Bees & Honey [H.S]

Chapter 56

"Happy birthday sleepyhead!"

Scared out of my life- going into survive mode, I woke up from my sleep to the one and only Max bombarding my bed. Thankfully she didn't land on me, but by the way Philippe whined on the other side of the bed I was sure he must have been the one to take the fall.

Last year's birthday, waking up alone on it for the first time since befriending Max, this was not what I imagined when I looked into the future of us two being able to go back to our traditions. I never expected to have yet another person by my side to wake up to.

I turned to look at the spot in the middle of the bed that she had claimed as hers with force, my heart racing down from the first jump scare of her cheer.

"Good morning." She sneered at Philippe, who had turned an evil eye at the devil herself, and she enjoyed every bit of it with the growing grin. He closed his eyes with a defeated chuckle, "oh mon Dieu" he said while smiling and shaking his head against the pillow.

Raising her hand, she patted on Philippe's back eagerly, "Philippe, go and get us breakfast."

Dragging himself out of bed, he walked around it. By now, he knew not to argue with Max. Or maybe he was too scared to. He just wanted to be on her good side, and therefore continue to be approved by her for me. Philippe stopped by my side, his usual fluffy brown hair now all tangled up from just waking up, and then leaned down and placed a sweet kiss on my forehead.

"Happy birthday." He pushed my hair behind my ear and looked me deeply in the eyes. I smiled warmly back as he stood straight again. My eyes travelled with him as he grabbed a hoodie and a pair of trousers on his way out, "love you, see you in a bit." he shouted with his back turned to us, heading out of the flat in just a minute.

"Bye baby!" I shouted back before the door closed behind him. Without moving my head still lying comfortably on my pillow, I looked back up at my best friend. She was already staring at me from the side, giving me a raised brow.

"What?" I asked confused, clueless to what had earned me a stare like that from her. She didn't waver or open her mouth, making me nervous, "What!?" I emphasized now, and to that she rolled her eyes mildly before she opened her mouth.

"No 'love you' back?" She asked, but not really, since she already had her answer. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes, and along with it- I rolled onto my back.

"It was just something he said in passing." I brushed it off. Max jumped up to lean her back on the headboard, furrowing her brows now.

"As you do when you're a couple?" She stated, but yet questioned- leaving room for me in the discussion. I sighed heavily.

"I might not have said it yet..." I dragged out the words, still hesitant if I should confess it after a bit of contemplating. To that, Max's dark eyes widened, doubling in size.

"Excuse me- what!?" She blurted out, and it was the exact reaction that I had expected from her. Immediately, I started defending myself.

"I will! I just- I haven't found the right moment to say it yet." I argued, lowering my tone as I spoke and avoiding eye contact with her. She took a moment to register what I had said and in the silence I started fidgeting with the fabric of my duvet, biting the inside of my cheek.

"You've been together over half a year now, and you haven't found the right moment?" She repeated my words, probably not because she was unsure if that's what I truly said, but to make sure that I had heard how crazy that sentence sounded. But I acted oblivious.

"Yes." I stated back, not letting my face give away anything for her to work with. But all I was met with was silence, and even if it was for just a second, it was still Max we were talking about, and silence was not her friend. Reacting on it, I glanced up to her, looking to see if she had heard what I had said. With her stare at me, I definitely knew she had heard. But as soon as I met her gaze, she rolled it up to the ceiling.