Love Me | Series Book #1

TWENTY FOUR

I couldn't sleep after that. My eyelids were heavy, but they wouldn't fall shut. I watched the ceiling illuminate with sun rays as morning flooded into the room. Beside me, Rachel stirred out of sleep, and stretched her arms above her head.

She was still partially asleep. I could tell because she looked at me without really seeing me, then she muttered the word bathroom.

"Down the hall, around the corner," I told her. She stood up slowly, and made her way out of the room.

I turned over, and pulled my phone from beneath the covers. I didn't know what I was looking for. A birthday message maybe? But then I remembered it was only 7:30 in the morning. No one would be awake at this ungodly hour. No one except maybe Mason.

He had begged  me to take him home after we stayed the remainder of the night at the hospital. We rode in silence the entire time, with the only sound among us being the friction of my tires against the gravel. The air was heavy, and the space was dark. But, I could define each one of his features although he was only a shadow next to me. It was the first time I'd allowed myself to be so close to him in weeks. And, for the first time there wasn't a trace of fear prickling across my skin.

After several more hours of laying in my thoughts, I finally made a move to get up when the doorbell sounded from the parlor. Without even thinking to take a brush to my hair, I stood up and headed for the door. Through the peephole, I could see Chase waiting on the front step.

I unlocked the door, and pulled it open, letting in a brisk chill of air. He gave me a smile and stepped inside, but not before pulling me into a hug, and singing an off-key version of happy birthday.

"You're turning into such an old lady," he joked, sliding an envelope into my hands.

"Which would make you?" I questioned with a raised brow, since his birthday fell only two months before mine.

"Your elder, so don't disrespect me."

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes, and flipped over the birthday card in my hands. He followed me into the living room, and I put a finger to my mouth, signaling  him to keep his loud voice low. "Rachel and Aly are still sleeping so try not to wake them," I whispered.

"Are you serious? It's almost twelve in the afternoon."

"We party hard."

Chase snickered as he stepped over their sleeping bodies, and took a seat on the couch. I started to open the card as he made a joke out of Aly's snoring.

"I'm surprised it didn't wake me a few doors down. Damn."

"Careful. I'm sure she can still hear you. Be ready to fight when she gets up," I warned. I sat down beside him, and picked the envelope open. Inside was a colorful card decorated with fireworks exploding from the number 18 in the center. I opened the card, and without warning, came the sound of 50 cent's chorus to In Da Club.

"Go shawty, it's ya birthday. We gonna party like it's ya birthday, we gonna-.."

I snapped the card shut before it could wake Rachel and Aly, and chuckled to myself, glancing over at him.

"You didn't even read it," he said, reaching for it.

"Shhh," I shushed him for the upteenth time, "I'll look at it later."

"Mhm, you'd better. Took me nearly a half hour to find it."

I folded it back into the envelope, and placed it beside me.