secret smile spread across Laney’s face. “A mother always knows.”
When her mom left the room, she didn’t leave without saying, “Happy birthday.” Real happy. All her life, Grace had thought her parents were the reason for her messed-up life, only to find out she was the reason for theirs. Even worse, if she’d never been born, her grandfather would still be alive. Burrowing down into the blankets and smashing her face in her pillow, she couldn’t help but cry some more. If she had been the one that died instead of Christophe…
Everyone would have been better off.
Grace had no tears left to cry. She was empty, dry, cried out. She pushed herself to the bathroom, and tried not to look at her alarm clock. It was already 1:45. So much for not looking. After she finished showering and getting ready, Grace stumbled to the kitchen for some food, not caring about her blotchy face or swollen eyes. The hangover was gone, but the dehydration lingered. It wasn’t all the beer’s fault this time.
Quentin was sitting at the island, eating a sandwich while reading the paper, and doing a good job of ignoring the condition of her face.
“Hey,” she said, pulling the orange juice container from the refrigerator.
“Hey.” He didn’t lift his gaze from the paper.
Eventually, Grace parked herself in front of the television in the family room, her iPhone in hand. She had several texts wishing her a happy birthday. Her thumbs quickly replied to them all with a thank-you.
Before she laid her cell on the cushion next to her, Emily had already replied.
Emily: Howz ur bday so far?
Grace: Ok.
Emily: U still want 2 shop w/me?
Grace: When?
Emily: 1 hr.
Grace looked at the time on her phone and pressed gently around her eyes with her fingertips. The swelling would probably be down in an hour or so. She could probably do a good enough job covering it with makeup.
Grace: K. U getting me?
Emily: Yep :)
Grace: C u soon.
Emily: K.
She decided to sit for twenty minutes or so before climbing back up the stairs to get ready, and flipped through the channels. Grace turned off the TV and tossed the remote beside her, giving up on visual entertainment. Her phone vibrated next to her. On the screen was a contact photo of a boyish-smiling Darius holding a bouquet of blue wildflowers in front of a backdrop of night. Not sure how she got his number, or how it could be programmed into her phone with a picture no less, she answered with an unsure hello.
“Happy birthday.”
“Thank you,” she answered, a little embarrassed. “About last night … uh, I’m sorry. I feel so stupid. I guess I can’t hold my beer.” She sank into the couch and put her face in her hand, mortified.
“No, it’s fine. I had fun.”
“Sure you did,” she countered, pulling her hand away.
“Well, you weren’t passed out the whole time,” he said through his laughter.
“Gee, that’s a relief.”
“I’m just giving you a hard time. No, really, I had a good time. The talking and the not talking was … nice.”
Nice? She hoped during the non-talking she wasn’t snoring, or—oh God—drooling. Silence fell between them for a few awkward seconds. Grace wondered what Darius was thinking.
“So, did you get my present?”
Absentmindedly, she played with a string coming loose in the seam of her sweats, and felt her cheeks warm. “Are you talking about the pic?”
“Did you like it?”
“Yeah.” She longed to be back at the lake. “The flowers are beautiful.
“I thought you might since they’re your favorite color.”
Puzzled, she stopped pulling at the string. She didn’t remember telling him that. “How do you know that?”
“You told me last night.” She did? What else did she say? She shuddered to think about it. “I saw your phone in the ashtray. I hope you don’t mind that I programmed my number in.”
“Not at all.” Grace pulled more violently on the loose string.
A few more silent seconds hung in the air.
“Is everything alright there,” he asked with reluctance in his voice.
Grace smiled to herself. “Everything … is going to be fine. It’s good.”
“Good,” Darius said. “I’m glad to hear it. Do you have family plans for your birthday then?”
Was he going to ask her out on a date? Grace felt a smile twist at her lips. “None whatsoever. Why do you ask?”
“I was going to see if I could take you out tonight.” Yes! Grace screamed anxiously in her head.
“Or, if you don’t want to—”
She’d screamed it in her head, but failed to