Page 60 of The Truths We Seek

Extracting myself from the tangle of limbs I find myself in, I throw on Hunter’s sweatpants and Rory’s t-shirt before tiptoeing from the room and heading to the kitchen.

“Good morning, Miss Quinn,” Carlos says with a smile. We’ve come a long way from being the demon woman he thought I was. I’ll still never accept cucumber in my pico though. “Happy Birthday!”

“Thank you, Carlos.” Grinning at him, I make my way to the coffee machine, but he tuts at me and flicks the towel in his hand at me before waving at me to sit.

“It is your birthday, you do nothing.”

I roll my eyes as I sit. “I’m older, not incapable.”

“Hush, child. It is not about being incapable, but letting people do things for you because they want to.” He shakes his head after the minor chastising and I think on his words. My therapist said something about my hyper-independence likely being an issue because I’ve always had to do everything for everyone, be it out of fear, or a desperate attempt to feel like enough. That I should work on trusting other people to come through for me, but surely, getting my own coffee isn’t that?

Is it?

Fuck knows, but I thank Carlos when he places the steaming mug before me.

“Is Meyer around?” I ask him and he nods.

“Si. He went down to the gym a while ago, he will likely be here soon. What can I get you for breakfast?”

I press my lips together, pondering my options before grinning. “Breakfast burrito?”

He rolls his eyes at me but nods. “If that is what you wish. No pico?”

“No pico,” I confirm, grinning.

It doesn’t take long before he has the breakfast wonder before me and the guys all appear together, arms laden with gifts as I’m taking my first bite.

Blinking at them as they place the gifts on the table around me, I put down the food and lean back.

“Happy birthday!” They cheer together, grinning wide.

“Thank you… but, erm… that’s a lot of—”

Meyer interrupts me as he sits beside me and places a finger on my lips. “Do not start. We missed your birthday last year. And Christmas. Let us spoil you.”

“You spoil me every day,” I tell him and he rolls his eyes at me.

“Hardly. Now, eat, so we can do gifts.”

Hunter kisses the top of my head before sitting opposite me and Rory kisses my cheek as he sits on my other side. Carlos makes them food while I eat my burrito, listening to them talk about birthday memories of them growing up.

It’s nice, just listening to them reminisce. Hearing about them just being kids, pulling stupid shit for birthday pranks, it makes them more human. Not that I don’t see them that way, but I know I don’t know them as well as I’d like to. Meyer can say that’s on them, but it’s on me as well, so I enjoy the opportunity to learn these little parts of them.

“Don’t forget the surprise party you entirely ruined for your fifteenth birthday,” Hunter jokes, as Meyer sits back down with another mug of coffee for him and one for me.

“How did you manage that?” I ask as Meyer groans.

Rory laughs and answers for him. “We went out, totally forgetting what Mama had planned, got him trashed because that’s what stupid teenagers do. We got in a fight, ended up in the ER, and Mama had to send everyone home before coming to get us.”

“I’m still sure I sustained more damage in the punishment from her than I did in that fight, even with the broken arm,” Meyer says, chuckling.

“Yeah, I felt that dressing down she gave us for weeks. I felt about two inches tall,” Hunter adds. “Never missed a gathering since.”

“Oh, God no,” Rory says before gathering the empty plates and putting them in the dishwasher before sitting back beside me. “Anyway, gift time.”

“I really don’t need gifts. We had the party, I live here, you won’t let me work so every time Yen and Shae drag me out, I’m getting gifts really.”

“Those aren’t gifts,” Meyer tuts. “That’s just life. And if it makes you feel better, I’ll sort out the money from Tommy so you don’t feel like you’re spending our money, though, what’s ours is yours freely.”

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