“Oh, my God, Sianna, this cake is wicked. It’s like sinful sex in your mouth,” Kyra moaned.
I choked on the milk. The liquid spilled straight onto Drake’s pants. “Oh, shit. I’m sorry.” I risked a glance at him. The corner of this mouth quirked up. It was the bar scene all over again. Sinful indeed.
“You can say that again, Kyra.” Tamara’s knowing smile drew my gaze.
I coughed harder while Rayden rubbed my back, and Carol handed Drake napkins to wipe his pants. Could this night please end?
I shifted my gaze when Carol placed a plate in front of me. I stared at the sandwich cut into weird shapes and then glanced up at her as the rest laughed. “Don’t look at me,” she chuckled, gesturing with her chin to Neha standing at a counter behind her. “P&J courtesy of chef Neha.”
The first time I’d made her the sandwich, I’d cut it up into mini triangles to get her to eat after a bout of the flu. Grinning, I blew her a kiss. “Thank you, sweetheart.” She skipped over to me and dropped a kiss on my cheek. When I looked up, Drake was watching me. Something in his expression reached out to me. Concerned why I’d passed out? Maybe I’ve just been a bit overwhelmed for a couple of days, and it was taking its toll, I wanted to say, but he tapped his watch. I frowned. He couldn’t seriously be asking me to meet him now. Then his gaze flicked to the clock hanging above the window. My gaze followed. It was seven forty-five. My eyes flared. He remembered my birthday ritual. Warmth like I’d never felt before filled my body.
I stood. “I’ll be right back.” I touched Rayden’s arm. He nodded.
As I left the room, I noticed Tamara stand as well. “Sianna?” I turned to wait for her. “Can I say something,” she asked. I nodded as we walked. “Leave Rayden.” I stopped to stare at her. She sighed and rubbed my hand. “You don’t love him like you do, Drake, do you?” I was too stunned to say anything. “By being with him like this, sweetheart, you’re not only keeping him away from finding his true love, but you’re doing that to yourself as well. These imperfect relationships will only bring sadness to all three of you.”
“I-I...” What did I say? My heart hadn’t even settled yet.
“Hey.” She squeezed my arm lightly, her smile sad as though she understood the turmoil weighing me down. “It’s not your fault. Love and death both come uninvited. No one has any control over them. But, I’ve seen the way you react to both of them. Your heart is with Drake.”
“How can you tell?”
“It’s the way you look at him—” she broke off as someone exited the kitchen.
I didn’t wait to find out who. My mind too unstable to stand anymore friendly conversation.
Rayden
“SHIT. DID WE DO SOMETHINGwrong?” My sister’s cheeks flushed a deep red. She stared at me.
“No.” I chuckled. “There’s this thing she does on her birthday, every year.”
“Oh. Sounds mysterious.” Kyra’s giggle made me smile.
“Has she not told you what it is she does,” my father asked.
I shook my head. “All I know is it involves a candle and a wish.” I gave him a sheepish grin. The look he sent my way said it all. I knew what he was thinking. If I took the energy to date a woman, then I should take the time to know everything about her, especially the little things. It had been my fifteenth birthday talk. He hadn’t wasted time with the usual birds and the bee’s crap. He told me straight up that women weren’t there for a man’s pleasure. Yes, fucking around was expected, but the least I could do was respect her enough to ask her name, and if I intended it go beyond two dates, then I should attempt a little more understanding of what made her tick. Close to five months with Sianna warranted all my attention. That night I proposed when she spoke to the little girl, I picked up that moment was sacred to her. I should’ve delved a little deeper, appreciated something this important to her.
