Chapter 15 #3
"No one came to my 14th birthday party." Her eyes widened, but I wasn't done. "Well, my cousins came, and they're the best anyway, so who cares, right? Except yeah, I invited a ton of people, and to have no one show? It was pretty awful."
"I bet," Scotlyn said.
"Wayne, my ex, dumped me at a party. In this house. After I found him cheating with another girl."
"No..."
I nodded. "Also, I got pooped on by a bird once as I was walking into a party, but that's supposed to be lucky. So, whatever."
Scotlyn's eyes were round when I finished.
"I forbid you to feel sorry for me," I said.
"Okay, but I am sorry that happened, Freya."
"I am too," said a voice, and at the entrance to the library, there stood Tolliver, leaning against the wall as if he'd been there a while. "I never got the invite, or I would've been there."
I shrugged. "It's okay. I didn't even know you then."
He shot me a smile. "Still. I would've come."
"Me too," Scotlyn said then quietly added, "even though in reality, I might not have because as you know, parties aren't my favorite."
"Kindred spirits," I said with a smile, and she smiled back.
Meeting Tolliver's eyes again, I arched a brow.
"Did you need something?"
"Nope," he said, "just missed my girlfriend."
My stomach fluttered.
And from the way his eyes shined, I was fairly sure he knew the effect he had on me.
"Well, do you want to join us?" I asked.
"I'm good here."
From beside me, Scotlyn whispered, "Is he always like that?"
"Like what?" I said.
"He stares at you like..."
"Like I'm crazy, and he can't wait to get away?" I finished on a laugh.
"No," Scotlyn said, "the opposite."
She shrugged.
"He stares at you like you're everything. The sun, moon, and stars. Like you're the only thing he wants to see."
My jaw went slack. "Did you just come up with that?"
"Yeah," she said.
"You should use it for your book."
Scotlyn nodded and started typing furiously while I glanced back at Tolliver.
He smiled. "What are you thinking?"
That I could have you look at me like this forever.
And never get tired of that smile, that face, those eyes.
God, Scotlyn's romantic words must've rearranged my brain.
Speaking of which...
An alarm went off, and Scotlyn popped up, closing her laptop.
"And that's 90 minutes," she said. "I've met my party limit."
"You set an alarm?" I asked.
"Of course."
"That's genius," I said. "Mind if I start using that?"
Scotlyn shook her head, already heading for the door. She looked up at Tolliver then back at me and nodded. "Thanks for helping me with my book," she said.
"No problem," I said, but she was already striding away and out the front door.
Tolliver sauntered in, pushing his hands into his pockets. "So, what now?"
I heard the loud music flowing past him, thought about going back out there and mingling, but the idea held no appeal.
"If you're ready to go," he said, "I'm good with that."
"Really?" I sighed, standing to meet him in the middle of the room. "Because I think I've reached my party limit."
Laughing quietly, he placed a kiss against my temple. "Then let's go."
"I need to say happy birthday to Sabrina first."
"Okay."
Luck or fate must've been shining down because, right as we left the library, Sabrina and George were there.
"Oh," she said, "are you leaving?"
"Yeah," I said, "I'm partied out."
"No worries, thank you and Tolliver for coming."
"I hope you have the happiest birthday ever, Sabrina."
"Thanks, Freya. I'm so glad you made it."
"Me too," I said honestly.
Wayne came around the corner. "Leaving already? Figures. You never could stand a good party, Freya."
"I actually liked this one up until about two seconds ago."
I could feel Tolliver at my back, and it gave me a boost of energy I didn't know I needed.
Wayne glared up at him. "What are you smiling at, Stone?"
"Nothing," Tolliver said, taking my hand, threading his fingers through mine, laying a soft kiss on my neck. "Thanks for being dumb enough to screw it up with her."
"Yeah, whatever. You'll get tired of her soon."
"Like I said. Dumb," Tolliver repeated.
As Sabrina pulled me in for a hug, she said, "Freya, I love him—most days—but you were always too good for my brother."
Stepping back, I nodded at her. "I know," I said. "Again, happy birthday."
Tolliver and I left, and once we were in the car, I turned to him.
"Okay, so I still hate parties, but that was surprisingly fun," I said.
"Glad to hear it," he said.
"Everything okay with Lennox?"
"Yeah, my friend likes to stir things up sometimes. But we're good."
I narrowed my gaze. "Want to tell me how he knew my name?"
"No. You want to tell me what Scotlyn said in the library?"
"Absolutely not."
He laughed.
"You're a really good boyfriend," I said then caught myself. "Well, fake boyfriend."
"I try my best."
"We should probably kiss. To really sell this, in case anyone is watching from inside the house."
Tolliver grinned. "If you want to kiss me, Freya, you don't have make up a reason."
I leaned forward. "No?"
Tolliver shook his head, meeting me halfway. "You can kiss me whenever you want."
So, I did.
As our lips met, I thought, maybe I did like parties after all.