Serfina glared at him. “That’s emerald, not teal.”
“Same thing,” he replied.
“You’re lucky you’re recovering, because I would have thrown this book at you for that.” He held his chest as he let out a small chuckle. “If you’re going to sit there making comments, I suggest you get Sebastian to sit with you so you can annoy him instead.”
I shifted on the floor. I thought after the accident, he would have slowed down to take time to recover, but he seemed to have thrown himself back into it. At least the first few weeks he’d been at home when I got back from the office, but over the last few days, he’d started being more absent again, as if he were slipping back into whatever he was doing before the accident.
“He’s busy,” Hayden said, clearing his throat.
“That man is always busy nowadays.” Serfina rolled her eyes. “Ignore Hayden; he’s got cabin fever.”
“So would you if you’d been stuck in a hospital for weeks and were now housebound,” he moaned.
“Just be grateful we got the housekeeper, so I don’t have to cook for you.”
“That would surely kill me.”
“Speaking of …” Serfina said cheerfully. “I’ve made you both something.”
She bounced up and hurried out of the room. I looked over at Hayden, and he shrugged, as confused as I was.
She returned within seconds, holding a plate with a few BBQ chicken wings. “The housekeeper has been teaching me to cook.” She beamed.
Hayden grimaced. “Nope. Never. Don’t do it, Aria,” he warned.
“Hush. Maggie was there the whole time,” Serfina said, as she held the plate out for me.
I looked at the chicken, hesitating for a beat. It couldn’t be that bad, right? Especially if the housekeeper had been helping. What was the worst that could happen?
I picked one up gingerly and took a bite, pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn’t half bad.
“Ok, that tastes pretty good,” I said, taking another bite.
“See.” Serfina stuck her tongue out at Hayden.
“You’re brave, Aria. Don’t blame me when you die. I tried to warn you.”
I let out a laugh. “I promise. But hey, if I die tomorrow, it’ll be on the same day I was born. It feels like there’s something poetic about that.”
“Why haven’t we made plans for your birthday?” Serfina asked.
Truth is, I had almost forgotten with everything that had happened. I didn’t feel like celebrating, and with Sebastian being focused on work, I wasn’t sure he’d remembered.
“Honestly, we don’t need to do anything.”
“But it’s your birthday,” she replied, confusion in her voice.
“I’m sure Sebastian has it all in hand,” Hayden added.
“I don’t know. He seems a little flaky at the moment.” Serfina side-eyed him.
“I just think everything has been a lot for him lately. His dad, Caspian. The accident. If my birthday slips his mind, I wouldn’t blame him,” I said.
“Trust me, Aria, he’s never forgotten a thing about you since the first day he met you.”
I rolled my eyes at Hayden. “I don’t believe that.”
“He used to tell me how you made him watchRomeo + Julieton repeat because it was your favourite, and how he could now recite the whole play.” He chuckled. “And how he’d drag me around after he’d been fighting just to find an open Chinese place to bring you back chicken balls.”
