18. “I guess it’s my birthday.”
“I guess it’s my birthday.”
Aria
It’s been three days since I’ve heard from Caleb, and my heart still jolts every time my phone pings.
I’m walking back from my session with Dr. Stuart when my phone vibrates, and I nearly drop it in the sewer.
But as always, it’s one of the girls. We watched the last two games at Marissa’s place, and I hung out a bit at the coffee shop and the bookstore during the day.
But never for too long, because Ava’s story was calling to me.
I glance at my phone to see the text from Marissa.
Maris sa
Beth’s cousin Celia said she can come early to cover for us, so we could head downtown in about half an hour, if that works for you?
We’re going Christmas shopping today and then watching the game at Marissa’s again.
Aria
Sure. I’ll be right there.
I sigh. I guess Ava’s story will have to wait until tomorrow. I haven’t told anyone but Dr. Stuart about my writing. I like having this just to myself for now. Besides, it’s not like I’m writing a bestseller or anything. It’s just the story of a lost girl.
An hour later, the three of us are getting off the subway downtown. We hit a bunch of stores, weaving through throngs of Christmas shoppers. Beth and Marissa came prepared and found their gifts in barely two hours.
“I’d love to buy something for Caleb,” I say, glancing at the glorious Macy’s shop window. “But it’s hard to buy something for a person who can have anything he wants.”
“True. Not an easy task,” Beth agrees. “But it doesn’t have to be something costly.”
“Yep.” Marissa nods. “Just something that shows you’re thinking about him.”
“He’s been so wonderful, though. Nothing will ever come close to repaying his generosity.”
As the words leave my lips, my eyes fall on a gigantic display of LEGO in the shop window, and a light bulb goes off in my head. I wonder if they have Raptors-themed sets, or maybe just hockey? That would be the perfect gift for Caleb.
“Whoa,” Marissa exclaims when we finally locate the toy section. “This is insane.”
She’s right. It’s as though the entire population of New York decided to go shopping for toys at the same time. And given that Christmas is only a couple of days away, that’s probably the case.
“Do you want to look for something else?” Beth suggests, narrowly avoiding getting elbowed by a large man rushing past.
“No, I think he’ll love what I have in mind. But I might be more efficient by myself. Why don’t you two wait for me somewhere?”
They glance at each other.
“I’ll be fine,” I reassure them. “I’ll be quicker on my own.”
A kid starts wailing next to us, and they both nod eagerly.
Marissa rests a hand on my arm. “There’s a coffee shop right across the street. Same entrance we came in. We’ll wait for you there.”
“Sounds good.” I nod.
“Good luck,” Beth says while glancing around the chaotic toy section, not looking too reassured.
We part ways, and with a deep breath, I start worming myself through the crowd of holiday shoppers.
I feel like I’ve just gone to war. Actually, that’s not too far off. I almost had to fight a kid for the last ice-skating rink set. Thankfully, his mom said he couldn’t have it, so I didn’t have to.
Sadly, there was no Raptors-branded set, but I’m planning to grab some Raptors stickers and keychains from Rise & Grind to customize it.
After paying for the box, I exit this behemoth of a store and find the girls tucked into a corner of the coffee shop across the street. I order myself a latte and join them.
“You made it!” Beth says, standing to give me a hug. “I can’t believe it.”
“You were pretty fast too,” M arissa adds. “Did you find what you wanted?”
I nod, a smile spreading on my lips. “I did.” I grab the box out of the plastic bag, careful not to tear the gift bag they gave me to wrap it at home.
Nearly vibrating with excitement, I show the girls.
“Caleb loves building these. I was thinking I could buy some Raptors stickers and stuff to customize the box.”
“I love that idea,” Marissa says. “You can totally take whatever you want from the coffee shop. Actually, I should tell Jenna about this—she’s the PR manager. Maybe they could do a collab and bring an actual set to life.”
“That’d be awesome.” I hug the box to my chest. “I hope Caleb likes this one. It’ll be a little homemade, but it’s the only idea that came to me.”
“Don’t worry,” Beth says. “I’m sure he will love it. From what you’ve told us, it sounds like the perfect gift.”
I nod, stowing the gift and lacing my hands around my mug. As I sip my latte, my thoughts drift to Caleb and how he’ll react when he opens my gift. I see him beaming, then wrapping his arms around me, his clean cotton scent infusing my senses.
“You like him, don’t you?” Marissa asks with a gleam in her eye.
My cheeks catch fire, and I glanc e away. “No. Why? Who?”
She and Beth exchange a knowing look.
“Caleb, of course,” Marissa says.
I swallow hard, staring down at my mug. “Sure. I mean, I like him, but not in that way.”
“It’s fine if you do,” Beth says. “Our lips are sealed.”
I sigh, biting my lip. “Okay, I guess I do feel something for him, but it’s hard to pinpoint what those feelings are. Could just be some kind of Stockholm syndrome, you know?”
Marissa scrunches her eyebrows. “Isn’t that when you’ve been kidnapped?”
I shrug. “Yeah, but you know what I mean. He’s taken me in, introduced me to his friends. We’re living together, and he’s so nice all the time.”
“Savior syndrome, maybe?” Beth suggests. “Not sure if it’s a thing, but it certainly fits.”
“Yes.” I nod. “That sounds more accurate. So, yeah. I don’t know if it’s a bad case of savior syndrome or if it’s something more.”
“It’s kind of exciting, though,” Marissa says, clapping her hands. “I’ve never seen Caleb with anyone before. Even when we attend galas or charity events, he always brings one of his sisters as his date, or his mom.”
“Yeah,” Beth says with a smal l frown. “That’s true. He’s the most mature guy on the team, though, so it’s a shame. I’m sure he’d be a great boyfriend.”
“I agree,” Marissa says, twirling her coffee with a spoon. “I don’t know why he’s not dating, but when we were playing Pictionary, there was definitely a vibe between you two. And not just on your end.”
“Really?” I blurt out, my cheeks warming. I know I felt a spark, especially with that hug and all those fleeting glances, but I convinced myself it was just me.
“So true,” Beth says to Marissa, then turns to me with a smirk. “ And you were wearing his jersey. That’s always a big deal to players.”
“It is?” I frown. “Why?”
“It’s like a ‘claim’ thing, you know? To show the world that you’re his girl and vice versa.”
“Wait a second. Thousands of people wear his jersey.”
“But they don’t know him personally,” Marissa says, popping a forkful of her chocolate cake in her mouth. “That’s the difference.”
“Totally,” Beth says. “I refused to wear James’ jersey for so long, even though he was badgering me to. I knew that the moment I conceded, it would have implications. And it did.”
I freeze. Oh no. What have I done ? “So, by wearing his jersey,” I say, noting the panic in my voice, “I openly admitted I have a crush on him?”
Marissa hesitates. “Well, to be fair, your situation is pretty unique. He probably knows you had no idea what it meant when you picked his jersey.”
“Agreed.” Beth nods, and my shoulders relax. “But that doesn’t change the fact that it might have awakened something inside him, and he might view you a bit differently now.”
I chew on my bottom lip. “Oh, gosh . . .”
“Don’t worry about it,” Marissa says, rubbing my back. “It doesn’t have to be weird or awkward if you don’t want it to be. Besides, so what if he’s crushing on you too? Isn’t that the point?”
My head falls into my hands. “But I don’t know if I’m crushing on him.
How could I think about dating anyone when I don’t even know who I am?
I feel so disconnected from myself and my feelings.
My body, my face—everything feels foreign.
I didn’t even choose this haircut, you know?
” I hear myself rambling, so I stop, rubbing my face.
“I understand,” Beth says, her voice soothing. She takes my hand, and Marissa does the same. “We’re here for you.”
“And if it’s bothering you, why not change your haircut?” Marissa asks.
I shake my head. “No, it’s— I was just saying.”
“She has a point, though,” Beth says. “It might help you take back some control. Build the new you.”
“Aria 2.0.” Marissa nods. “I like it. Let us treat you.”
“Susan—she works in the salon next to the coffee shop—is wonderful,” Beth says. “I’m sure she can fit you in.”
As tempting as the offer is, I don’t want them to spend money on me. “No, really. That’s kind of you, but—”
“What if it’s your birthday?” Marissa asks, a glint in her eye. “Then we’d be obligated to treat you.”
I shake my head with a chuckle. “It’s not.”
“How do you know?” Beth asks, a grin flashing across her face.
I give them both a pointed look.
“Come on,” Marissa says, a chuckle bubbling out. She takes my hand and gives it a little squeeze. “There’s no reason it can’t be.”
“Aaron actually does that for Marissa every year. He finds a random day on the calendar, decides it’s going to be her birthday, then treats her for the day.”
My eyes widen. “Really?”
“Yep.” Marissa smiles, her eyes sparkling. “And I hereby declare that today is your birthday. Your rebirth.”
Beth claps her hands. “I love i t. And imagine the look on Caleb’s face when he comes back tomorrow, and you look like a million bucks.”
I’m struggling to hide my smile, but they’re seeing right through my attempt. “Fine.” I roll my eyes. “I guess it’s my birthday.”
“Yes! I’ll text Susan now,” Marissa says, grabbing her phone. “Oh, we’ll need to have a party too!”
Beth nods. “Absolutely.”
“Really?” I ask with a grimace. I know arguing with them won’t help, but I still try, saying, “But it’s Christmas.”
“We could do it the day after,” Beth offers. “The guys are all doing the Polar Plunge, right?”
“True.” Marissa nods. “Our whole group’s doing it, except Wally who’s going back to England.”
“I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to miss the party,” Beth chuckles. “We can ask Deacon for the bar. Or James and I could host it at our place.”
“Sounds good.” Marissa puts her phone down, then shoots me a smile. “We’ll take care of everything. You just have to show up.”
“Do I have a choice?” I joke.
“Nope,” they both say, and I laugh, shaking my head.
Marissa sits back, looking satisf ied. “Right. Now, let’s go get you a new birthday dress.”
My eyes fly wide. “What!”
“Non-negotiable,” Marissa says. “We know the contents of your closet, since we bought your whole wardrobe together. You’re going to need a dress.”
I sigh. What did I get myself into?
After another three hours of shopping, we find not only a dress for the party, but jewelry, shoes, and makeup. The girls also insist on getting me another outfit for Christmas with Caleb’s family. Satisfied, we finally head back to Warlington Lane.
Susan, the hairdresser, was happy to move things around and help me out.
The salon is small but cozy, with soft lighting and pastel-colored walls adorned with framed vintage beauty posters.
Styling chairs line one side, each facing a large, well-lit mirror, while shelves stocked with colorful bottles of hair products give the space a fresh, clean scent.
The faint hum of a blow dryer and the quiet chatter from another stylist add to the chic, welcoming atmosphere.
“Okay,” Susan announces once I’m sitting facing the mirror, my hair still damp from the shampooing. “What are we thinking?”
“I haven’t really had time to think about it, but I’d love to change styles. Like I said, this haircut just doesn’t feel like me.”
“I see what you’re saying,” she says, picking up my tresses and letting them fall. “I think bangs would work really well on you. I’d also add more movement to your hair, give it more volume with a layered cut. Or we could shorten it too.”
“What about pink hair?” Beth suggests from her seat in the corner.
I shoot her a glare, and she bursts out a laugh. “Just kidding. Although Hayley’s rocking hers.”
“Definitely not pink hair,” I tell Susan. “Something classic.”
She shows me a couple of pictures, and I find a style that speaks to me.
Once we decide on my cut, I relax into the chair as she snips at my hair.
She leans over me, and her lily perfume tickles my senses again.
Since we arrived at the salon, the aroma has followed her around, and for some reason, it seems familiar.
Maybe I had the same perfume, or someone close to me wore it.
Then, out of the blue, the laughter of a little girl resonates in my head.
I look around, but there are no kids in the salon.
Still, the sensation stays with me. It feels like I knew someone who used this perfume.
The longer Susan works on my hair, the more I relax. I don’t know if it’s because of her comforting perfume or the fact that I’m switching up my appearance. Maybe a bit of both. And probably also because Caleb is coming back tomorrow.
An hour later, she finishes cutting and styling my hair, and I’m finally allowed to see the final result. The girls already approve, and I’m excited to see my new look.
“What do you think?” Susan asks, stepping back with a hand on her hip before reaching out to fluff a few strands into place.
She swivels my chair back around to face the mirror, and I gasp at my reflection. The bangs and the volume of my hair look so different, yet exactly what I wanted—what I needed. It feels more me.
“Wow. I love it. Thank you so much.”
She beams, taking off my styling cape. “You’re very welcome. I’m glad you like it.”
“You look amazing,” Beth gushes as I stand up from the chair. “It’s like this hairstyle was meant for you.”
“Absolutely.” Marissa nods. “Aria 2.0 is here.”
“You know, it does feel a littl e like a rebirth. Thank you again—both of you,” I say, glancing between them. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you. You guys have been so good to me, and we barely know each other.”
“Of course,” Marissa says, giving me a hug. “It’s what friends do.”
“It’s our pleasure,” Beth adds, hugging me in turn. “You’re part of the group now. We take care of one another.”
And just like that, my mind drifts back to Caleb. All this, everything I have, I owe to him. I honestly can’t believe my luck. Now, I’m even more eager for tomorrow. Beth was right. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he lays eyes on me. Hopefully he’ll like Aria 2.0.