Page 189 of Pucking Obsessed

“Whatever you’ve made for me,” I say, firmly, “I will love and keep because it’s from you.”

Shay smiles, brightly. “Even if it’s a sweater with holes in it?”

“Even then.”

I pick up the A4 size card and open the envelope, sliding out the homemade card.

“Wow.” I stare in wonder at the front of the card.

It’s an oil painting of the four of us at the beach house. It’s not great art but it must have taken a hell of a long time. It has also caught the spirit of us in a way that I didn’t know was possible.

Our love.

Did Shay paint this for me?

My chest is tight. My eyes well with tears.

I’m going to frame it and put it up in my bedroom. I want to be able to look at it every day.

I flip open the card.

Inside, I read in scrawled writing that I recognize as Shay’s:

Happy birthday to the woman we’ll love forever!

You changed our worlds. We’ll spend 365 days of every year finding ways to thank you for that.

You’re our best friend, the love of our lives, and the center of our universes.

On this special day, we want you to know how deeply in love with you we are.

Your Rebels

The three menhave signed it underneath.

I brush away a tear that’s slipped onto my cheek.

“Cara mia?” D’Angelo asks, cautiously.

Eden pulls me against his chest. I take deep breaths of his fresh, vanilla scent.

I’m overwhelmed.

“I’m sorry, love,” Shay sounds distraught. “I didn’t mean to upset you. Do you hate it? Just chuck it on the fire, yeah?”

Shay snatches the card with his tied hands and makes to throw it on the fire.

“No,” I yell, diving toward him and grabbing the card. I hold it tightly to my chest. Shay freezes. “This is mine. You gave it to me. I’m putting it on my wall.”

“She loves it, cucciolo.” D’Angelo adjusts his sleeve. “A possessive Robyn is a happy Robyn.”

I lean to kiss Shay. “He’s right. It just meant such a lot that I needed a moment. It’s awesome. I mean, really special.Youare Shay.” I know that Shay must have taken a long time thinking about what to put inside the card. Writing doesn’t comenaturally to him. I glance over my shoulder at Eden. “Did you help with the beautiful wording inside?”

“Apart from the bit about universes,” Eden replies.

Shay looks proud. “I wanted to include something about black holes, but that was vetoed.”

I stand, placing the card prominently at the front of the mantelpiece.

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