Текст книги "Tempted"

Автор книги: Alana Sapphire

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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 9 страниц)

“Excuse me. You’re in my spot.”

I motion for her to run along, and she looks between me and Gage in confusion.

“Are you…is she serious?”

“You heard her. Move, bitch.” Gage tells her.

There’s an uproar of “Oh!” from the men closest to us and she staggers back in shock. I don’t know how it got to Allah so quickly, but he starts to play Ludacris’ “Move Bitch”. I lean against him and he wraps his arms around me. Everyone is staring at us. As Lonnie walks out of the clubhouse, I decide to take it a bit further. These hoes need to get the message – he’s mine. I turn around, snake my arms around his neck, and pull him down for a kiss.

Suck on that, bitches.

CHAPTER 13

***Gage***

“I have something for you.”

“I know. You just won’t give it to me,” Raven says with a scowl.

“Jesus. The closer we get to your birthday, the more of a sex fiend you become.”

“How is that a bad thing?”

“Just look in the glove compartment. There’s an envelope in there.”

She sighs and pulls out the envelope with the little blue bow.

“What’s this?”

“Early birthday present. Open it.”

She removes the tickets from the envelope and I watch as her eyes go wide.

“Oh, my God…oh, my God…”

“You like him, right? He’s the one always playing on your phone?”

She screams in excitement and bounces in her seat.

“Pull over!”

“Why?”

“Just do it!”

I pull over, park, and turn to her. She unbuckles her seat belt and climbs into my lap. Her lips are all over my face, a “thank you” coming out between each kiss.

“You’re welcome, babe.”

“You are so getting a blowjob for this.”

“Shit. Who else you like?”

She giggles and moves into her seat as I pull back onto the road.

“I’ll give you a list. Why are there four tickets?”

“I thought you’d want to take Chrissy. The other one is for Ron.”

“Awesome! But…these are for tonight. Gage! You couldn’t give me a little notice?”

“We might have to stay overnight, so pack a bag.”

She pulls her phone out of her pocket, and pretty soon I hear Chrissy screaming on the other end. I pull into her driveway just as she hangs up.

“Okay. She’s gonna come over, so you can pick us up here.”

“Got it.”

“Where’s my kiss?” I ask as she reaches for the door. She rolls her eyes and pecks me on the cheek. I grab the back of her neck and pull her lips to mine. I tease them with my tongue until she grants me entrance. Before I can slip inside, she pulls away, drawing a shaky breath.

“Three days, Gage. Three days. Can you believe it?”

“I know.”

“Seems like I’ve been waiting forever.”

“Tell me about it. Maybe we should go away somewhere…just the two of us. Go lay up on a beach for a few days.”

“Yeah, we could make love under a palm tree.”

Make love. Usually, those words would make my skin itch. But not coming from her. The dreamy expression in her eyes makes me want to give that to her. The problem is, I don’t know how.

“We can fuck under a palm tree.”

She glares at me and pushes me away. “You just had to go and be nasty. Bye.”

“I’ll pick you up at seven!” I shout just as she slams the car door.

I wait until she’s inside then drive off. From three months to three days. I can’t believe I made it. I can’t believe I made it with no pussy. Well, the last six weeks since we got together anyway. Shit. I hope I don’t make a fool of myself and come too quickly. I guess I just need to make sure I take care of her first.

When I get to the clubhouse, I find Ron waiting for me. I toss the car keys to Booker as I pass him. “Get it washed, will ya?”

“Sure thing, Prez.”

They’ve both been great so far. I think it’s about time I put their membership to a vote. Especially Ron. I don’t know what I would have done without him these past few weeks.

I shower and pull on some black jeans, a white shirt, and black Timbs. I actually comb my hair, remembering how Raven looked at me that night at Scythe. I also wear her favorite cologne. I grab my wallet and black, leather jacket and head out.

“Wanna take the Mustang?” Ron asks.

“Nah. The Charger. You drive.”

The girls are on the porch, waiting when we arrive. We lean on the car and wait for them at the end of the driveway.

“Oh…shit,” Ron whispers next to me.

They’re wearing the same outfit – little black skirts that barely cover their asses and some crisscross contraption of a top that has their tits popping out.

“Go change,” we say at the same time.

The girls look at each other then burst out laughing. Raven opens the back door and gives me a defiant look.

“We’ll be late. Let’s go.”

Fuck me. I toss their bags in the trunk and slide in next to her while Ron and Chrissy take the front. She settles under my arm and places her head on my chest. Every now and then, she takes a deep breath and releases it slowly.

“You’re like a little puppy. Always sniffing me.”

“Because you smell amazing,” she and Chrissy say in unison.

“Okay, you two spend way too much time together,” Ron says as they laugh.

“Look who’s talking. The ‘go change’ twins. Don’t worry, baby. You smell amazing, too,” Chrissy says.

By the time we get to the venue, they can barely contain their excitement. They’ve put on jackets, but that does nothing to curb the interested stares. I drape my arm around Raven’s shoulder and pull her close to me. There’s no way she’s leaving my sight tonight. She leans against me as we wait for the show to start. Damn, she feels good. She raises her phone above us and tells me to smile. After she takes the picture, I watch her post it to Instagram.

The show starts and she steps away from me. When the guy comes on stage, all the women lose their fucking minds. Including mine. She and Chrissy are screaming, their phones trained on the stage. At least she’s happy. That’s all that matters. After a few songs, I have to admit the guy isn’t bad. He starts the song Raven had as a ringtone and she stands transfixed, just staring up at him. When he gets to the chorus, she starts to sway. I take her hand and pull her back into my arms.

She presses her ass against my crotch and slowly rolls her hips. I move her hair to the side and feel her shiver as I kiss behind her ear. She places a hand on the back of my neck and grinds harder. I squeeze her thigh as my dick starts to harden. I hear a soft moan as I slide my fingers under her skirt. I’m so close, I can feel her heat. Before I can move my hand, she bends her knees and my fingers slip. They connect with the crotch of her panties. The wet crotch of her panties. Fuck! I pull my hand away as if I’d been burned. She turns around and stares up at me. Looking into her eyes, everything clicks into place in my mind. I know exactly what I’m getting her for her birthday.

***Raven***

Toni is freaking out. I sent her some videos and pictures from the show, and she is losing her mind. Not to mention it’s the first time she’s seen Gage, so she’s berating me for not fucking him yet.

“Who are you texting at this hour?” Gage asks, annoyance in his voice.

“Toni.”

“Who the fuck is Tony and why are you texting him?”

I roll my eyes as I resign myself to the fact that all men are the same. “Toni. I’ve told you about her. She’s my Miami Chrissy.”

“Oh.”

“She wants to come visit. Says she wants a big, bad biker, too.”

“Well, we have plenty of those around here. Can she come for your birthday? I’ll buy her ticket.”

“You will?”

“Sure.”

He grimaces as I scream and climb onto his lap. Chrissy and Ron laugh, but I don’t care. I text Toni and she replies with a “Hell yeah!”

“Aaah! She said ‘yes’. Thank you. This is going to be the best birthday ever!”

“Babe.”

His voice is strained, so I furrow my brows at him in confusion. He glances down and so do I. With me straddling him, my skirt rode all the way up and he has a very nice view of my lady bits. I give him a sheepish smile and slide back into the seat, pulling my skirt down.

We stop at Waffle House and then Gage gets us two rooms at a hotel. I wanted to stay with him but he decided it would be best if Chrissy and I share a room. Just a few more days and we don’t have to worry about appearances. We’re beat, so Chrissy and I shower and crawl into our beds. Just as I’m nodding off, the room door opens. Chrissy lets Ron in and shushes him.

“Raven’s sleeping,” she whispers.

They climb into bed and under the covers and I think they’re going to sleep. That is, until I hear a moan. No, Baby Jesus. Tell me they’re not going to have sex with me in the room.

“No. You’ll wake her up.”

“Please, baby. I need you.”

Shit. The desperation in his voice makes me want to fuck him.

“Okay…but be quiet.”

I’m lying on my back, so I can pretty much see the movement under the blanket. I don’t want to move and alert them, but I also feel like a perv. Chrissy’s trying to be quiet but even if I was asleep, I would have heard her. Ron tosses the blanket back and kneels on the bed. He reaches into his back pocket as she works on his button and zipper. I swallow a gasp when she pulls his dick out of his pants. She’d told me he was packing, but good Lord. You go, Ron! I watch with appreciation as he rolls on a condom and tells her to turn around. Oh, God. What should I do? I shouldn’t be watching this. Most of all, I should not be turned on! But I am. I can’t help it. I clench my fists at my sides to stop myself from sliding my fingers into my panties.

Ron holds on to her hips and slowly slides inside her. My muscles clench as I think about Gage doing the same thing to me. I think about him pumping into me the way it’s happening right next to me. The pulsing in my clit gets harder to bear. Ron reaches up and grabs her hair, pulling her head back as he moves a little faster. I try to keep my breathing even, but I don’t think I’m very successful. Thank God they’re not paying attention to me. He throws his head back, lost in pleasure as Chrissy meets his thrusts. He grabs her hips, steadies her, and thrusts deep, holding the position. She cries out, unable to keep quiet. I really can’t ignore that. Ron jerks his head in my direction and tries to pull the blanket around them.

“Great, guys. Traumatize me, won’t you?”

“Oh, God, Ray. I’m sorry!”

Ron chuckles as I wrap my blanket around myself and head for the door. “Have fun,” I tell them.

Luckily, we got adjacent rooms. I knock on the door and a confused and shirtless Gage opens up. He looks beyond me out into the hallway.

“Are you okay?”

I push past him and toss my blanket on Ron’s bed, the untouched one, and climb into Gage’s.

“Those two can’t keep their hands off each other for one night.” He chuckles as he joins me, pulling me into his arms. I lay my head on his chest and throw my leg over his. “Can you keep a secret?” I ask.

“Of course.”

“Promise me you won’t tell anyone. Pinky swear.”

“I promise, babe.”

“I watched them.”

“Ron and Chrissy?”

“Yeah…until they got too loud to ignore, anyway. They thought I was asleep.”

“You bad, bad girl.”

He chuckles and trails his fingers up my thigh. The stirring between my legs returns. “I thought about you…about us.”

“Soon. Very soon.”

“I know. Two more sleeps.”

“I hope you won’t mind leaving your party early, but we’re out that bitch at midnight like Cinderella.”

“Are you kidding me? I’ll drag you to a closet if I have to.”

He squeezes my thigh and takes a deep breath. I feel him getting hard against my knee.

“Did you have fun tonight?” He asks.

“Yeah. You?”

“It was a’ight. I see why you like that tattoo song. Plus, it’s kind of our story, don’t you think?”

Our story. We have a story and we have a song. I need to remember to add it to my Gage playlist. My heart beats faster, threatening to burst out of my chest. His hand is now on my ass, tracing the edge of my panties. I slide my leg over until I’m sitting on top of him.

“So…I’m the only one you want kissing your tattoos?”

“What do you think?”

I lean down and place a soft kiss on the word “death” printed on his sternum then move across to the word “dealers”. He draws in a sharp breath. I slowly travel down his chest, kissing and licking at his ink. He groans as I suck on his nipple. I slide my tongue up the words on his stomach and bite into his flesh. His body jerks, but he doesn’t stop me. He’s so hard I can barely find anything for my teeth to hold on to. I trail little kisses up both his arms before he flips over and settles between my legs.

“You’re driving me crazy, Raven.”

“Fair’s fair. You do the same to me.”

He moves to the side, leaving one leg between mine. His fingers crawl up my inner thigh but stop at the edge of my panties. I moan as he makes small circles on my skin.

“Touch yourself for me.”

Baby Jesus in the manger. My breathing accelerates as I pull my T-shirt up. I stare at him as he watches my hand disappear into my panties.

“Are you wet?”

Wet? It’s Niagara Falls down there. “Yes.”

“Let me see.”

I roll my fingers around then show him my glistening digits. He takes my hand and sucks on my fingers one by one. I think I feel myself gush even more.

“Fuck, babe. I knew you’d taste good.”

He covers my hand with his and slides it back into my underwear, keeping his fingers on top of mine while I touch myself. He moves the tip of my middle finger to my clit and presses down. My hips jerk, and I whimper.

“Circles…right here,” he instructs.

I follow his order as he bites my nipple through my shirt. It sends a zing of current through my body and I shudder. He continues to guide my movements, touching me but not really touching me. I can’t hold back the sounds escaping me.

“Gage…”

He kisses me deeply, his tongue taking over my mouth. My thighs tremble as he uses my own fingers to deliver excruciatingly maddening sensations. I begin to writhe against him as I feel my orgasm in the distance.

“Keep going.”

He removes his hand and kneels between my legs, kissing up my inner thighs and sucking on my skin.

“Oh, God, Gage.”

“That’s it, doll. Make that pussy come for me.”

I can’t stay still. I grind against my fingers as he sucks on my thighs. He’s so close…if only he would just push my panties aside and replace my fingers with his tongue. I massage my breast with my free hand, twirling the nipple.

“You smell so good,” he mumbles.

“What do I smell like?” I cry out as he licks the crease between my thigh and hip.

“Like my favorite meal.”

Jesus. “Then bon appétit.”

He chuckles and bites into my thigh.

“Soon.”

With that promise, I work my clit faster. He spreads my thighs wide and watches me.

“My pussy, Raven…all mine.”

His words send me over the edge and I arch my back, leaping off and into a sea of torrid pleasure.

“Gage!”

My muscles convulse and my body is racked with seemingly endless shudders. I lie there, twitching and unable to move. That was so intense, it’s like it drained all my energy. He lies next to me, softly kissing my cheek as I try to catch my breath and regain feeling in my limbs. If this is what happens from him being in the same room while I touch myself, I can only imagine what’s going to happen when he finally touches me. I have never looked forward to a birthday more in my entire life.

CHAPTER 14

***Gage***

“What is all this?”

I shuffle through the papers littering my desk as Ellen walks in, carrying a couple of garment bags.

“Invoices for Raven’s party.”

“It’s just one night. I have less paperwork ordering a month’s supplies for both clubs.”

“Oh, shut up. It’s a special night, and you can afford it.”

Right. Guess I can’t argue with that logic. “I’ll start writing the checks.”

“I need you to sign off on her dress. I brought two I think she’d like.”

She unzips the garment bags and removes the dresses, holding them up for me to see. They’re both blue, one long, and one short.

“This one is more traditional prom.” She jiggles the long one. “This one, more of a party dress. It’s strapless; you can see the cutouts on the bodice. With the high-low, frilled skirt, I feel like it’s something she’d choose for herself. She likes to show skin.”

Yes, she does. I study them both and try to imagine her wearing them. As much as I’d love to see her covered up, I know she’d like the short one. And she’ll look damn sexy in it, too.

“The short one.”

“Excellent! And here’s your suit.”

She unzips the other bag, revealing a black suit with two different ties. She removes one, leaving a color that exactly matches the chosen dress.

“I’m not wearing that.”

She scowls at me, tapping her foot in frustration.

“You cannot wear jeans and your cut.”

“Wasn’t planning on it, but I’m not wearing a monkey suit, either.”

“Ugh! What kind of Prince Charming will you be without the suit or the dancing?”

“I’m no Prince Charming, Ellen.”

“But you can be.”

She sits in the chair opposite me and stares imploringly. “For one night, you can be her prince and make her feel like a princess. It’s just for a few hours, Gage. A few hours on your part that will give her a lifetime of good memories.”

Fuck. I eye the suit once more. That night at Scythe flashes in my mind once more. Fuck.

“Fine. I’ll wear the suit.”

***Raven***

I practically float around the diner. Not even the crankiest customer can get me down today. My birthday party is tomorrow. After that, Gage and I can be together – truly together. No more hiding and sneaking around, and we can finally make love. My body tingles as I think about it. Plus, I get to have my two best friends here to celebrate with me. Toni gets here this evening, and I can’t wait to see her. The icing on the cake has to be that Lonnie has been M.I.A for days. I’ve spoken to the manager at the apartment complex and my dad’s lawyer. Everything is pretty much in place. I’m almost done packing. It’s not like I have much to move.

“Aren’t you a ray of sunshine today?” Millie smiles at me.

“I’m really looking forward to my party tomorrow, even though I have no clue about what’s going on. I know Ellen and Chrissy are working on it, so at least it won’t be bikers and rock music.”

“Oh, I think you’ll like it. I’m giving you the day off so you can get your hair and nails done and what-not.”

“Thank you! Just a hint, Millie. Please?”

“Nope. You’ll know soon enough.”

“Ugh! Fine.”

On my break, I head outside and call Gage.

“Babe,” he croons. Dios, me encanta su voz. And when he calls me “babe”.

“Hey.”

“What’s up, doll?”

“Nothing. Just wanted to hear your voice.”

“Is that so?”

“Yup. I’m so excited about tomorrow. I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“Me, too. I swear I’ve tried balancing these books a million times. I get halfway through and have to start all over.”

“You’re still not going to tell me anything about the party?”

“My lips are sealed.”

“How am I supposed to know what to wear?” I counter.

“I got it covered.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. Your outfit will be waiting for you when you get back from all your hair and nail shit tomorrow.”

“You covered that, too?”

“I’m just cutting the checks. Ellen’s been a busy bee.”

“So, I guess Ellen’s the one I should go home with tomorrow night then.”

He goes silent, and I can’t help but laugh.

“Ha ha, very funny,” he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Listen…I was thinking about this getaway idea. The more I think about it, the better it sounds.”

“Where you wanna go?”

“I don’t know yet, but we can leave on Thursday. I just need to wrap up some business.”

“Cool. I need to talk to Millie. And I have to meet with Mr. Santini, Daddy’s lawyer, to sign some papers, and then we’re going to take care of my apartment. But we should be done by noon.”

“How much you need for the apartment?”

“It’s all taken care of. Don’t worry about it.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. I have to get back to work, so later.”

“Okay, babe.”

By the end of the day, I’m jittery. Ron and Chrissy went to pick up Toni at the airport and they’ll be here any minute. I say my goodbyes to everyone and wait for them outside. I’m craning my neck to see down the street, chewing on my lower lip, and bouncing on the balls of my feet. Toni’s more of a sister to me than Lonnie will ever be. We’ve been inseparable since we were kids, even though she’s a year older. She’s a lot like me, or maybe I’m a lot like her. I’ve always looked up to her. Hell, she’s the one who told me about periods and gave me the birds-and-the-bees talk. By “talk”, I mean she showed me one of her dad’s pornos and told me to always use condoms. I was ten. Needless to say, I was a little traumatized.

When I finally see the Charger, my heart begins to race. Toni sticks her head through the window and screams. Before the car even comes to a complete stop, her door is open and she’s jumping out. She’s tall, athletic, milk-chocolate gorgeous, and has the lightest brown eyes I’ve ever seen. Oh, my God, she looks so different! She’s relaxed her hair and dyed it burgundy since the last time she sent me a picture.

“Rave!”

With an excited shriek, I jump into her arms. “Toni! Oh, my God, I missed you.”

“Jesus Christ, gal, what a way you get fat!”

“Whatever. I am not fat!”

“Mmhmm. That ass looks fatter. What’s Gage been feeding you?”

“Just get back in the car. Let’s go.”

“After you, fatty.”

I climb in and find Chrissy in the back seat. Ron teases that they’ve been talking his ears off. Great! I was wondering if they’d get along. “Where we headed?” I ask Ron.

“Orders are to take you to the clubhouse.”

“Can you stop at the house first, please?”

“Got it.”

After Toni and I shower and change, we head over to the clubhouse. Even from outside, we hear the hip-hop music blaring. Toni starts to dance before we walk through the doors. I can smell Chopper’s burgers, so there’s definitely a party going on. The music stops when Ron pushes the door open for us.

“Surprise!” Everyone yells.

What the fuck? All the guys are here, grinning from ear to ear. It’s obvious they started the party without me because they’ve all got drinks and Hounds hanging on them.

“What’s going on?” I ask no one in particular.

Gage moves toward me from the back of the room, a big, beautiful smile on his lips.

“Bomboclawt,” Toni drawls. “Swag buck. He got that big dick walk.”

“Take your eyes off my man’s dick.”

“Mmhmm…mi see if you big, bad, and brave when him fling cocky under yu rass.”

“Yeah. I’ll tell you all about it.”

“What does she mean?” Chrissy whispers.

“That his swag is turned all the way up, and basically I won’t be so smug after he fucks me.”

“Oh.”

“That’s Mr. Flintstone right there,” Toni continues.

“He’ll definitely make your bed rock,” Chrissy adds.

I look between the two of them in marvel. I can’t believe they just met today. “Yeah, well…I’ll be his Wilma any day.”

I smile up at him as he stands before me.

“Hey, babe.”

“What is all this?”

“The guys wanted to throw you a party…our way. But I think this is more for them than you.”

There’s a chorus of “happy birthday” and then the music starts back up. I’m overwhelmed. I just don’t know what to say.

“You must be Toni,” Gage says to my bestie.

“Yeah. Nice to meet you. Thanks for the trip.”

He raises a brow at me when she hugs him and kisses his cheek. I wave it off and he shrugs.

“No problem. My girl wanted you here.”

“Shit, Rave. Please want me here more often.”

“Move. Then I won’t need to miss you.”

“Find me a man like him and we have a deal.”

Gage gives her his cocky grin and motions to the room as he pulls me away. “Take your pick.”

Everyone greets me as we pass by. Even some of the Hounds. Ellen kisses my cheek and whispers in my ear.

“Happy birthday.”

“Thanks. Where’s Mikey?”

“In the back, sleeping. That kid can sleep through anything.”

Gage leads me into the corridor and pushes me against the wall. I forget about everything going on in the next room and wrap my arms around his neck as he lowers his head. His lips cover mine as he grabs my ass and lifts me off the floor. I wrap my legs around his hips and part my lips for his insistent tongue. I moan at the first taste of him – like peppermint and my favorite dessert. He sucks on my tongue and presses his crotch into mine with a groan.

“Fuck. I can’t even look at you without getting hard.”

“Perfect. ’Cause I get wet just thinking about you.”

He lets me down and reaches into his back pocket. I stare down at the small, rectangular box he presents me with.

“Happy birthday.”

I open it and there’s a replica of his necklace and “12 Gage” pendant. It’s smaller, but it looks exactly like the one he gave me that I now wear all the time. He removes it from my neck and places it back around his. I lift my hair out of the way and he clasps mine for me.

“Oh, Gage…I love it.”

He smiles proudly as he stares at the necklace. “Mine.”

I return his smile, grab his cut and pull him in close. “Mine,” I tell him.

He takes my hand and we walk back to the bar. Pandemonium ensues. There are cheers, whistles, catcalls, and hooting. My cheeks must be flaming red. I hold my head down and avoid everyone’s gazes. Dr. E comes over and hugs me tightly. He eyes my necklace then winks at Gage.

“Happy birthday, sis.”

He kisses my cheek and loses himself in the crowd. Sis. Is that what this is all about? Is it some kind of welcome to their club? Their family? My heart constricts. This band of men who I once despised has embraced me into their lives. I couldn’t feel more at home. They’ve even welcomed my friends. Chrissy is on Ron’s lap and Toni is next to them, sitting on the bar talking to Allah. Huh...so all it took was my bestie to pull him away from the turntables. I smile as I watch him whisper in her ear. I don’t hear her answer, but he obviously doesn’t like it.

“Fuck you, bitch!” He sneers.

I lose my shit. “What did you call her?” I try to storm over there, but Gage holds me back.

“Don’t get in the middle of it.”

“If you won’t do something about it, I will. I won’t let him disrespect her like that!”

I fight against his hold but it’s futile. Then Toni speaks and I remember just who my friend is.

“How big is your dick?”

Allah stares at her in confusion and she hops down from the bar.

“What?”

“I said how big is your dick? If you ain’t got at least eight inches in them boxers, then you watch how the fuck you talk to me.”

Ha! Serves him right. Gage chuckles and releases me.

“You all got fucking smart mouths.”

Allah silently fumes as his brothers laugh at him. He grabs Toni’s hand and drags her off to where Gage and I just came from. Oh, hell no. Gage tries to stop me, but I evade him and follow them. They’re at the end of the corridor and Toni’s hand is in his jeans. Okay, then. I guess she doesn’t need my help after all. I slowly back away. Deena corners me before I can make my way back to Gage.

“Hey. Have you heard from Lonnie?”

“She doesn’t talk to me when she’s here. Why would I hear from her?”

“She’s disappeared like this before, but she usually calls after a day or two.”

I shrug, looking over her shoulder at the ongoing party.

“He kisses you.”

I snap my gaze back to her, surprised. There’s no hate or jealousy in her tone.

“I’ve never seen him do that with anyone. Lonnie’s been trying to get to him for a while. It’s funny that he ended up with you. He looks happy. I’m glad.”

She backs away and I watch her, just a little confused. As Lonnie’s friend, I thought she would want to scratch my eyes out. Go figure. Gage appears at my side and jerks his head toward the corridor.

“What happened?”

“There’s a little show and tell going on,” I mumble, still a little distracted by Deena’s words.

The lights go out as he begins to laugh. Movement from the kitchen area catches my attention, and I turn to see Aunt Nita and Chopper wheeling out a ginormous cake. Everyone sings the birthday song and Gage helps me blow out the candles. I don’t need to make a wish; there’s only one thing I want and I already have him. He swipes some of the frosting and offers it to me. I suck it from his finger, fighting the urge to make it a demonstration of my skills. Someone, I’m not quite sure who, pushes a bottle into my hand. I look around at my new family and throw my hands in the air.

“Okay, people. Let’s party!”