Page 120 of Heartstrings & Horseshoes

“Are you having a good birthday?” I ask, busying myself with the glass of lemonade.

“It’s perfect. Your mom said she’d swat my fanny if I thanked her one more time for hosting.” Her giggle tinkles like windchimes, sprinkling goosebumps across my arms.

“Gifts!” someone shouts, and we gather around the pool table at the center of the rec room where a couple of presents are stacked.

My parents already gave me my gift—the title to my car. It was so generous for them to buy me a car when I turned sixteen, but I never considered it mine until I held the pink slip.

I haven’t told Delilah because I know for a fact her piece of shit mom didn’t do shit for her birthday, and her dad hasn’t been home in years.

Izzy, Livy, and a small group of girls scramble for a small pink box on the pool table to hand to Delilah. She slides her fingers beneath the tape and along each edge of the wrapping paper, careful not to tear it, like she always has.

Her eyes shine with pure joy, aimed right at me. What did I do in a past life to deserve her smiles? I’m not the one who got her the gift, but it’s me she shares her happiness with.

“A new e-reader! Thank you so, so much!” she gushes, hugging each of the girls.

“We pooled our money and got the newest one, and there’s a gift card in the box so you can buy some e-books, but my mom said you can hook it up to the library too!” Livy prattles on.

Tears shine in those diamond eyes, but they’re the happy kind, so I stay where I am.

A few more little gifts go to my doll, and her smile widens with each present. She’s so thankful it hurts my heart. Someday, I’ll shower her with so many gifts and tokens of affection, she’ll forget all about how shitty her parents are. Fuck them for making her think she doesn’t deserve even the smallest birthday gift.

Only one of the gifts on the table is for me—high school guys don’t really buy each other presents—but of course, CJ plays by his own rules.

It’s a white envelope with my name scrawled across the front. I tear off the end and tap the contents into my hand.

CJ pipes in immediately. “Sorry, Connor. I thought I was buying a year subscription for online video game play, but I accidentally bought a year subscription to that unlimited e-book subscription. And would you look at that, it’s the same company as the e-reader Delilah got!”

He gives me an exaggerated wink. Fucking drama queen. I swear everyone sees right through him.

Delilah must not, because when I hand her the gift card, she cries and wraps both me and CJ in a hug. I’m momentarily jealous before I remember he’s blissfully gay.

“You boys are the best!” We each get a kiss on the cheek and whereas CJ is unaffected, I scurry off for a refill of lemonade to hide my flushed cheeks from everyone and slow my heart rate to non-heart attack levels.

The party slowly starts to clear out, some people moving to parties that have “banging, boozing, and blazing,” while others have curfew. Livy’s mom’s coming to take her and the twins home, so I only have a few minutes to get Delilah alone to give her my gift.

I find her exiting the bathroom and grab her by the wrist, pulling her out of view.

“Connor.” She giggles. “What’re you doing?”

“I wanted to give you your birthday present in private.” Hopefully it’s dim enough over here she won’t notice how red my face is.

“Connor…we promised no presents. I can’t buy you anything…” she says embarrassed.

“I don’t need anything, I’ve told you a million times. Besides, the people at the store practically threw this at me and begged me to take it, and I couldn’t say no.” I wink at her, and it’s barely light enough to see her blush, meaning she saw mine.

I take a small white cardboard box from my pocket. It’s been burning my leg all night and I can finally give it to her.

Despite her protests, she takes the box, adorably excited to open another present.

A gasp is cut off by her hand covering her mouth.

“Connor…it’s so pretty.” She traces the cool metal on the foam block in the jewelry box.

“Put it on me?” she asks.

I take the box from her and twirl my finger for her to turn around. She sweeps her doll-like hair into a ponytail and my dick jerks at the exposed column of her neck.

My fingers struggle to clasp the delicate chain around her neck. She spins around and bathes me in her sunlight.