very excited for Savannah to sit next to her. Gigi slid in to the seat between Savannah and Henley, although neither of them were paying much attention to her. Granted, Gigi wasn’t trying either. Henley was listening to whatever animated story Lennox was telling beside her. I didn’t miss the fact that Warner was next to her, he seemed to always be right there even though I was told they weren’t a couple.
“Come on, Saffie,” Chutney grabbed my hand and dragged me across the room to the empty seats in the middle of the table across from Timothy. “Sit next to me.”
I sat in the seat she pointed to and Riah took the one right beside me. Once he was seated, Olli hopped into my lap. As I rubbed his cute little head I glanced to my left. At the end of the table, Tennessee was lounged back in a chair with Tegan sitting in his lap. To their left was Bettina and Jackson. To their right was Cooper, Bentley, Emersyn, and then Deacon. I leaned forward and looked around Riah to see where everyone else was. It still seemed like people had to be missing.
Across from Riah, Kenneth sat directly beside Timothy. Followed by Braison, Paulina, Mona, and then Kessler. At the very end of the table sat an empty seat. Hunter and Devon sat across from his brother. Lily and Easton were the last two in the line followed by another empty chair.
The only person missing was Royce, but there were two chairs to choose from.
I shook my head and leaned back in my seat as conversations happened all around me. Emersyn shouted something and then Tegan clapped her hands. Huge platters of food floated in from the kitchen and lowered onto the table in front of us. The room was rambunctious and bursting with energy, but it was happy energy.
I just couldn’t believe the kind of day we’d had. It was hard to think I’d been attacked by dinosaurs just a matter of hours ago. Not counting my time travel, because I couldn’t be sure if that happened today at all, just from when I landed back in Eden so much had happened.
Royce strolled in from the other room and threw himself down in the empty chair next to Riah. Then he sighed. “What the fucculent with this day, man. This year even.”
I chuckled. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
Royce leaned back in his chair. “I’m just saying, this day is going too well.”
Savannah held her hand up and frowned. “I died.”
“Right, but you were saved.” Royce shrugged. “So that counts for the going too well tally. Could’ve gone the other way.”
Henley shook her head. “Where are you going with this, dear brother?”
“I’m just saying. I don’t trust this. It’s going too well…” He picked up a breadstick and used it to point at her. “Some shit is gonna go down. I can feel it.”
Braison shook his head and leaned into the table. “Hey Chutney, can you go grab Albert for me? I want him to meet Olli, but he’s being lazy.”
“On it!” Chutney giggled and sprinted up the stairs.
Devon pursed her lips. “Willow? Can you follow her and make sure she actually comes down?”
“Good call.” Willow jumped up. “She tends to fall asleep on that dog.”
Everyone watched as Willow disappeared up the stairs after Chutney.
Easton leaned forward and whispered, “All right, are we still on for their surprise party tomorrow?”
“Yeah, we’re all set,” Kessler said with a nod.
“Surprise party?” I frowned. “For what?”
“What is the occasion?” Riah asked.
“It’s for their birthday,” Paulina said as she dumped pasta on her plate. “They both turn sixteen.”
I gasped. “When are their birthdays?”
“Chutney’s is the twenty-eighth, then Willow’s is February twentieth.”
“Oh, this is exciting.” And then something dawned on me. “Hey, my birthday is coming up on the tenth!”
Everyone gasped.
Tegan clapped her hands. “Oh my God. We have to do something special for you.”
“Only three hundred forty-two.” Riah winked.
“What did I do for my birthday this year?” Timothy frowned.
Katherine chuckled. “We went down to New Orleans.”
“Oh right.” He laughed.
Tennessee leaned around Tegan. “Dad, what’s the plan again?”
Kessler glanced over at the stairs and then back to Tennessee. “Everyone will be there at seven. Tegan will portal us all there and then once we’re ready, she’ll come back here to get Willow and Chutney.”
“Yeah, so everyone be ready at seven.” Tegan glared at the whole table.
Something huge crashed to the ground above us and then Willow giggled.