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For a few hours I lose myself in the pulsing music, caught up in the fevered energy of the crowd, screaming out the lyrics I know by heart. Whatever heaviness I was feeling earlier is gone, burned away. There’s just something so soothing and probably therapeutic about screaming your lungs out to your favorite songs at a concert.
It’s past midnight when we leave, the music still ringing in my ears. Harper and Lyric had to leave earlier with their parents. Cedric is heading back to Jamie’s place. Now it’s just Johnathan, his girlfriend, Gabe and me in the apartment.
“Happy birthday again,” Johnathan says over his shoulder, guiding his date toward his room. “Now if you don’t mind, we’ll be busy for the rest of the night.”
Gabe tilts his head toward his room. “Do you want to come to my studio?”
I’m still buzzing from the concert, not ready to sleep yet, so I nod eagerly. When we get to his studio, he hands me a neatly wrapped present.
“Thank you, but you’ve done enough,” I start to protest.
“I haven’t done anything,” he insists, a shy half-smile quirking his lips.
“I heard Cedric tell Jamie that the cake was your idea—and so was the concert,” I add.
Gabe rubs the back of his neck, looking adorably awkward. “Your brother wanted to do something special. I just helped out with a few suggestions,” he says modestly.
I carefully peel back the wrapping paper to reveal a first edition copy of The Secret Garden. Izzy and I used to read it together as kids, promising we’d have our own garden one day. That was before she went off to college seven years ago and never came back.
I look up at Gabe, incredibly touched that he remembered such an offhand detail about my childhood. “It’s perfect. Thank you—for everything. You made this an amazing birthday.”
On impulse, I wrap him in a fierce hug. He hesitates only a second before hugging me back.
“You’re giving me too much credit,” he insists.
I let that slide because I doubt he’ll recognize that this surprise birthday celebration was all his idea, but I do say, “So, Ame, huh?”
“Not A-meh. It’s pronounced A-mee, like bee, not meh,” he explains.
“I like it,” I confess. “What’s the story behind it though.”
“We ran out of space, but Ame sounds cute.” He rubs his neck self-consciously.
“I love it,” I say, because it’s the first time I have been given a nickname. Everyone including my family has always called me Ameline.
I find myself leaning closer, needing to tip up on my toes to reach him. Our eyes lock and for a heartbeat I imagine what it would feel like to kiss him, to throw caution to the wind. I’m close enough to see the way his pupils dilate, darkening his blue eyes. Close enough to feel the warmth of his breath against my lips. It would be so easy to close those last few inches between us . . .
But the image of his mysterious girlfriend flashes in my mind. Even if he was available, getting involved with my teacher’s nephew—never mind my brother’s roommate—would be playing with fire. I know better.
I take a quick step back, the moment broken. “I should let you get some sleep. And I’m going to start re-reading this,” I say brightly as I hold up the book, willing my pounding heart to slow down. A tactical departure to regroup my feelings is definitely in order. Maybe I’ll even call Izzy later, see if she remembers the time when she read this book to me. Maybe even tell her about Gabe . . . if she picks up.
Chapter Ten
Gabe: Merry Christmas. :Present: emoji
Ameline: (stretches, yawns, and clears eyes) Merry Christmas. Isn’t it a little too early?
Gabe: Tell that to my siblings who’ve been awake since the crack of dawn. They take the opening of the presents pretty seriously.
Ameline: I can’t even remember the last time we woke up early on Christmas Day. Seems like the youngest usually gets forgotten or gets the shittiest leftovers.
Gabe: Doubtful. Coda, the youngest, is the most spoiled kid. I think it’s because there are no more little children in the family. But even if he wasn’t around, I would still pretend there’s a Santa. My grandparents are the best at making Christmas magical.
Ameline: Your family sounds incredible.
Gabe: They’re pretty cool, even when they seem a little overbearing.
Gabe: What are you doing today?
