Page 20 of Bliss: Part 2
They shared a look across the table. Odin reached over and touched my arm, his hand gently squeezing. “No, Bliss. This is for you. For what you want.”
I shook my head, but I knew they wouldn’t back down. I exhaled. “Fine. Thank you.”
I stood and went around the table, hugging each of them one by one before sitting back down. My chest still felt heavy, and there were so many different things I wanted to say to them to maybe get them to change their minds about how I’d spend the money, but I continued to eat, deciding now wasn’t the right time to start an argument.
We kept eating, the quiet conversation filling the room. I didn’t need to say it out loud, but I’d never forget this morning.
Later that day, Tia and Tyler arrived in his oversized G-Wagon. I already knew they were coming. Dash had told me he invited them, and I truly didn’t mind. In fact, I was glad. I’d half expected Tia might not want to come to a birthday where there wouldn’t be any other girls. I didn’t have any female friends other than her. I didn’t have many friends at all, if I was being honest.
But when she stepped out of the car, smiling wide, I could tell how excited she was to be here. She hugged me tightly, holding on a moment longer, and told me how happy she was to be spending the evening with us. She said today felt like a good day to celebrate. She never made me feel uncomfortable about what had happened. She never pushed me to talk. Instead, she had this way of letting me know, without words, that if I ever needed to, she’d be there to listen. I was grateful for that.
The guys had set up everything by the lake. They carried tables down earlier for snacks, finger foods, and drinks. They’d even thought to bring balloons. Later, they planned to set up the projector and screen so we could watch a movie by the water when the sun went down. We’d spread out towels on the grass, lean back, and watch under the stars.
That was exactly the kind of birthday I wanted. Surrounded by people I loved and who I knew loved me back, doing something simple and good.
At that moment, I was stretched out on a pizza-slice float, drifting on the lake. The sun was warm on my skin, music played from the shore, and everything felt just right.
The float dipped suddenly on one side, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked over to see Rhys holding onto the edge, water dripping from his hair.
“Hey, mind if I come up?” he asked.
I shook my head and shifted to make space. The inflatable was big enough for two. He climbed up, water slicking off his skin, and lay down beside me. He was close enough to have our sides touch, but it didn’t bother us.
“How are you liking the party?” he asked, turning his head to watch my face.
I smiled. “It’s perfect. Even better than I imagined. You made it perfect for me.”
“It’s what you deserve. Hell, you deserve more. But it’s all we—”
“Had the money for,” I finished for him. He nodded.
“Yeah. It’s not like we were gonna get you a Lamborghini anyway.”
I laughed softly and reached over to rest my hand on his arm. “I wouldn’t want something like that. The gift card, all the food, the decorations…it’s already too much.”
He took my hand, squeezing gently before sliding his fingers through mine. He didn’t speak for a long moment. Something about his silence told me his thoughts were heavier than he wanted to admit.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing, I just…” He laughed under his breath and shook his head. “Ah, shit. I didn’t mean to get emotional.”
His eyes glistened.
“I’m gonna be blunt here, so don’t make fun of me, alright, sis?”
“I promise I won’t.”
I’d seen him emotional before. At the hospital. Out of all of them, Rhys had been the slowest to open up. He’d tried to keep his feelings locked down, always making jokes to distract me, to distract himself. But emotions have a way of breaking through eventually. Seeing him cry hurt me, but it also made me proud of him for letting himself feel it.
“I’m so fucking angry, Bliss,” he said, his jaw tight. “I’m angry about what happened to you. I hate that I can’t put that motherfucker in the ground myself. I wish I could make him pay for touching you. But I’m also so fucking proud of you.” His voice cracked, his grip on my hand tightening. “I’m proud of you for being so strong. You’re a fighter, and I need you to know that we all see it. We all admire it.”
His words caught me off guard. I’d heard similar things from the others in the last few days, but Rhys had always been in the background. Right now, he was being the protective older brother in full force.
“Rhys…”
“No, wait, I’m not done.” He wiped his cheeks quickly, muttering something about being a “fucking crybaby” before he continued. “If anyone ever gives you shit again, I’m right here. I know you can handle yourself. You’re strong. But you don’t have to handle it alone.”
“I know,” I said, smiling a little and rolling onto my side to face him. “You’ve been stepping in for me since kindergarten. Always the first to run when I was in trouble.”
