Page 23 of Final Score

“The only idiot here is you for ever letting her go.” I yelled back; voice raised. “I will never make that mistake.”

“Let’s hope he’s still that much of an idiot on the ice at the Championship.” Oliver spoke, not looking up from his phone.

“He always is. That will never change and I’m going to take great pleasure in beating his ass come April.” I answered.

“Fallon just texted. Plan is a go. We’re all set for tomorrow.”

“Perfect.” Kat was about to have the best birthday of her life, and she didn’t even know it was coming.

CHAPTER 13

Fallon walks into my bedroom at the crack of dawn, holding a cupcake with number 22 candles lit on top.

“Happy Birthday!” She yells loud enough to wake our neighbors.

“Thank you.” I yawn, squinting as she turns on my bedside lamp.

“What do you want to do today?” Fallon asks, as I accept the cupcake, blowing out the candles.

I shrug, still half asleep. “I thought I would just hang out here. Watch the ball drop, write our resolutions for the new year, maybe order in Chinese food?”

“Are you sure that’s how you want to spend your birthday? Not that it doesn’t sound like a brilliant plan. It just isn’t anything special.”

“It doesn’t need to be special. It’s just another day.” The past few years, I haven’t been in the mood for celebrations.

“It is NOT.” Fallon scolded. “You are going into your 22nd year of life and we are celebrating the hell out of it.”

“Fal, we don’t even have anything planned.”

“You may not, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have plans for the day.” She responds.

“What did you do?”

“I never said it was me.” As if on cue, Jenner walks into my bedroom.

“A little birdy told me you needed to get out of the house today.” He smiles.

I throw my grey comforter over my head, my response muffled. “You don’t have to. I don’t need to celebrate.”

Footstep’s sound across the carpet and the comforter is pulled from my grasp. As Jenner’s annoyingly perfect face comes into view. “Then we’ll make it an anti-birthday celebration.”

Jenner pulls the rest of the blanket from my body before grabbing my arm. “Come on, Kit Kat, time to get up. We’ve got a schedule to keep.” A schedule? So much for a low-key birthday.

Jenner wasn’t kidding when he said he had a schedule to keep. He had planned out the entire day, hour by hour. We started with breakfast at the cafe, then a trip to my favorite bookstore in Pioneer Square and a walk around Pike Place market for lunch. The entire city was covered in lights and New Year’s decorations, as businesses and shop owners closed early. An excitement filled the air as everyone prepared to go home and ring in the new year with their loved ones.

Jenner had been checking his phone every few seconds all day and had been avoiding my questions about what was so important on his phone. “It’s nothing.” He promised, only to check his phone again 15 minutes later.

Something was definitely going on. I had a sinking feeling. Whatever he was planning was a surprise for later tonight. Even though I had specifically asked to not have a birthday party. An early evening sunset lit up the Seattle skyline as we exited the Space Needle viewing deck, as Jenner suggested we go back to the apartment to warm up and relax. Funny, that’s how I wanted to spend today to begin with.

We arrived to find the apartment spotless. The snacks and study materials had been cleared from the living room and the entire apartment was cleaner than I’d seen it in days. Fallon had started her cleaning ritual early. She hated going into a new year with a messy space and considered it bad luck to clean on New Year’s Day. There was only one thing out of place. A single red gift bag sitting in the middle of the coffee table.

“Why don’t you go see who it’s from?” Jenner suggested, closing the apartment door behind us.

There was a card attached to the bag that read: Katherine. Flipping over the white paper, I saw a note written in hurried script on the back.

Happy Birthday beautiful!

Don’t kill me for getting you a present. I saw this and couldn’t resist. It’s perfect for you. Love, your boyfriend.