the room, then we’ll burn Rob’s shit and eat my birthday cake.”
“Works for me.”
When I came backout into the living room, the house was empty.I saw the soft flicker of a fire outside and noticed that the cake was missing.I followed the glow, surprised how dark it had gotten in the few minutes since I’d arrived.
“I have a blanket for you,” Ashlyn called when I stepped outside.“It gets cold in a hurry.”
“And dark.”
“True.I guess I’m used to it.All the trees end up blocking the light earlier than the sun sets.I’ve heard sunrises are nice, but I wouldn’t know.”
I snorted.Ashlyn was not a morning person.Unlike me.I loved the quiet of the morning, the start of a new day.It was like New Year’s Day every morning, when the quiet of the world let me think instead of being so damn loud I had no idea what I wanted.
I took a seat next to Ashlyn on the Adirondack double chair with a small table built into the armrests.It was cool on my legs when I sat.I stood and wrapped the blanket around my back so the fire could warm the front of me.The fire popped and snapped as I dug into the cake on the table between us.
“Damn, this is good,” I moaned with my first bite.“Better than any store-bought cake would have been.Thanks for making it for me.”
“You’re welcome.”She sounded a little in her feelings again.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She shook her head, then shrugged.“It won’t change anything.”
“No, but sometimes it’s good to say it out loud.”
“That I wasted too much time with someone who never treated me right?”
“You love him.I think you’re too good for him, but you have to decide for yourself what’s right.”
“You said he’s an asshole.”
“Anyone who is going to tell the person they’ve been dating for a year that they don’t think they ever loved them is an asshole.You don’t do that to someone, not ever.”I would die on that hill.
Ashlyn sniffed, her shoulders jumping with the move.“I really thought all the times he left… I thought it would work out.”
“I know, hon.I wish it had.”
Ashlyn rested her head against mine.We stared at the fire and stuffed our faces with red velvet birthday cake.All of a sudden, Ashlyn jerked upright.“I forgot the wine!”
I chuckled.“You’re a mess.”
“Yes, which is why we need wine.That and it’s your birthday.I’ll be right back.”
She raced inside, leaving her blanket on the chair.
