BONUS CHAPTER

BONUS CHAPTER

One Month Later

Dedicated to all the people who patiently waited for me to finish this story. Thank you.

The Jeep's headlights flood onto the road in front of us as Nate parks his car along the curb in front of my house. We never turned the radio back on when we came back out of the restaurant, but now true silence wraps around us when Nate turns his keys and cuts off the car's ignition.

"You're acting weird."

"You're acting weird." Nate barely gets the mumbled words out before he leans his head onto the steering wheel in attempt to hide his chuckles, but that doesn't stop his shoulders from shaking, nor does it stop the whine from leaking into my voice.

"I'm serious."

Nate lifts his head up, and although I can barely see his eyes, I still catch on to the way he shakes his head before he shoves his way out of the car. I watch him walk around the front of the car through the windshield, but it's only when Nate realizes that I didn't mimic his actions that he comes over and opens my door.

"I'm not getting out until you tell me what's wrong." Even though it's childish, my tone is serious.

"Nothing's wrong." Nate's chuckling again as he reaches over me and unbuckles my seatbelt.

Although the black material snaps back into its place above the seat, I grip Nate's forearm before he can retract back into his own personal bubble. "But, Nate—"

"You're fine, I'm fine." Nate cuts me off as he slowly guides me out of the car. He pulls me far enough away from the car so he's able to push the passenger side door closed, but close enough to him so he can lean his forehead on mine. "Everything's fine," he whispers before reaching up to brush a curly strand of hair away from my face.

"Fine," I huff as I take a step back, and Nate's chuckles resurface as he begins dragging me across the lawn.

My steps are sluggish, and sloppy, but my curiosity peaks when my I glance up at my house to find it's just as dark as the sky above us. Not even a faint blue glow poking out of the front window from the light of the television in the living room. The thought has me pushing my teal converse covered feet further into the grass in attempt to stop in my tracks.

"Oh no."

The tugging on my arm stops as Nate whips his head around. "What?"

"Oh no," I groan again as I take a step back.

"What? What's wrong?" Nate turns his head from side to side.

I take a few more steps back as I shove my fist into my stomach. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Nate's eyes are as wide as the moon above us, and he reaches out for me again, but I continue to pierce him with my own hard stare.

"Is my whole family currently crouched down behind the couch in the dark?"

Nate's lips form a thin line as he reaches up to scratch the back of his neck, and that's all the confirmation I need.

"Nathaniel Graham!"

"Ssh," Nate quickly strides across the distance I put between us. "My mom's in there, too."

"What?" I hiss before continuing to back away from him. "I knew you were acting funny." My accusing tone quickly transforms to a whine again. "Why did you go along with this?"

"Because—" He flings his arm out again before rushing the words out. "Because they said you never really had parties when you were little."

"That's because I don't like parties." I'm whispering again, but my anger is reflected in the way the words continue to rapidly fly out of my mouth. "I prefer getting a big gift and a nice dinner instead of being surrounded by fake smiles, and awkward laughs, and stupid people who only want to eat my cake—"

"Hey, hey!"

My face gets sandwiched between too large hands, but when my mouth opens on another rebuttal, Nate uses the heels of his hands to gently squish my cheeks a little more and promptly gives me fish lips.

"I'm sorry, okay?" The whites of his eyes continue to ping-pong from side to side as he tries to find and keep my gaze in the dark. "But I promised you'd be in there twenty minutes ago, so you need to get your ass in there." He gives my cheeks another quick squeeze before grabbing my hand and proceeding to drag me behind him again.

I continue to grumble incoherently and sloppily flop my feet like a little kid until we stop in front of the door. Nate gently guides me in front of him. I throw him one more mock glare over my shoulder before finally pushing the door open and stepping inside.

"Surprise!"

The lights flick on just in time for everyone to see me leap back into Nate's chest at just the shear magnitude of the voices that vibrated throughout my living room.

"You guys!" my cheer is weak, but I try to downplay it by throwing in some jazz hands.

My eyes land on my mom, whose smile is full of love, but the second we lock eyes her smile drops, and she flings her hand out towards the plaid shirt covered guy behind me. "You told her!"

"Nate!" Aubrey whines.

"Come' on, man." Ben shakes his head in disapproval.

"Nathaniel Graham!" Nate's mom shouts, and I immediately slap a hand over my mouth to hide both my shock and laughter.

I glance over my shoulder to find Nate sheepishly scratching more red marks into his neck before he flings his hand out in my direction. "She guessed!"

Nate receives more boos and moans from the crowd, but they all finally begin shuffling in my direction, sending me birthday wishes, and enveloping me in hugs.

****

Twenty-three candles consume the chocolate frosted cake in front of me. I've been reluctant to eat cake since I chased a chicken into it, but tonight I'm finally going to make peace with the sticky and wet dessert.

As I continue to sit at the kitchen table, my family takes turns standing beside me and taking pictures. After my mom wraps her arms around me and smiles at the camera, she becomes the photographer and beckons people into the candle light beside me.

My dad takes a few goofy ones, but eventually decides to smile. Aubrey squishes my cheeks in the same way she's done all my life before also smiling. My grandma reapplies her red lipstick before finally sauntering over, and soon my cheeks hurt from trying to maintain my own smile.

When my mom pulls her phone away from her face for what I think will be the last time, I begin rubbing my sore cheeks, and my dad complains about it being next year before he'll finally get a piece of cake.

"Will you hold on!" My mom slaps my dad's arm before she waves her hand at the other party guests who aren't in my immediate family. "Nate! Come over here."

My fingers freeze in their position on my face before I begin waving my hands around. "Wait! We don't—we haven't—"

My hand's fall into my lap the second my arm knocks into something. My eyes catch onto the way two hands grip onto the table in front of me, and I find myself suddenly caged into my chair by two red plaid shirt covered arms. I slowly turn my head to the right and peer up at the guy hovering over my shoulder. I can see the orange glow of my birthday candles dancing in his eyes before the slight stubble on his chin cracks with his smile.

"I think you're supposed to smile at the camera," Nate keeps his voice low, but doesn't try to conceal his amusement.

I don't mind, though, as I continue to smile back at him for another second before turning my head back around to face the cellphone camera flash.

****

My butt is resting on the living room carpet, my back is leaning against the one-person couch, and my feet are stretched out in the area the coffee table normally would be. Nate's sitting beside me and continues to casually knock his leg against mine every few seconds. My parents are covering the loveseat while Aubrey, Ben, Brenna, and Sasha are covering the couch. All the other guests, which is only Nate's mom and my grandma, are perched on the wooden chairs they pulled into the living room from the kitchen.

I finally reciprocate the nudge to my leg when I'm no longer involved in the conversation around us, but laugh when that only earns me another nudge. Nate and I continue to knock each other's jean covered legs, but when Nate still doesn't relent I decide to start flinging my body in his direction in attempt to nudge his shoulder and his leg at the same time. Now Nate's the one quietly chuckling, and I nudge him a few more times before finally sitting up and curling my legs into a pretzel position.

"So, when are you guys getting married because I ship it!" Sasha's voice bounces above my mom's, but my mom carries on talking while my dad goes rigid beside her.

"Not for another ten years because I can't afford it," my dad grumbles, and I finally tear my gaze away from my socks

"What?" I lamely ask when everyone continues to stare back at me.

"I asked when you guys are getting married?" Sasha excitedly points her fingers between Nate and I, but I immediately tilt my head up towards the ceiling and emit a witch-like cackle.

"You sound like my bank account," my dad grumbles again, but this time receives a slap from my mom.

"We had a tight budget," Aubrey attempts to defend herself and the wedding we spent three months planning, but when both our parents share a knowing look, Ben comes to her rescue.

"A loose budget," Ben offers as he swipes up my sister's hand and plants a kiss to her knuckles.

"Yeah." My dad snorts, and yet he wonders where I get the habit from.

"But seriously," Sasha coos, "you guys are so cute. I can see it."

My tongue juts out of my lips as a gag emits from my throat before I throw my laughter on the guy sitting beside me and lean against him. His own chuckles assure me that he knows I'm only revolted at the idea of marriage, and not the idea of being married to him specifically.

"Honestly, though," I say when I'm finally giggle free. "Why can't we all just be for a while, you know? Stop looking ahead, and just enjoy right now."

"I'll cheers to that." My mom shares my smile as she lifts her coffee mug in the air, and everyone quickly reciprocates the gesture with, or without a cup in their hand.

"Fine by me."

I hear the words before my grandma wiggles her way into the space between Nate and I and proceeds to show us the plans she already made for our nonexistent wedding.

It doesn't take long for me to be laughing and cackling again, and even though I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, or even next year, I do know one thing.

All I want is to be as happy as I am right now, and as long as I have all the people in this room by my side, I know that I will be.

Thank YOU so much for taking the time to read this story! I raise my glass to you. Let us all aspire to live like Avery James. Be honest. Be yourself. Be honestly yourself. And most importantly, BE HAPPY, no matter what.

I LOVE YOU GUYS!

XOXO,

ℓαℓαℓαℓαwriting