Page 49 of Aria

When he hugged me tight, I let out a sigh of relief. “I understand why you were upset, but please… just talk to me. I need you to talk to me,” I pleaded, tilting my head to place a soft kiss on his lips.

Devon deepened the kiss and pulled me tighter. “I will. I’m sorry this happened on your birthday,” he apologized. “I just needed time to cool off, gather my thoughts. I’m not the jealous type, I swear. This just triggered me for some reason.”

“Is it because of Noah specifically? Is there something between you two that I don’t know about?”

Inching back, he plucked out another cigarette. “I guess you could say that,” he shrugged, lighting up and leaning against the brick wall. “I mean, there’s always been some friendly competition between us for as long as I can remember. But things shifted a bit during his relationship with Ruby.”

I was really beginning to hate that woman. “What did she do?”

“Whatdidn’tshe do? She was a viper. Noah was a complete idiot for staying with her for so long.”

I flinched, slightly offended. What would Devon think of me if he knew about Ian and all the things I’d put up with? “People do crazy things when they think they’re in love,” I offered in defense.

“Yeah,” he sniffed. “I guess they do.”

Stretching a small smile, I closed the gap between us once more and rested my head on his chest. “Can we forget all this ever happened? I’d really like to make this a good birthday.”

He relaxed a little, letting out a sigh into my hair before stepping back. Devon sifted through his pockets again, pulling out a small, badly-wrapped package. “I got you something.”

I reached for the present with a grin. “Reindeer in August. Nice.”

“Sorry, it was all I had,” he said, chuckling at the festive wrapping paper. “And don’t freak out. It’s not exactly what you think.”

My fingers hurried to open the gift, revealing a jewelry box beneath the paper—and inside the box was a ring. “Um, Devon?” I studied the treasure. It was a claddagh ring with a turquoise stone in the middle.

“It’s a promise ring,” he explained. “And it has your birthstone in it.”

My heart warmed, touched by the gift—a promise ring from Devon Sawyer. Myboyfriend. There was only one problem… my birthstone was a peridot.

Deciding to ignore the oversight, I jumped into his arms with a commanding hug. “I absolutely love it. Thank you so much.”

He returned the hug and kissed the top of my head. “You’re welcome, babe. Now, let’s go celebrate.”

The night had taken a turn for the better as the hours progressed. I swallowed down my third Sex on the Beach shot with Julia and Lisa and had a nice buzz going on, thankful I was back in Devon’s good graces. Even the bartender I’d knocked over was full of smiles and free drinks, likely due to the famous people at my party.

“Another round for the birthday girl,” Noah ordered, pointing at me and waving down the waitress.

“Are you trying to get me drunk again?”

“I’m honestly just trying to see those awesome dance moves again,” he winked, taking a big swig of his whiskey. “So, if that’s what it takes.”

Everyone laughed as a new round of drinks were set in front of us.

“To Chelsie,” Lisa proclaimed, holding up her cocktail. “The sweetest girl I know.”

“Theluckiestgirl I know,” Julia chimed in, gesturing toward Devon.

My chin dipped to my chest. “You guys are too much. I do feel lucky. Thanks for making my birthday so special.”

“To Chelsie,” Devon said. “My amazing girlfriend. My biggest cheerleader. My number one fan.”

I gave him a big kiss before turning my attention to Noah. “Okay, okay, let me hear it,” I joked, wiggling my fingers at him with anticipation.

“Is this where I give you a shining tribute?”

“Obviously. Birthday girl, here. I’m needy and buzzing, and I need to feel the love.” I gave him a playful punch on the shoulder as I sipped my newly-made drink. Then I nearly heaved with disgust. “God, what is this? Motor oil?”

“Whiskey sour,” Noah corrected. “It’s delicious. Drink up.”

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