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I place my beer down on the side table and get comfy on the sofa, watching as she hauls herself up beside me. “Don’t do the whole Christmas thing again.”
“No, it’s not that, it’s just not that big of a deal. I’m only turning twenty-five.”
“You only turn twenty-five once.”
She picks up the remote and turns on Netflix, snuggling under the arm I hold up for her. “You only turn any age once. What do you want to watch?” I shrug and she starts flicking through the movies.
“I know you do but… it’s your birthday.”
“It’s just not an important one, okay?”
“So… what you’re saying is I should cancel the big rave I have planned?” I joke. She snaps her head toward me and I concede. “Okay, no rave. But what about having a few people over? Tris and his brood, my parents, Maya?”
She sighs. “If we must, but nothing fancy. And I’m telling people they can’t buy me presents.” She clicks play on “The Lucky One” and I groan. “You shrugged, you can’t moan when I put on what I want to watch. Plus… Zac Efron.”
I feign hurt. “I can’t believe you just said that. I’m buying you a giant pony for your birthday and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
She slaps my leg gently while chuckling. “You’re a loser.”
I wrap her up in a tight hug. “And you’re perfect.”
She pushes me away a little so she can cup her hand around my jaw. “This is perfect.”
I turn my head, kissing her palm. “Yeah, yeah it is.”
I spread my arms wide, staring up at the wooden beams on the ceiling, tracking the grains on the wood as I do. I’ve been lying here for over an hour, but I can’t bring myself to call for help. It’s peaceful here: no noise, just me and the wooden floor.
Today is the day I turn a quarter of a century—twenty-five. Shaking my head, I almost can’t believe all that’s happened in my short life, but no matter how bad things have been, I wouldn’t change any of them because they all got me to this point: on Nate’s floor, my wheelchair across the room and me not being able to reach it.
Footsteps reverberate through the hardwood floor, signaling Nate coming into the living room from outside where he’s been setting up for a cookout—much like we had for Izzie’s birthday, only there won’t be any princesses and princes at this party.
“I’ve nearly—” Nate comes to a stop next to me, his hands hanging loosely off his hips as he stares at me with wide eyes. “What are you doing?"
I try my best to shrug, but it’s awkward from where I’m lying. “Oh you know, just hanging."
He quirks a brow, his lips twisting into a smirk. “You can’t get to your chair, can you?"
I sigh. "Nope, it wheeled off on its own."
His shadow moves from above me as I make circles with the tip of my finger on the hardwood floor.
“Why didn't you shout for me?" he asks as he wheels my chair over to me, crouching down and holding out his hand to help me up.
“I liked it down there.” I push up, letting Nate help me onto the chair before the doorbell rings.
“No, seriously,” he continues when I move toward the door to answer it. “Why didn’t you call?”
I reach my hand out to open the door, moving my gaze back to him as I say, “Figured you’d find me eventually.”
Shaking his head, he smiles softly at me before I pull the door open revealing an excited Izzie who jumps right at Nate. Clay walks in with his head down as he makes his way to the sofa in the living room.
“Don’t mind him, he’s always reading,” Harmony says, then shakes her head. “I don’t know why I said that, you know him better than I do at this stage.”
I chuckle softly, waving my hand at her to come closer, baby Frankie resting on her hip. “Let me have a cuddle.”
She smiles wide, lowering him into my arms, his wide green-blue eyes stare at me before he babbles, his arms waving about and his hands clutching onto my hair.
“Happy birthday, A.” I look up at Tris as he leans down, placing a kiss on my forehead before shutting the door behind him. It’s then I realize I’m still in the doorway, everyone else having moved to the kitchen apart from Clay who is curled up in the corner of the sofa.
