by CK Dawn
It was then, like an angel, that Navi showed up.
She came bearing gifts and cake. My mom had store bought cake, but Navi had made hers. Given Navi's hatred of all things kitchen, it meant a lot.
"Hi there!" she breezed into the house, carrying bags in one hand and the cake in the other, and kissed both my parents on the cheek. "I hope you don't mind me barging in. I needed something to take my mind off work."
And of course they didn't mind. She was charming and adorable and everyone loved her. I almost cried grateful tears. She took the awkward and uncomfortable and turned it into delightful. We played cards, we ate cake, we laughed and opened presents. Navi even somehow wrangled the gift receipt from my mom for the plaid pink and purple sweater she got me that I would never wear and Navi knew it.
She was exhausted. I could see the circles under her eyes—my dad made sure to comment on them—and she was in pain. I could see that, too. She should have spent the day sleeping but she was there. With me. Because she knew how much I hated it. Was it fun for her?
Hell no. It wasn't even fun for me.
And yet, there she was.
It was just after the sun set and we were cleaning up that she got weird, staring at nothing even with my dad standing right there talking to her. Her face paled and she nodded. "Okay."
My dad paused and looked from her to me in confusion. No "Okay" had been required for his story.
She flushed, realizing her mistake, and forced a smile. "Sorry. I just—" She waved her hands around her head and laughed. "I—got lost in my own train of thought. I have a work emergency." She hugged my dad, hugged my mom. Hugged me. "Happy birthday, K. I'll see you in a few hours."
"Are you sure?" I asked. Work emergencies didn't usually wrap up in neat little packages like that.
She nodded as she backed away. "I'll fight the hounds of hell to be there with bells on."
Her smile, though, was still forced and it didn't reach her eyes.
Bryson had decorated the entire apartment. And when I say decorated, I mean he hired someone to come in and professionally decorate and cater it. He was always vague about what he did for a living and I suspected he may have mob ties or something, but he clearly came from money. The car, the clothes, the meals delivered daily.
And yet he shared an apartment with Alec. Go figure.
He was in the kitchen when I walked in. Even through his sweatshirt, I could see the muscles tight across his chest and it emphasized the strength through his arms. His hair was expertly messy and his jeans hung low on his hips. He didn't realize I'd walked in and stood watching him, directing traffic, talking on his phone and collaborating with Reese all at the same time. He'd even somehow conned Terrie into doing something productive.
He was gorgeous.
And kind. And generous, not just with his money, but with his time. And if I wasn't careful, I would fall hard for him.
That thought didn't scare me as much as it used to.
He finally looked up and caught me staring. "I gotta go." He hung up, left Reese to her plotting, and left the kitchen. "Hey gorgeous. Happy birthday."
I blushed, pressing my hands to my cheeks and not even sure why heat flooded my face. "Thanks."
He slid his arms around my waist and I leaned into him, wondering when it had started to feel more natural in his arms than it did without them. "How was your day?" he asked, his voice low and sliding over my senses, doing delicious things up and down my spine.
"Long," I breathed, but I couldn't take my eyes off his mouth. I needed his kiss in a way I didn't understand.
He ducked his head, brushing his lips across my cheek before finding my mouth, as if reading my mind. His arms tightened around me, molding me to him, and his kiss devoured me.
"Uh…where do you want the cake?"
Swearing under his breath, he broke away from me. "On the table."
I smiled, watching him glower at the delivery man before he looked back at me. "Being alone once in a while would be a nice change."
I almost responded but caught sight of the cake. It was massive. Like, a baby could have popped out of it and started singing. "Bryson, you shouldn't have—"
"You hate birthdays. I'm here to change that." His light blue eyes sparkled mischievously as he brushed another kiss across my nose.
He already had.
"One sec." He left me to help the cake man with his giant cake. I escaped to my room, dropping my jacket on the hook. It was cold without his arms around me but not cold enough to keep wearing my jacket. It clashed with my outfit, which was fine for my parents' house, but not for my party.
Bryson came in behind me, slid his arms around my waist and brushed my hair away from my neck. "I have an early present for you," he said, his mouth dangerously close to my skin. Shivers slid deliciously down my spine for the thousandth time since I'd walked into that apartment.
Since it was technically my birthday, it wasn't early but I didn't argue when he pulled out the little box and handed it to me. I leaned back against his chest, safe in his arms, and opened it.
"Navi said you would love it but if you don't we can exchange it or get cash—"
It was a charm necklace with a small sapphire gem and a caduceus with a K on it. Caduceus was the symbol of the healer and I nearly cried. "It's so beautiful. I love it."
He took it out of the box and draped it around my neck, his fingers brushing against the skin. His lips followed and my knees gave out. He turned me to face him, mouth hot against mine, his hands on my hips, roving over my back, tangling in my hair. He gently leaned me back onto my bed and fitted himself against me, braced on his elbows as his lips devoured me—my mouth, my neck, my collarbone. My whole body felt like it was on fire. He sat up, pulled his sweatshirt over his head, and tossed it out of the way.
"K, people are showing up." Terrie banged on the door, startling us both.
Bryson groaned. "Seriously, never alone. Maybe they won't notice we're not there."
I laughed softly and kissed him, long and gentle. "I think they'll notice."
Sighing, he pulled his t-shirt out of the sweatshirt and tugged it over his head before helping me up. "One day, Konstanz."
"Promise?" I teased as he led the way out of my room.
"Definitely."
The next several hours were a blur of people and eating and cake and presents. Our little apartment was bursting with bodies, so many I felt like I was swimming upstream just trying to make it to the kitchen. "So Konstanz, where's the hot girl Bryson keeps telling us about?"
It was some guy I didn't know, and up until that point, I hadn't even noticed Navi wasn't here. Because there were a million people in just my living room and not because I was a bad friend.
I hoped.
"Uh…she might be here somewhere…" I craned my neck, searching the wave of chaos.
"Bryson said she isn't here. He's even tried calling her."
Worry gnawed at my stomach. Navi wouldn't miss this, not if she was physically able to be here. "Did she answer?"
He shrugged and I fought my way in the opposite direction, back to where Bryson had disappeared outside. It took me way longer than it should have to make it out my front door, and by then he was snarling into the phone. "Bryson?"
He jabbed his finger into the screen. "What?"
I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms over my chest.
"Sorry. It's Navi." He blew out a breath.
"What's Navi? Is she okay? Did—"
He cut me off. "I don't know, because she won't even bother to answer my calls."
He was angry. Angrier than I'd ever seen him. "Hey," I frowned, wondering why it was him and not me throwing the fit. "She would if she was able. Her work—"
"Her work is a joke. She uses it as an excuse for everything but this is crossing the line, Konstanz. She knows how much you hate birthdays and she couldn't even show up."
"She was with me all day, Bryson. She did what she could."
"So she kn
ew she wasn't even going to come and didn't bother to tell me?"
"Bryson, you're being unreasonable.” I sucked in a breath, fighting my own wave of anger. "You have a choice here. Keep standing in the parking lot ignoring the party and ruin your whole evening or forget about Navi for thirty seconds and come have a good time."
The anger melted—not completely, but enough that he could function—and he nodded. "I'm sorry. I just can't believe she didn't show up. You would never have been MIA if the situation was reversed."
I started to answer, to tell him that wasn't true—that situations arose and Navi and I both understood that—but he shook it off and shoved his phone in his back pocket before he brushed a kiss across my forehead. "Let's go back to the party."
Three hours later, in the wee hours of the morning, Navi came back. The party was almost over. Bryson was coordinating rides for everyone too drunk to drive home, and Reese was somehow conning everyone left into cleaning up for us. "You. Take this garbage out. You over there, clean up all the red cups. Terrie, stop trying to kiss that guy, he wants to go."
Navi slid past it all and went straight to our bedroom. I only caught a glimpse of her, hair disheveled and a bruise lining the whole left side of her face. By the time I made it through the crowd to the relative quiet of her room, she'd covered most of that bruise with makeup, and her blood-stained clothes were scattered near the hamper while she tried to pick up a sock with one foot so she didn't have to bend over.
"What happened?" I shut the door behind me.
"Busy night. I'm so sorry I missed it, Konstanz. I couldn't get away."
I bent and retrieved the sock, which was the only thing not splattered with blood. "Are you hurt?"
She sent me a grateful smile and tugged a clean shirt over her head before turning back to the mirror. "No. I'm okay."
"Then where'd all the blood come from?"
She hesitated. "It isn't mine."
I didn't even know what to do with that information.
Bryson burst through the door just as she turned away from the mirror. The smile died on her lips in the face of his scowl. "Hi…?"
"What the hell, Navi? You missed her birthday party!"
Navi looked at me, hurt in her eyes. "I tried to make it back—"
"You know damn well that she hates birthdays—"
"That's not a problem, Bryson," I snapped. We'd already had this conversation. She was covered in blood. Whatever had happened, it wasn't her choice that she hadn't been here.
He continued as if I hadn't spoken. "And I invited all these stupid guys to fawn all over you—"
Ah. That was the problem. She'd made him look bad in front of his friends.
She turned her back on him to face me. "I'm sorry, Konstanz. I really, really am. I did everything I could to get here in time."
I hugged her, glaring at Bryson. "I know you did."
"You ruined her birthday!" he yelled.
Outside, the chaos dimmed and I assumed everyone was listening intently to the fight in here.
Navi's face paled, which was hard to do given how white it already was. "I tried to make it back in time," she whispered.
"You didn't ruin my birthday. There were so many people here I don't think I would have seen you anyway."
She glanced uncertainly at Bryson.
"Hey, you helped me survive my parents. That means the world to me."
A small smile lit the corners of her mouth, but it didn't reach her eyes. "This won't happen again," she said quietly.
"Damn right it won't. You're supposed to be her best friend. She would never have done this to you," Bryson snarled.
"Bryson, enough." Reese stood behind him, deadly calm as her dark eyes flashed dangerously. "Go home."
Navi froze. I knew Bryson was doing this because he thought she'd hurt me, but she got it already. We all did. He was way out of line.
He shook his head. "Right. I'm sorry. I'll go." With a half-look in Navi's direction, he said, "Sorry, Navi. Konstanz, I'm—I'm sorry. Looks like I was the one ruining everything."
I watched him stalk out before I finally pushed past Reese and went after him. I caught him in the parking lot, just climbing into his car. "Are you safe to drive?" I didn't even know if he'd been drinking.
He shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I assumed I'd be staying with you tonight. Apparently not."
"That was harsh back there, Bryson. You yelled at me earlier and you totally blew up at Navi. You have no idea what she's going through right now. It was way out of line."
He ducked his head, peering up at me. "You, too, huh?"
"Me too what?"
"You're mad at me, too."
"Hell yes I am. You don't get to treat people like that, Bryson."
He sucked in a breath and reached out to me, hesitating like he thought I would reject him. I didn't. I came to him and laid my head against his chest, listening to his heart rage against his ribs. "I'm sorry. I don't—you're right. I shouldn't have acted like that. I'll apologize to Navi."
"Thank you. But you still don't get to act like that. Apologies only work once, Bryson. If you have to continually do it—"
"They don't mean anything." He laughed once, bitterly. "I should know that."
"You should?" I'd been attempting to lecture him but now I was curious.
"Yes. My dad. He's big on the whole 'it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission' thing. It's why he and my mom split and why she won't have anything to do with us now. And here I am following in his footsteps."
I traced a pattern against his skin, watching my fingers following his veins. "You realize what you hate about it, so don't do it."
He sort-of half-laughed, but it was all derision and frustration. "Easier said than done."
"You can't treat people like that, Bryson. Especially my friends." I leaned back to look at him. "I like you. I really do. But that—" I waved my hand back toward the apartment, "—is not okay."
"It won't happen again. I promise. I'll apologize to Navi and I'll apologize to Reese and if Terrie was conscious enough to remember this tomorrow, I'll apologize to her, too. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I was just—I thought I was protecting you."
"I know."
Navi met us on the sidewalk. "Konstanz, I am so sorry I missed your party." I tried not to notice that her hands were still blood-stained. "And Bryson—"
He winced, expecting a blow that didn't come.
"—Thank you. For having her back and calling me on my crap. Thank you for taking care of her."
Bryson gaped at her. She squeezed my shoulder.
"I'm heading back out. There was a problem. So…the room will be empty tonight. You know. In case you were wondering."
She winked at me and patted Bryson on the shoulder as she passed him.
Eleven
Bryson
Waking up with Konstanz in my arms was…heaven. After the way I'd acted the night before, nearly ruining everyone's night, to wake up where I did was beyond anything I deserved. But there she was, her head on my chest, light brown hair splayed across the pillow behind her. Navi, true to her word, hadn't come home, and it was after eleven when I woke up.
I watched Konstanz sleep, memorized her every feature. The long, thick lashes swept across her cheeks, her pert little nose and the full, sinful lips. Her skin was flawless, her hair like silk. She had the body of a goddess.
I'd fallen for her. I'd fallen damn hard.
Whatever I'd felt for Navi was like a match compared to a fire storm. Konstanz was everything. Everything I'd ever wanted, everything I thought I'd never have.
And she'd forgiven me, despite me being a complete ass the night before. Reese, not so much. But that was okay. I deserved that.
Konstanz sighed and her eyes fluttered.
I was in love with her.
And I had no idea what to do with that information.
"Hey," she smiled up at me, eyes sleepy as she snuggled closer. "How long have you
been awake?"
I squinted at the clock. "Over an hour."
She yawned and stretched and I could feel every curve against my body. "You should have woken me. You're probably starving."
Food hadn't been on my mind, but now that she mentioned it, yeah. I was starving. "I could eat," I smiled. "As long as we come back here after."
She laughed lightly. "We'll see."
Days were a flurry of work and trying to finish everything my dad needed so I could get back to Konstanz. All I could see, breathe, think of, was Konstanz.
I was in love with her. Crazy, stupid, completely in love with her.
I had to tell her.
And pray she said it back.
I'd never told anyone those three scary words before. I wasn't sure how to go about it, exactly, but I knew it had to be a big deal. Perfect. Everything had to be…
Perfect.
I planned dinner at my apartment. I went grocery shopping, I had candles and everything. The house smelled heavenly and I was just tightening my tie when I got her text.
Another emergency at work.
I was crushed, to say the least. The nerves that had driven me all day seemed to splinter into bitter shards of disappointment. But what could I say? I couldn't ask her to stay home from work. She lived for those animals.
Instead, I put away the candles, changed out of my tie, and ate by myself.
Or at least that was the plan, but Alec stayed home that night. He mumbled something about baseball season being over and Scout camp, which I didn't understand, but whatever. I moped around the house for a while, went to the gym, anything that could possibly distract me. The moon rose, set out across the sky, and it was past two when she finally wrote me.
"I'm on my way home. Rough night. I'm sorry I missed dinner."
Damn. That didn't sound good. I hesitated, staring at my phone. It was late. She was probably exhausted.
But she was also probably hungry. If things had been bad, dinner wouldn't have been a priority.
Before I could second guess myself, I boxed up everything leftover from our dinner and flew out the door. The streets were abandoned, hardly a car on the road, and I made it to her house in record time.