WILD THING (18+) - COMPLETED

HER

November always came with a lightening of the air for Cara. With fall on its last legs and the pervasive chill making everyone drag their coats out from the back of their closets, it would make more sense for the days to feel heavier, gloomier.

But it was her birth month. She couldn’t imagine being anything but happy with each day that led her closer to that, logically speaking, inconsequential day that commemorated her birth. Alongside millions of other people she didn’t know, and didn’t really care to, because for one shining set of twenty four hours, it was about her and her alone.

November always brought memories of pink strawberry and vanilla flavored cakes, rainbow balloons, taffeta dresses, and then, later, blurry nights with multicolored lights and multiflavored alcohol, and always, always, Laurie and her big personality and big smile.

But strangely, this particular November, Cara felt like something different was coming. She was sure it had something to do with Jonah, but she wasn’t sure exactly what it was.

Oh, he definitely knew when her birthday was.

He’d been shifty since the month had started, creeping around and making plans Cara couldn’t figure out. And, every morning since the first, he’d been leaving her tiny trinkets to wake up to; she’d practically moved into his apartment now.

He wasn’t complaining, though. And neither was Laurie, whose relationship with Gareth had become even more passionate, as if that were even possible.

Cara had lost count of the number of times she’d come back to a sock on their dorm room door, forced to spend the night at Jonah’s place enough times that when he’d suggested she just bring some of her stuff over and spend most of her nights there, she hadn’t even put on a fight.

But now, it was the D-day. Her birthday. She was officially twenty-one, or, like Laurie had told her that morning with a theatrical wink, twenty-fun.

They’d spent the previous night out with a couple of girlfriends – no boys, Laurie had ordered, because she definitely knew Jonah would be stealing her away for most of her birthday and the next day, probably – but Cara had been too giddy with excitement about what the next day held for her that she’d barely drunk any alcohol.

Now, as she read the text Jonah had sent her just as she was stepping out of her last class for the day, she suddenly missed the shot glass of vodka one of her friends had slid toward her the previous night.

The excitement in her belly had transformed into millions of butterflies of apprehension.

Come over. You don’t have to bring anything but your beautiful self, the text read.

No emoji to make it sound playful, less intense.

Cara had never celebrated a birthday with a boyfriend before. It was ridiculous to be apprehensive about something so simple, she knew, but it felt like a big deal. They were getting serious. Like, serious serious.

This was obviously no longer a meaningless fun fling. She could already see him asking her to fly out with him to meet his mysterious brother in the UK. Even more terrifyingly, she could see herself eagerly saying yes. She wanted to meet his family, damn it. She wanted him to meet her parents. She wanted them to like him as much as she liked him. As much as she… loved him.

Oh my God.

She loved him.

She was in love with him.

Cara dropped to her haunches in the parking lot, one hand over her mouth, the other over her pounding heart, her entire body alight with the sudden realization.