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“Dude, this birthday royally sucks,” Lyric grumbled as he slammed his locker shut and glared at me. “We’re eighteen today, and no one even seems to care. Mom and Dad didn’t even wake us up with a cake and singing ‘Happy Birthday’ like they always do. There were no birthday pancakes, and when I called Lucy earlier, she didn’t even wish me happy birthday.”
I was barely paying him any attention as I stared at my phone, mentally demanding a text from Violet to show up. Every year since she’d first gotten a cell phone, she’d texted me at exactly midnight on my birthday so she could be the first one to wish me happy birthday. Before she’d been given a phone, she would sneak the cordless landline phone into her bed and call me.
But there had been no text at midnight, and now it was noon, and still nothing. It was like she forgot.
“Everyone forgot our birthday,” Lyric whined. “You would think they would all be relieved we made it to adulthood without getting arrested or anyone pregnant.”
I grunted, continuing to give myself a headache as I willed a message to appear.
Lyric had been looking forward to us turning eighteen, but I’d been dreading it. Eighteen meant I was legal, but Violet wasn’t. If I slipped up and touched her in every way I ached to now, I would be breaking so damn many laws. Normally, I wouldn’t even hesitate to break the rules, but not when it came to my girl. I wasn’t going to do anything to fuck us up—or give her dad a reason to not let me see her.
When my phone suddenly rang, I thought my head was going to explode, but when I saw the name on the screen, I bit back a curse. “Hey, Mia,” I muttered as I answered.
“Happy birthday!” she said cheerfully.
“Yeah, thanks.”
“Uh oh. Someone is grumpy. What’s wrong, little cousin? Didn’t get what you wanted for your birthday?”
As she spoke, Lyric’s phone went off, and he picked it up. “Nev!”
“Happy birthday!” I heard our cousin yell at the top of her lungs. But she and Mia must have both been home and not in class since I heard it echo through my phone.
“At least someone remembered,” Lyric said loudly.
“Oh no,” Mia said in my ear, having heard him. “Sounds like you are both grumpy. What’s wrong with you two?”
“Seems like you and Nev are the only ones to remember it’s our birthday,” I told her, feeling a little pouty myself. I didn’t care about everyone else forgetting our birthday, but Violet not remembering stung like hell. She was my life, and I thought I was hers. But maybe something had changed with us, and I just hadn’t realized it.
Now that I thought about it, she had been a little distant since she saw that Megan chick kiss me. We hadn’t seen each other as much in the past two weeks, and that was my fault. I’d been busier than usual with football, but I’d also found it harder and harder to keep my hands—and lips—to myself since kissing her that night.
Maybe she was punishing me for not being around as much.
But that wasn’t like Violet. She wasn’t vindictive like that. And she sure as hell wasn’t the type of girl to stew in silence if something was bothering her. If I made her mad, she told me point-blank.
“What?” Mia said incredulously. “Even Violet?”
“Apparently,” I gritted out.
“Huh.” She sounded thoughtful and was quiet for a moment. “I’m sure everyone is just busy today.”
“Mom didn’t even make us panca
kes this morning,” Lyric continued to pout to Nevaeh. “And Dad was already gone when we came down for breakfast. He never forgets.”
“I’m sure they didn’t forget.” I heard Nevaeh’s voice echoing through my phone. “They’re just probably busy. I bet they have something special planned for tonight.”
“Fuck that,” my twin said beside me. “I wanted my pancakes and birthday cake and Mom and Dad singing ‘Happy Birthday.’ This is the last damn year we will be home for this, and they ruined it.”
Realizing why my brother was being such a whiny bitch, I swallowed a groan. If I hadn’t been so caught up in the excitement of getting the Alabama offer and worrying about Violet and me, I would have realized what was going on with Lyric before now. Guilt tried to swallow me whole, but I knew I could fix this.
“Mia, I have to go,” I told her. “Thanks for calling to tell me happy birthday. Love you.”
Before she could respond, I’d already disconnected. Turning around, I grabbed Lyric’s phone and lifted it to my ear. “Gotta go, Nev. Love you.”
I ended the call and tossed my brother his phone back. “Let’s go,” I told him.
“Where?” he asked with a grunt.
