I do finally make it to the jukebox, but while I’m debating which of the songs I’ve mostly never heard of to put on, my phone vibrates by my hip. I duck into the back hall by the restrooms to check it.
A message pops up from Elodie.Can you get away from whatever you’re doing? I’ll meet you at the condo.
Can I get away? With an offer like that, I’d teleport to her side instantly if I had the magic for it.
Be there ASAP, I reply.
Tucking my phone away, I saunter back into the main room of the bar. I spot Siobhan chatting with a couple of the cousins and make my way over with a purposeful sway in my steps.
“Cuz! Thanks so much for the amazing party! Can’t wait until it’s another year and I can stop by legally.” I laugh as if that was the funniest joke known to humanity and pretend to stagger.
As Shiv smiles politely at my thanks, Mom appears by my shoulder. She speaks in a low, pointed tone. “Just because you’re celebrating doesn’t mean you should make a fool of yourself.”
“I think I went too hard on the shots,” I say, hoping she wasn’t paying close enough attention to realize I never actually downed any. “It’s been a blast, but maybe I should hit the sack. Everyone can keep having fun even if I’m not here, yeah?”
I rub my head to emphasize my supposed unsteady state. Mom lets out a sharp sigh, but she nods. “You’ve celebrated plenty.”
I holler out several more goodbyes and wander down the street while booking a ride. I don’t drop the drunken act until I’ve dropped into the back seat.
There’s barely any chance Mom or Dad will check my bedroom when they head home. If I go straight to school from the condo, they’ll probably never realize I slept somewhere else.
My heart leaps with every step from the car to the building’s elevator. I haven’t gotten any one-on-one time with my match since last week, since before I found out who she really is and everything she’s been through.
She’s even cleverer than I gave her credit for. Pretending to be stuck-up Elodie when she was anything but—trying to keep me away with the acteven though she knew we belonged together, formyprotection.
I almost bought her act. Almost let frustration blind me. But something about her kept tugging me in.
I knew she was meant for me.
The moment I open the condo door, my heart flips right over.
She got to the condo before me. Candlelight flickers from the counters and tables. Familiar savory and sweet smells mix together in a tempting blend.
Elodie beams at me from the other side of the dining table. Nothing could be quite as tempting as her.Her simple light green dress hugs every slender curve just right and brings out the purple tint and streaks in her dark brown hair.
“Happy birthday,” she says. “I wanted to put something together for you… Have you eaten a lot already?”
I just stare at her while my brain catches up.
Of course she knows when my birthday is. In the world she came from, we were matched for three years before that version of me lost her.
Too bad for him.
A warmth like nothing I’ve ever felt before tingles through my chest. I’ve been calling her my love and my mate in more than one language, been promising my devotion to her in every word I have… but I’m not sure I knew what it really means toloveher until this moment.
She’s so fucking perfect I could explode.
Except then I’d ruin the amazing dinner she’s apparently arranged for me.
I shake my head. “Nope. Not much. Partied a little with the family, but I didn’t actually ingest a whole lot.”
“Playing it safe. I know that trick.” Her smile widens for a second before she bustles over to the kitchen. “I hope your tastes aren’t too different from—from what I knew before. I’m not that wonderful a cook, so I picked up thefood from a restaurant that’s supposed to be good—I got porchetta and squash risotto and a genoise cake with custard and blueberries.”
She’s unwrapping the takeout containers from their insulating foil as she speaks, sending a thicker waft of mouth-watering smells into the air. I can already tell she picked well.
“That sounds incredible, mia amata.” I move to join her, grabbing plates from the cabinet. “Couldn’t have asked for a better birthday dinner.”
Elodie pauses where she was checking the drawers for silverware. Her dark gaze holds mine. “Are you sure? If there’s anything you’d have liked better—you just need to tell me. I know not everything here is exactly the same.”
