The Heart Series: Complete Boxed Set

by King, C. M

  “Now where would be the fun in that?” She flounced down on the bed and made herself comfortable.

  Ollie frowned and I could understand why, all I wanted was to have my lips on his for the next hour. It wasn’t too much to ask, it was my birthday after all.

  “So what are we doing for the rest of the day?” B asked, grabbing a copy of Cosmo as she started flicking through.

  “Well, we are going for my birthday lunch at two.”

  “So that leaves what three hours?” she asked looking at her watch.

  I sighed in despair; I guess she was tagging along all day then. I put on some music and we sat and chatted until an hour later when my mother shouted for us to come down to receive my big birthday present. I looked on in great intrigue as she handed me the large box. She grinned and I wondered what the hell was inside. It was heavy. I made little time tearing the paper to bits to find it was a MacBook laptop.

  “You did not!” I all but squealed.

  “Yep,” she grinned.

  “But this is too expensive, how could you?”

  “Hey, your dad chipped in for half. I told him you’ve been looking for a laptop as your other is on its last leg. So here it is,” she explained reassuringly.

  “Wow, you are the best.” I hugged her hard and she giggled. When I pulled back I could see the tears forming in her eyes. “I’m so lucky to have you as my son, all grown up. You know you make me proud every day.”

  “Mum—” I could barely talk through the tears. “I don’t know how I was ever blessed to have a mother like you, but I’m thankful every day.”

  “Oh don’t. You’re going to make me cry even more.” She batted me away playfully.

  “It’s true.” I kissed her cheek. “You are my hero. I love you with all my heart.”

  “Oh god, I think I’m going to puke,” B muttered.

  We both stared over at her now pretending to gag at our little outburst of emotion.

  “Oh shut it, ice queen, just because you’re immune to affection.”

  “Oh whatever, Elijah,” she huffed, rolling her eyes.

  “Do you want a hug? Will that make you smile, thaw that ice of yours a little?” I enquired, knowing the reaction it would invoke.

  “Stay the hell away from me,” she warned, pursing her lips.

  “Oh no, I think you need a hug.”

  “Elijah, I am warning you—”

  I lunged at her, pinning her down on the sofa as she screamed for me to get off her, but I ignored her pleas and cuddled her. After several moments, she stopped writhing and cuddled me back.

  “Happy birthday, E,” she finally said.

  “Thanks.” I pushed myself up and wandered over to Ollie who was busy setting up my laptop.

  “Hey, you don’t have to do that.”

  He shrugged and continued. I smiled running my fingers over the shiny metal case. My old Mac laptop was ready to die a death, so this had come at just the right time. I smiled looking at the screensaver on my phone of Ollie and me together. I knew I wanted that on my laptop too.

  “Can you make this my screensaver?” I asked, passing the phone and connection cord to him so he could upload it.

  He smiled staring at it for a few seconds. “Sure,” he finally said. We headed back to my room, Ollie began transferring all my school work over. Whereas I got down to more important matters like purchasing an amazing cover. I was going for something blingy, eye catching. I wanted this computer to be as equally fabulous as I was.

  My mother shouted for me to come down not long after. I headed into the kitchen where she held the phone out to me.

  “It’s your dad,” she mouthed.

  My eyes widened and I shook my head not wanting to speak, but she pushed the phone into my hands and urged me with her eyes to do this.

  I scowled and narrowed my own, she smiled at the fact I had conceded to her pleas.

  “Hey Dad,” I said reluctantly. I was not up to having a conversation with him. This was my day, and I didn’t want him spoiling it.

  “Elijah . . . err, happy birthday, son.” His voice sounded a little shaky, which surprised me.

  “Thanks.”

  There was an awkward silence, which I wasn’t too keen to fill.

  “So are you having a great day?” he asked.

  “Yeah, the best.” No thanks to you.

  My mother mimed for me to thank him for the gift, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Err, thanks for the laptop.”

  “That’s okay, glad you liked it. Your mother said you’d been saving up for one, and I know you need it for your school work.”

  “Yeah, it’s just what I wanted.” Another awkward silence followed, it was like talking to a stranger.

  “Well I’m glad. I’d better go anyway. I’m taking Anne and the kids away for a few days, we’re busy packing, should be in for a good time. Just thought I’d give you a ring before I forgot.”

  No matter the occasion, his words stung like hell.

  “Wow, thanks for finding time in your busy schedule to wish your only son happy birthday. I’ll let you get back to playing happy family.”

  “Elijah, I didn’t mean it like that—”

  I hit the end call button and tossed the phone to my sad looking mother. “I’m sure he didn’t mean whatever he said. You know him, he doesn’t think before he speaks,” she quickly cut in trying to placate me.

  “He said he had to ring before he forgot, still has a way of making me feel like shit no matter what the occasion.” He never failed to make me feel less than special, and it hurt every damn time.

  “He’s just—”

  “Please Mum, you and I know he stopped caring a long time ago. As for the laptop, he only paid half because you instigated it. Or else I’d have gotten a card with the usual cheque inside.” There was no sugar coating this no matter how much she tried, my dad no longer cared about me—that was a fact.

  “Elijah.” She frowned at my words, but she knew they rang true. I walked over and hugged her hard, a few tears spilled down my cheeks.

  “You are the only parent I need. He can go to hell as far as I’m concerned. He won’t ruin my day. I have all the family I need and a boyfriend who is amazing. I don’t need his love, or his approval. I’m doing fine without him.” I pulled away from my mother, and she clutched my face.

  “I love you so much. You make me proud every day.”

  I attempted a smile. “Thanks.” I swiped the last of the tears away and headed upstairs hoping to put my dad’s hurtful words out of my mind for the rest of the day.

  * * *

  “So let’s raise a toast to Elijah. Next year will be the big eighteen, but this birthday is equally as special. I love you with all my heart, my son, my boy, happy birthday,” my mother cheered smiling hard.

  “Oh enough of this saccharine bullshit,” B groaned.

  Ollie laughed as I shoved B so hard she almost fell off her chair.

  “Happy birthday, Elijah,” Ollie and my mother concluded. Before B lifted her glass doing the most unenthusiastic toast ever.

  “Now can we eat?” she asked.

  We all rolled our eyes and picked up the menu, quickly perusing what they had to offer.

  “I think I might have the lemon sole with salad,” my mother mused.

  “Well I’m having the steak,” B cut in.

  “Me too,” I said.

  “Me three,” Ollie added.

  “And no salad for me, I want the thick cut chips,” B added grinning.

  “Oh yeah, death by carbs, but the chips here are so worth it.”

  “Oh definitely,” she agreed.

  “You know, you kids should eat healthier. You already had the greasy fry up, maybe have some fish and salad too?” my mother asked trying to coerce us.

  “But it’s my birthday, I should at least be allowed to eat carbs on my birthday guilt free.” I pouted. Unhappy by the fact she was making me feel bad.

  “Fine, I was just trying
to advise you, but yes, it is your birthday treat.”

  “Oh and I’m having a gigantic dessert too,” I added, just to warn my mother before she added any more judgement on my eating habits.

  “Ooh me too,” B chimed in, already scanning the menu to see what was offered.

  Ollie smiled as my mother looked on in horror. She wasn’t one to have a sweet tooth so I definitely didn’t inherit it from her.

  “I might have the chocolate chip cheesecake,” B mused, as her eyes flicked over the list of sweet treats.

  “Oooh good choice, but I think I’m going with the sticky toffee pudding.” It was my all-time favourite that I liked to have on the odd occasion. “How about you, Oll?”

  He bit his lip in contemplation. “Hmmm I’m torn between the chocolate torte and the hot chocolate fudge cake.”

  “Oh go with the hot chocolate fudge cake,” I said nudging him playfully.

  “Do you think?”

  “Yeah and then I can have some too.” I winked. Oh yeah, I had a hidden agenda.

  “Err no,” he snorted, looking unimpressed.

  “Oh please, we can half and half so I get best of both worlds, it is my birthday,” I pleaded, giving him the puppy dog eyes. It was only fair I got my way today of all days.

  He blew out a defeated sigh. “Fine, but that only applies today. You can’t use that excuse till your next one,” he warned, giving me a stern look.

  “Okay, I promise. I can’t wait to share more birthdays with you.” I grinned.

  “Me either.”

  “Oh for god’s sake, eyeballing each other in that lovey dovey way, will you two get a room?” B groaned, tossing down the menu.

  “I think next time we’ll leave her behind though,” I muttered.

  “I heard that.”

  “You were supposed to.”

  * * *

  “Oh I am stuffed to the rafters.” I patted my stomach and groaned. I had definitely overindulged. I was now the proud owner of a food baby. We all just sat in silence as we sipped on our drinks letting our food settle. I was almost ready for an afternoon snooze but I didn’t want to sleep the day away, I wanted to spend it with people I cared about the most. Sure, there was the nagging thought in my head about Luke, but tomorrow, I would deal with it then.

  “Well I think we’d better get the bill. What are you doing next, son, anything nice?”

  “We could go for a walk, maybe stop off at a bar and have a few drinks.” I looked at Ollie, and he nodded his approval.

  “I’ll come too.” B winked and I instantly frowned. I’d barely had two minutes alone with Oll all day, and I was about to lose it. I gave my mother ‘the look’ pleading with her to step in and handle the situation. She shot me a wink back.

  “Actually Brianne, I need your help with a project I’m working on,” my mother cut in.

  “Please don’t tell me it involves sampling tea of any kind. I am never allowing those vile fluids inside me again.”

  “Why? You have before.” I winked, and she retaliated poking her tongue out.

  “I think what Mum is trying to say is that I’d like some time alone with Ollie.”

  She wrinkled up her face in annoyance. “Fine, I know when I’m not wanted.”

  “Oh B, don’t sulk, you’ll get wrinkles,” I teased. I knew that would take her mind off it.

  “Oh you’re such a bitch.”

  “You know me.” I was never one to hold back.

  “Are you ready?” I looked at Ollie, and he nodded, finishing off the last of his drink. I kissed my mother and B goodbye, and we headed out the door for some much needed alone time.

  After a few drinks we then headed to the park and grabbed a couple of ice creams. The sun was out and the sky a perfect blue. I sighed, sitting down on the bench to eat the delicious creamy goodness.

  “I will seriously have to contemplate going to the gym tomorrow.” I said in between bites.

  “It’s your birthday, it’s fine.”

  “Carbs still exist though.” I frowned. Carbs really were my enemy.

  “No, they don’t, not on your birthday.”

  I smiled at his blatant lie. “Maybe I’ll pretend that’s true.” I was too into this ice cream to care, but today was my special day.

  “I’m glad we’re finally alone,” Oll murmured, moving closer so our legs brushed up against each other. “I really like your mother, but B well, she doesn’t take the hint easily.”

  That was an understatement. But she was always used to being top dog when it came to us hanging out. I felt a little bad that she was finding the transition hard now that I had a new boyfriend.

  “It’s because we’ve always done everything together. It will take some getting used to, but hopefully she’ll adapt,” I explained. I hoped my words were true.

  “I would have thought she’d want to spend most of her time with Luke.”

  Luke.

  A shiver ran down my spine at the reminder.

  “Yeah, but I am one of a kind, people just can’t help gravitating towards me,” I jested and Ollie laughed at my lack of modesty.

  “You have me under your spell,” he added matter of factly, and I sighed with happiness. The reassurance that he was here and not going anywhere was the best gift he could give me.

  “That makes me happy,” I replied, linking our hands as I closed my eyes feeling the heat of the sun’s rays on my face.

  “Me too.” We both sat in silence. No other words were needed.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I woke to the sound of my ringtone blaring beside me. I snatched it up, staring until my bleary eyes came into focus. It was B.

  “Jeez, B, it’s like seven o’clock in the morning. This had better be an emergency.”

  “Is it true?” she croaked.

  The sound of her voice instantly had me bolting upright.

  “Is what true?”

  “Did you kiss Luke?”

  “No,” I explained. Well it was partly true, he kissed me.

  “Liar,” she screamed.

  “I don’t know what lies he’s been telling you, B, but he kissed me.” My heart beat fast at her accusation. What had he told her?

  “Then if you’re the innocent party, why didn’t you tell me?” she asked accusingly.

  “Because it happened at the party, and I was thrown by it and I didn’t want my birthday to be ruined. I was telling you today, I promise.” I had it all planned out, today was the day, but now it was too late.

  “Oh it’s all about you, wouldn’t want to spoil your perfect day,” she hissed, the iciness in her voice sent my heart rate spiralling.

  “B please—” I pleaded.

  “Don’t B please me, I want to know the truth. I know you fancy him.”

  “But I’m with Ollie,” I protested. Hurt by her accusation me of something that wasn’t true.

  “That doesn’t mean it would stop you, maybe you got greedy and wanted what I had too.”

  What?

  “Hardly. I’m happier than I’ve ever been. Why would I ever jeopardise that? Until Luke kissed me I didn’t know he was into guys.”

  That was the truth.

  “I don’t know who to believe!” she screamed.

  “Believe your cousin that’s been there for you your whole life, who loves you, not the guy you’ve barely known for four weeks,” I yelled, furious at the fact she doubted me over a guy she had just literally met.

  “It’s not that easy, Elijah, I love him.” Her voice was barely a whisper, and my heart sunk at her confession. It was worse than I expected.

  “Fuck.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I wouldn’t do that to you, B and I hate to say this, but he’s all wrong for you. You can’t trust him. It wasn’t just a kiss.” Oh god, could I tell her the rest?

  “What do you mean?” she croaked.

  I sighed and gave myself a moment before speaking. “He was forcing himself on me after I said no. He said he wanted to be
with me, even though I made it quite clear that I was with Ollie and nothing would change that.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she whispered.

  Fuck.

  “I know it’s hard and right now your head is spinning with doubt, but trust your instinct, B, trust me,” I pleaded. Hoping she’d make the right decision and go with her heart.

  “I have to go, I can’t handle this.” Her voice cracked, and my eyes filled with tears.

  “Come ’round now, we can chat.” I needed her here, to talk face to face. So she could tell I was telling the truth.

  “I don’t want to see you right now, E, I just can’t.”

  My heart plummeted at her refusal. “If you need time then that’s fine, but I didn’t do anything wrong, B, please don’t punish me for your boyfriend’s actions.”

  “I have to go—”

  The line went dead before I could even speak.

  “Fuck!” I roared, throwing the phone hard at the wall. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I sobbed hard. My mother came running through within seconds.

  “What’s wrong?” She instantly gave me a grave look of concern.

  “Luke kissed me at the party,” I managed to get out.

  My mother’s eyes widened in surprise. “And who was that on the phone?”

  “It was B, he told her I came onto him, and that I instigated the kiss. She’s freefalling and believing all his lies,” I shrieked.

  “Have you told her what happened?” my mother asked calmly, despite the fact I was having a meltdown right in front of her.

  “Yes, but she doesn’t believe me. She thinks I’m making it up. What do I do?”

  My mother pulled me into her arms and held me as I sobbed, unleashing all the pain and anger in every tear that fell. “You have to give her time. It will be all too much for her, and she will question whom to believe, but if you’ve told her the truth then that is all you can do. She needs to make up her own mind.”

  “But she’ll believe him. Right now, she thinks I’m the liar as I kept it hidden from her. She won’t believe what I’m telling her,” I sobbed.

  “She will. She’s just confused at the moment and Luke has filled her head with his lies making her doubt you, but she will eventually see sense,” she soothed, but her words were not enough to calm me.