Page 7 of Make it a Double

I blinked, unable to process what he was saying. “What do you mean you’ve never had a birthday party? Isn’t that, like, illegal?”

“If it is, my parents should be behind bars,” he muttered, trying to keep his tone upbeat. “Don’t get me wrong… My friends sometimes drag me out for a drink or two to celebrate, but the whole balloons, pizza, and blowing out candles on a store-bought cake thing?” He shook his head. “I thought it was just some bullshit in movies until I met my sister.”

Without thinking, I placed my hand on his arm. Beckett glanced down, smirking at the contact. “We have to change that. When’s your birthday?”

I wasn’t sure why I asked. We’d surely never see each other again after tonight, but there was something about this moment that made me want to make plans we never intended to follow through on. Call me selfish, but I wanted him to think of the naive girl from the small town county fair for one single day every year.

I wanted to be a memory he couldn’t forget.

To my surprise, he played along. “March 17th. Should I clear my schedule that day?”

“Yes,” I said immediately. “Maybe clear the week. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

My mind was already whirling with impossible possibilities. If he’d never had a birthday party before, I was willing to bet he’d never had a bounce house, either. That was a must. And we could stuff ourselves with cheap pizza before he finally made a wish and blew out the candles on a silly decorated cake. His eyes lit up as I explained all the different necessary components of a good birthday.

Even if it wasn’t with me, I hoped he followed through with it someday.

“Sounds like you have it all planned out.” Beckett popped the last bit of funnel cake into his mouth, pushing the grease-stained plate away.

I shrugged like it was nothing, suddenly feeling shy. Why the hell did I ramble on about a stupid party? We were on a date. Sort of. “Perks of living in a small town, I guess. There’s not much to do but dream.”

“And your dream is to throw me the birthday party I never had?” he teased. “Seems a little boring. Surely there’s something more you’d like.”

My gaze dropped to my lap as I thought about his words. Of course, I wanted more out of life than what I had now, but that wasn’t the hand I was dealt. No matter how hard I worked, I couldn’t get ahead. Bills piled up every single day, and I was struggling just to keep the electricity on and a roof over our head.

Dreaming of bigger things felt like stacking wants in one hand, and shitting in the other. Only one filled up at the end of the day.

I shrugged. “Sure, but I like to set my sights on things that are more reasonable. Throwing a party seems like an easy win.”

Beckett leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. The way he was staring felt far too personal, like he was studying me, trying to peel back my layers and understand what made me tick.

Unfortunately for both of us, this was my brave face. The further down he went, the more he’d only find someone who lived in a constant state of insecurity and doubt. Even now, I struggled to relax knowing there were likely curious eyes watching us.

If there was one thing Pinecrest did well, it was gossip. It didn’t matter what it was or if it was true. All it took was for the wrong person to get a hint of something juicy, and it’d be the talk of the town by morning with zero regard for whoever was involved.

“Can I ask you a personal question?” he asked after a beat of silence.

It was on the tip of my tongue to say no, to try and change the subject, but I didn’t. I wasn’t sure whether it was because I didn’t trust my words or because I was curious about what he wanted to know, but I nodded. “Sure.”

The wooden picnic table groaned as he shifted his weight and fully faced me. “Why do you live here when you could live anywhere in the world?”

“I can? I didn’t know that.” My lips twitched, waiting for the punch line to a joke that never came. When he raised his brows in question, I blinked. “Oh, you’re serious?”

There wasn’t a hint of amusement on his face, but I also saw zero judgment as he said, “Well, yeah. I’m just trying to understand.”

Before this moment, I’d been aware that Beckett and I came from two different worlds, but it’d never been more apparent than in the conversation we were currently having. “It’s my home.”

He chuckled. “I have a home, too, Sawyer. But I chose it. I bought it. I⁠—”

I shook my head. “No, you don’t understand. I’m not talking about the four walls I live in. I’m talking about the place itself. I’m sure Pinecrest doesn’t look like much to someone who grew up seeing all the wonders the world could offer, but this is all I’ve ever known.”

Small town life came with its fair share of complications, but I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. I wasn’t sure if that was my own naivety or just the reality of my situation.

Despite the flashing lights from the rides and booths, I could still see the faint glow of Main Street in the distance. It’d be quiet this time of night. Completely silent save for the occasional sound of tires against crumbling asphalt or the buzz of bugs in the trees.

“You’ve never wanted to leave?” he asked.

I shook my head, trying to figure out how much honesty I should give him. It wasn’t like I owed him any explanation other than what I’d already given, but there was something about him, or this bubble we trapped ourselves in, that had me speaking again. “Even if I did, leaving isn’t that easy. There are people who rely on me. People who have given me more generosity and kindness than I deserve. I couldn’t walk away from that. Besides, I don’t have any lofty aspirations. I’m just putting one foot in front of the other to get to the end of the day.”