“Okay, is anyone going to tell me where we’re going?” I leaned forward, poking my head between the front seats.

“It's called a surprise for a reason,” Kyle chuckled at the same time as Laurie said, “No.”

I threw myself back into the seat and crossed my arms over my chest in a sulk. After dinner, I wasn't sure I could handle another surprise. But Kyle and Laurie were so excited, and Dad insisted I go, reminding me that turning eighteen was something to celebrate. He wanted me to have fun. To be happy.

The irony wasn’t lost on me.

“Hey, come on.” Laurie twisted to look at me. “It's your birthday, Lo. Don't you trust us?” She arched her eyebrow and smirked.

“Do you really want me to answer that?” I shot back, and she shared a look with Kyle and they laughed. 

“Just relax,” he said. “Tonight's supposed to be fun, Cous.”

“Fine.”

Kyle laughed again, but it was quieter this time. He was disappointed Maverick hadn't shown up at dinner. I was too. But Maverick Prince didn't owe me anything. And maybe it was better this way.

When the Jeep pulled up outside Laurie's house, I smiled. I’d spent a lot of time here recently. It felt familiar. Safe. But then I heard the music and rumble of voices from the back yard.

“What did you two do?” I groaned as a frisson of energy vibrated through me.

“It's your birthday and you only turn eighteen once, Cous. Uncle Rob said back in England turning eighteen is a rite of passage or something.” Kyle winked and climbed out of the Jeep.

I stumbled out after him and Laurie, my stomach knotted tight. Her house wasn't as big as Uncle Gentry's but it still made my home back in Surrey look small. We went around the side to the gate and my worst fears were confirmed. Kids from school swarmed the place. Autumn spotted us and jumped up from her spot on the sun lounger. “The birthday girl is here.”

Cups were raised in the air and people cheered but I wanted nothing more than the ground to swallow me whole. 

“Don't be shy, Cous.” Kyle slung his arm around my shoulder and Laurie pressed close to my other side, forcing me forward. They played a sneaky game. 

“Happy birthday, Lo.” Autumn reached us and my captors let me go so she could pull me in for a hug. “Surprise.”

Lips pressed in a flat line, I forced a smile, and the three of them laughed. “Don't look so worried. Everyone's here for you, to help you celebrate,” Laurie said.

Any normal person would have lapped up the attention, but the limelight wasn’t somewhere I enjoyed being. Still, I managed to force a smile to appease them. And I was flattered. They didn’t have to go to all this effort. But they did. For me.

The party went on around us. I didn't miss the way Kyle kept checking his phone. He needed to accept what I already had—Maverick didn't care it was my birthday. 

He didn’t care at all.

A red cup was thrust into my hand and someone steered me over to a chair. I plopped down and swept my eyes over Laurie’s yard. It wasn't as crazy as I'd first thought. There were a few kids from school but they were friends of Kyle and Laurie. People who I knew by association. Matty and Trent and a couple of the other boys from the football team were playing quarters on Laurie’s mom’s garden table and Liam was splashing in the pool with some boys from our class. It wasn't like the parties at JB's, or Brendon Palmer's, where most of the junior and senior classes turned up, and I relaxed a little.

“You need to think about getting your license. I could teach you.” Kyle announced, mischief glittering in his eyes.

“I don’t need to learn to drive when I have you to chauffeur me around.”

Laurie stifled a snicker, earning her an eye-roll from her boyfriend. “It’s not as difficult as you think. It’d be good for you to learn. Give you some freedom.”

“We’ll see,” I muttered before sipping on my drink.

“Coming in, Lo?” Liam shouted across from the pool and I waved him off.

“No, I’m good.”

He pouted, but it soon slipped away when his friend leapt at him and they began to wrestle one another under.

“I swear, they’re like big kids,” Autumn said as we watched Liam disappear under the water in a big splash. “How would you have celebrated back home, Lo?”

Silence fell over our school group and Autumn clapped a hand over her mouth. “Crap. I’m sorry, I didn’t think.” Her eyes flashed with regret but I smiled.

It hurt. It hurt so much I could barely form words, but I managed to say, “It’s okay.”

Autumn had asked a harmless question. I figured she knew about what happened. Laurie’s best quality wasn’t keeping a secret, and that was okay. It wasn’t a secret—it just wasn’t something I wanted to advertise either.

If things had been different, I imagined Mum and Dad would have thrown me a party. I was never the most popular girl in college but I had friends. And Elliot and his friends would have made sure I turned eighteen with a bang.

But things were different.

I had no Elliot.

No Mum.

But I did have people. I had Kyle and Laurie and Autumn and Summer. I had friends. Good ones.

~

At five minutes to midnight Laurie appeared with a cake. “It’s time.” She grinned with excitement as she made her way over.

Everyone stopped, gathering around us as I sat awkwardly in front of the giant cupcake while Kyle instigated a very out of tune version of Happy Birthday. When they were done I closed my eyes, made a wish, and blew out the candle.

Laurie cut the cake into small pieces and handed them around on napkins. “What did you wish for?” Matty asked, before stuffing his mouth full of sugary goodness.

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out.” I stuck out my tongue and got up, brushing my crumb coated hands down my jeans. “Now eat your cake and get out of here. I’m an old woman now, I need my beauty sleep.”

“Really, Cous? You’re like a year older than us, hardly ancient.”

“Hold the phone, did you just admit I’m older?”

Kyle rolled his eyes with a groan. “Fuck,” he murmured under his breath. “I’m never going to hear the end of this, am I?”

“Nah-ah. Now get your friends out of here.”

“Yeah,” Laurie said. “We should probably call it a night. Babe, can you and the guys bag up the bottles before you head out?”

Matty and Trent protested but soon started cleaning up when Kyle shot them a stern glare. I helped Laurie and Autumn take the glasses and dishes inside.

“Thank you for tonight,” I said when we were done.

“It was all Kyle,” Laurie beamed. “He loves you like a sister.”

“I know.” My throat tightened and the familiar ache in my chest rippled through me. I was glad to have Kyle. He’d wormed his way into my life, become one of my closest friends. But he would never replace Elliot.

“Liam is waiting, I’d better go. But I’ll see you both tomorrow.” Autumn disappeared off after her boyfriend and we went back outside to the boys.

“Where did Matty and Trent go?”

“They escaped before you,”—he jabbed a finger at Laurie and then stalked toward her—“made us mow your lawn or something.”

She slapped his chest. “Behave. You know Mom and Dad only leave me because they trust me.”

Kyle shut her up with his lips and I left them to it. “I’ll be waiting in the Jeep,” I called over my shoulder. “Night, Laurie, and thanks again.”

Her mumbled reply followed me as I made my way around the side of the house. Cloaked in darkness, shadows danced across the wall. I’d almost reached the gate when a figure stepped out in front of me.

“Maverick?” I gasped as my heart lurched into my throat. “What the hell are you doing?”

He didn't touch me. If he had, I might have broken down right there. But his presence seeped into every crack inside of me until I could see nothing but him.

He raked a hand down his face. “I wanted to wish you a happy birthday.”

“Well, thanks,” I clipped out. “But you’re a little late to the party.” I moved to go around him desperate to get away from him. The momentary shock at seeing him faded into irritation. I didn’t want to do this with him. Not here. Not now. But he blocked my path.

“I’m sorry, okay? I wanted to come, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t…” His voice was thick with emotion.

“You couldn’t what, Maverick?” My voice cracked with frustration. “What is this? What are you doing?”

Silence filled the space between us and then he said, “The new house is okay?”

“Yeah, it’s okay,” I sighed, disappointed he’d chosen to ignore my question. But then why did I expect anything else. This is what he did best.

“Good, that’s good. You can focus on the things which are important, move on.”

Move on? Was he for real?

Lips mashed together, I tried to fight back the words forming on my tongue. When I didn’t answer, Maverick added, “Everything will work out, London.” His fingers brushed the stray wisps of hair out of my face, lingering there. On their retreat, he brushed the bare skin along my shoulder and a shiver worked its way through my body. 

“Yeah.” It came out shaky as my gaze dropped away.

I wanted to be angry—I was angry. But I couldn’t deny the effect his presence had on me. It was confusing.

Annoying.

But despite how much I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, to tell him this—whatever this was—had to stop, I couldn’t do it. Because Maverick was here. He was here, and he was reassuring me everything would be okay. And it meant more than it should. Because it didn’t change anything. I understood that now.

Maverick cared.

He just didn’t care enough.

He watched me. His darkened gaze searching my soul for what, I didn’t know. My eyes slid to his, saying everything we never got the chance to say.

It was the wrong time.

The wrong place.

Everything about us was wrong.

We moved like magnets until our lips hovered over each other’s. Maverick buried his hands in my hair, pushing backwards until I felt the wall behind me. Our bodies blended with the shadows and I couldn’t help the smirk tugging at my lips when I realised he wanted to make sure no one could see us.

Then he kissed me.

And I let him.

My lips parted on a soft sigh as he swept his tongue into my mouth. Slow and deep. Something was different in his touch, but I didn’t want to think about what it meant. I just wanted to cling to the sensations running through me. Imprinting every stroke, every lick, every taste into my mind.

“Happy birthday, Eloise.” He pressed another kiss to my swollen lips, touched his head to mine and then let go. With one last lingering look, he melted into the darkness.

Like a whisper on the wind, Maverick was gone, and although I wanted to heed his words, to believe everything would fix itself, I couldn't get past the part where Maverick was here. He'd come to check on me. To wish me a happy birthday. Because sometimes, no matter how wrong you knew something to be, it was impossible to ignore how right it felt.