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“That doesn’t sound like fun,” I murmured, stroking my thumb over his cheek again. He grunted at me and grabbed my thumb, pulling it into his mouth and biting down.
“No offense, River,” Monroe said as she joined us. “But if you have a stomach bug, you shouldn’t be letting Ian munch on your fingers.”
I quickly pulled my hand away from the baby, only to have him yell up at me in disapproval. I stood slowly, and Mila hugged an arm around my waist, steadying me in case I got dizzy again.
Mila grabbed her twin and pulled her in closer. “She doesn’t have a bug,” she told Monroe.
“But she was just—”
Mila pinched her side. “Shut up and think about it for a second, Mon.”
Monroe pinched her back. “Don’t pinch me, Mila. We’re not little girls anymore…” Her voice faded as realization hit her, and she turned wide eyes on me. “You’re…?”
I turned a
way from her and picked up my cup of soda from the table where Nova was still patiently sitting. I hadn’t planned on telling anyone about my condition that day, but I’d already spilled the secret to four different people now. If I wasn’t careful, the entire bar was going to know before the party actually started.
Behind me, I heard Mila and Monroe whispering to each other, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying, although I knew it was about me. Lyric used his foot to pull out two chairs from the table and set the car seats in them, pretending like he hadn’t heard what his wife and sister-in-law were discussing. Ian was getting fussy, so Lyric unfastened him and lifted his son into his arms.
Seeing the huge man with the baby in his arms had every woman in the room swooning except for Nova and me. A group came over, cooing and baby-talking to Ian while flirting with Lyric. Which had Mila breaking away from her sister and pushing in between the other women and her husband to get to her son.
Bending, she lifted Isaac into her arms. “Anyone want diaper duty?” she snipped at the group.
They quickly scattered, causing Nova to giggle.
“That’s what I thought,” Mila muttered with a glare around the room.
For the next hour, the bar filled up with more and more guests, but I stayed close to my table. I was thankful everyone wanted to celebrate my birthday with me, but I was torn between wanting Maverick there and hoping he got delayed and missed the party completely.
At seven o’clock, my parents brought out the cake, a multilayered confection with pink frosting with glittery-purple sprinkles on top. “Happy Birthday, Princess” was written across the bottom tier with eighteen candles already glowing brightly.
I walked over to my parents as everyone sang “Happy Birthday.” Mom winked when I rolled my eyes at her, making me smile. I knew she hadn’t had a single part in picking out the cake. Dad had always forced pink on me, but if he’d taken two seconds to stop and ask me, he would know that my favorite color was blue.
He was a great father…he just didn’t seem to know the real me. He’d come to all my school events, celebrated my every victory and accomplishment academically and regarding the few sports I’d played over the years. But he’d never actually sat down and had a heartfelt conversation with me.
And while part of me was kind of glad he was so oblivious, another part of me wished he’d taken a little time to find out what made me tick. Maybe then I wouldn’t be so scared of him finding out about my relationship with Maverick. If he’d just taken a moment to find out what made me happy and accepted the little things instead of just assuming, I would have gladly confided everything in him.
Mom took my hand and tugged me between her and Dad. They both put an arm around me as the song came to an end.
“Make a wish, princess,” Dad encouraged, a huge grin on his face.
I looked up at him, praying that he wouldn’t break my heart, before bending and wishing for the same thing as I blew out the candles.
Around me, everyone cheered and clapped their hands while Mom kissed my cheek and then Dad hugged me. I held on to him a little tighter for a moment before I stepped back, and Mom started cutting everyone a slice of cake.
I was given the first slice and, after picking up a fork, returned to my table where Nova was still sitting. She might have been years younger than me, but her presence had always calmed me for some reason. Nova had always seemed so much wiser than she should have been for someone so young. As if she could see through anyone and easily read if they were good or bad, and it made me trust her judgment on things.
I sat beside her and offered her my fork, my stomach turning as I glanced at the door yet again. When the one person I wanted to see the most didn’t magically appear, I slumped down in my chair, only partially relieved that he hadn’t arrived.
Nova took a small bite of the cake then licked her lips. “My dad must have helped Uncle Colt pick out the cake. This is my favorite.”
I gave her a tiny smile, but before I could respond, she was squealing and jumped to her feet. I barely blinked, and she took off at a full-on run. Just as she jumped, I saw who was waiting there to catch her. Nova wrapped her legs around Ryan’s middle, and he spun her around until she giggled and begged him to stop, while Tavia and Theo laughed and walked around them, their baby girl tucked against Theo’s chest.
“What are you doing here?” she cried.
“I was invited,” he told her with a deep laugh. “Do you not want me here? I can go if—”
She slapped her hand over his mouth. “No, no, no. I want you here.”
