Page 52 of Ten Rules for Faking It
“I was about to,” he said, smiling down at Everly.
Her chest and stomach seized at the same time like the cogs of a wheel that got locked together. Her mom wrapped her arms around her and held on tight.
“I know it’s my birthday, sweetie, but we wanted to do yours up right.”
No. Please, no. Why?“What did you do?”
Stacey’s unmistakable belly laugh tumbled into the air, and Everly felt equal parts anger and relief. Her best friend was here, which would lessen the stress, but that meant…
“We’re throwing you a party. A joint party,” her dad announced like he’d just said she got to be queen for the day.
“Let me take that,” her mother said, taking the gift bag from her hand and putting her arm around her shoulder. “Come on. We had Stacey help us with your part of the guest list, but I have to say, you don’t have a lot of friends, Evie. Hopefully, you’ll make some new ones tonight. Your cousins are here. Did you know Sam is engaged? He’s six years younger than you. It’s not typical for a man to want to settle down that young, but he’s always been an old soul.”
Despite her head wanting to implode at her mom’s steady stream of updates, Everly’s feet moved and she found herself outside in her parents’ backyard. Landscaped to perfection, thanks to a pricey gardener, the yard looked lovely. It was edged by sculpted shrubs and flowering bushes. Little lanterns hung from the pergola over the porch, lit but not standing out just yet. They would later, when the sun went down. Everly used to love sitting on the back porch with the lights, the moon, and the stars keeping her company.
She waved to cousins and acquaintances, hoping her smile didn’t come off as stiff. There were more unfamiliar faces than familiar. Pop music played, guests laughed and drank while snacking on food. Several called out greetings and happy birthdays.Everly smiled and nodded. She could have majored in the smile and nod if there’d been that option at the university.
On Everly’s levels-of-hell scale, this was fourth. Surprise parties were worse than the idea of moving back in with her parents. Scanning the yard, her gaze landed on Stacey, whose grin belied her guilt.Yeah. We’ll talk about the friendship code later.How could she not have warned her? Beside her supposed-best-friend stood their mutual friend Tara, her coworkers Mari and Mason… and Chris.
They’d invited her boss?He’s more than that now. You’re closer to him than Mari and Mason.Something swinging in the light breeze caught her eye. Hanging from the oak tree, the same one that had witnessed the great piñata massacre of her seventh birthday, was a donkey-shaped piñata.They bought a stupid piñata? How have they not figured out how much I hate them after all these years?Everly’s mouth dropped open, and the noise of the party faded against the buzzing in her ears.
“Why? Why did you—”
Her mother cut her off with a shoulder squeeze and a nudge forward.Maybe it’s just for show.
“Let’s mingle,” her mother said, oblivious to the fact that her daughter’s skin was heating up enough to start a damn forest fire.
Stacey appeared at her side, tension simmering off her normally easygoing friend. “Hey, birthday girl. Let’s get you a drink. I’ve got her, Mrs. Dean.”
Everly let herself be led, mostly because she needed to be somewhere else—at home would be her preference, but for now, she’d take across the yard, away from her mother, who looked entirely too proud of herself.
“How could you not tell me?” Everly’s whisper held a jagged edge.
“I’m sorry. They sprung it on me. It was a last-minute idea, and I figured they were going to do it, anyway, so it was better to show up and have your back than send you in alone.”
Everly kept her head down but angled it toward Stacey. “If you’d told me, I could have skipped out altogether.”
Stacey stopped moving and looked Everly in the eyes. “Come on, Ev. That would have hurt them. They just wanted to do something nice for you.”
Awesome. On top of being a social moron, you’re ungrateful.Gratitude and resentment battled inside of her, staring each other down in their own corners. She didn’tlikethings like this. Why wasn’t that allowed without having to feel guilty?Thoughts for another time.Fixing a smile on her face, she nodded, and they walked over to their friend and her colleagues.
“Happy birthday,” Tara said, leaning in for a quick hug. “I made your favorite cake, if that helps.”
Everly laughed, squeezed her back. See? Tara wasn’t even her best friend, and she knew how she felt about parties.Thank goodness she also knows cake always helps.“It absolutely does. Thank you.”
Mari lifted her beer. “Happy birthday.” The woman towered over Everly, and her smile was a little forced.Like you’re one to judge on that score?
“Thank you.”
She repeated herself when Mason said the same. When her gaze made it to Chris, his quiet smile did something to the heaviness in her chest. Lightened it? Loosened it? She didn’t know, but her breath whooshed in and out.
“Hey,” she said. Stacey still had her fingers gripped around Everly’s wrist.
“Hey,” he said. He didn’t sayhappy birthday,and something about the way he was looking at her made her feel like it was intentional. Like he knew she didn’twantto hear it again. Whatever the reason, she could have kissed him for it.Whoa. Nope. No kissing the boss. That’s right up there with sticking your fingers in his mouth.
“You post about your last date was awesome, Everly. Threedown, three to go, right?” Mason asked, taking a drink of his beer.
The shade of the oak tree coupled with the light breeze was enough to send a shiver on Everly’s skin. Or maybe it was the topic of dating. While at a party she didn’t want. While standing with people who were sort of her friends but not. And her boss.
