Stepdad

SEVEN

"Are you sure I have to go?" Allie had asked Rook for about the tenth time since she got on the phone with him. It was Colson's birthday and he was having his party later that night. She didn't want to go but Rook kept insisting that she had to.

"Yes, you have to. Now get your ass out of bed and get ready before I come over there and make you." She let out a protesting groan before she hung up on him and tossed her phone onto the bed in frustration.

She had no idea what to get him for his birthday. She didn't have to get him anything but showing up to a birthday party with no gift was just plain rude. She wondered what she should get the guy who seemed to have everything.

Once she had gotten dressed in a pair of jean high rise shorts and a pink crop top, she slid into her shoes and made her way out of the house to her car. It was hot as fuck in L.A. She knew she would be sweaty and gross by the time she got to the party.

She turned on the air conditioning in her car and turned on some music, her eyes rolling to the heavens when Bloody Valentine came on. "You have got to be fucking kidding me." She mumbled before immediately changing the playlist on spotify to something that wouldn't play him.

Once she arrived at the mall, she went straight for the music store, her eyes scanning all kinds of guitars that were hung up on the walls. Her eyes fell on one in particular, a soft pink one. She immediately went over to it to admire it's beauty.

It took only a few minutes for an employee to find her, his smile bright as if he were about to make commission off her purchase. "Can I help you with anything?" He asked her, hope in his tone. He was hoping she was going to buy the guitar, and she was. As a gag gift for Colson.

Every man she ever met hated the color pink, too macho to have anything that color. She figured it would be funny to see the look on his face when he opened the case. "Yes, actually. I want to buy this for my friend." The man nodded and carefully took it down.

He walked her over to a display of guitar cases, Allie picking a random black one that looked nice before she followed him up to the register. "Oh, could you find me a matching guitar pick and have it engraved to say 'Love Allie', please?"

"Yeah, sure. Give me a couple minutes." The guy reached into a jar of guitar picks before he grabbed a pink one that looked similar and headed to the back of the store. She had an idea in mind, she was going to put the guitar pick on a necklace for him.

Once he got back to the counter, he showed her the guitar pick to make sure she approved. It already had a small hole in the top, which was perfect. "That's perfect. Thank you." She quickly paid for the items and watched the guy put the guitar in the case before he handed her a receipt.

She put the receipt in her pocket and grabbed her items before she exited the store and bought a chain for the pick at the closest jewlery store then headed back to her car, putting the case into the trunk. She heard her phone ringing once again, knowing it was probably Rook.

"Hello?" She answered in an aggravated tone as she got back into her car.

"Are you on your way?" It was Rook and she was on the verge of choking the life out of him once she did arrive.

"Yes, i'm on my way now. I had to stop and get him a present. Hop off my nuts, John." She was burning up in the heat and wanted to be somewhere cooler with a drink in her hand.

"You got Colson a present? Awe."

"I will punch you in the dick if you make a big deal out of this." She hung up on him once again so she could drive and made her way to the one place she didn't want to be at.

"I'm only here for Yungblud." She stated when Rook opened the front door.

"Well, hello to you too." He moved to the side so she could step into the house before he shut the door behind them. "He's in the kitchen making drinks right now." Allie turned to face him, debating on if she really wanted to say this or not.

"I have to give Colson his present first. Where is he?" She went ahead and asked even though it might cause an issue later on down the road. Rook looked as if he were thinking, unsure of where he actually was.

"I think he's out back. I'll go get him."

"Bring him out to my car." She told him before she went back outside. She was in the process of opening her trunk when she heard someone call her name, a tall blonde making his way over to her.

"I heard you got me a birthday present." He had that award winning smile she loved on his face. She quickly pulled the guitar case out and closed the trunk before placing the case on top of it.

She took a step to the side and motioned for him to open it up. He placed the blunt he was holding between his lips and stepped up to open the case, his smile only growing when he saw the pink guitar, much to her surprise.

"Man, this is sick. I love this." He didn't hesitate to pull it out to admire it, his eyes just as wide as his smile. She didn't think he would like the color but apparently he did and it made her smile.