Page 34 of The Summer Intern

“Bullshit.”He pointed at the logo on the box.“This is from the bakery in town.I recognize the box.”

He looked freshly showered, and I crossed my arms over my sleep-rumpled Nirvana tee, acutely aware of my rumpled clothing and bedhead.So what if he’d seen the cake?He didn’t need to know everything I’d done to make his birthday special — all for nothing.Because he hadn’t even been there.He’d been out flirting with a fucking bartender.

“So?I bought you a cake, but didn’t get it to you before you left.”

Casey lifted the lid off the cake, examining it.For one brutal second, I braced for the eye roll, the sarcastic quip about lame straight people parties.His gaze trailed off, as if he was fascinated by a chip in my countertop, picking at it with his thumbnail.I edged closer, catching the way his Adam’s apple bobbed above my hoodie’s sagging collar.

“Just a cake?”He met my eyes and dragged his finger across the edge of the pink frosting, never breaking eye contact as he licked the dollop of frosting off it.Buttercream clung to his Cupid’s bow.I’d never wanted to ruin something sweet so badly in my life.

It shouldn’t have been the most obscene thing I’d ever seen.And when he grabbed a frosting flower off the top of his cake and popped it into his mouth, I nearly leaped over the counter and pinned him to it, licking him clean myself.

Then I saw the wobble in his bottom lip.

“Hey.”My hand found his elbow before I could remember why that was a bad idea.“What’s—”

“You remembered.”His voice cracked like kindling.A single tear escaped the corner of his eye.“I didn’t see you all day yesterday, and I thought ….”He stared down at the kink, blinking hard.

“You thought what?”My heart broke at the sadness in his eyes.

Casey sniffed hard.“That you ghosted my birthday because you don’t really like me at all.”

The admission hung between us for a beat, and I realized the mistake I’d made.My chest felt tight, and I rubbed a hand absently over it, trying to soothe the ache.

“I went into town to get the cake and supplies while Sutton and Ben were setting up in the lodge,” I said.“But by the time I got back, you and Oliver had left.I felt like such a dork, planning you a surprise party when you already had plans.”

"A surprise party?"

"Cake, streamers, the whole nine yards."

His snort-laugh turned into a wet hiccup, and he gave me a shaky smile.“You are such a dork.But I like it.”

I reached out and grabbed his chin, forcing eye contact.“Sweetheart, we had the whole lodge ready.Karaoke machine, food, beers.Fuck, I even learned to make rainbow-colored mixed drinks.Not a summer camp director’s top skill, believe me.”

Casey's eyes searched my face as he blinked back the wetness in his eyes.“Why didn’t you call or something?”

“I don’t know, I panicked.Thought I’d read the situation all wrong.”I reached up and swiped my thumb across the frosting on his lip, and he gave me a cheeky grin and licked my thumb.“And then Wade texted me, saying you'd gone into a bar alone.”

Casey stepped closer to me, his heat and scent surrounding me.He reached up, his hands landing on my shoulders, and his fingernails sank into my sleep shirt.“It hurt when I thought you forgot.”

“I’m sorry.The surprise party was a stupid idea.I should have told you.I left Oliver a note, but he must have missed it.And I emailed you a memo.”

“Should have made sure,” he agreed, pressing close to me.“Hurt my feelings.”

“Is that why you sent the texts?”I asked.

“What texts?”He reached for his phone, which was thrown haphazardly on the counter, and opened his text app, eyes widening and cheeks growing pink as he scrolled.“Shit.You need to delete all of these."

"Sex was mid?"

"Bullshit.Total defense mechanism.”

"Your obsession with my cock rings?"

Casey giggled."That might be a legit obsession."

“And was running from the kayak shed a defense mechanism too?”I asked, combing my fingers through the hairs at the back of his neck.

“Shut up.”His fingers dug into my shoulders and he butted his forehead against my sternum.“I panicked, okay?You were all…” His hands flapped between us like injured birds.“Sexy and gorgeous and…”

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