Shutout | Complete

Chapter 9

I huffed, blowing on the strand of hair that had escaped my scrunchy and dangled in front of my face. Handing Harper another balloon, I stepped back to admire what we had managed in the short amount of time we were at Lincoln's house. Streamers hung from the popcorn ceiling, and balloons were organized in small clusters and taped to the wall. A few strays had wandered around the carpeted living room, adding a fun pop of colour. The tips of my fingers were rubbed raw from all the balloon tying and I was sure I was going to need a second shower before the surprise birthday party even started.

My phone buzzed in the back pocket of my jeans. I ignored it, figuring it must have been a missed call notification. Cali had been trying to get a hold of me most of the afternoon. Avoiding her was more difficult than I thought it would be, but I knew it would be worth it.

"Cali better appreciate this," Harper murmured from her stoop. The wooden dining room chair wobbled under her.

I waved away her concern. "That's not even a question. Of course she will."

At the sound of the doorbell Sadie, Lincoln's four-year-old sister, came barreling into the room. Her petite frame was buzzing with excitement. "Is that her?" She whisper-yelled.

Lincoln peered out the large bay window with a chuckle. "It's just the pizza delivery. Can you run upstairs to my bedroom and grab my wallet?"

Sadie pouted before ducking out of the room, her big brother in tow. "Okay."

I smiled as I listened to Sadie make her way upstairs. While she was the cutest little girl I'd ever seen, I couldn't understand why Cali was so smitten with her until she became more comfortable around us. She was like a beam of light. It was a wonder how she was related to someone as stoic and serious as Lincoln.

I passed my hand over my mouth to disguise the yawn that escaped. The early morning hockey practices were kicking my ass–and I wasn't even the one who had to participate. I made my way over to the coffee table and took a swig of the energy drink I had cracked open the moment I arrived. It fizzed on my tongue, the taste of blue raspberry engulfing my tastebuds. The can settled back down with a clang and I made my way back over to hand Harper another balloon.

She cast a sideways glance in my direction. Her fiery red hair was pulled up in a ponytail that displayed her high cheekbones and freckled skin. "Tired?"

"Exhausted." I stretched my arms above my head, trying to wake myself up.

"Perhaps you should spend more time sleeping and less time with your fake boyfriend," she replied, focusing on sticking another balloon to the door frame.

I stuck my tongue out at her, taking full advantage of her attention being glued to decorating.

"Fake boyfriend?" Andrew, Lincoln's best friend, perked his head up.

The lanky accounting major had spent the better half of our time setting up for the party laying on the only couch in the room, nose pressed to his phone. Andrew was so tall that his feet dangled off the other end of the couch, his hamburger socks on full display.

I sucked in a breath, shooting Harper a glare for mentioning anything. "It's a long story."

"I've got nothing better to do," Andrew admitted. He crossed his arms over the back of the couch, settling in to hear the soap opera that was my life.

"You could get up off your ass and help," Lincoln offered as he re-entered the room and placed a heart-shaped cake on the coffee table. It was monochromatic–the light blue fondant letters were the same colour as the buttercream. Cali was going to absolutely love it.

Grabbing a balloon from the pile, I handed it off to Harper. "Unless you have another job for him, he's better off where he is."

"Too many balloons have periled in his grasp," Harper added, her tone ominous.