Page 104 of When Fate Breaks
I can feel the pink on my cheeks, none of which has to do with Evelyn. I couldn’t care less what she thinks. “It’s Annie,” I say, fully well knowing that she’s aware what my name is.
“Hmm…” Evelyn hums in a condescending tone, squinting her nearly black eyes at me. “Well maybe we watch our tongue a little closer while we’re in New York, shall we? Andie?” She prances away before I have time to respond, but I don’t even slightly have it in me to care at this moment.
I forgot Blake’s birthday.
“Shit,” I whisper this time. I look back to my phone to type a reply to Blake but Riya walks up, cutting me off.
“Annie, hey! Happy birthday! I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I’m gonna be completely honest and tell you I forgot until my calendar reminded me. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. It happens,” I mutter, zoning out, utterly ashamed and pissed at myself.
“Well, still,” Riya says. When I don’t respond, she waves a hand in my face. “Are you ready to head into the monthly planning meeting?” I notice for the first time she is holding her laptop and notebook.
“Oh, crap,” I sputter, gathering my things. “Yeah, one sec. It’s 10:30 already?”
“Sure is. One of those days?”
“You have no idea.”
* * *
The momentI crawl into my car at 6 p.m. that evening to begin my thirty minute commute home is the first moment I have to breathe the entire day. I don’t take it though, however, immediately dialing Blake’s number the moment my door is closed.
He answers on the third ring. “Hello?” Blake’s husky voice comes through the line.
“Hey, you.”
“Oh.” I can hear the hesitance in his voice, and it’s like a stab to the gut. “Evangeline.”
“Blake, I’m so sorry.”
I hear him blow out a breath. “For what?”
“You know for what. For being the worst person alive and forgetting your birthday.”
Blake is silent for a moment before speaking again. “I think theworstperson might be a bit of an exaggeration.”
“No, it isn’t. Not in the slightest. I’m so incredibly sorry. I suck so much.”
Blake lets out a chuckle that I can’t entirely tell whether or not is forced. “Nah.”
“I really do though. I suck.”
“Oh, I didn’t say you don’t suck. You definitely suck,” Blake confirms. “But you just suck a little.”
“It was your birthday and I sucked.”
“Okay, that’s what she said.”
Why does that make me smile? I forgot the boy’s freaking birthday and he still manages to make me smile.God, I really do suck.
“Ugh. If it’s any consolation, I also forgot my own birthday.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. I didn’t remember until I saw your text.”
“Well, you’re welcome.” Blake’s trying his best as always to play nice, but I can tell he’s down. I hate the thought that I’ve done this to him.
