Before I can explain, I hear Aerie yell from the top of the stairs, “Caleb you found the place!”
Caleb approaches us and I let go of Dahlia as she starts toward him down the driveway. She kisses him on the cheek and they hug each other. It shouldn’t bother me that his hands are on the bare skin of her back, but it does. There’s something about him I don’t like. Maybe it’s just because he was best friends with him, and most likely, he knows what I know.
She loops her arm through his, leading him back toward me. I can see the glint of that bracelet she still wears from him. I understand why she always wears if, but it bothers me. We talked about it last week, and she explained that she considers it to be her no regrets bracelet. What am I suppose to say to that? Since it makes her happy to wear it, I’m doing my best to be cool with it.
She walks back down to Aerie’s car with Caleb, and I extend my hand. “Hey man, glad you could make it,” I manage, trying to keep it real. I snake my arm around my girl and pull her close. I notice his uneasiness right away. Tonight will be the first time we’ll be together in a social scene and I’m interested to see how it plays out.
“How’ve you been? Sorry I couldn’t meet you two last week for dinner. I got hung up in a meeting with a new client that needed an entire security system installed in a matter of days.”
“It’s cool. We’ll plan it again another time,” I reply, trying not to grit my teeth.
“Come on, let’s go in,” I say and guide Dahlia to the front of me, purposely putting my hand on the small of her back and tucking my fingers inside the cutout of her dress. I swear I see her quiver.
We all stand around the kitchen table singing Happy Birthday, and Dahlia blows out the candles. I slip my arms around her waist, hugging her close to me as I stand directly behind her. Once all the candles are out, I kiss her neck and whisper, “Did you make a wish?”
She turns her head to look at me. “Of course I did, but you know I can’t tell you.”
I just smirk at her because we have gone through this wish thing so many times, but I plan to grant her more than one wish later, so I drop it.
Bell cuts the cake, and I grab Dahlia and pull her into the empty dining room.
“Happy Birthday,” I tell her since it’s after twelve and officially her birthday.
Glancing at my watch, she smiles at me. “I guess it’s my actual birthday. So, thank you.”
I kiss her and my tongue slips slowly into her mouth. Her fingers comb through my hair and I pull away. “Stay here.”
She gives me a questioning look but says, “Okay.”
As I walk, continuing to face her, my eyes drift the length of her body. Before I turn around, I mouth, “stay there,” and go back to the kitchen to grab a few things.
Xander is standing near the entrance and corners me. “Did you tell her yet?”
I just look at him and walk away. I told him I don’t want to talk about it and that I’m not telling her, so why doesn’t he just shut the fuck up?
Caleb is talking to Bell, and I wonder if she knows him. He sees me and turns around.
I’ve been able to avoid him all night until now, so I make it short and sweet. “Just grabbing a few things before Dahlia and I go to bed,” I say directly to Bell but I see Caleb flinch. “Don’t worry about cleaning up, I’ll take care of it tomorrow,” I tell her as I grab a cup of ice, a bottle of beer, and a piece a cake.
I kiss Bell on the cheek. “Thank you.”
“See, I knew she’d like it.”
My hands are full, so I say goodbye without shaking his hand. “Hey man thanks for coming. Don’t be a stranger,” I say to him as I walk away.
“River,” he says, and I turn around. “Take care of her.”