“Favorite girl?” I raise an eyebrow.
“Or her mom,” Eli chimes in, his eyes crinkling.
“Smooth,” Fallon says. “So, how old are you turning by the way?”
My frown deepens. “What?”
“How old are you turning?” Fallon repeats. “Just curious. Twenty-eight? Twenty-nine?”
I stare at him. Why is he asking this?
“Twenty-seven,” I say slowly. “Next Tuesday.”
“Ah,” Eli says. “Next Tuesday.”
“Next Tuesday,” Knox echoes. He glares at Fallon. “Espèce d’idiot.”
“I was just curious. There’s nothing wrong with being curious?” Fallon asks, all innocence. “Is there?”
I look between them. Knox is cursing Fallon in rapid French under his breath. He punches Fallon in the shoulder, hard enough to make Fallon rock back on his heels.
My eyes widen as the realization hits me.
The suits. The secrecy. Norah and Jude acting weird. The guys asking about my birthday.
“Damn,” I whisper, staring at them. “Are you guys planning something for my birthday?”
Knox stops glaring at Fallon to look at me.
Eli rubs the back of his neck, looking down at his shoes.
“Norah reached out,” Eli admits. “She told us... about two weeks ago. She told us your birthday is coming up and that you don’t really celebrate it.”
“We didn’t want to surprise you on the day,” Knox adds, his tone serious. “We know you don’t like the attention. So we figured... maybe we do something before. Or on a different day. Something low-key.”
“But Fallon here,” Eli continues, nudging Fallon with his elbow, “ruined the surprise by asking your age in the middle of the gymnasium.”
“I’m sorry!” Fallon laughs, holding his hands up. “I have no filter. It’s a known defect.”
“I can’t believe this,” I say, looking at them. They planned this. They planned something forme.
A lump forms in my throat, bigger than the headache.
“What’s the plan?” I ask.
Knox steps closer, invading my space just enough that I can smell his cedar scent. “After the debate. We’ll show you.”
“Show me?”
“Oui.”He reaches out, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. “I have a feeling you’re going to love it.”
Fallon leans in. “Let us spoil you, Sunshine. You deserve to be spoiled.”
My eyes well up with tears. I blink them back rapidly. “I thought this was about Maisie.”
“It is about her,” Eli says softly. “But it’s about you too.”
Fallon smirks, glancing toward the stage where the principal is tapping the microphone again. “Looks like the main event is starting.”
