“So,what’d you wish for?” Sebastian asked, nudging his elbow against mine.
“SashaGrey,” I quipped, lifting one side of my mouth into a weak half-smile.
“Solidchoice,” Ty chimed in with a thumbs-up.
“Yeah,it would’ve been,” Sebastian grumbled, whacking the back of his hand against myshoulder. “Except you’re not supposed to tell anyone your wish, idiot. Now itwon’t come true. Nice job.”
“Babe,”Ali sighed irritably. “Can we please just eat the damn cake?”
***
“Hey, Chaddington.”Sebastian pushed a cold, open beer into my hand. “You good?”
Inodded. “Yeah. All good.” Except I was lying.
“Youlook like you’regonnahurl,” he assessed candidlybefore tipping his beer back. Ty just glanced at me with sagely concern. I knewthat expression. It was the look I got from him whenever I atesomethinghe knew I shouldn’t.
“I’mfine,” I lied again. But I didn’tfeelfine. In fact, I was far from it. I had known eating BBQ wasn’t the best idea,it never was. But it was my birthday, dammit, and I was going to enjoy it.Although now, Iwasn’tenjoying it at all, and I was certain BBQ hadactually beenthe worst idea I could’ve had. I should’veasked Mama to make some grilled chicken and white rice. Maybe some salmon andsautéed vegetables. Somethingsafe. BBQ wasn’t safe, I knew that, andyet I’d ignored my intuition for the sake of my favorite birthday meal.
Thirtywas off to a good start, as the pain that’d begun as an ache in my bones, nowescalated until it felt like a knife in my gut. Stabbing. Twisting. Stabbingagain. You’d think I’d have gotten used to it by now. You’d think it’d benothing, after dealing with it for as long as I can remember. But the onlything I was used to, was smiling through it all and giving the impression thatI’m fine, while internally I wonderedhow much pain a body can handle before it simply gives up.
“Where’dyour girlfriend go?” Ty asked, sweeping his gaze over the porch and yard, asthough she might’ve been hiding somewhere.
“Shehad to get home,” I told him, drinking from the cold bottle of beer. My eyessqueezed shut on my swallow and I silently begged my stomach to calm down.God, please stop.
Sebastiangrunted with a nod. “Gonnaput a ring on that soon? Imean, no offense, but you’re no spring chicken anymore, bro.”
Isnorted, hopefully covering the bitterness I tried to conceal. “Yeah, nokiddin’.”
“Well,she’s missing out,” Ty commented, changing the subject. “It’s beautiful outhere. I had no idea this is how you lived the rest of the time.” He meant whenwe weren’t on tour, traveling to different parts of the world, and he wasright. Red Ridge really was gorgeous in April—warm during the day, nice andcool at night. A bit humid, but I could get past that.
Sebastian,on the other hand, couldn’t. “Beautiful, my ass. I feel like a fucking poodle.”He smoothed out his shoulder-length, blond hair and pulled it all back tosecure it into his signature man-bun.
“Youcouldchop it off again,” Tysuggested slyly.
Isnorted, remembering the timeSebwhacked all hishair off to impress the woman he ended up marrying. “You’regonnamake him cry,” I teased, nudging the butt of my bottle against Sebastian’s arm.
“Thosewere dark days,” he commented brusquely.
Thescreen door to the house opened and out stepped Sarah with her purse slung overone shoulder. “All right, baby,” she said, announcing her presence as sheheaded toward me. “Igottahead back home. Hank justgot in from work and I got somecleanin’ to do.”
“Don’tyou clean enough?” I quipped with a halfhearted smile.
“Thathouseain’tgonnacleanitself,” she insisted, pressing her palms to my cheeks and leaning down toplant a kiss in the center of my forehead. “Happy birthday. I’ll see you soon,all right?”
Sarahpat my cheek before releasing my face from her grasp, then headed toward theporch steps. I watched her back, thinking of all the thousands of times I’dseen this woman come and go from my parents’ house. She’d been a part of mylife since the day I was brought into this world and was closer to me than anyother relative. And her daughter …
Theabrupt reminder of my old childhood friend stung my heart and dulled the achein my stomach. Memories of wishes and lists flooded my mind as I twisted mylips and narrowed my eyes before deciding to say, “Hey, Sarah, tell Molly Isaid hi.”
Sarahturned and I couldn’t miss the glimmer of surprise that flickered over her gazeas she nodded. “All right, baby. I will. Enjoy the rest of your night.”
Asshe left the porch and walked down the driveway, heading to her own house onlytwo doors down, Sebastian turned to me with a raised brow. Somehow, I knewexactly what he would say before he’d even saidit, andbraced myself for the interrogation.
“Molly,huh?”
Andthere it was. I chuckled, shaking my head at his predictability, and said,“Yeah. She’s Sarah’s daughter. We grew up together, but lost touch somewherealong the line.”
“Oh.Well, that’s not nearly as exciting as I’d hoped it would be,” Sebastianmuttered before emptying his beer. The glass clinked against the glass-toppedend table. “All righty, Tyler. You ready? I need my beauty sleep.”
