Chapter 50
FIFTY
“What are we doing tonight?” Jett asks.
I look up from the pile of clothes we’re folding and raise a brow. “What do you mean?”
He smirks at me, with that stupid sexy smirk, like he knew I was going to react that way. “It’s your birthday. Did you already have plans with Stacia or can we go ahead and do what we planned?”
I gape at him as he just continues to fold my flannels into neat squares, completely unbothered.
My birthday is so close to Christmas, it seems like a bother. Stacia and I don’t usually do anything but hang out in front of the TV. She normally gets me a present and a cake from the grocery store and then we chill for the night.
She messaged me to see if we were meeting up, but I didn’t know what to say.
I’m still trying to navigate my friendships while being newly bonded.
Do I go do what I normally do with my friends?
Or do I let my pack decide how they want to spend the day?
Because birthdays are really about the people who love you, right ?
“If you guys have something planned, let’s just do that. I don’t think I can make any definitive decisions today.”
I fold the last pair of sweatpants and go to stand up to put them away but Jett swats at me instead. “Sit down. Let me take care of my mate on her birthday,” he says, taking the pants from my hands and heading for the dresser. The smile that erupts is quick despite the simple favor.
My attention turns to the doorway as Everett appears, his knuckles knocking slightly on the door.
“This isn’t my nest, you can come in,” I joke. The prime gives me a lighthearted smile and walks in, holding an envelope in his hand. “What’s that?”
“I don’t know,” he says earnestly as he hands it to me. “It’s for you.”
My breath hitches when I see the letterhead, the symbol so familiar to me that I can feel the same grief I did the first time I saw it on my eighteenth birthday. The white paper suddenly feels heavy in my hand.
“It’s from my dad’s probate attorney.”
I feel their eyes turn on me instantly. Jett pauses at the dresser, one half-filled draw hanging open in front of him.
“Do you want to be alone when you open it?” Everett asks but I’m already shaking my head.
“No, I’d like it if you guys stayed, actually. If that’s okay.”
Everett sits down next to me and nods. “Of course it’s okay.”
Jett goes back to putting my clothes away as I stare at the envelope.
I’m not sure what could be in it, but the last time I opened this it was a beautiful surprise.
My father had left me the inheritance that changed my life, helped me get out from under my mother’s thumb.
It’s that knowledge that pushes me to tear it open and pull out several pages. I read the top one, which is simple .
Rory Cromwell,
Attached to this legal document is your father’s final wish in his will and testament. As per his request, the executor (I) must send you this letter on your 21st birthday. With the arrival of this letter, your father’s will is now finalized. I wish you all the best.
It doesn’t escape me that his lawyer used my dad’s nickname for me over my legal name. It sticks out to me as I stare at the words, my fingers hesitating to turn to the next page. I take a deep breath and rip the band-aid off.
My beautiful Rory,
The greeting causes me to whimper but I swallow it down quickly. Everett’s fingers find my empty hand at my side and grips me tightly, grounding me in place. I give him a signal that I’m okay and keep reading.
If you are reading this, it means I am gone. I want to first apologize for not telling you about my condition. There were many secrets that I kept from you only because I had to keep them from your mother as well and I’m sorry for that inconvenience.
This letter will have many apologies for what I have allowed to happen in regards to your mother.
I probably look like a broken man in your eyes but I promise I am strong.
You have made me strong simply by existing.
Your life made mine more than bearable. I was flourishing because I had the best little girl in the entire world.
I hope your mother is no longer in your life.
She never deserved to be, but she is as manipulative as they come.
I wasn’t willing to take her to court and possibly lose you.
I’m sorry for that decision as I’m still not sure if it was the right one.
None of it seemed worth it, and the idea of you being alone with your mother meant the decision was already made.
Please don’t feel sorry for me, Rory. I made my choice willingly. I hope you have made the opposite choice for the exact same reason. Your happiness is the most important thing.
I hope you found the love you always deserved.
And if you haven’t yet, please don’t hold back from it.
I always wanted to show you that unconditional love was out there, that there’s nothing you can do that would ever sway my admiration.
Whoever you end up with will feel this same way, you just have to give them the chance.
I’ll be watching over you when you get that Oscar, Rory. Make the speech as memorable as the performance. You’re an absolute star.
I love you forever.
Signed, Dad
By the time I’m done reading, tears are falling down my face.
Still, my alphas don’t move without permission.
I close the letter, moving it to the end table so none of my tears fall upon it, and then I let myself cry.
Everett immediately folds me into his side and holds me as I become a whimpering mess.
Jett falls on my other side, kissing my shoulder and caressing my hair. Neither of them say anything. They let me fall apart because they know they can put me back together afterwards.
When I eventually stop crying, we all lie there, soaking up the quiet. I give a heavy sigh.
“I’m so?—”
Everett cuts me off. “Don’t you dare say you’re sorry, Rory.”
I nod, because he’s right. I’m still getting used to showing this kind of vulnerability in front of them, but I know I shouldn’t feel ashamed. “It’s a letter from my dad. His final wish in his will.”
They let me sit somberly for a few more moments, then Jett asks, “Did it bring you any closure?”
“Yeah.” I know it stings right now. I know I’ll reread the words over and over again until I can’t feel anything from them anymore, but this was something I needed.
I didn’t even know I was holding onto so many questions until I just read the answers.
And it helps me in more ways than I know how to articulate. “I miss him so much.”
“As you should. Missing him means not forgetting,” Jett says from behind me. “I’m glad you got some piece of him back, Rory.”
That makes another tear fall. This piece of him was more than I thought I’d ever get. I’m lucky for it, to be shown a glimpse of my childhood from his point of view. It feels irreplaceable to me. Like everything makes sense now.
“I’m glad, too,” I reply, barely above a whisper, and then I let them soothe me to sleep.
“I don’t understand why I have to wear this thing,” I say for the millionth time.
Dax chuckles. “We’re not going to tell you why, so stop trying.”
“If I’m not blindfolded for something sexy, I don’t want it.”
“You can’t seduce me into taking the blindfold off, baby. I’m a lot stronger than that.”
I beg to differ, but I don’t challenge it. I give him a pout instead, which only makes him snort because he knows I’m using it as a tactic.
“It would ruin the surprise,” Jett says diplomatically from the passenger seat. “We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
A few minutes must be sooner than I thought, or the blindfold must alter my ability to tell time, because the car stops a few moments later.
“Guys, I’m actually really nervous,” I tell them.
“We promise you’re going to love it,” Dax says beside me before he gets out of the car and comes over to let me out. I can hear the cicadas outside and feel the sidewalk under my feet as the guys guide me wherever we’re going.
“You’re going to take a step up for us, okay?” Everett’s husky voice appears right next to my ear and goosebumps immediately erupt on my skin. I pull my foot up, feeling around for the step.
“Just one more step, twilight.” I step up again and then the cool air leaves as we go through a door. “Okay, we can take this off now.”
He says this but Dax is still leading me through whoever’s random house we’re in. When the blindfold is gone, I try to adjust my sight to the light but there is none. It’s still completely dark.
“What the?—”
The light flares, nearly blinding me as people scream from every corner. Some part of me registers that they all are screaming Surprise , but the flinch happens nonetheless. When I see a familiar pair of dungarees in the crowd, I burst out laughing.
“What the hell!” I finish my thought.
“Happy birthday, love.” Dax kisses the side of my head while Everett gives my hand a squeeze.
Stacia comes forward, hugging me before anyone else. “It’s a surprise party!”
“Well, yeah, duh!” I look around, seeing that it’s a small get-together, which I appreciate. And we’re in Stacia’s house, which is the reason I was blindfolded. I would have recognized the route immediately.
Stacia’s pack and Opal step up, giving me birthday wishes and happy smiles. Sam and his pack stay back a little, and knowing them it’s probably so I don’t feel overcrowded.
I give Opal a hug, squeezing her. “Rory, I can’t breathe.”
“Sorry.” I let her go and notice the circles under her eyes. “Are you doing okay? I’m guessing you found somewhere to live. ”
I have texted her a couple times over the last few days but with no response. I’m happier than ever to see her here tonight.
“Everything is fine. I’m staying with Cindy.” She sees the disgusted look on my face and laughs. “I promise, I’m okay. Let’s not talk about this right now, it’s your birthday! It’s time to celebrate.”
“Fine,” I relent. “But we will be talking about it as some point. You can’t stay there forever.”
“I’m going to get the cake,” Kendall announces before he dashes off.
Uriah grunts as Stacia laughs. When I raise a brow at them, she explains. “Kendall’s been really excited about the cake.”
He comes in a few moments later with a big layered cake on a platter.
I gasp when I see it. It’s a beautiful red cake with beautiful cherry blossoms around the edges. In the center is a film slate with my name written in the margin.
“Holy fuck, Kendall.” I gape at it in shock. “It’s beautiful!”
My best friend’s alpha’s smile turns giddy at the praise. “Thank you. I’m really glad you like it. It has a cherry jam filling. Stacia said cherry is your favorite.”
I try not to look at Dax but my eyes go to him. As expected, he’s holding in his laughter and trying not to be too overt with his naughty reaction.
“It is,” I respond, not looking away from Dax. “We’re not putting candles in it, are we? It would ruin the icing.”
Ciro laughs. “No way. Kendall says it’s a cardinal sin.”
“But, we will be singing happy birthday so you can sit there awkwardly and take in the love,” Stacia adds, chuckling when she sees the horrified look on my face.
The rest of them laugh at that, and the combined sound of it sends a feeling of warmth right through me. Being here, with all my friends and mates, was the perfect way to spend today. Their acceptance and humor and unconditional support are everything to me.
I look at my mates and see they are all already looking at me.
A flutter of something zips through me, and my love for them grows when I didn’t think it was possible.
I see a peek of our future where it keeps growing and I keep making room for that growth.
It doesn’t feel scary anymore. It’s exciting and riveting in the best possible way.
“Are you ready for your presents, twilight?”
I don’t answer. I just kiss him openly and brazenly, for all of our friends to witness. He melts into it right away, because this thing between us has always been cut and dry for him. My scent match kisses me while our pack snickers behind us, and it’s the happiest I have ever been.