She’s quiet for a minute or two, then her head lifts and her eyes gaze into mine.
“Is this why we left tonight, so you could do this?”
“Yeah,” I say. “I just wanted to celebrate with you. You’re important to me, Bookworm. You don’t have to tell anyone tomorrow if you don’t want to, but I wanted you to feel special, even if it’s just for a couple hours.”
“I always feel special when I’m with you.”
“I like knowing that. And from now on, we’re celebrating this day together, every year. We’ll make new memories that will ease the bad ones. One year at a time. I promise.”
“Where did you come from?”
“Why? Do you want to return me?”
“No,” she says, shaking her head.
“Good, because I’m nonrefundable. Do you want your gift?” I ask her. She shuffles out of my lap. I pull the wrapped box from behind me and hand it to her. She opens the card first, her eyes scanning my messy handwriting. She unwraps the paper next, setting the gift box on her lap before lifting the lid.
“I was wondering if you’d consider wearing my jersey when you come to watch me play. I’ve ordered you five already, but I’m pretty sure the boys have been stealing them to mess with me so that you keep wearing Rudy’s. I sent this one to a place I knew they couldn’t get to.”
“This isn’t a cowboy hat thing, is it?”
“A cowboy, what now?”
“Nothing!” she rushes out, lifting my jersey from the box. “Thank you, it’s perfect. I’ll be sure to wear it at your next game.”
“I can hardly wait.”
With her head on my chest, she whispers, “You’re my best friend, Eighty-Seven.”
“And you’re mine. Happy birthday, Erin Silver Callahan.”
“Thank you, Chase.” Her eyes shine, and I want to kiss her, claim her as mine, and love her.
Forever.
All she has to do is let me.
When my eyes flutter open,it takes me a minute to fully focus. My lids are heavy as images of last night play above my head in the tent.
I can still feel his arms around me as if we’re on the jetty laughing and eating birthday cake. The cake he packed and brought all the way out here in the middle of the freaking woods to light like it was no big deal.
Who the hell does that?
That boyish grin and the way those words—happy birthday, Bookworm—rolled off his lips made my birthday feel worthy of celebrating despite the awful thing that happened on it.
I throw my sleeping bag off me, tug on my jeans, pull a sweater over my head, and tie my hair into a messy bun before unzipping my tent.
The cold morning air brushes my cheeks as I step outside. Laughter drifts from the fire pit as pine and smoke wrap around me.
Griff comes over and pulls me in a tight hug.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” he says.
“Me too, thanks for having me. I know this place is special to everyone. It means a lot I was invited,” I say when he steps back.
“We’re gonna be in each other’s lives for a long time, Goose. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do and a hell of a lot more memories to make.”
“I’ve missed you, Griff. So much.”
