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On the car ride to school the next day, I explained what happened. She smiled and said it was all right, that she understood.
I’m heading out to my car, placing my football bag and change of clothes inside. Henry walks up after parking the black sedan in my parents’ driveway.
“Kalum, I haven’t had the chance to thank Aura. I was wondering when you see her, if you could thank her for me.”
What does he want to thank her for? Henry isn’t allowed inside the house unless one of us gives him access, and Aura rides with me from school or hangs out with Exie.
Camila went to get groceries with Henry this week. Aura has midterms coming up and a project for school due.
My mother has excused her for the next three weeks and she has been up in her room. My feeling is that she is dreading turning eighteen tomorrow and she will be officially a hired member of the staff. If my plan works out, all of that will change.
“What would I be thanking her for, Henry?” I ask as I stand a few feet away.
“Oh, the delicious chocolate triple layer cake she made the night your parents gave you a surprise birthday with all your friends. You were out late, and Camila gave everyone a slice of the cake and some balloons to some of the staffs’ kids.” He wrinkles his forehead, and my heart sinks. “I thought the balloons were a bit odd, but the cake was decorated so beautifully. It had these little sparkling candles, but I didn’t mind. The cake was superb. Honestly, the best cake I have ever tasted. It must have taken her quite some time. I heard she spent hours making it.”
“It was that good, huh?”
My heart drops, and shame claws my skin. What should I say? Throw up the cake? It doesn’t take a genius to know it was my surprise cake. She never said anything. She said she understood.
The next words out of his mouth make me feel like the biggest piece of shit on earth, solidifying the reason for her behavior. I royally screwed up.
“I was wondering the other day why she wanted to stop and buy balloons and cake supplies. Aura is the sweetest thing on earth. She paid for all those items out of her own pocket to make us all that splendid cake.”
Aura must think I don’t love or care about her.
No one has ever made me a surprise birthday cake with balloons. My parents hire catering companies and chefs for any event they host. My mother would chop her fingers off beforemaking me a cake. I would be surprised if she even knew how to make one.
Fuuuck.
“I will. I will tell her when I see her.”
If she will talk to me. I ruined her surprise, and I won’t ever get it back.
The restaurant was posh and over the top like my parents and my friends’ parents. They even invited Sarah, her parents, her friends, and their parents.
Cason was the only one at the table that could sense how upset I was. He was the only one who knew I didn’t want to be there. Lane texted me well wishes and told me to tell Aura he said hi.
Like I said, Lane and I are boys. Even if we aren’t up each other’s ass, we still keep in touch on birthdays and certain holidays. Guilt ate at me when I saw it was close to midnight, and my birthday was practically over.
I read my text to Aura, and I felt like shit. I told her I wanted to spend it with her and it was the opposite of what I did. Sarah tried to get me to fuck her in the bathroom or give me a BJ in my car.
She was pissed when I told her I would never touch her again and to forget about us getting back together. She asked me if it was because of Aura, and I was honest and told her yes. She laughed. I told her to fuck off.
She said Aura and I would never happen. I told her she was desperate. She left in a huff, telling me I would call her. If she only knew that was never going to happen.
Henry smiles. “Thank you, Kalum.”
After the game, I need to fix the mess I made and hope Aura will forgive me. If I would have known, I would have made it back home. I was worried about my parents finding out how I felt about her. I also didn’t know how to tell her that my parentsinvited Sarah, her friends, and her parents. I knew it would hurt her on top of me not showing up. I didn’t want her to think I was using her.
Parents with money are more powerful than people think. They can disown you or make the other person suffer, and I would die if that happened. No matter what, I will make sure Aura doesn’t suffer. I will protect her. She thinks she has no one, but she has me, and that will never change.
20
AURA
It is seven thirty, and I’m in the dining room. Mr. and Mrs. St. Claire want to have a word with me, and I’m nervous. They probably got wind of Kalum and me, and they want to send me away.
My birthday is tomorrow, and I’m officially an adult. No one knows it’s my birthday at school, just Exie, Kalum, his parents, and the staff know. Camila is making a cake to celebrate. For me, it feels like a death sentence. Where would I go? How will I support myself?
