Jennifer stood so abruptly she almost overturned her chair. “I've suddenly lost my appetite.” And without another word, she turned in a wave of sapphire silk and swept from the room. It was an Academy Award-winning exit.
Sinclair stood and took a moment to look around the room again before turning his attention on Bastian. “Your girlfriend is just another example of your downward spiral.”
Bastian leaped out of his chair in a flash. His hands were balled into fists, but it was Sinclair's reaction that surprised me, because despite his air of indifference, there was fear in his eyes.
I hardly recognized Bastian's voice when he hissed, “You don't want to keep your wife waiting.”
In response, Sinclair shrugged his shoulders and strolled away.
“I'm sorry, Bastian.”
The coldness in his eyes surprised me. “Don't apologize, Lark.” I watched as the coldness was replaced with an intensity that had my heart rate doubling. His voice softened, “I've never been more in awe of someone in my life.”
“You aren't mad?” I asked as nerves had my stomach twisting into a knot.
“Mad? Hell no! To see my parents get it back as good as they give it was awesome.”
Dominic's eyes sparkled, “You can say that again. You're a lucky guy, Bastian.”
Bastian took his seat, but his eyes never left mine. “You don't have to tell me that, bro, I already know. Let's order, I'm starving.”
After dinner we said our goodbyes to Dominic, but not before I got his phone number. As Bastian and I headed back to Poppy's, my thoughts lingered on the disastrous encounter with his parents. Looking in Bastian's direction was impossible because I was embarrassed at how I had behaved: like a girl who had been raised by wolves. Bastian claimed that he was okay with how I had spoken to his parents, but they were his parents and I had been exceedingly rude. I heard the words coming from my mouth before I even realized I intended to say them. “I'm really sorry I spoke to your parents the way I did. They were being insufferable, but that doesn't make my behavior right.”
His knuckles brushed against my cheek. “Stop thinking about it. I would have torn into them harder if you hadn't beaten me to it. Dinner turned out to be really fun after they left, so please stop being so hard on yourself.” His eyes met mine and I saw the humor, “Aspire to more than a double-wide and six kids with different fathers.” He laughed out loud. “That was fucking priceless. I don't think I will ever forget the look on my mom's face when you said that.”
I couldn't help the grin, because as appalled as I was with my behavior, there was a small part of me that had really enjoyed provoking them. My smiled faded though when I thought of Bastian and Dominic growing up under the thumb of those people.
“How did you and your brother manage to stay so down to earth?”
“I honestly don't know.”
“I always thought being invisible was the worse way to grow up, but I think maybe being oppressed is.”
“I'm moving out; I already found an apartment,” he said.
“Really?”
“Yeah, I'm 19 and I make good money at the garage. Besides I've spent most of the past year crashing at Dom's.”
My heart ached hearing that he had spent much of the last year at his brother's because it only reinforced how bad his life at home must have been.
“What are you thinking?” He asked.
“I'm thinking I'm happy for you.”
“Maybe you could help me decorate my place?”
“I'd love to.”
We rode in silence for a bit before I asked, “I don't believe that you don't know what you want to do with your life, because you're too together for that. What is it you want to do?”
He smiled as he continued to watch the road, so I took a moment to study the beautiful lines of his profile. “See, you know me better than anyone. I want to be an architect with a focus on restoration.” He looked at me and added, “Columbia has an excellent program.”
“Did you apply?” I couldn't help my excitement at the idea of us going to Columbia together.
“Yes.”
“And?” I wanted to smack him for keeping me in suspense.
“I was accepted.”
“Are you kidding? You're seriously considering going to Columbia?”
“I already was before I even met you, but now that I know it's where you're going to be, I'm absolutely going to Columbia.”
“How will you pay for it? I can't imagine your parents will help, especially knowing that I'll be there.”
“My parents set up a trust for me when I was younger. I suspect they only did so because it was the thing to do and they are all about image. In this case, their vanity worked in my favor, because I gained access to the funds when I turned eighteen.”
I couldn't help the smile I gave him, it matched the one he was giving me.
“Why didn't you tell your parents what you want to do next year?”
“They aren't interested in knowing what will make me happy. They're only concerned about how what I do will affect them, so fuck them.”
I understood what he was feeling. Maybe it was because we were both broken souls, we connected to each other as quickly and as powerfully as we had.
“You don't mind, do you, that I'm following you to Columbia?” He asked almost nervously.
“No!”
He chuckled at my adamant answer.
“I realize we're young, but I don't see my feelings for you ever changing; it's different with you,” I said.
“It is different. I feel it too.”
“Are you free on Tuesday?” I asked.
“On my birthday, you mean?”
“Yes.”
“I am,” he said with a wink.
“Can you come to Alfonso's? I have to work, but I have something I would like to give you.”
“A present?” He asked with excitement.
“Yes.”
“Sweet. What time?”
“About six,” I suggested.
“I'll be there.”
***
I had a few days to pull it all together. I called Caden and asked him to tell the others at the garage the day and the time, texted Dominic, Brad and Jim, asking Jim to pass on the word to Bastian's soccer teammates. I even contacted Mr. Carter and invited him and his wife, Marnie.
Mr. Alfonso ended up being really cool about it, and not only reserved a section of the restaurant for the party, but also said he'd provide the pizzas, fries and sodas free of charge. I tried to pay him, but he said I was family and he wouldn't hear of it.
Sophia, Shawn and Poppy were currently crepe-papering our section so it looked like a clown had thrown up, but I couldn't deny that it did look very festive. I even made the cake, a big chocolate cake, from scratch. I sneaked a little and it was really good.
A few minutes before six, we heard the sound of Bastian's bike and we all took our places. He pulled the door open just as everyone screamed, “Surprise.”
His focus zeroed in on me and all of his friends standing behind me. A smile spread over his face.
“Happy birthday, Bastian.”
He pulled me into his arms and kissed me: quick but full of meaning. “A party?”
“More like hanging with pizza, soda and cake, a big chocolate cake that I made.”
“From scratch?”
“Yep.”
He responded by kissing me again.
The party was a success—Bastian had a smile on his face all night.
At one point I stood back watching as Bastian and his teammates laughed and joked with one another. I didn't notice that Dominic had come up next to me until he spoke my name.
“This was really great, Lark. I like seeing my brother so happy. He told me he's going to Columbia next year. I'm happy for both of you.”
Studying Dominic, I noticed tension creep into his expression and the hard set of his jaw.