Farm Girl Has Bad Boy (#3)

Chapter Twelve

We all rush around the kitchen to find out hiding places. There aren’t that many options, so half of everyone goes to crouch behind the kitchen table and the other around the corner in the living room. I stand out in the open in the kitchen, because it’s obvious Emery knows I’m here and because I’m the one who organized the whole surprise party.

So when I hear the front door swing open a grin spreads across my lips. “Emery!” I call. “Can you come here?”

“One second,” he yells back, probably taking off his shoes. My dad quickly walks into the room while Emery still remains at the front door. He gives me a nod and wink before crouching behind the table.

Then, Emery walks in. He’s looking down at his cell phone as his black hair falls over his eyes, oblivious to what’s about to happen.

“Hey Emery,” I smirk, however he doesn’t look up just yet.

“SURPRISE!” Everyone jumps up out of their hiding places and throws their hands in the air. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Emery’s face is priceless. His head jerks up, throwing his hair out of his eyes. His eyes are wide and startled, and then his lips quickly curl into an ear to ear grin.

“Happy birthday!” I smile, sauntering over and wrapping him in a hug. He kisses me on the forehead and looks around, his gaze hovering over his friends.

“Long time no see, Em!” Raffie saunters over and wraps an arm around Emery’s shoulder. They do that half hug thing that guys do and then he leaves his arm draped protectively around my boyfriend.

“What’s up, Raffie?” Emery laughs, messing up Raffie’s hair like Derrick had earlier. I’m starting to think that it’s some inside joke I’m unaware of however I laugh anyways. “River,” Emery says, gesturing for me to come closer. “This is my best friend from home. You wouldn’t believe the trouble we used to get in!”

Raffie rolls his eyes as he laughs. “Like that time with Old Man Mather’s and his guard dog?”

Emery doubles over in laugher, lighting me up inside. I’ve made a good choice by bringing his friends here and it makes me incredibly happy to see him having fun already.

“I forgot about that,” Emery gasps, trying to catch his breath. Raffie pats his shoulders before going to look over the food my parents have put on the counter and the table. “Derrick!” Emery calls and soon he’s running over, literally jumping at Emery. Luckily he catches him and then shoves him playfully away. “Remember the story I told you about breaking my arm?” When I nod Emery shoves Derrick again. “This kid’s house and you know what he did? He stood there and laughed while I cried.”

“I missed Emery Hastings crying?” I fake gasp and Derrick laughs.

“It was quite the sight to see!”

“Time for cake!” My mom calls, interrupting us. We haven’t even had pizza or French fries yet, so I assume they’re for later tonight when everyone gets hungry again. I link my arm through Emery’s and guide him towards the kitchen table. Once he stands over it, my mother lights the cake on the counter and starts singing.

“Happy birthday to you!” She starts to walk slowly over, carrying one of the chocolate on chocolate covered in rainbow sprinkles and candles cakes. My dad follows closely behind as everyone joins in singing. “Happy birthday to you!” Emery grins as the first cake is placed in front of him. I did the ‘Happy Birthday Emery!’ Icing myself and it doesn’t look half bad. “Happy Birthday dear Emery!” He quickly gives me a kiss on the cheek as the next cake is placed on the table. “Happy birthday to you!”

“You have to make a wish,” I smirk as Emery leans towards the cakes. He takes a minute to think as he stares up at the ceiling. Then, once he’s deciding on something relatively important, he takes a deep breath in and blows all the candles out in one breath. Everyone starts clapping as the smoke from the candles rises. Emery stands smirking, turning to meet my eyes as he dips his finger in the icing and raises it to his lips. “Hey!” I shout, smacking his arm. “That cake isn’t just for you!”

Emery wipes his hand on his pants and grins ear to ear. “But it says my name on it.” He raises his eyebrows and I roll my eyes, knowing I’ve been beat.

“So what did you wish for?” I ask curiously, as my mother cuts the cake and starts to pass out slices, giving the one with Emery’s fingerprint to him. Emery leans close and quickly kisses the tip of my nose before I can dodge it.

“I’ll tell you when it comes true.”

“Emery,” Alana calls, strolling over, holding her small, neatly wrapped present. “Why don’t you take me to your room and open up your present?”

Before he can respond or annoyance can spread across my face, Mary jogs over, carrying my presents. “He has to open River’s first,” she says with a smile, obviously fake. “Since she’s his girlfriend.” I don’t know whether Alana hears the obvious tone in Mary’s voice, however if she does, she shows no sign of it. Instead, she shrugs while I grab my presents and hand them to Emery.

“You weren’t supposed to get me anything, honey,” he sighs, sitting down at the kitchen table with a grin. Mary and I watch him with smiles on our faces and I shoot her a thank-you look as Emery reads the card I wrote for him last night. It’s full of mushy, cute things and the many memories we’ve shared together. He smiles the whole time while he’s reading it, sometimes and embarrassed expression passing across his face. However when he’s done, he grabs my wrist and pulls me onto his knee. “That was really sweet,” he says as he places a kiss on my forehead.

I open my mouth to say something but Alana snatches the card out of Emery’s fingers, obviously wanting to read it.

“That’s kind of personal,” I snap, unable to hold my calm tone. Emery puts a protective arm around my waist, holding me as I sit on his lap.

“I’m sure Emery doesn’t mind,” she mutters distractedly, reading over the card with obvious disgust.

“I kind of do,” Emery quietly protests, and Alana rolls her eyes. She tosses the hand-made card on the table like its worthless-which, to her, it probably is.

“Open your presents.” Alana stares at her fingernails, wanting to move on with me giving Emery his presents.

Emery doesn’t seem to be as agitated as I am as he grabs the small, square CD’s wrapped in shiny blue wrapping paper. He opens it slowly, staring up and smiling at something Derrick said but I didn’t catch. However when he looks back down, his eyes grow wide and he starts tearing the wrapping paper furiously. Then, once the Lamb of God CD is in his hands, he flips it back and forth, a smile of shock and happiness on his lips.

“River!” He shouts, pulling me roughly into his chest. He starts kissing me all over my face. By the time my cheeks, nose, lips and forehead are all covered in kisses, he’s looking at the other two CD’s happily.

Next he opens the shirt, but he’s too excited to open it slowly like he did at first with the CD’s. As soon as it’s out of the wrapping paper, he’s peeling off his own shirt.

“Emery,” my mother sighs, embarrassed. She covers the top of her eyes with her palm as Emery stands up, pulling his new Lamb of God shirt over his head. Once it’s on, he grabs the bottom and looks at the picture. It’s a perfect fit.

“I love it!” He grins, pulling me to my feet and picking me up. He gives me a few kisses and spins me around before Alana coughs, annoyed. I roll my eyes as Emery sets me back on the ground so the birthday party can continue.

“Let’s go open my present,” Alana says, looking at my eyes instead of Emery’s. She grabs his hand and before he or I can protest, she’s dragging him off to my room.

Everyone starts laughing at some joke one of the guys said while I slump down in a chair, my chin falling into my hands. Even though I haven’t liked Alana from the start, she’s quickly giving me a bigger list of thinks I dislike about her.

For one, she just took my boyfriend up to my room to open some birthday present she doesn’t want anyone else to see. However, if that isn’t troubling enough, now I realize that Emery didn’t have the slightest problem with it.