The Envy of Idols (Rich Boys of Burberry Prep #3) - C.M. Stunich Page 0,25

surprise. “You’re Billy Kaiser’s son, aren’t you?”

“The one and only,” Zayd says, but he sounds slightly irritated. When I glance back at him, I can see he’s studying my mood. He knows what it’s like to have an absentee parent, too.

“You’ve certainly done well at the academy, all these nice friends,” Jennifer says, sounding a little breathless as her blue eyes take in Tristan and Creed before turning back to me. “Which one’s your boyfriend?”

Forgiveness is a virtue, I tell myself as I stare into my mother’s face. I try to make myself smile, but my lips remain flat. All I can think about is sitting in the rain, crying, watching cars come in and out of the parking lot while I hid beneath the thick limbs of a tree.

Jennifer left me at a rest stop because her new boyfriend didn’t like my crying.

“I haven’t decided yet.” The words just come out like that, flat and uninterested. Almost bored. Jennifer stares at me, and I stare right back. “Maybe I’ll have them all?” She laughs, a little nervously, but it falls flat, and the room is completely silent. “Thanks for the balloons.” Miranda creeps closer, like she can sense I need support, and I hand the helium-filled bouquet over to her. “Have a root beer float or something and stay awhile.”

I turn away, my face flushed, my hands shaking, and I end up looking right at Tristan.

He stares down at me like he’s confused and doesn’t know what to do with me.

“This is the part where you say happy birthday,” I whisper, and something in that hard expression of his softens slightly.

“Happy birthday. I know what it’s like to have a shitty parent; don’t let them rain on your parade.”

“Excuse you, young man,” Jennifer says, but I’m smiling and ignoring her. I can hear Charlie mumble as he drags her away toward the dining area.

Tristan reaches into his pocket, and comes out with that damn necklace again. That same fucking necklace. He lifts it up in question, and I turn, letting him hook it around my neck. As he leans in, his lips brush my ear, and I shiver.

“I meant what I said when I went through those cards: yours was the only one I didn’t hate.” He hooks the clasp, and lets go, stepping back as I reach up to play with the double roses. The journey of this necklace reminds me of my relationship with Tristan, this strange back and forth that makes my mouth dry, my chest ache. When I look at him, I yearn.

Yearn.

I just said yearn.

Before I can think too hard about that, I turn to Zayd, ignoring Lizzie’s amber gaze on me. Part of me wonders if I should give the necklace back yet again, surrender Tristan to Lizzie’s embrace. She really seems interested in him …

“Did I fool you, by giving you the earrings early?” Zayd asks, grinning at me as he twists his now bright orange hair into little gelled spikes. The color is so vibrant and crazy, but it suits him. Hell, I’m not sure there’s a color in the world that wouldn’t suit him.

“Oh, I was so fooled,” I say, giving him a hug, too. The way he makes me feel, the way they all make me feel … Third year at Burberry Prep is going to be a hormonal mess. I just know it. Zayd holds me for a long time, longer than most friends would, and Miranda clears her throat rudely next to us.

We separate, and my eyes lock immediately with Creed’s icy blue ones.

“Marnye.” He both looks and sounds a little … pissed off. “Happy seventeenth.”

“I started to think about you … as mine.”

I wet my suddenly dry lips and try to decide if a hug is in order. I didn’t hug Tristan, but I hugged everybody else. Creed and I just stare at each other. Finally, because I just can’t take the freaking tension, I throw my arms around him and give a big squeeze. I let go before he gets a chance to return the gesture, and find that his normally droopy bedroom eyes have widened to blue saucers.

“Let’s start the fun and games!” I choke out, far too cheerfully to be believed by anyone, and then nearly break my ankle on my way down the steps. Zack steadies me with a big, warm hand on my shoulder, and we all fan out on the bench seat while Miranda and Andrew plug in everyone’s name.