Chapter 15 #3
Isabelle chuckles. “I think you convince yourself you hate him because you want to fuck him and you know it’ll be good.”
I laugh and Natalia gapes. “Coming from the girl who drools every time Nico is in the room.”
I laugh harder, loud enough for all the guys to turn and look at us.
“And what are you laughing about?” Natalia shoots at me and I press my lips together to keep from laughing. “You let him eat you out on the floor!”
I smack her arm. “Shhhh!”
Natalia groans and drops her face in her hands. “Sorry,” she breathes. “I’m attacking you guys, I’m sorry. We all know Rowan is hot, but he’s blond!”
I nod and look over at Isabelle. “He’s blond and…”
“And he’s blond, Lana! I’m not into blonds!”
“Ahh,” Isabelle muses, “I thought you were going to say you weren’t into demons.”
Natalia sucks on her teeth. “Damn it, I should have come up with that,” she mumbles. “He annoys me, it’s not happening.”
“You know,” I say, “hate fucking can be really good.”
Natalia glares.
“And something tells me he would love to hate fuck you,” Isa adds.
Natalia glares harder and it only takes a matter of seconds before Isabelle and I break into laughter. “You know what, fine. But just remember,” she points at Isa, “you’re secretly in love with your brother’s best friend,” she points at me, “and your boyfriend won’t put out.”
I gasp, gaping at her. “It’s called a boundary—”
“And I am not in love with Nico,” Isabelle says quietly.
Natalia and I roll our eyes.
My eyes float around to Julian. His hand is wrapped around a glass of lemonade and his other is in the pocket of his jeans. “Anyone else worried about Julian?”
Isabelle frowns, and so does Natalia.
“Yes,” Isa says first. “He’s sad. Lonely. Even when he thinks he’s good at pretending he’s fine, you can tell.”
“He looks a bit broken,” Natalia says sadly. “But at least he’s hot. Single dad and those sleeves of tattoos could easily—”
“Natalia!” I hiss. “Stop checking him out.”
Her eyes widen and she gapes at me. “I’m not, I’m just saying he could easily get someone.”
“I don’t think that’s what he wants,” Isa says.
“Me either.”
Natalia sighs. “Well, now you’ve both made me sad. I’m going to grab some more lemonade and spike it with the hidden tequila.”
“I don’t have any alcohol in this house,” I tell her.
“It’s in my purse, Lana, please.” Natalia rolls her eyes and goes inside the house. I worry about her, but I try to not be an overbearing mother hen about it.
Isabelle sighs and sits beside me. “So? How is he behaving?”
I sigh, content. “I think I’m happy, Isa.”
“You think? You are happy. Look at you! The way you look at him and the way he looks at you.”
I shake my head. “It was always like that.”
“It looks different now,” she says. “Like this is it. Endgame.”
I shrug and sip from my lemonade. “I hope so.”
“It is,” Isabelle tells me. “The faith you put in him wasn’t for nothing.”
“He still hasn’t told me what happened.” I frown.
“I tried to get Luca to tell me.” Isabelle pulls me to her side with her arm around my shoulders. “He wouldn’t tell me. It isn’t anyone’s story to tell except Christian, babe. We just…have to wait until he’s ready.”
I rest my head on her shoulder. “Thank you.”
“Patience.”
My eyes find Christian’s, no sunglasses now, and he winks with a smiling tipping up his lips. Then he mouths, “ love you.
I smile back at him and sigh. “Patience.”
“We’re singing!” Isabelle shouts, her hands cupped around her mouth. “Everyone over here, now!”
“Isa,” Christian grimaces. “We really don’t have to sing.”
“Nonsense,” Isa scoffs, shoving him behind his cake and down into the chair. “What’s the point of celebrating if you aren’t the center of attention?”
Luca scoffs even louder, rolling his eyes at his twin. Isabelle cocks her hip and crosses her arms. “You got something to say?”
Luca goes quiet.
“Lana,” Christian calls out for me.
“Oh, yes!” Isabelle perks. “Lana!”
Feeling the blood rush to my cheeks, I make my way to join Christian behind his cake. “Hey.”
His arm comes around my thighs and he’s smiling up at me with the softest eyes. My hand smooths across his back to his shoulder, and he turns his head, kissing my inner arm. “Hey.”
“Did you need help blowing out the candles or something?”
Christian shakes his head, lips tipped upward. “Just wanted you here.”
He tugs me gently onto his lap and my cheeks heat as I adjust my position. My ass shimmies over his crotch and he groans, his hands tight on my hips. “Lana,” he warns.
I sniff a laugh and bat my lashes at him. “Yes?”
“Okay, love birds!” Isabelle holds her camera up, her eye looking through the viewfinder. “Smile!”
My arm comes around Christian’s shoulders again and he pulls me back into his chest. I smile wide and Isa takes the photo, the flash going off.
“One more!”
With my left hand, I hold Christian’s right cheek and kiss his left one as he holds a huge smile on his face. The flash goes off again.
“Perfect! We got it.”
Rowan comes up to the table, lighting the candles, then steps back with a smile of his own. “On three!”
He counts down and everyone starts singing like it’s a child’s birthday party. Except it’s after dark and we’re apparently adults now. Christian’s cheeks redden, going warm, and instead of singing, I’m stuck watching his beautiful face light up from the glow of the candles.
There’s that little boy inside of him showing.
“Blow out your candles,” I whisper in his ear when the singing is over.
Christian’s eyes fall closed and he leans forward slightly. He blows out his candles and our friends clap and cheer. He sits up and back, taking me with him, and kisses my bare shoulder. “I love you.”
I smile, turning my head toward him, and nudge his lips with mine. “I know.”
“I’m not cashing in that kiss yet,” he whispers on my lips.
I sigh and pull away. “Okay, but that one was for me.”
I try to stand from his lap but he pulls me back down. “You can’t just say that and leave.”
Laughing, I kiss the corner of his mouth.
“Either get a room or stop before I vomit,” Natalia says.
Isa laughs, coming forward to cut the cake. She begins putting slices on paper plates, distributing them, but giving Nico his especially slowly, keeping contact. Real subtle.
“Thank you for this,” Christian tells me.
I smile. “Let’s eat cake.”