Let Love Win

Chapter 17 - Hadley

"So have you decided what you're going to do for your birthday?" Mel asked as we walked down the hall of the university.

"I already told you what I'm doing," I repeated to her. "It's on the weekend this year, so I'm spending it at the orphanage with Monty and the boys."

"That's no fun though. You're turning 18 for Christ's sake! Never mind this year you have a steady boyfriend who is infatuated with you. Why not go out somewhere and enjoy legally drinking for the first time?"

"Because that's how you spent your birthday and we all know how that turned out."

She glared at me. "We made a promise not to bring that up again."

Long story short, Mel enjoyed her birthday, but the days afterwards weren't as excited. She spent 3 days after her 18th birthday in the hospital recovering from a mild case of alcohol poisoning. I'd told her at the beginning of the night not to mix 3 different vodka's in the same drink, but of course, drunk Mel doesn't listen to anyone, especially if she thinks something will taste good.

I rolled my eyes at her and started walking away from the hall that I'd just finished my lecture in. We'd been over the same things about my plans for my birthday for the past week, and while I never once changed my mind, she was still trying to convince me to go out and drink. Apparently, Monty and the boys had already planned a special dinner or something for my birthday so I wasn't going to plan over them. Especially since it would be my last birthday staying there as an orphan resident. From then on, I would have to find my own place and just swing by to give Monty a hand. I won't be in the system, and therefore not in the house.

We'd continued walking up to the café where I was scheduled to start my shift, and it was just then that I'd realized she was talking to me. I looked over at her. "I mean, you're always up to going out, now what's happened? Has turning 18 changed your attitude, and if so I don't like it," she rambled on.

I put my hand over her mouth to shut her up. "It's important to Monty and the boys that I have dinner there," I explained for what felt like the hundredth time. "If you're do up to going out, you and Brad can come for dinner and when the boys go to bed we can hit up a club, ok?"

Her eyebrows shot up. "Sounds awesome! So does this mean that you're inviting Zeek too?"

"Inviting me where?" Zeek said as he walked up to us.

"Monty is having a big dinner for her birthday at the end of the week."

"Which you're coming to because you never had a problem with it in the first place," I said hinting at Mel's annoying antics all the time. "Mel and Brad are coming too so we can go clubbing afterwards if it will finally shut her up."

"Yep totally! When's dinner?" she asked excitedly.

"Don't you have a lecture right now?" Zeek asked her, which caused me to snicker.

"Irrelevant, answer please."

"I don't know Mel," I sighed. "I'll ask her tonight and let you know later on. Right now, however, you have a lecture that you can't miss without your major at stake and I have a shift to work. I'll call you later."

"Fine. Bye, bitch."

"See ya, slut."

She left and I turned my attention to Zeek who was standing beside me. "I've started to notice that you guys aren't very nice to each other. This relationship is unhealthy, that much I remember from my health tutor."

"Get used to it, this is as healthy as it gets."

I started to walk into the café but was pulled back by my hand. As I spun in the direction that I was being pulled, my lips came into contact with Zeek's. I pulled away after a second and he smirked down at me.