"Then it's decided," Dylan declared, standing at the head of the dining table. "This Friday we're skipping school and driving to our beach house. We'll spend the weekend there."
Everyone cheered in agreement. It was an awesome plan to spend the weekend at Dylan's family beach house to celebrate my birthday. The place is amazing with its own private beach and the California weather. It's December, yet it tends to be sunny there by the water; perhaps, it's not a good time to swim, but we'll enjoy our time, nevertheless.
I decided to call Ryan and invite him, despite everyone strongly disagreeing with me. It's my birthday, so this should be my decision to make and no one should oppose it. They know this and said that if it makes me happy on my birthday then they can't do anything about it.
That's why I love them. They really care about making me happy even if it's not in a way they necessarily agree upon. And I know that I want Ryan to be there for my birthday regardless of all the things that have happened recently.
"Are you sure they'll be cool with it?" Ryan asks, sitting next to me outside the school cafeteria. I nod biting down on my straw.
"It's my birthday, and I want you to be there to celebrate it with me," I look at his smiling face, but I don't smile back. I only lean in closer and kiss him on the lips. And I don't know what made me say the next thing, but I did it without thinking. "You know, we’ll have our own room, right?"
He smiles again and kisses me harder.
Everyone decided to meet at our house after Kat was off to work on Friday. So, at 7 in the morning, we were awoken by determined knocking on the door and ringing of the doorbell.
"OKAY FINE! CALM THE FUCK DOWN!" I yelled as I dragged my feet downstairs and towards the door. I open the door and immediately hear a phone snap a picture.
"Looking gorgeous, Nic," Kyle said, showing the picture to everyone. Happy fucking birthday to me.
I feel two strong arms hold me from behind and lift me quickly. "Happy birthday, my little potato!" Cody's voice rings in my ears as he spins me around. He swipes around so quickly that when he puts me down on the floor, I lose my balance while my head spins a little.
"Happy birthday, Nicky!" Denise hugs me hard, suffocating me. And with every other birthday wish and hug, I feel like I'm losing my breath more in the process.
Everybody was here, even Amber and the twins and Ian, Charlotte's boyfriend, all to celebrate my birthday with me. It made me really happy to know that I have that much people around me who care about me and about making me happy. I know I'm blessed to have them by my side, and I know I'll always be there for them just like they're here with me now.
The next hour was chaotic—everyone was running around the house helping Cody and I pack. We were only going for the weekend, but we had a lot of things to take with us. At about 8, I was done with my packing and had already showered and changed. It was kind of chilly so I wore tights and an oversized sweater with my boots. I stole Cody's black beanie and put it over my head, hoping he won't notice it's missing.
The guys were arranging drinks in the trunks of their cars. Somehow, they managed to get us enough to last people a year, but for us, it would be just enough for the weekend. The girls and I were watching them from the kitchen, our own drinks in hand when Ryan's car parked in front of the neighbors' house since there were three other cars parked on our porch.
I was surprised when I found the guys greeting him back when he said good morning. Although I know they're only doing that because it's my birthday, I still appreciate it coming from them.
"Good morning, ladies," he approached us, where we stood by the kitchen counter, watching the guys from the window.
"Morning, Ryan," Denise smiled at him and offered to get him a drink, but he refused and thanked her before he pulls me to the living room. Once we were alone, he wrapped his hand around my waist and pulled me in for a kiss.
"Happy birthday," he grinned and pulled out a velvet box from behind him. I look at it in shock then at him with an open mouth. I was even more surprised when he opened it to reveal a silver necklace with the most beautiful pendant—a small crown with tiny crystals. "A crown for my queen."
"Ryan, you didn’t have to."
"Of course, I did," he was already unclasping the necklace. "Come on, turn around."
I do as he asked, still hesitant to accept his present, which looked awfully expensive by the way. I turn back around to face him, and he holds the pendant and watches it glint in the light.
I look down at it, "It's beautiful, but I can't accept this." I shake my head, "It must've cost you a lot of money."
"Money is not a problem for me, and you know that," he argues. "Besides, you deserve so much more."
I hug him gently and whisper a 'thank you' over his shoulder. I felt his tender hands hold me tighter, and feel his breath on my neck, brushing against my skin soothingly. I try to relax in his hold, and I do, yet a part of me stays tense. I was nervous, anticipating something. But I have no clue what it is I'm waiting for.
"I can't wait for tonight," he whispers, and I hug him harder.
"Pardon the interruption," Tyler says from the doorway. "But, if you're tagging along, you gotta be at least a little useful, man."
After packing the drinks in four cars, we decided it was time to take off. I was putting my bag in the backseat of Ryan's Porsche when Dylan called me. He looked a bit tensed up, and I somehow I can relate to him; however, I still don't know why.
He takes my left hand and puts it in between both his hands, looking into my eyes. I get taken aback by the sudden tension that his eyes held, and I bring my brow together in a frown. "Listen, Nicole, I really don't wanna ruin your birthday, but..."
He takes a deep breath and lets it out loudly. "You know how much I care about you, right?"
"Of course. I care about you, too." I don't know where this is going, but my heart started beating.
"Yeah, but I care about more than you think," he pauses, and I thought he was waiting for a reply before he started speaking again. "I know you don't wanna hear this again, but please, don't give in to Ryan. He's not good for you."
"Come on, Dylan. I thought we were done with this, already," I rip away my hand from his.
"I know, but believe me when I say that he's not the person you think he is. He's engaged, for God's sake!" He raises his hands in exasperation.
"No, he's not," I smile, addressing his words like they were a joke to me. "It's just some business that his dad is forcing him into."
"You should know that I, of all people, understand what's business and what's not. He's getting married after he graduates."
"How do you know that?"
"Our parents are business partners, remember? I see him all the time at dinner meetings and events that our parents arrange."
I don't reply, but I stand there and stare at the floor. Seconds later, I feel a hand place itself on my shoulders, startling me.
"Is everything alright?" Ryan asks, looking between Dylan and me.
"Yeah, everything's cool. Dylan was just wishing me a happy birthday," I fake my best smile. "Why don't you go ahead, and I'll follow you to your car."
Ryan nods then turns his eyes to Dylan to say "Hey, man," before he walks back to his car.
"Maybe you should stop holding grudges," I tell Dylan then follow Ryan. Dylan is acting weird, and I don't want him to ruin my birthday. So, I decided to avoid him all over even though it makes me sad. Dylan has been the closest to me ever since I met him. He just has this comfortable atmosphere around him, and I always feel it when I'm with him. He's an easy guy, simple to understand, and not too complicated to deal with. He's the most reliable of all my friends, and I try as much as I can to make him feel like he can rely on me too. Because I really care about him, I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings, ever. But, now, he's not really giving me a choice.
You know what was weirder than Dylan? Denise rode with me in Ryan's car and left Cody with Jordan and Kyle. I'm not a drama expert, but I know it's there when I see it.
Let's just hope this weekend passes peacefully.
Happy fucking birthday to me.
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