Page 67 of Never Really Over

“Hang on! I’ve got the candle right here!” Missy shouts, running over with a big number one candle and a lighter.

Colt fastens Poppy into the little chair and places the tray in front of her. She hits the tray and laughs. “How old are you today, Tootsie Pop?”

She grins and holds up one finger and my ovaries burst. Holy shit, they’re cuter than cute together. Even if tonight doesn’t turn out the way I hope it does — Colt confessing his undying love for me, or at least that he’s willing to give friendship a shot — I’m already glad I came.

Being back with everyone again is good for my soul. Not a single person has made me feel unwelcome, even Amy. When she invited me, I know my jaw was practically on the table at the coffee shop. In fact, she admitted that she surprised herself with the invite, too. The invitation didn’t come without a warning, though.

“Hurt him, and I’ll find a way to bury you.”

“I won’t,” I promise.

It’s a promise I intend to keep. I’m not delusional. I realize that attending his one-year-old niece’s birthday party in no way means that he and I are back together, or even going to make that step, but one can hope.

Colt starts off singingHappy Birthdayand everyone joins in. When it comes to an end, Poppy looking around at everyone like we’ve lost our minds, he bends down and takes in a dramatically deep breath, looks at Poppy, and blows out the candle.

I’m not ashamed to admit I made a wish.

Everyone claps, so Poppy claps, too, and then Colt takes the candle off the cake, dips his finger into the colorful icing, and offers it to Poppy for a taste.

At first she doesn’t know what to think. But the hesitation only last a few seconds before she dives in with gusto. Soon she has frosting up to her elbows, all over her cheeks, on her chest, in her hair, and her hands are pretty much just a frosting and cake blob.

While Jenna takes pictures of Poppy slapping Colt’s face with a frosting/cake hand and him not caring one bit that she’s covering him as well, he lifts his eyes to meet mine. And winks.

That one little wink is better than any orgasm I’ve had in years.

Years.

I’m in big, big trouble.

“I saw that,” Bridget says quietly, sidling up next to me.

“I swear that wink…”

“Almost gave you an orgasm?”

“Yes!” I say in a shouted whisper.

She smiles knowingly. “I hope you’re prepared for Dalton to be your man of honor because you know he won’t let that go.”

I playfully hit her shoulder with the back of my hand. “Oh, stop. That’s putting the cart before the horse for sure.”

Colt gives me another long look before going into the house with Poppy, probably to get cleaned up.

“I don’t know. I predict next summer we’ll be out here for another celebration.”

No way will I admit how much I would like that to be true. These feelings for Colt came back to me so fast. For me, they’re as strong as they ever were. Strange and unexplainable, but being around him just feels… right.

The problem is, I’m certain he doesn’t feel the same way.

And for that, I take full blame. If he’d been the one to walk away and then came back and said what I said, I’d be pretty upset, too. Sure, I apologized, and even explained that I didn’t mean it because I’m simply jealous and was acting out, because apparently I’m a bratty teenager.

I pull her away from the crowd so no one can hear us talking, but not so far away that it looks like we’re ignoring everyone else. “Don’t go around saying stuff like that, okay? I don’t want to freak him out.”

“So youdolike him! We knew it!” she squeals. “I’m so happy. I know you both have a long road ahead of you but it’s not like you’re starting from scratch.”

“He practically hates me. That’s not just a long road. That’s a bumpy, windy, construction zone road.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Only way you’ll find out is if you put your best foot forward and give it the good ol’ college try.”

---