“Now, chop, chop.” Madison playfully spanked her to prompt her to enter the room. “We’re on a schedule.”
“Okay, okay.” Haley rolled her eyes and pushed Maddie out the door.
She started donning her clothes and, still in her underwear, she grabbed a clean towel to go shower. With a sigh, she threw a wistful glance at her packed-to-the-brim bag. Well, at least one half of her birthday wish had come true.
***
When she came out of the steaming shower, she found the girls eating pizza at the kitchen bar.
“Wait, are we staying in or going out?”
“In for food,” Madison said. “Out for fun.”
“We’re meeting the others at a bar in downtown Boston,” Alice explained. “But we wanted to eat first and avoid getting drunk on an empty stomach.”
Haley hoped to avoid getting drunk on any kind of stomach, and she also wondered who “the others” meeting them downtown were. But the pizza smelled delicious, so, with one pink towel wrapped around her body and another one around her head, she sat next to Madison and grabbed a slice.
For three girls, the giant pizza sitting in front of them disappeared alarmingly quickly.
Brushing her hands together to get rid of the crumbs, Haley asked, “What’s the dress code?”
“Dressed up,” Alice said, shrugging apologetically as if to say: not my fault.
“High heels?” Haley asked, disgruntled.
Both her roommates nodded.
“Are we going to walk?”
“Hell no,” Madison said. “We’ll call an Uber as soon as we’re ready and”—she looked at her watch—“we should get a move on.”
They all hopped off their respective stools and paused in the hall.
“Meet again here in half an hour?” Madison asked.
They all nodded and disappeared into their rooms. But of course, in less than five minutes they all ended up in Madison’s room, exchanging makeup, curling each other’s hair, and trying on outfits.
Haley opted for a white dress with spaghetti straps and an empire waist, Madison for a colorful, flowy dress, and Alice for a classic little black dress. And, voilà, they were only slightly late when their driver dropped them off at the designated bar downtown.
Inside, their usual crowd of friends was waiting for them. Mostly girls from their sorority and guys from the team: Matt Lucas, Blake Donovan, Jack… and, of course, David Williams. He was drinking a beer with his elbow propped against the bar, talking to Becky, another soon-to-be-senior Kappa Kappa Gamma.
Becky had a bit of an easy-girl reputation. She’d slept with Jack the previous year—way before he was with Alice—and from the way she was flirting with David now, she looked like she wouldn’t mind going home with him tonight.
Haley grimaced involuntarily. The idea somehow didn’t sit well with her. Not so much what—who—Becky did or didn’t do. Everyone male or female was free to have sex or not have sex with however many people they wanted. But the certainty that she didn’t want Becky and David to sleep together tonight struck Haley like a bolt of lightning, sending a weird current down her spine.
He lifted his gaze and their eyes met, causing another stream of electricity to course through Haley’s body. This was the first time they’d seen each other after David had told her he loved her. Even at a distance, and even in the faint lights of the bar, the blue of his eyes sparkled. David’s mouth curved up at one corner and he waved.
“What are you looking at with that long face?” Madison asked, and then followed Haley’s gaze to the bar. “Who the hell invited him?”
“Come on, Maddie.” Alice rolled her eyes. “He’s friends with everyone we know, and he’s Haley’s friend, too. Right?” She turned to her for confirmation.
Haley blushed profusely and nodded, hoping the dim lights would cover her flush.
“Whatever,” Madison said, and marched off to the opposite side of the room to go talk to Matt.
“I need a drink.” Haley plastered a smile on her lips. “Join me?”
“Can’t wait for a Cosmo, they make the bestest here.” Alice linked her arm with Haley’s and they joined Jack and Blake in the line to order.
There, Alice let go of Haley and wrapped her arms around Jack’s waist, a megawatt smile brightening her face at once. “A Cosmo for your girlfriend and another one for the birthday girl.”
Jack turned around, his smile matching Alice’s, and bent down to steal a kiss. “Two Cosmos for the ladies on their way.”
Haley felt a little pang of envy. Their happiness made her miss Scott so much more. It’d be another three weeks before he came back, and it still seemed like an eternity. Haley looked away from the happy couple, and her eyes landed on Madison next, guilt replacing envy at once. At least she had a boyfriend who adored her and who’d be here soon; what about Maddie?
Following Madison with her gaze as she moved across the room, Haley was surprised to see her friend stop next to David. At once, Becky made herself scarce and Madison and David began to talk in hushed tones. He was smiling, and she was scowling—without looking really mad.
For the first time, the reality that Madison had actually had sex with David—multiple times—struck Haley like a blow. They had that intimacy peculiar to ex-lovers. Madison looked too comfortable for her own good.
Everything Madison did lately confused Haley. First she was dating David, then she was in love with Scott. And after David had broken up with her in the worst possible way—if one was to believe her version of the story—there she was talking to him as if they were a pair of old friends. From the way she acted whenever he showed up in their group, Madison seemed to still hate David, so what business did she have talking to him?
Haley wished she could hear what they were saying.
Madison
Madison had not asked Haley a single question about her emergency road trip with David. If Scott knew and had nothing against it, neither did Madison. Even if she suspected David was gaining too many points with Haley. But their friendship had been on the mend since Haley had come back from Buffalo, and Madison didn’t want to risk ruining this newfound balance with indelicate questions.
But there was nothing wrong with probing the other party interested.
“Still playing the good boy part?” Madison asked.
“Not playing any part, Blondie.” David smirked. “It’s not my style.”
“And how’s your diabolical plan to steal your brother’s girlfriend going?”
“Why? Hoping I’d get a move on?”
“That’s not—” Madison started defending herself, but then she noticed David’s amused face and swatted him instead. “You’re still a jerk.”
“Oh, come on, Blondie, I’m only teasing you a little.”
Madison scoffed. “Why are you here?”
“To wish Haley a happy birthday. Is that against the law?”
“David, I know you… You have the charm on.”
“Are you charmed?”
“I’m immune.”
“Ouch.” David brought a hand to his chest. “Now you’re hurting me, Blondie.”
Madison scowled at him. “I will if you mess with Haley.”
David arched an eyebrow. “Am I still on your watch list?”
Madison wasn’t sure. “I’m glad you were there for Haley during the crisis with her dad, but I’m not sure your gesture was one hundred percent selfless.”
David made a cute, I’m-innocent face. “No?”
“Stop playing dumb. I bet you enjoyed being the hero.”
“Is that how Haley describes me now?”
Madison smiled despite herself. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re charmed.”
“Am not.”
David smirked but didn’t say anything.
Madison chewed on her lower lip.
“Come on, Blondie, spit out whatever you’re dying to say.”
“David, I know you care about Haley. But sometimes the best way to show someone you care about them is to back off and let them be happy with someone else.”
“The way you do, Blondie? And how much good has that done you?”
“Now you’re being mean again.”
“No, I’m telling the truth, just like I always do. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” He pushed past her and disappeared into the crowd.
Madison watched him go, not knowing if she still hated him to death or if he was growing on her.
Twenty-four
Haley
Fed up with watching David and Madison flirt—it definitely looked as if they were flirting—Haley excused herself and went to the restroom to calm down.
What the hell?
Madison had even smiled at him at one point. Funny way to show her hatred. And what about David? So much for being in love with her, and for promising he wouldn’t try to play mind games or make her jealous… And why was it that simply seeing him talk to one of her friends made her jealous?
They used to be together.
So? What place do you have being jealous?
Haley shook her head. None.
Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling. And it annoyed her.
Haley entered the restroom and stood in front of the mirror. She didn’t really need to use the toilet, so she decided to fluff her hair and reapply her cranberry lip gloss.
On top of everything else, Scott still hadn’t called to wish her happy birthday. Sure, he’d sent a cute message with a silly picture that morning, but nothing else all day. He was probably locked in an OR, but Haley wished he’d make the effort to find the time to call.
When she could no longer pretend to be fixing her hair, Haley dropped her lip gloss in her clutch and headed out, checking her phone for new messages. There were none.
“Hello, Birthday Girl.” David’s voice startled her halfway down the corridor to the main bar.
Haley lifted her gaze from the screen to find him propped against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. He’d clearly been waiting for her.
“What? Are you stalking me now?”
“Oooh.” That infuriatingly sexy grin spread on his lips. “Feisty, aren’t we? I like it.” He lowered his gaze to her legs. “The heels, too.”
“What do you want?” Haley didn’t know why she was being so rude.
“Only to wish you a happy birthday.”
“You could’ve done it as soon as you saw me.”
“True.” David pushed himself off the wall and searched the folds of his jacket. “But I wanted a little extra privacy to give you this.” He took a small box out of an inside pocket.
“What is that?”
“A birthday gift, obviously.”
Haley softened at once. “David, you can’t give me gifts.”
“What? Now a friend can’t give you a present for your birthday?”
Haley scowled at him. “A friend could. Is that what we are… friends?”
Lips curling up only at one corner of his mouth, David said, “This is a one hundred percent friendly gift.” He handed her the small box.
“What is it?”
“Open it.”
Haley did, and gasped when she discovered a stunning dark-silver locket inside. It was an engraved oval in a Gothic style, beautiful and perfect. “David, thank you, it’s gorgeous. You shouldn’t have.”
He really shouldn’t have.
“May I?” he asked.
Haley gave him the necklace and turned toward the wall, holding her hair up. David came closer, looping the necklace around her neck and fastening it at her nape. His fingers grazed her skin, and shivers spread down her spine. Haley had to make an effort not to shudder under his touch.
“Now,” he said, letting the chain fall in place. “You wouldn’t think I’d buy you jewelry, right?”
Haley scoffed, facing him again. “No?”
David reached for the pendant. “It’s a secret container.” He flipped the locket open to reveal a hidden USB key inside. “Thirty-two gigs of data at your disposal anytime you need it, Miss Robot.”
Haley smiled. This really was the perfect gift for her. “A girl never knows when she might need extra gigs.”
Just then, Haley’s phone started ringing. Lovefool.
“It’s Scott,” she said. “He hasn’t wished me happy birthday yet.”
David’s smile faltered slightly. “I’ll leave you to it. See you later.”
Haley watched him go, filled with mixed emotions. She waited until he’d turned the corner to pick up.
“Hey,” she breathed into the mic.
“Hey, are you out celebrating? I can barely hear your voice over the music.”
In the hall the music was less loud than in the main bar, but it was still loud, especially to talk over the phone.
“Give me a minute; I’ll go outside… Here. Can you hear me now?”
“Loud and clear. Happy birthday!”
“Thanks.”
Tires screeched on the concrete, distracting Haley. She lifted her gaze and spotted a familiar truck crossing the road and merging onto the MA-28 toward Cambridge. She only got a side-peek at the driver, but enough to recognize his slight frown. The same one he had on whenever he was concentrating on the road—she should know, she’d spent seven hours watching him drive not long ago.
Haley’s chest contracted a little at seeing David go. Was he mad at her? He couldn’t be. At least, he didn’t have any right to be. Maybe it was better this way for everyone. On impulse, Haley’s phone-free hand closed around the locket dangling from her neck.
“Haley, are you still there?” Scott’s voice brought her out of her trance.
“Yeah, sorry. What were you saying?”
“I was asking if you’re having fun.”
“Yeah, the girls organized a surprise party, they made me a birthday cupcake, fed me pizza, and now we’re in downtown Boston to celebrate with everybody else.”
“Sorry I can’t be there.” The hurt was audible in Scott’s tone.
“It’s as if you were.”
Only it wasn’t. Not really.
There was a pause. Was Scott thinking the same? Instead, after a while, he asked, “Is David there?”
“He was.” Haley didn’t want to lie. “But he left early.”
“Oh.”
Was it an I’m-upset-he-was-there oh, an I’m-happy-he’s-gone oh, or something between the two?
“Anyway,” Haley continued. “I’m doing it more for the girls than for me. My birthday wish was to have an early night. I leave at five tomorrow morning.”
“That’s the saddest wish ever.”
“Well, nothing great has happened lately.”
“Haley?”
“Yeah?”
“Stare up at the sky.”
Haley looked up at the dark blue sky. There wasn’t a cloud in sight. “Okay?”
“Can you see the stars?”
“Uh-huh?”
“I’m looking at the same stars…”
Finally, a small smile crept on Haley’s lips. “Are you going all cheesy romantic on me?”
“You bet I am! I promise you, Haley, this is the last birthday you spend alone.”
“I wish I could kiss you right now.”
“That sounds like a much better wish. Tilt your head up and send a kiss to the stars… They’ll pass it over.”
Feeling silly, but also giddily romantic, Haley gazed up, pressed her hand to her mouth, and blew a kiss to the sky. “Done! It should get to you in approximately… mmm… six hours, assuming kisses travel as fast as planes.”
“I won’t go to bed until it gets here. Now, go enjoy your party. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
With one last glance at the sky, and then at the spot where David’s truck had disappeared, Haley walked back inside the bar.
***
The day after the birthday party, she left for Buffalo. Her mom had been super excited when Haley had announced she’d fly over to celebrate her birthday with them, and that she’d stay home for as long as she could. It had been ages since she’d stayed in Buffalo for more than a few days. Usually, even for the holidays, Haley never stayed more than a week.
At first, between the celebrations, the catching up with her parents, and the rest of the family’s entourage—grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and old friends—it was a family-reunion honeymoon. Haley was so grateful her dad was home that she didn’t care about following the lifestyle of a fifty-five-year-old couple.
But after almost two weeks at home, Haley—as much as she loved her parents—couldn’t stand living with them any longer. Her dad, usually the life of the party, was mostly sulky about his new healthy-but-unsavory diet. And her mom had started bugging Haley about all kinds of annoying house chores. The day Miranda Thomas told her she should clean up her room, Haley knew she had to get back to Boston. It was only ten days before the official year start, and every single one of her friends was going crazy over the massive end-of-summer party Blake Donovan was throwing.
Blake was on the basketball team, and was also apparently a rich kid with a summer house in the country, complete with an Olympic-size outdoor pool. And since his parents were away in Europe, he’d decided to put the empty house to good use.
In their roomies WhatsApp group, Madison wouldn’t stop going on and on about the party—for a generally quiet introvert, she had a weird love for parties—but even Alice showed some excitement. Haley was torn; the date of the party would be only a day after Scott came back from California. She wasn’t at all sure she’d be ready to share him with the world after only one night together.
But, party or not, Haley craved to be home in her own apartment. Free to eat or not eat at whatever weird hour of the day or night she pleased. Free to leave her dirty socks on the floor for as long as she liked without the socks police—aka her mom—yelling after her. And as much as she loved her dad, she was too young to follow his no-salt-no-bacon-no-nothing-remotely-yummy diet. Definitely time to hug her parents goodbye and go.