by N. Natishna
“You look gorgeous, Moll.” I looked down at the black converses and chuckled. “Still the classic Molly we adore, even wearing a Cecile V.B. original.” At her confused look I pointed to the dress. “My mom designed this.”
“Whoa, cool,” she said in awe and ran her hands down the sides. “It’s beautiful.”
“She’ll be happy to hear that.” I gave her arm another squeeze. “Enjoy the party, Molly. I have to find Aria and Bianca.”
Molly gestured outside. “They were still by the tiki bar when I came inside. I’m not sure where my brother is, though.”
“That’s okay, I’ll find him soon enough. Go have fun, sweetheart.”
I left her to go out and found Zane sandwiched between Aria and Bianca. I saw Rosie sitting across the counter from Bianca, watching her mix a drink together. It was easy to point her out, because her white-blonde hair stuck out. It was up in a high ponytail and her curls swished between her shoulder blades, while her bangs hung just above her silver eyes. She was wearing a purple strapless sundress that totally complimented her pale skin and gorgeous hair.
And surprisingly, Liam wasn’t attached to her hip.
Since that first day he’d plowed over her pint-sized body he was hooked. Though they weren’t dating – as Rosie put it – Liam didn’t hesitate to show everyone that he wasn’t on the market. But I knew what everybody else didn’t, and that was Rosie’s feelings toward Liam weren’t just friendly. For the art project where we had to create something that’s personal by drawing, sculpting, painting…etc., Rosie sketched a breathtaking picture of Liam’s blue eyes.
The girl had serious talent.
“Emma, where the hell have you been?” Bianca yelled as soon as I walked up on the opposite side of the bar, plopping down on a vacant stool.
“Catching up with my party-goers and trying to cool off. I had a slight misunderstanding with Dek, but it’s not a big thing, so let’s not get into it. When can I have my cake?” They weren’t buying my lame attempt at acting nonchalant, but they didn’t pry anymore.
Aria sighed. “You can wait at least another hour, chica.”
“Fine, but I want a strong drink to get me by for now.”
“You got it, babe.” Bianca pulled out a long, pink plastic cup and started mixing. I didn’t ask for anything in particular, because anything Bianca whipped up for me was always delicious and fruity. As she worked, I angled my body so I could scan the crowd as best as I could. I spotted Deklan out on the beach talking to Reggie and Jeff.
Well, at least he doesn’t look as mad as before. I accepted the drink Bianca passed to me, drinking from the straw, but keeping my eyes on Deklan as he laughed at something Reggie said. Then I turned away and smiled at Rosie.
“So, how did you scrape Liam off you tonight?”
She smiled and blushed, looking down at her cup. “He’s working on something on the stage with Luke.”
“Well, I’m happy that you could come tonight, Rosie.” I pointed to her outfit. “That dress looks great on you.”
She shrugged and blushed darker. “It’s old.”
“Still, it’s pretty and I like it.”
“Thanks,” she said quietly. I took another sip of my drink and then felt someone brush up against my back.
“I see you came to your senses.” I cringed at Cody’s voice behind me. I faced back towards the counter and looked over at him. He was still sending me vulgar texts and had called a few more times, but it wasn’t as bad as it was weeks ago. I was thinking that I should just go back on my original argument and let my boyfriend pound the stuffing out of him.
“What do you want?” I didn’t disguise my annoyance with him.
“Heard you finally ditched Freak Boy.”
Rolling my eyes, I took another sip of my drink. “Why are you even here, Cody? I highly doubt my friends invited you.”
“I just wanted to be with you on your special day, baby.”
I cut my eyes to him. “First, I don’t want you here. And second, I’m not yours to call baby, so drop it.”
He laughed as he shook his head. “Damn, I don’t remember you being so feisty when we were together.”
“Hey Hudson, you might wanna step back, bro,” Zane cut in, leaning his palms on the surface.
He just laughed again and threw his arm over my shoulders to pull me closer to him, almost making me spill my drink. Yeah, this guy was soused. “We’re just having a normal, friendly conversation, aren’t we Em?”
I set down my drink and tried to shake off his arm. I hated having him touch me, especially after he’d left bruises on me that one day. “Just go away, Cody. You’re annoying and my boyfriend will most likely snap you in half if you don’t remove your disgusting hand!”
“I thought you broke up?”
“You thought wrong, jackass,” a cold, threatening voice that sounded awfully like my boyfriend came from behind us. I looked over my shoulder to see Deklan’s rage filled eyes trained on Cody, his hand wrapped tightly around Cody’s wrist. He removed it from my shoulders, but kept a hold of it. “I don’t know what kind of brain function you got going on, Hudson, but you can keep your fucking hands off my girl.”
“I was just saying ‘happy birthday’ to her, Mayfield. What are you gonna do, have your dad come shoot me down?” Cody sneered and then smirked. “I hear murdering is what he does best.”
I gasped and jumped off the stool to stand next to Deklan, ready to defend him.
“You son-of -”
“Emma.” The stern tone in Deklan’s voice stopped me. I gritted my teeth and kept my glare focused on Cody’s smug face. Deklan tightened his hold on his wrist and he grimaced in pain. “You’re a piece of work, man. A shitty, pathetic, piece of work. You walk around like you’re better than everyone, but you’ve got nobody fooled.”
I stared at the harsh expression on Deklan’s face and felt a small – almost microscopic – sympathy for Cody. Deklan was intimidating by just his size and build alone…but pissed off…it was downright scary. The other kids around us started to hush others until the place quieted down. If there was one thing more entertaining at a party than drinking and dancing, it was a fight.
“Let go of me, dude!” Cody snarled and tried pulling his hand back, but Deklan held it easily.
“You’re such a coward, Hudson. You come at my girl when my backs turned, when you know she doesn’t want shit to do with you. Not only that, but you leave marks on her skin and think it’s all okay. You honestly think I’d let you get off with having your hands anywhere near her?”
“Whatever, man. She’s not worth this shit, anyway.”
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Hudson.” Deklan looked over at me and smirked. “She’s plenty worth it.”
I bit my lip to hold back the dreamy sigh. I wanted to throw my arms around his neck and kiss him senseless, but I could wait. Yes, I was mad at him. But having him come to my rescue; knowing that he always had my back, any anger towards him vanished.
He looked back at Cody and the cold expression came back. “I want to fuck you up right now, but it’s my baby’s birthday, so this is the only warning you’ll get from me. Stay the fuck away from Emma.” He squeezed harder and Cody grunted from the pain. “You come near her, say any kind of shit about her, I will find out, and I promise you, shit will get messy.”
He thrust Cody towards the crowd where Reggie and Jeff were standing. They both grabbed at his arms. “Get him the fuck outta here,” Deklan growled and Reggie and Jeff carted Cody off.
“You’re nothing but trash, Mayfield!” he yelled as they pulled him away. “One of these days she’ll realize you’re not good enough for her!”
Somebody in the crowd called after him, “You’re the one that’s not good enough, Cody!” And others yelled their agreements and clapped until a whistle cracked the air.
“Okay people,” Zane called out and gestured for someone to turn
the stereo back on. “Let’s forget that shit stain and get this party back on track!”
As soon as music resumed blaring out of the speakers, everyone went back to what they were doing. I turned to Deklan and placed my hands on his chest, tilting my head to look up at him.
“I’m so sorry, Deklan.”
He shook his head and ran his hands up my arms. “Don’t apologize, sugar. I’m the one that’s sorry. I know I fucked up bad earlier, but I swear to you, baby, I don’t think of you that way at all.”
“Then why did you say it, Deklan?” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “You really hurt me when you said that.”
“God, baby, I know, and I’m so fucking sorry. I was just blown off balance with rage and jealousy when I saw those guys grope you. I hate seeing that.”
He looked so distraught and sad that I couldn’t help but give in. Sighing, I slid my hands up to cup his handsome face and smiled softly.
“You have nothing to be jealous of and you know that, baby. I told you, I’m yours and yours only. I am sorry and I promise that no other will get anywhere near my butt again, but you. I don’t like fighting with you, Deklan. It really sucks and I don’t want to hurt like that again.”
“Yeah, I don’t like it either.”
I pulled him down for a kiss and he obliged, whole-heartedly. It started out soft, but then Deklan took over, ravishing every inch of my mouth. The blood roaring in my ears drowned out everything else; the music, the people…everything but me and him. His hands came down my sides and settled on my waist, squeezing and pulling me closer to him.
Every touch of his tongue heated my body more until I felt it would explode. Just as I was about to pull his face even closer to mine somebody cleared their throat loudly behind us. Reality crashed back around us, reminding us that we definitely weren’t alone. We pulled back and Deklan’s wide grin had me smiling back at him.
“Do you guys even know what the definition of discreet is?” Zane asked and I laughed.
“Please, Zane, you’re one to talk. You and Aria were even worse than this our sophomore and junior year.”
“Ugh, she’s so right,” Bianca agreed and handed me my drink. “It was like a freaking porn show every day.”
We all laughed and then a slow song drifted over the speakers. Deklan pulled at my hand and I followed him off to the side so he could pull me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he pulled me in closer. His blue eyes shimmered with the glow of the tiki lanterns and it was impossible to look away from them.
“Have I told you how breathtaking you look tonight?”
“I don’t recall, but refresh my memory anyways.”
He bent down and rested his cheek against mine, his warm breath blowing over my ear.
“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
I sighed and laid my head on his chest, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms. His thick muscles were holding me securely. There seemed to be a little tension still in his shoulders and I tried to rub them away. I pulled back and looked up at him with concern.
“You okay?” I asked. He shrugged and looked away, and when he looked back at me, it was with a disheartened expression.
“You ever wonder if everyone thinks like that dickhead? That I’m not good enough for you, because I’ve been locked up and my dad killed someone?”
My eyes widened and I shook my head vehemently. “Absolutely not, Dek! You’re so much more than good enough and that’s why I love you with all my heart.”
One side of his lips quirked up and he kissed my forehead, sighing with what seemed like relief. His body relaxed, but his hold on me was still firm. “I love you, too, my pixie.”
My heart stuttered at those words. I had always felt his love, but hearing him say it was like a balm to my soul, calming and soothing me.
We danced to a few more slow songs and a couple fast ones. Aria and Zane came over to us and danced for a few songs before taking off towards the house. After they left I looked up at Deklan with a broad smile.
“I think they’re going to get my cake!” I grabbed his hand and headed over to the tiki bar where Bianca and Jeff were making drinks, and Molly and Luke were leaning against the other side of the counter. “Two shots of Grey Goose!” I told Bianca brightly.
“You already finished off one of those chick drinks, baby,” Deklan said with a grimace. “Are you sure you can handle a couple shots?”
I snorted and reached for the two shot glasses. “I can hold my liquor, Dek.” I handed him the other glass. “Now, I know you don’t drink, but one birthday shot won’t hurt, I promise.” I held up my glass for a toast. “To me!” I cheered and Deklan laughed, clinking his glass with mine.
“To you, baby.”
We threw back our shots and I grabbed the lemon that Bianca had set out. “Woo!” I shouted at the strong taste and shook my head. I looked over at Deklan, who had a slight grimace on his face, and leaned up to peck his lips. “Thanks for doing that with me.”
Molly came over to us and hugged Deklan tightly before pulling away. “You’re finally loosening back up,” she praised and I caught the glimmer of tears as she smiled up at her brother. “I’m so glad.”
He returned the smile and pulled her in for another hug, kissing the top of her head.
“I think it’s about time, don’t you?”
She nodded and I looked over at Deklan’s content smile. I’ve never been happier that I found this guy than right now. Both he and Molly deserved to be happy and around people who cared for them. They were the perfect addition to our big family.
Suddenly the music stopped and Liam’s voice came over the microphone up on the stage, calling for the rest of the band. Deklan kissed me and went to the stage, pulling his sticks out from his back pocket and settling himself behind the drum set when he got there. Aria and Luke walked out of the house with my very wide birthday cake as the band started playing ‘Happy Birthday’. I bounced on my toes gleefully as the cake was set on the tiki bar counter in front of me, and then I blew out all eighteen candles after the song ended.
Deklan came back to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “What did you wish for?” he asked with a smirk.
“Ah, now that I cannot tell you, Sir. For then the wish shall not come true.” I giggled and Deklan rolled his eyes playfully.
“No more drinking for you tonight, my pixie.” He chuckled and kissed my forehead. I snuggled into his chest and hugged him tight as the cake was served.
I was stuffed after two pieces and the big glop of icing Deklan decided to smear on my cheek. When we were done he kissed me again before jogging back up to the stage. My face scrunched in confusion and I looked over at Zane, who shrugged, but grinned a little too widely.
“If I can grab your attention,” Deklan spoke into the microphone. Like he could just not grab people’s attention, the freaking sexy guy that he was. “I’ve been working on a little something for a while now that I wanted to share tonight.” My eyes widened and I felt my breathing deepen. “The first moment I laid eyes on Emma, I was hooked and my head was filled with words that I wanted to say, but never got the balls to.” There was laughter throughout the crowd, but I didn’t laugh along with them. My focus was on my boyfriend as he voiced his feelings for me to everyone. Deklan looked directly at me, love pouring from those dark eyes.
“I love you, Emma Van Buren, and I wanted to express those words in the only way I know, to show you just how much.” He wrote a song just for me. My eyes welled up with happy tears, blurring Deklan from my vision. Sometimes, I really hated my emotions. I blinked rapidly to clear the tears, wanting to see my guy clearly.
Deklan sat on the stool Liam had dragged over and pulled an acoustic guitar onto his lap. As the soft melody from the guitar drifted out I had to sit down as I listened to his beautiful voice. I had no idea he could sing, but I shouldn’t have been so surprised. The way he kept his eyes glued on my wet ones, the sound of his vo
ice as he sang out his love for me…it was incredible and melted me on the inside.
As the last note drifted off, I was up off the stool and making my way up to the stage. Deklan saw me and stood up, setting the guitar off to the side just in time for me to jump straight into his arms and push my lips against his in a devouring kiss. His arms came around me and lifted me off the ground, smiling against my mouth.
“I love you, too, Deklan,” I whispered on his lips and his arms tightened around me. “I love you so much.”
“Baby,” he breathed and set me back on my feet. His blue eyes darkened as they stared at me. “You’re my everything, I promise you.”
CHAPTER 13.
After that, the party really started. The rest of the guys came up on stage and settled behind their instruments. Deklan gave me one more kiss before I hopped off stage. I sat back at the tiki bar with the girls and Luke. While the others drank more, I cut myself off. I wanted to be sober for later tonight. My nerves were jumbled and my palms were starting to get sweaty. I sipped on some ginger ale to calm my anxiety. I shouldn’t be so nervous. I wanted this very much and I knew Deklan would be perfect.
After a few songs, the band took a short break. Deklan came over and slipped his arm over my shoulders.
“Hey,” he said breathlessly.
“Hi.”
“Can I steal you away for a bit?”
I smiled broadly and looked over at Aria and Bianca, who were grinning with insight.
“I’m sure we’ll be just fine out here,” Bianca said and nudge Aria. “Don’t you think so, Aria?”
“Oh yes, chica, we will.” She nodded toward the house. “I’m sure nobody will even notice you’re gone.”
They both cracked up at the same time and I rolled my eyes at them. I grabbed Deklan’s hand and pulled him away.
I led us up to the same guest room as before. I closed the door behind us and locked it. We were silent as we stared at each other and I bit my lip nervously.
“Will the band need you?” I asked quietly.