"Why the hell are we not going to the hospital?" I yell as Nessa gets closer to my parents' house.

"Lyn, calm down it's not-" she begins. But I'm​ not hearing any of it.

"Dammit, Nessa give me my phone!"

"No! You are going to calm the hell down right now. Whatever is going on with your mom won't be helped by you freaking out so chill!"

I huff and fold my arms. I don't say anything more because I know she's​ right. We pull up in my parents' driveway and I practically bolted up to the front door. "Dad?" There's no answer. "Daddy are you here? Mom?" I turn to Nessa. "See, hospital. They're not-"

"Did you hear that?" Nessa asks. I nod. It sounds like footsteps. "Don't you have a key?"

"Crap! I completely forgot." I run back to the car and got my set of keys from my purse. I open the door and go inside, Vanessa right behind me. The house is so dark I almost can't make out where I'm​ going. I call for Dad again.

"Lyn, is that you?" His voice is coming from the living room. I run towards that direction.

"Where's Mom, is she-"

"Happy birthday, Evelyn!" I'm greeted by a group of family and friends, some strange faces and an almost blinding light. I stare at them shell-shocked. I don't know if I should be angry or happy that my mother is standing right there in front of me in perfect health.

"Evelyn, honey?" She asks, coming over to me.

I hadn't noticed I'm crying until she runs her thumb across my cheeks to remove the tear tracks. "Oh, Mom," I sob, hugging her tightly. "That was the worst surprise ever." I laugh lightly through my tears.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. If it helps it was all your dad's idea."

"Sorry baby girl. But even I was getting bored of her annual 'surprise'," Dad says laughing. Everyone joins in except Mom who slaps​ his shoulder.

"Thanks guys but my birthday isn't until tomorrow," I say loudly.

"That's why it's a surprise, Evelyn." I look around for that all too familiar voice.

"Nick?"

"Happy birthday, love." He walks over to me and I engulf him in a warm hug.

"Do I get a hug too?" Lee asks from beside Nessa. I smile at him and give him a big hug too. "Happy birthday, Lyn."

The party kicks off as Nessa drags me to the bathroom to fix my ruined make up.

I greet everyone at the party. Which is a lot of people. I had no idea I knew this many people. From distant relatives, to childhood friends, to co-workers, to family friends, they are all here.

"Lyn, you remember my cousin, Linda and her friend, Ariel," Nessa says, as she walks over with them to where I'm standing in the living room.

"How can I forget. They did help me handle you when you were too drunk to know your name." We laugh as Nessa glares at me.

"Happy birthday, Lyn. You look great by the way," Ariel says.

"Thank you. You look great too," I say, admiring how easily she could pull off such a nice dress with her baby bump.

She waves me off. "Ariel thinks she looks like a pumpkin," Linda says with a laugh.

"I do. If I looked that great, my baby's daddy would be around more." She rolls her eyes.

"Well he has no idea what he's missing. You make sure to tell him that." I smile at her.

We chat a little then we move to the makeshift dance floor where my parents are showing off their seventies moves. It would've been embarrassing if everyone wasn't used to them and their antics. They are such children sometimes. I can't help but smile at them.

Later that night, I wake up to the incessant ringing of my cell phone. I instantly regret turning it back on to take selfies with the girls. When I look at the clock on my bedside table I see that it's half past four in the morning.

"Hello?" I answer in a groggy voice. The party ended a little after two, I can't be blamed for how I sound at this ungodly hour.

"Lyn?" You have got to be kidding me, I think.

"Hey," I reply.

"Happy birthday."

"Uh....thanks." I have no idea what to say. It is way too early for this.

"I'm not very confident that you want to talk to me let alone see me right now."

"But?"

"But can I see you? Even if it's for a second?"

"Marcel-"

"Please, Lyn." I hear his voice crack at the end and I'm​ immediately out of bed.

"Where are you?"

"Outside. Don't be mad but Lee sorta let me in on the surprise." I hang up without another word. I look around my childhood bedroom to find Ariel next to me and Linda and Nessa on blowup beds. I go downstairs quietly.

I open the door and there he is. My heart is suddenly doing flips in my chest. My fingers yearn to touch him. My lips are suddenly dry from wanting his on mine. I fight to control myself as I let him inside. He looks a lot better than the last time we saw each other.

"You didn't have to come all the way here," I say. Our last run in wasn't the most pleasant and he didn't deserve me being nice. He nods but doesn't say anything. "Marcel."

He looks around the house then his eyes land on mine. "I've never missed your birthday since we met. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't stay put. I just really needed to see you. Don't push me away, okay?"

He pushed me away.

He walks into the living room and takes a seat on the couch. Well I might as well join him. I sit at the other end of the couch.

He notices the distance but doesn't comment on it. Instead he says, "Looks like this party was fun." I look around the living room which is a little messy. Well, as messy as my mother would allow. "Can your mother sleep knowing there's a smudge of dirt in her house?"

I laugh lightly. "I think she had so much fun she didn't even notice. She'll go berserk in the morning."

"Have fun with that."

"Me? Uh uh. I'm heading right home before she even wakes up." He chuckles and I join in.

Suddenly we both stop laughing and just sit there looking at each other. I'm supposed to be mad at him aren't I? I miss him too damn much for that. I want to cherish every moment I had with him, especially when they were good ones. Does that make me stupid?

"You're wearing the necklace," he observes. I haven't changed before I passed out in my bed upstairs. "My family heirloom."

I begin to take it off. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you want it back-"

"No, absolutely not. You should keep it," he protests.

"Marcel, it's a family heirloom. I shouldn't have it." I pull the hook and I feel his fingers over mine and he's suddenly right next to me.

"I want you to have it." His lips are brushing my ear as he tries to clasp the hook in place. Slowly, he begins to run his fingers down my neck then back up and across my cheek.

My mouth goes dry. I swallow so loudly I'm sure the whole house hears. "Marcel-"

His gaze flicks to my lips. I unintentionally lick my lips to moisten them but I see the effect it has on him. "Lyn?"

I freeze as he comes closer. My eyelids flutter shut as I brace for his kiss. They snap open at the clearing of a throat. Looking around I see someone I had no idea was still here.

I quickly pull away from Marcel. "Nick, I had no idea you were-"

"Why are you out of bed? I thought you'd be tired after this morning," he says​, narrowing his eyes at Marcel. Marcel does the same. Great. Now they were having a stare-down. Men.

"I-" I begin but am interuppted by Nick.

"What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you that," Marcel retorts, standing from the couch.

"Well we had a long night and I was invited to stay I'm actually wanted here, Mr. Jamison," Nick says.

Wait, I never told him Marcel's last name. Marcel raises an eyebrow at me.

"So you think you know me?" Marcel asks stepping closer to Nick who is standing by the living room entrance.

"Hey, you two are not gonna have some egotistical showdown in my parents' house," I whisper-yell.

"Why don't you leave? I think Evelyn would like to get back to bed and quite frankly so do I."

"It's not your house, first of all. Second, stop with the double meaning sentences. I know she's not sleeping with you," Marcel argues.

Are they even listening to me?

"How would you know? Are you saying she can't move on? Are you that clueless?"

"I didn't-"

Nick removes himself from the doorway and now he and Marcel are toe to toe. "Do you think that an exquisitely beautiful woman like her would have a problem getting another man? Trust me, there were men lined up waiting for you to trip up so they could have a shot so don't for one second think that you're irreplaceable. You don't deserve her."

Wow.

"I never doubted that. Don't try to look tough by telling me what I already know. I was just telling you that you shouldn't be so confident. She's not some toy or a game so keep your player hands to yourself, van Hale." And with that he tells me happy birthday again and proceeds to leave.

But not before a female voice from upstairs calls, "Marcel?"

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