Laney says something else and then Bee replies and then Cheyenne adds something too. I don’t know why I feel the urge to walk over to them. To find out what they’re talking about to make her smile like that. She looks comfortable with them in a way she doesn’t often look. Yeah she’s strong and confident but she’s also closed off. In the beginning I remember noticing how she seemed to turn her emotions off but they’re shining bright as hell over there right now.
And they have been lately. At my house and at Lunar and hell even when we sit around Masquerade it’s like she’s showing me new pieces of her. Only she holds back. She hasn’t mentioned the thing with her names again and never talks about her parents, but she’s not locked in the invisible box she was in when I first met her. Her eyes and face are more honest.
The wind blows and a brown leaf breaks off the tree and falls on her. Bee picks it off her shoulder and looks at it. Studies it like it’s something important.
Laney says something else to her and Bee smiles before replying, still holding that leaf in her hand. Cheyenne says something to Laney as Bee looks toward the ground, bends over, and picks up another leaf, this one orange. As stupid as it sounds, I feel like I’m interrupting a moment for her—seeing something that’s important, though I don’t get why it would be.
Then she holds them and launches into some other conversation with Cheyenne. It’s the perfect way for Laney to escape as she turns around and heads my way.
I’d get up and walk away but I know she’d follow. I feel like an asshole again, because what kind of brother wouldn’t want to talk to his own sister on her birthday?
“Hey. What are you doing over here all by yourself?” She sits next to me and drops her head to my shoulder. She does that a lot and has since we were kids.
“Nothing…” I feel like I should say more but I don’t know what.
“She’s great, Maddy. I really like her.”
With my eyes, I find Bee talking to Cheyenne and holding those leaves in her hand. I like her too. “She’s cool.”
“She’s strong too. It makes sense. You need a strong girl.”
I shrug my shoulder and she lifts her head to look at me. “We’re friends, little sister. Don’t start doing that.”
She rolls her eyes. “Fine. I’ll stop being honest. Actually, after I say one more thing, I will. Today you’ve laughed in a way I haven’t seen you do since we were younger. You’re different and I think you know it too. You like her, Maddy, and she makes you happy. I hope you recognize that and don’t blow it. You deserve to be happy.”
This is where I’d usually walk away from her. Tell her she’s crazy and an optimist and to stop seeing shit that isn’t there. I don’t do any of it. Instead it’s Laney who stands up. She gets a few feet away when I say, “Hey.” She stops to look at me. “Happy birthday.”
Laney smiles at me. “Thank you. It is a happy birthday.”
Shaking my head at her, I get off the table. “I have to piss. I’ll be right back.”
“Nice, Maddox.” She shakes her head. I start toward their apartment and go to the restroom. As soon as I come out, I hear someone. When I step into the living room, Adrian’s there with the gifts from the table. He had to have come up right behind me.
“The wind is cold, so we’re coming inside.” He sets them on the small coffee table without looking at me. Not that I blame him. I’m always a prick to him. Even went as far as to follow him out of the state when he found out our dad’s the one who killed his son. Back then we thought Ashton was his nephew. I hit him and called him a pussy for walking away from Laney, not knowing it was his son he’d watched die.
“Thanks.”
Adrian looks at me, obviously as surprised at my word as I am.
“And what’s that for?”
“For taking care of her. For this party. It means a lot to her.”
“I know. It doesn’t take much to make her happy.”
“But you did it. Doesn’t matter if it’s not much, you did it.” And I didn’t. Mom probably didn’t call her even though I have a missed call from her on my cell right now. If I listen to the message, I know it will be bitching at me because she has to know I’m with Laney today.
There’s more to say but I can’t find the words. I’m saved anyway when the door opens and Bee, Cheyenne, and Colt come in, everyone carrying some of the stuff from outside.
“Hey, Little Ghost. Let’s open your gifts.” Adrian kisses Laney and she smiles at him. This big fucking smile that holds so much happiness.
Bee walks over and stands next to me against the wall while Adrian, Laney, Colt, and Cheyenne all sit on the couches and chair around the coffee table. We’re leaning against the wall to the hallway behind the couch.
“Wanna go sit by her?” Bee asks, but I shake my head.
“Nah. I’m good here.”
Laney opens her first present—gift certificates for a dance class from Cheyenne.
“I need someone to dance with me!” she tells my sister, and I can see from the look in Laney’s eyes that she wants to do it too.
“I got you something else because I felt all fucked up giving you dance lessons.” Colt nods toward one of the gifts, which Laney opens next. It’s an iTunes gift card to get more music for when she runs, he tells her.
“I’m giving her my present later.” Adrian nudges her and everyone laughs. I suddenly want to kick his ass again. That’s not the stuff a guy wants to hear about his little sister, even though I know he’s giving us shit. He probably got her something that is perfect for her because that’s how he is with her. It’s fucking crazy to see but I’m glad she has it.
“In my bag.” I nod toward it and immediately wish I had decided to give her my gift later too. It’s not something I want all these people to see but I can’t be a dick and say anything now.
Bee scoots closer to me and I glance down at her, wondering how she knew to do that, even though she’s not looking at me.
Laney grabs my bag and opens it. My body is begging me to walk out of the room as my pulse kicks up. With one of my hands, I dig my nails into my arm as she pulls out the square gift.
Slowly, like it’s a fucking treasure or something, Laney starts pulling the wrapping paper off. The second it’s open, she freezes, her eyes not leaving what’s in front of her.
My muscles tighten and I feel eyes on me that aren’t there. Adrian’s looking over her shoulder at the picture in the frame.
Laney still doesn’t look up, so Adrian says, “It’s a drawing. It’s a beach with a sand castle and two kids next to it. Fuck, this is really good. Did you do this?” He looks at me. Turing from him, I nod.
“It was my favorite day with all of us together,” Laney’s soft voice breaks through the room. “We were on vacation. Dad had been gone off and on for a while and we finally got to spent time together. Maddy was upset. He didn’t want to go and I didn’t know why.”
Because it was a lie. I knew it was a fucking lie and Dad was a cheat and a gambler.
“I was bugging him like I always did. I wanted to have fun and I didn’t get why he was so angry. When we got to the beach, he tried to go off by himself. I wouldn’t let him. I begged him to teach me how to make a sand castle. He said no at first, but then I cried and so he did it.”
Finally she looks up at me and her eyes are wet with tears. “You always tried to make me happy.”
Because I was lying to the family. Because I was selfish and kept my mouth shut so I could have money for college to play ball.
When I don’t reply, Adrian asks, “What happened next?”
He’s like that, I’ve noticed. He wants words, talking in a way I’ve never fucking seen.
“We built three of them. The first one fell when we were half done and the second got messed up with the water. I told Maddox it was okay and he said no, that we’d make another one. And so we did and it was incredible. Perfect and then we lay next to it like we could somehow protect it. Later, Dad came over and talked to me about it. Maddy left and I told my dad how we made three of them because Maddox wanted me to have the perfect sand castle and Dad said he’d make another perfect one with me too. A few minutes later, Mom tripped on it and it got wrecked.”