Noah Centineo Imagines

An 80's Movie Apology

I woke up and groaned when I realized what day it was; my birthday. Most people loved their birthdays. Not me. Every year, it ended in disappointment.

My parents divorced when I was little and since then, my birthday is spent with me going back and forth between houses. I stopped celebrating it once I graduated high school. Until I started dating Noah Centineo.

Noah and I met on the set of The Fosters. He replaced Jake T. Austin as Jesus while I worked on the actors' make-up. We constantly flirted back and forth. At one of our season wrap-up parties, Noah and I got a little drunk and ended up making out in the prop closet. He asked me out the next Monday and we've been dating since the beginning of the next season.

"Tell me again why you're fighting this?" Noah's voice came through the speaker.

"I know that Taylor and Jen and Hailey mean well it's just. . ."

"You refuse to celebrate your birthday," Noah sighed. "Y/N, I thought we talked about this. I know you've hated celebrating it in the past, but the last couple of years have been okay. I mean, I usually take you to dinner and. . ."

"Yeah, well, you aren't here this year." I cut him off. I held my breath when he didn't respond right away.

"My flight gets in on your birthday. I'll be there."

"Your flight gets in at 4 in the morning, babe, and you don't sleep on planes. You're going to be exhausted. You're not going to want to come to a party tired and drained from a red-eye flight."

"I don't care," he laughed. "I'm your boyfriend and as your boyfriend, my job is to try and help you enjoy your birthday."

"Babe," I sighed.

"I'll be there," he cut me off. "I promise."

* * * * *

"How can you not want to celebrate your birthday?" Noah laughed as we ate pizza and watched Netflix.

"Because," I sighed. "Everyone makes such a big deal about birthdays, but they always end the same. A disappointment that was celebrated with presents you don't actually need and cake that was half frosting."

Noah looked up at me and sighed. "I'm determined to change that."

That conversation happened about three months into our relationship, the first birthday I celebrated with him and he did change things. He snuck into my house in the morning and made me breakfast in bed. He went with me and paid for me to get my hair and nails done. We had a picnic in the park, went to the farmer's market, saw a movie in the drive-in theater, and had a romantic dinner at my favorite restaurant.

I celebrated two more birthdays with him, each one better than the last. Until this one.

I stood in my kitchen, the house full of my friends, coworkers, and family. My best friends had planned this party for me, even though I tried to convince them not to. They were just trying to keep my mind off the fact that Noah wasn't in town. Even though his flight got in super early and he was technically here, I didn't want him to feel obligated to make a big deal about my birthday.

I took my phone out of my pocket and sighed when there wasn't a single call or text from Noah.

"Why is the birthday girl hiding in the kitchen?"

"I'm not hiding," I said to my best friend as she walked in. She sent me an amused look before glancing down at my phone.

"Still nothing from Noah?"

"No," I sighed. I quickly cleared my throat, adding, "But, you know, his flight got in at 4 am and I told him not to worry about it. I mean, he did promise he would come, but I just figured. . ."