Page 49 of Loved By The Bad Boy

“Is that why you wanted us to reconcile? So we can make out?” I snap. His expression crashes. If I listen closely, I might also hear his heart breaking. I am upset. I am hurt that he forgot my eighteenth birthday and is being sneaky about his calls. “Let’s just go home. I want to go home.”

My birthday is ruined, and it’s partly his fault. How can you forget your girlfriend’s birthday?

Ben stares at me with so much hurt in his eyes, but I can’t bring myself to apologize for snapping at him. He opens his mouth to say something, but I kiss him to stop him from talking. His frown deepens. He hooks a finger under my jaw, searching my face for an unavailable explanation.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“I’m perfect.”

Back propped against his seat, he drums his fingers on the steering. “Gracie, are you mad at me for something?” Yes. He is keeping secrets from me. Either that, or I’m being my usual over-analytic self and reading too much into this. “If I did something you don’t like, please tell me.”

“It’s fine, and you’re perfect,” I reply with enough false enthusiasm and pinch his cheeks. I swat his hand from touching my face, and he groans. It’s the perfect evening for a couple’s hangout, but my pillow will make a much better partner. “Take me home, Benny. I can’t be out for long.”

“Yeah. Your mom mentioned that.”

Maybe Mom has a surprise for me. But I don’t want to think or worry about it. It’s just another day in my life. I should be glad my best friend, though miles away, remembered my birthday.

Ben stretches his hand, and we start the ride home. Our new house comes into view, a one-story building with more rooms than the people living in it. Mom is converting one of them to a studio.

We are halfway out of the car when something hits me. My hands flatten on the roof of the car while I wait for Ben to lock up. Today has been weird, but this is the height of it. Ben looks up.

“How do you know the way to my house?” I ask. Ben showed up at the house without calling me. I must have been too excited to remember it. All my thoughts had centered on the surprise I expected to be in the car. “You’ve never been here, and you didn’t call to ask for directions.”

Shock and confusion spread all over his face, but he covers them up with a smile.

“Gracie, you told me.”

“I didn’t.” We haven’t spoken about my house. He doesn’t even know what my bedroom looks like. Has he been stalking me? He did that once. Ben draws closer to me. I take one step, and he covers it until I am backed up against the car. I need answers. He needs to talk. “Benny, how…”

Ben kisses the rest of the words from my lips. This kiss is more urgent than the last. It leaves my lips bruised and my toes curled. His arms slide around my waist, and he kisses my neck. With his lips on mine, I can’t think straight. Maybe that’s his plan. He breaks it off, but I’m still dazed.

“You told me,” he says. Tugging me toward our house, he asks, “Have you forgotten?”

“I guess so. Sorry.” Ben drags me up the front stairs. Dad doesn’t know we are back together. I thought Mom didn’t as well, but when she called me downstairs to inform me about my visitor, she looked happy. But I’m nervous. “Benny, I don’t think you should come inside with me.”

We are in front of the door, but none of us knock. Ben pecks me on my lips and knocks before I can stop him. He’s not listening. “Why not? I want to. I need to apologize properly to them.”

“There’s no need,” I reply.

But he knocks again, harder. There’s scrambling behind the door, and I smack the back of his head. He is too stubborn, and I’m madly in love with him. Maybe a little upset for forgetting.

The door opens. We take one step inside and stop. Something is wrong. Everywhere is dark. My hands blindly reach for Ben. A switch goes off, and bright lights flood the room. I squint for my eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness, and a birthday chorus breaks out somewhere behind me.

Ben is in front of me, clapping and singing. The chorus goes closer. Calum, Imani, and Mira are also singing. Imani didn’t lie when she told me she had the voice of a dying frog. It’s that awful. I turn. Maria is here too. Oh my God. Mom and Dad are grinning sheepishly. They played me.

Mom grabs my hands and hugs me. She didn’t forget. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.” Dad follows behind to say something similar. I laugh as they pull away, feeling so stupid and loved.

The guests take turns to hug me. Calum is the last. His hug is stiff, but I grin from ear to ear when he says, “Happy birthday, Tessa.”

Maria returns to my side after Calum is gone. This witch. I pinch her nose, and she grins. She called me but didn’t mention anything about this surprise. What are best friends for? I hug her again because I have missed her and am super happy to see her. We separate from the hug.

“You’re so stupid, Maria.”

Maria gasps, and a hand goes over her mouth. Her blond hair is in perfect curls flowing down her shoulders. “That’s not what you say to someone who came all this way for you.” She waggles a finger at Ben. “It was your boyfriend’s idea to make it a surprise. He’s the stupid one, not me.”

Ben throws his hands up in surrender. I shuffle towards him with my cheeks the color of ripe tomatoes. He holds out a balloon withbirthday girlwritten on it. I accept it with a fake frown.

“You didn’t forget,” I whisper. Tears coat my lashes. Happy tears. I wipe them before they fall. The pad of his thumb brushes my cheek. He looks like he’s about to kiss me but changes his mind. My parents and our friends are watching. I damn the stares and kiss him. “I thought you did, and it hurt my feelings.”

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