Page 127 of The Wrong Side Of Us

3 years later…

One day out of curiosity, I googled what the definition of happiness was. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “Happiness is a state of well-being and contentment.”

To me, that definition was too simple.

A few words couldn’t define happiness. In fact, I didn’t think anyone could define it at all. I’d met people in my life who defined happiness as economic prosperity, met others that had nothing but were fulfilled by a cup of coffee every morning.

But to me, happiness was being happy with what I had even when going through tough times.

I could argue and say I had a hard life, lived through difficult situations. However, I’d never thought that was fair. Others had a more difficult time than me.

Despite the hard times, though, I could safely say that I was truly happy.

“How’s the birthday girl doing?”

I felt his arm wrap around my waist and his lips on my temple. Nathan sat down on a chair and pulled me onto his lap, obviously not giving a damn that everyone watched. It was my birthday, and even though I’d insisted I didn’t want a party or anything along those lines, Nathan still surprised me by throwing a get-together at the park with our loved ones.

And by loved ones, I meant everyone.

Tessa and Poison, the biker gang, his parents, David and Jenna, Tom and his daughter, and of course, Carter and my dear Lily.

Derek smiled at me from a distance before chasing little Lily around. My heart stuttered when I remembered the conversation we’d had earlier that day. We’d come a long way, both of us getting to know each other, trying to make up for the years we’d spent apart.

The voice I loved the most interrupted my thoughts. “Have I told you how beautiful you look today?” Nathan asked, brushing back my hair. It wasn’t too long, just down to my shoulders, but he loved the new haircut.

“You have, actually.” I smiled, placing a chaste kiss on his lips. He grinned, his hands on my waist, those loving gray eyes staring back at me with adoration. It hadn’t changed; in fact, it seemed as if with every day that passed, we were more and more in love.

We were too strong to break.

“I have something else for you,” he murmured. “I know you’re going to love it, but you may be a bit mad at me for not telling you, so just keep in mind that it was meant to be a surprise. That’s why I didn’t say anything.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “What did you do, Nathan?”

He glanced behind me and took a deep breath, cupping my face in his hands so that I wouldn’t turn around. “You ready, Lily?”

Lily ran up to us, her big, bright gray eyes sparkling with happiness. “I’m ready, Daddy.”

“You were in on this?” I gasped, pinching my three year old’s cheeks. She grinned, holding up a blindfold and waving it in front of me.

“I had to help, Daddy.” She shrugged. “It’s a daughter’s work.”

Nathan placed a kiss on my cheek while calling everyone over, all of them smiling, except for Derek, who seemed just as confused as I was. “Come on, Evie. Let me put this on you.”

“I’ll trip, Nate.” I didn’t want to make a fool out of myself, and I didn’t want to fall for a specific reason that he didn’t know about yet…

“I’ll hold you.” He smiled, and I stood up, obliging his request.

Everyone in the park was oddly quiet, so much that I wondered if anyone was still there at all. He tied the blindfold, securing it well so I couldn’t see anything, and when he was sure I couldn’t, he placed his hands on my shoulders and started guiding me. I felt Lily’s little hand in mine as we walked, my heart racing.

“Stop here.” I felt his lips near my ear, the closeness making my body tingle. “You deserve everything,” he whispered, only for me to hear. “But I know this is the one thing you’ve wanted for the past few years, Evie. Happy birthday, my love.”

He removed the blindfold slowly, and I blinked a couple of times before my focus fell on the person standing in front of me.

“Hey, sister.” Hannah smiled at me.

Damn it.

Don’t cry.

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