Page 24 of Desolation
I grab a turkey sandwich from the spread around us and mutter, “Well, at least you guys can appeal to her emotionally. You’ll both win her heart over faster than the rest of us.”
Before they can respond, I shove the sandwich in my mouth to avoid speaking any further on the matter.
I chew, observing our surroundings and the beautiful, clear, blue sky.
Hale cracks open a water bottle, drawing my attention. “So what are we going to do to make her birthday special tomorrow? Something is different this year. We need to come up with a plan.”
Zedd
After we brainstorm ideas for Lana’s birthday, the guys end up settling on mine. We agree that she’ll love it but it needs to be a surprise or she’ll sabotage, for the sake of sabotaging.Little imp.
That also means that the twins can’t know until the last possible moment because they’re the worst at keeping secrets. Their feelings for Lana—they can keep that to themselves, no problem. But something like this? Not in a million years.
Though in Lana’s head, we all share the same birthday, for us, the day will always be about her. She’s as determined to celebrate us as we are to celebrate her, but to us, nothing is more important than her happiness. Behind the tough, sarcastic façade she wears like an armor, she’s kind, patient, and giving. Always has been.
It’s there in the consideration she shows Ash when he struggles with his words, or when she indulges the twins when they avoid conflict. In the way she defers to Hale when she can see he needs a confidence boost. I see how she appreciates me. How she reminds me that I’m worthy of her love by just existing.
As only a preschooler, she was ready to share the one day of the year that was for her,herday, to ease the sadness that we felt at losing any memory of our identity. Her true character is there for us to see, even if it’s hidden behind a curtain sometimes.
“Boys!” Lana yells over at us. “This pair of sore losers are trying to cheat again. I need impartial judges!”
Hale and Ash share a grin as I agree on our behalf to judge—we all know there will be no impartiality when Lana’s involved.
Over the next hour, the twins and Lana give us a true performance. Across the board, Lana receives perfect tens, while the twins always fall short, of course.
She’d rather die than admit it but of us all,she’sthe sore loser. After she lost a foot race when we were ten, she cried like she was mourning a death and went on a hunger strike for twenty-four hours.
What do you know? She hasn’t lost since. Yet somehow, she never made the connection.
None of us could bear causing her pain, even back then.
It also doesn’t hurt her score that her lightly-tanned skin is gleaming in the sunlight and her copper hair looks perfect against her pale blue swimsuit. Or the tantalizing way her body curves when she launches herself into the water.
Seeing her in her swimsuit is a feast for my eyes. As she swings on the rope, her full breasts sway with each movement, taking me back to the view of her in that tank top last night. The image plagued my dreams and to no one’s surprise, I woke up with a raging erection.
Thankfully, I have my own room to handle my needs. I don’t know how the hell the other guys manage with no privacy. Maybe that’s why they take so long in the bathroom.
When the competition is over to Lana’s satisfaction, they join us for lunch. Before we attack the food, we pile her plate up high with far more than she’d need.
After the spread is gone and we’re left with nothing but crumbs, I make my way back over to the shade of my favorite oak tree, book in hand, as the rest of them lay on their towels to soak up the sun.
Though we have different interests, they never make me feel like the odd one out for being a bookworm.
I lose myself in the world of dragons as the world around me fades. I don’t notice anyone approaching me until the book in my hands is swiped away. Startled, I shoot upwards to find the culprit, only to see Lana’s mischievous face.
Instantly, I calm down and smile back at her. Unlike earlier at lunch, she’s back in her shorts and shirt, so I’m notasflustered by her closeness.
She’s watching me closely and I can feel that the situation may become awkward if I don’t say something.Has it already?I’m comfortable without saying a word around her but I know she may struggle with my quietness.
Hesitantly, I offer, “Care to join me?”
She beams at me and curtsies, eliciting a smile from me. “I’d love to.”
This girl is really something else. I never know what she’s going to do next.
She drops down next to me, her arm brushing against mine, sending tingles where we touch. Those tingles spread and spread, turning into a threatening heart attack, when she leans her head against my shoulder.
This is not the kind of affection that I’m used to from her.
