Wow. Jack the fire-breather was scary when angry. The guy on the receiving end nodded like he was about to cry. Then he picked the box back up, held it like his life depended on it and scurried away.
“Relax, bro. You’re going to bust Ugly Sue if you don’t calm down,” said Jay, teasing his brother before looking back to us. “Ugly Sue’s what I call the vein in his forehead that gets all bulgy when he’s pissed.”
I think we all wanted to laugh, but when Jack approached our laughter fell flat. Thick waves of tension radiated off him and none of us wanted to be on the receiving end of it, like that other guy.
“The kid’s a bloody idiot,” he grumped. “Earlier I caught him flicking his lit cigarette butt to the ground right next to where I was storing the fireworks. And just now he drops them. If he sets himself on fire I’m blaming his IQ.” He paused, noting King’s presence as he reached out to shake his hand. “Hey bud. Good to see you.”
“You, too. Can I give you a Valium?” King asked, arching an amused brow.
“Ha, very funny,” Jack deadpanned before turning to Trev and me and giving us a quick nod of acknowledgment. It was as opposite to Jay’s verbose greeting as you could get, which struck me as odd since they were brothers. Jack brought his attention back to King, who seemed to be the only person he wanted to talk to right then.
“I’ve been working on this surprise for Lille’s birthday for months. Next year she’s getting a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates.”
“There’s certainly less chance of exploding extremities with chocolates,” King agreed.
Jack dragged a hand through his long hair. “Right, well, I better get going before someone lets slip to Lille what her surprise is.”
“Go, we’ll talk later,” said King.
“Later,” Jack agreed.
I watched him go, then startled when I looked up to find Jay studying me closely. “Reya, wasn’t it?” he asked.
“Uh, yes, that’s my name,” I responded dumbly.
“Piano, right?”
I furrowed my brow. “Huh?”
He nodded at my hands. “Could be the guitar, but I’m sticking with my first guess.”
“Oh right,” I said, heart pounding. How had he known that? “Yes, I play piano. I’m a singer-songwriter, actually, but how did you—”
“You’re a singer?” Jay said. “Have I heard any of your stuff?”
I gave a self-deprecating shrug. “Not unless you’ve got a penchant for obscure YouTube videos.”
Jay nodded and was silent for a second, his attention moving from me to Trev and then back again. “This your girl?” he asked Trev.
Trev’s grip on my hand tightened, his posture straightening and his voice sincere when he replied, “Yes, she’s my . . . everything.” He winced, then went on, “Sorry, I mean—”
“He means we’ve kind of just got back together recently, so it’s, um, complicated, but yes, I’m his girl.”
Fierce love shone in Trev’s eyes when he gazed at me.
“Glad to hear it,” said Jay, shooting Trev a serious look. “Keep this one. She’ll be good for you,” he paused to bring his attention back to me, “and Reya, with any luck I’ll be hearing your songs on the radio one of these days.”
I frowned at his statement, about to explain that fame wasn’t something I aspired to, when Alexis cut me off. “Come on, you lot, we’d better go grab a spot if we don’t want to miss Jack’s fireworks.”
Jay grabbed us some blankets from one of the trailers and we spread them out on the grass to sit down. Then Matilda came and offered us bottles of beer and bags of popcorn. I sat on the blanket next to Trev, starting to feel a bit of a chill. He must’ve noticed my shiver, because he draped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.
Amiable chatter sounded around us but I stayed quiet, sipping on my beer and admiring the stars. I didn’t often take time to simply sit. Be still. Karla and Lee finally joined us, and if I wasn’t mistaken Karla had a twig in her hair and some grass stains on her backside.
“You think we’ll be shagging outdoors when we’re together five years?” Trev whispered, having noticed the same thing as I did.
His voice spread a warm heat through my belly, butterflies fluttering like wild at his question, because it indicated he was thinking long-term. And coming from someone like Trev, who was as hard to pin down as a golden snitch, that was huge.
There was some cheering when Jack emerged from the dark end of the field. He jogged to where Lille sat on a deck chair next to Matilda, pulled her up and laid a big sloppy kiss on her mouth. “Happy Birthday, flower,” he said. “I hope you like your surprise.”
Then he was gone again and a minute later, the sky lit up in an explosion of colour. The fireworks were like nothing I’d ever seen. They weren’t the typical shooting stars. Instead, Jack created planet shapes, love hearts and exploding circles. It was a symphony in light and it literally took my breath away. When the very last fireworks went off they spelled out the words “Happy Birthday, Lille.”
I glanced her way. She had her hand to her mouth and her eyes shone with happy tears as she gaped at the work of art Jack had created.
“You’re such a soppy little romantic,” Trev teased, watching me watch Lille.
“I just think it’s nice,” I replied, sniffling a little. “He said he spent months planning this for her. That’s love for you.”
Trev took my chin and pulled my face to his so our eyes met. “Are you crying?”
I blinked and sucked back the emotion, my response weak. “No.”
“Oh my God, you are. I fucking love you.”
I glanced away. “Shut up.”
“But it’s true.”
“I know that.”
“And you love me, too.”
“Are you trying to make me ball my eyes out? My heart can’t take so much romance in one night. First Jack, now you.”
Trev leaned in close and captured my lips in a soft, lingering kiss. My breath hitched when he pulled away.
“So, you’re into big gestures?” Trev asked.
“Only when they’re happening to other people, so don’t go getting any ideas.”
“Too late. I’ve already got at least five. Maybe five and a half,” Trev teased.
I shot him a curious look. “Where’s the half coming from?”
“It’s not fully formulated yet.”
“Well, keep it that way. You know I don’t like attention. When Karla organised for the waiter to sing to me on my birthday last year I nearly died of embarrassment.”
Trev gave a soft chuckle. “I’m sorry I missed it.”
I nodded and looked back to the sky. The fireworks had disappeared and only the faintest bit of light remained. When I returned my attention to Trev his expression was serious.
“I’m not missing any more of your birthdays. Not a single one,” he said, his tone adamant.
“And I won’t miss a single one of yours,” I replied.
Trev’s face split in a heart-stopping smile. “It’s a deal, Miss Cabrera.”
I smiled right back at him. “Pleasure doing business with you, Mr Cross.”