Chapter 40: Wish

After showering in what is still the most luxurious bathroom ever, I go down to the kitchen (wearing his sweatpants and t-shirt, since I was wearing my clothes all day at school and his are clean). He's leaning against the wall just beside the doorway, already scanning me from where he's standing. Maybe it's because it's the second time he's looked at me that way today, or maybe it's because of what almost might have happened in his basement pool a few minutes ago, but I feel breathless under his gaze.

By the time I reach him, he's back to smirking at me, and before I can go in the kitchen, he catches my wrist and pulls me away from the doorway. "Nope, not yet."

"Why?"

He snorts. "If I told you, that would defeat the entire point."

"What if I looked in on my way upstairs to shower?"

"You wouldn't, because I told you not to and I doubt you were curious enough at that point to immediately do the exact thing I told you not to do."

I make a bit of a face at him, mostly because he's right. He smirks, but before he can say anything else, Darla appears in the doorway. "Alright. You can go to the dining room, now."

He smirks at me once more before gently taking my wrist and tugging me towards the dining room. His touch is light, but it still makes my stomach do flips. I have no idea where we stand now, but I don't want to ask because that sounds awkward. At this point, the only thing I know for sure is that Raymond was right about me. I definitely like him, a lot. And now I'm almost regretting pushing him into the pool (But it was worth it. And the fact that what almost happened before I pushed him in almost happened again after he pulled me in is proof that I didn't destroy whatever was about to happen. It just got interrupted, twice).

He lets go of my wrist to pull out my chair for me, and I blush as I sit, meeting his gaze a moment later when he sits beside me. He's smirking, and not showing any indication of looking away anytime soon. I swallow, trying to think of something to say to break the silence and at least give a semblance of normality, but before I can, Henry Sr. appears in the doorway from the kitchen. He places a plate in front of me with a flourish, and my eyes go wide.

It's a steak, with garlic bread and mushrooms and onions adorning the rest of the plate. The whole dish is a masterpiece- the steak looks gorgeous, the garlic bread lightly toasted, the mushrooms and onions pan fried... my mouth is watering immediately. I look across the table at Henry Sr., who's smiling at me.

"It looks incredible. I can't even... wow. Just wow."

"Thank you, Todd."

"No, thank you."

His smile widens. "You're welcome. It was Carter's idea, though."

He looks up. "Henry."

His dad looks even happier at this. "Henry's idea. He said that he'd mentioned something to you last week..."

"Yeah, I remember that. Wow, you didn't do it justice at all," I tell Henry, looking at him, and his parents laugh. He grins.

"I didn't want to ruin the incredible-ness by talking about it. I wanted you to actually get to eat it and find out for yourself."

"Speaking of eating..." Darla says, smiling. I grin as well, and Henry gestures to his dad.

"Todd's polite, so he's not going to start eating until you do. Host takes the first bite, or something along those lines."

Henry Sr. gives me a small smile as he cleanly cuts through his steak. "Alright, then. Glad our son's got a friend with good table manners."

I blush a little, and he takes a bite of the steak, prompting the rest of us to do the same. The flavour is incredible- that steak I had at the restaurant was nowhere near this good. Every single component of the meal is outstanding. I have nothing bad to say about it by the time my plate's been cleaned.

Everyone finishes around the same time- it was so delicious that that point came very fast- and Darla and Henry Sr. begin taking dishes. I stand up to bring mine as well, but am immediately told to sit back down by the entire family. I raise my hands in surrender as Henry Sr. takes my plate and Henry gives me a look.

"Todd, just for once, stop being so polite."

I blush a little, and he gives me a small smirk.

A moment later, the lights are dimmed, and I look up to see a birthday cake with candles lit being carried towards me. I look back at Henry, who is now filming this on his phone. Darla (holding the cake) walks very slowly, so they can sing the 'happy birthday' (which I may end up singing in my sleep, after the number of times I've heard it in the last two days) before she puts it down in front of me.

"Alright. Make a wish, and if you blow all of them out on your first try, then it'll come true," Darla informs me.

"But if you don't blow all them out, then that's the number of people you like. So it's okay if you leave one," Henry says, and my heart flutters. That must mean... he wouldn't say that unless... he must...

"Henry, stop teasing him," Darla scolds. "Todd, go ahead. Remember to think of your wish first."

That's pretty easy. I take a deep breath, then try to carefully blow out each candle. I manage to get all of them out- except one. I'm glad it's dark, because I can practically feel Henry's smirk as I blow out the last candle.

Unfortunately, now that the candles have been blown out, Darla turns the lights back on so Henry Sr. can cut into it. I'm sure I'm still red, and just hope that everyone chalks it up to me being out of breath.

Henry Sr. serves me first, then his son, then himself and his wife. I wait until everyone is served, then take a bite. It's so good I almost choke.

"This is so good," I say as soon as I've swallowed, and Henry Sr. and Darla both look at Henry, who's grinning at me.

"You like it?"

"Are you kidding? This is the best cake I've ever tasted. You never told me you could bake, too!"

He smirks a little, shrugging. "It never came up."

I roll my eyes, and he laughs.

After cake, we go downstairs again to play Mario Kart. My pulse picks up as soon as the door closes behind us. I'm caught between wanting to throw myself at him immediately and wanting to act like nothing's changed. I settle on going to the bathroom while he sets up the game.

I try to take a few breaths to calm myself down. I'm jittery. I can't stop thinking about what might have almost happened earlier... though, really, I might just be making stuff up in my head. Yes, that must be it. My subconscious brain probably took Raymond's theory and is now warping everything that happens. He probably just hasn't rejected me yet because... he still wants something from me. Whatever he wants from me that's made him treat me differently than everybody else, that's still the reason behind everything he does.

I take a deep breath and look at myself in the mirror. Nothing has changed. Nothing has changed. Nothing has changed.

I go back out to sit on the beanbag opposite his, feeling marginally calmer. My racing sucks, though- I'm distracted. He wins every round easily, with me in the middle of the pack.

"Todd, what's going on?" he asks after I finish sixth- again.

"If I knew, I'd fix it," I point out to him, and even though he doesn't seem to be fully convinced, he accepts it.

I try to focus on the game so that I can at least maintain a facade of normalcy, but it's hard. Does he know I like him? Why hasn't he rejected me yet? What does he want from me? What will happen once he gets it? Do I just get dropped, like any other person?

My standings continue to fall until I finally finish in tenth place, at which point we call it a day, and he drives me home. We don't really talk. He walks me to my front door, and I enter before turning back to him.

"Thanks. For... everything."

He smiles and reaches out to take my hand. "Of course."

I look at him for a moment, feeling vulnerable. "I..."

"Todd? Are you home?" comes my mom's voice from upstairs. I swallow and look down, before looking back at Henry. He squeezes my hand before letting go.

"Good night, Todd."

What do you think of the chapter? Todd's (second) birthday dinner? Henry's teasing? Todd telling himself that 'nothing has changed'? Let me know in the comments!

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