AllFreeNovel
Share Us
28
ELLA
I’ve been so wrapped up in Remy I hardly noticed the date until that morning.
My stomach clenches, and a heavyweight settles on my chest. It’s September 19th. My birthday. The anniversary of Dad’s death. Tears gather in my eyes, and I draw a deep breath, shaking my head. It doesn’t matter anymore as no one even knows or cares when my birthday is.
It used to piss me off that Mom tried harder and harder each year to make my birthday a happy occasion, despite the fact I told her I didn’t want to celebrate. She knew why. She didn’t care.
And then she started insisting that we celebrate because it was an important day to her too, the day she birthed me. I swallow hard as a lump forms in my throat.
While she was a jerk a lot of the time, I still miss her.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and I grab it, checking the messages.
Mia: Don’t forget lunch at Vincenzo’s. See you later!
I run my fingers through my hair. Things have been so crazy I didn’t keep track of the dates and agreed to lunch last week absentmindedly, as she’s due to go on vacation this weekend for two weeks. However, I want to curl up and go back to sleep until tomorrow. I throw my cell phone onto the nightstand, deciding I’ll reply later.
All I want is to be left alone. I roll over, inhaling deeply, placing the back of my wrist against my head. Remy’s scent encompasses me and makes me feel safe, chasing some of the anxiety away.
It’s just another day.
Sighing heavily, I force myself to climb out of Remy’s bed. It’s time to start my day.
I head into the kitchen to make breakfast, wondering if Remy is already at work. It’s almost ten in the morning, so he should be. As I get the pans going and start cooking pancakes, I ignore the nagging voice telling me I should be in Washington.
This is the first year since his death that I’ve not been to visit his grave on the anniversary.
Someone clearing their throat behind me makes me jump, and I turn around to see Remy leaning against the counter, a soft smirk on his lips. “Happy birthday, angel.”
I swallow hard, wondering how he knew. “Don’t say that,” I snap.
He tilts his head, brows pulling together. “Why not? It’s your birthday.” He holds a small wrapped gift, and my chest tightens. It’s the same size as the gift my dad gave me the day before he died. A gift that remains stuffed in the back of my closet unopened. I couldn’t open it as it felt like I’d lose the last part of him that I own.
My breathing labors and black dots swim in my vision as I claw onto the counter to stop myself from collapsing.
Remy drops the gift on the side and rushes to me in time, catching me in his arms. “What’s wrong, Ella?” His voice sounds far away, and panicked.
I breathe deeply, trying to calm my racing heart as Remy cradles me close. I open my mouth to tell him, but no words come out. All I can do is lean into his embrace and let him anchor me in the present moment, trying to ignore all the pain and fear associated with this day.
“You’re okay,” he murmurs into my ear. “Come on, let’s get you a seat.” He leads me to the kitchen table, forces me to sit down, and then gets me a glass of water.
“Thank you,” I mumble.
He sits opposite me, quiet and assessing, not yet asking what I know he wants to ask.
“How did you know?” I ask.
“I wasn’t going to invite people to live with me that I didn’t know everything about, Ella. Dangers follow me everywhere, and both you and your mother were background-checked before you arrived.” He shrugs. “I knew it was today and wondered why you hadn’t told anyone.”
I bite my lip so hard I taste the metallic tang of blood. “Right.” I don’t meet his gaze.
“Why didn’t you?”
I look into his eyes and can feel the floodgates ready to open. “I’ve never wanted to celebrate my birthday. At least not for the last eleven years.”
“Of course…” His jaw clenches. “I should have remembered. He died the same day?”
