AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Tears stream in unbidden waterfalls down my cheeks, and I turn to face Ghost, who, dare I say, looks anxious for my response.
“Is this all for me?” I ask, hiccuping on a sob. “Th-The dress, and the shoes, and—our date, this is our date? You did all this?”
His shoulders loosen at the look on my face. “Happy Birthday, Lucy.”
I launch at him, hugging his neck so hard he nearly collapses. He laughs, sweeping me off my feet and squeezing my waist tight enough to take my breath away.
“You didn’t have to do all this,” I rasp, caught somewhere between giggles and tears. “This is the nicest thing, Ghost. I love it. I love…”
It dies in my throat, the saddest fear that he’s not ready to hear it yet choking the word back down into my heart. Seems kinda silly, when I nearly came on the spot over the idea of him branding me with his family crest, to be afraid to tell him I love him.
He pulls back to see my face, a hopeful grin tugging at his mouth. I nod, wiping the tears off my cheeks, and push out, “I do.”
He swallows, drawing a steadying breath as he cups my head in both hands. “Me too, Lucy.”
I kiss him this time, chasing his soft lips and holding them as long as he’ll let me.
When we break, he brings my hand to his arm and guides me down the stairs. Eustice gives me a tired smile. “Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”
“Yes,” Mayhem says, “that. I got you a sign.”
“I figured that was your doing,” I say, and Ghost’s glare softens instantly.
Murder isn’t looking at me. He’s watching Ghost, jaw set, arms crossed tightly over his wide chest like he’s waiting for an order to snap me in half. I’m not worried about it, off-putting as it may be. He’s scared, too.
I think they’re all scared, even if they can’t sort it out themselves. And to think these men, who killed my nightmare so efficiently, could be afraid of anything is enough to make my skin crawl.
Roman Cartwright may really be the devil. It doesn’t feel right in my heart, but don’t they know better than me?
“Make a wish, then,” Eustice says, gesturing towards the burning 1 and 9 candles on the cake. “Before the whole cake is a wax ball.”
“Right, right.” I pull my hair aside and bend at the hip, making sure to bump my ass into Ghost’s front as I blow the flames out. They rekindle instantly in his expression, his grip on my waist bruising, and I’m sure my selfish, simple wish will be coming true in a few short hours.
Mayhem flips a knife over in his hands and offers me the handle. “Birthday girl does the stabbing,” he says. “Of the cake, anyway. Ghost isn’t gonna let you play those games for a while, I bet.”
Ghost tenses beside me, but I take the knife. “I’m not opposed.”
Mayhem raises a brow, a short “Hm” on his tongue while Ghost’s neck flexes. Not unhappily in the least, I’m proud to say.
I cut a slice out of the chocolate cake and drop it on a cute paper plate with white rose designs, and offer the knife back to Mayhem. “Go ahead. We know you want to.”
He sniffs again, but takes it. “She’s not so bad,” he mumbles, cutting the remaining slices and doling them out.
Ghost doesn’t take any prodding to partake in eating and small talk. Eustice joins us, and Mayhem makes the occasional distant remark. Murder seems peculiarly taken with his cake, breaking it apart with his fork more than eating it.
It’s somehow the happiest, kindest thing they could’ve done, and all I want to do is hug them until whatever’s happening dies down.
“Did you pick the cake out?” I ask Murder.
He takes a beat to realize I’m talking to him, and another to clear his throat and nod. “That’s me.”
“I don’t do cake,” Mayhem says. “I do Thai food that gets left in the fridge forone night, Eustice.”
“Next time I’ll just let you die.” Eustice rolls her eyes.
“It was a day!” Mayhem says. “One day. It’s not like she was gone for…” A soul deep cut reopens, and while Murder’s brow raises, Ghost visibly winces. Quick as it came, Mayhem’s cold, wild expression is back in place. “You owe me a bowl of noodles.”
I wait for someone who knows him better than I do to do something, but no one does. I don’t know if it’s because it’smy birthday partyand no one is brave enough to make it weird or what, but my heart hurts, and I can’t ignore it. I set my plate down by my feet and, before he can run or pull a knife, I hug Mayhem’s waist.
