44
SYLAS
Like Christmas, I never liked celebrating my birthday.
It was a day where I was constantly reminded who birthed me, who had given it all to me. I was thrown the biggest parties, and anyone and everyone my parents knew were invited. It was over the top, and it was never for me.
The birthday signs were there, but the decorations, the cake, what we did and how we did it wasn’t what I wanted. It never was.
I hated it, but then I met Anna. The first birthday we spent together, she made me a cake. In passing, I mentioned I had wanted a Spider-Man cake when I was little. I’m certain the conversation lasted a minute or two tops. I didn’t want to keep talking about it and she didn’t press.
But on the morning of my birthday, she showed up to Colorado, decorated my condo with everything Spider-Man, and my cake was exactly as I’d envisioned it when I was a kid.
Every year after that, it became a different superhero until I ended things. I didn’t anticipate for her to continue the tradition after so long, but she did.
In the kitchen of Matias Vargas’s house in Cape Cod, a cake decorated with a few Marvel superheroes sits on the island.
“What do you think?” Anna stands next to me.
“I love…” I look down at her and draw my attention back on the cake, only to do a double take. My train of thought gets derailed, and so many words fight to be let out, but I can’t formulate a sentence, let alone make a sound.
I clench my jaw and swallow hard before my eyes sail over the Venom costume she’s wearing. It molds to her body, accentuating every curve.
I’m probably drooling from the way I’m staring at her, but I can’t look away. I can’t stop gawking.
Today’s my birthday. I had no plans but to be with my two favorite people in the world. I didn’t care what we did as long as I got to be with them. And after not spending the day with Anna for hers because I had two away games, I was ready to be with them.
But Marc and Thea had different plans. They not only planned something for me, but for Anna as well.
Which is why we’re in Matias’s house. All the guys from the team and their family members will be here, so will Anna’s friend and sister.
Frost, Berlin, and Rowan will be leaving tomorrow morning, but I’m grateful they and my other friends have shown up for me.
“Nope. Go change.” My voice drops an octave, far too low to hide exactly how I feel about her costume. “I can’t do this today.”
Because we didn’t do anything for Halloween, they thought it’d be fun if we dressed up.
I’m glad we did. Rosie was ecstatic about it, twirling in her Tiana princess dress and pretending to be shooting webs from her wrists.
She’s a princess and Gwen Stacy from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
The second costume is underneath her dress.
“You’ll be okay.” She pats my shoulder.
I grab her wrist, hauling her close to my body. “I will not be okay. Not when…” I let my gaze peruse her, tracing over every line and curve. “Go change. Please.”
Her lips twitch with a smirk. “This is my only costume. I’m not changing. You’ll be fine.”
My cock twitches underneath my Spider-Man costume. “I just hope you know you’re putting me in a predicament.” I flick my gaze to my semi-hard dick.
“Control yourself. Everyone is going to be here soon,” she chides, trying to push away from me, but I grab her waist and press her front to mine. “Sy…” Her breath hitches as my erection nudges her stomach. “I think I need help with something in the bedroom…”
“I think you do.” I nod, letting her guide me out of the kitchen, only to be stopped by Matias.
“You nasty-ass freaks,” he scolds, the judgment clear on his scrunched face, but I know he’s faking it. “Not in my house.”
“Too late.” I shrug apathetically, grinning at the stupefied expression on Anna’s face. I spin her, pressing her back to my front to cover my erection, but I get a glimpse of her ass and now I feel it against me. Fuck. “It’s my birthday. I—”
“Where is she?” Thea enters the kitchen, a gift bag in her hand that I know is not for me because there’s a unicorn with a sparkly horn on it.
No one has met Rosie yet, which is another reason why my closest friends are coming. They’re all excited to meet her.
“She’s taking a nap,” Anna answers.
The disappointment on my sister’s face immediately fizzles when she looks at her. “Hey.” She smiles, and it’s the biggest I’ve ever seen her lips stretch. “I told him he was a dumbass. I almost fought him for you.”
Anna laughs, pulling away from me. The two meet in the middle and hug.
Matias shakes his head at me, throwing me a dishcloth to cover myself. I take it and sit on one of the stools as my sister and Anna catch up.
“Yeah, he was miserable without you. He couldn’t eat or sleep, and he got arrested once.” Thea tells Anna what life was like without her. “He’s so pathetic without you. I mean even with you he’s pathetic, but in a good way. Without you, he’s insufferable.”
Her eyes widen and drift to me before they’re shifting back to my sister. “Arrested? You didn’t tell me that.”
“They also thought he was gay,” Frost says, snickering as he and the other guys enter the kitchen.
“He hadn’t been seen with anyone since you. So when they saw him leave the club with a guy, the paparazzi ate that shit up.” Berlin chuckles, a reminiscent look in his eye.
I roll my eyes, remembering the articles that exaggerated that night.
“You were all over him,” Rowan adds. “I don’t know what you thought was going to be said.”
“I was drunk, you dumbasses.”
“You’re the dumbass,” Marc fires back, entering the kitchen with our teammates. “Anna, let me tell you, this man was going through it.”
“And we were going through it too. We had to hear about it all the time.” Frost gives her a quick side hug. “It’s so good to see you. I promise I’m not offended that you blocked me.”
“Oh, I am.” Berlin scoffs but hugs her. “I know he fucked up, but I thought we were friends. Why must I suffer for his stupidity?”
Anna’s cheeks flush, and a sheepish smile curls on her face. “I didn’t think you’d care.”
He gasps dramatically and glares at me. “Well, I did. Who was I supposed to watch Love Island and Survivor with? And no one makes tres leches like you. This breakup affected me as much as it affected you both.”
They love watching reality TV together, and while we all love sweets, no one loves them more than Berlin.
Rowan grabs his arms and jerks him away. “As you can see, some things don’t change. Berlin is still dramatic as fuck.”
Anna laughs while standing next to me just as Maya, Clementine, and Jenny enter the kitchen. It’s packed, but no one seems to mind. Everyone is catching up, my teammates kids are running around, and I’ve never felt happier.
It’s been almost three weeks since I last spoke to my parents and made a statement online. When they first found out what I did, they were furious and demanded that I take it down. But after threatening, then pleading, they tried to sue me for defamation.
I was prepared, and they failed miserably. They haven’t spoken to me or Thea since she stood by my side and publicly shared her support toward me.
It’s been a weird few weeks. There’s more media on me and the team than there ever has been, but everyone has been supportive.
“So where is she?” Marc asks, scanning the kitchen floor.
“She’s taking a nap,” I supply. “Did you and Thea plan your costumes?” He’s dressed as Nightwing and she as Starfire.
“No.” He turns to look at her. She’s talking to Anna, her friends, and my sister. His gaze roams over her. It’s slow and he’s one hundred percent checking her out. “But she looks really goo—”
“Fuck no.” I groan, pinning him with a look. “Don’t do that, I’m standing right here.”
“You really want to talk?” Matias lifts a brow.
“That’s different. It’s my birthday. And we weren’t going to do anything.”
Callan scoffs a laugh. I’m not sure where he came from, but he and Joey are standing next to us. “Is that why you have that dishtowel over your lap?”
“Before you all carry on, who’s the redhead with Anna?” Berlin interrupts, eyes lasered on Clementine.
“Everything Everything’s co-owner. Her name is Clementine, and don’t fuck with her. They work together.” I don’t know if Clementine does relationships or is in one, but Berlin doesn’t, and he lives in another state.
A sly smile rises on his face. “I just want to talk…” he says as he’s sauntering over to them.
“And the other two girls?” Joey asks, gaze hopping between Jenny and Maya.
“Jesus Christ, no, leave them alone.” I move to block them from view. “The one with curly hair is Anna’s sister, Maya, and the other is her best friend, Jenny. If you fuck with them, I’ll fuck you up. Don’t even think about it.”
Joey raises his hands in surrender. “I was just wondering. Can I not?”
“No,” I reply flatly.
I don’t know if either girl is interested in dating, especially since Maya just ended her engagement.
Jenny, from what I remember, is busy and not overly interested in being in a relationship.
This could have changed, but I know what these guys are like, especially Joey and Callan.
There is never a time they’re not with some girl.
“You’re being really selfish.” Callan frowns.
Frost laughs, draping an arm over my shoulder. “You’re lucky he’s changed. He used to be worse back then.”
“Hi, querida, você dormiu bem?” I pick up Rosie from the crib and drop down on the recliner. “That means ‘did you sleep well?’” I translate for her, then add in Spanish, “?Dormiste bien?”
She rubs her eyes, curling in my arms. She nuzzles her head against my chest, yawning. “I want to sleep.”
“I know, but we need to go out there. I want you to meet my sister. Your aunt Thea. She’s so excited to see you, and so are my friends. I’ve known them since I was a kid,” I explain to her. I know she’s not paying attention to me because she’s half dozing off.
“Thea?” she mumbles.