Cain walks out of the room and shakes his head while laughing. I turn to Nate and admire his new tattoo, impressed by the intricate details and vibrant red color adorning his skin. "Nice one, dude…" I say, appreciating the beauty of the artwork. We high-five each other.
I head toward the bathroom and notice Cain in the hallway. He has Tessie in his arms, sound asleep. I ask a silent question, “What are you doing?” He replies quietly, “What? I can't sleep without her…ok?” His voice is filled with tenderness and love; I can see his affection for Tessie in his eyes. It is a heartwarming moment.
I reach out to open the bedroom door for him. Stepping aside and letting him pass, I observe how he gently holds her. Then, I quietly shut the door behind him.
CHAPTER
TENTESSIE
After the painful recovery, my face is finally healed. As I prepare to return to college, I can't help but feel frustrated that my first day back falls on my birthday. In the midst of my mixed emotions, my phone suddenly starts buzzing nonstop, with countless Happy Birthday messages from friends and family flooding my inbox. Amidst the chaos, my mother's call comes through and wishes me a Happy Birthday, as well. The signal is spotty and I can hardly hear her on the phone as she is still away on holiday.
I make my way into the kitchen and a sight greets me. Nate, Mike, and Cain are all standing there, each wearing colorful birthday hats and holding party poppers. Before I can even react, they set off the poppers, filling the room with a popping sound and confetti. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Nate and Mike shout in unison while Cain has a rather unimpressed expression on his face, clearly not thrilled about having to wear a silly hat. Despite Cain's lack of enthusiasm, the festive atmosphere is infectious and I can't help but grin from ear to ear at the surprise.
Cain approaches me with a gentle touch on my waist. He leans closer and whispers, “Happy Birthday, princess,” into my ear, making my heart race. I turn to him and plant a soft kiss on his lips, feeling grateful for his presence.
I then walk toward Nate and Mike, who are waiting eagerly with a big box and two smaller ones on the table. “Open them,” Mike instructs with a grin.
I slowly unwrap the small boxes to reveal two stunning pieces of jewelry. One box contains a magnificent necklace with a green emerald pendant, while the other has a matching bracelet. I am speechless for a moment, admiring the intricate details and the way the gems catch the light. “Wow,” I whisper in amazement, feeling overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for such thoughtful gifts.
Nate hands me the large gift box wrapped in shiny, green paper. I eagerly take the box from him and carefully begin to remove the wrapping paper, revealing the contents within. My heart skips a beat as I catch a glimpse of the beautiful, emerald green, silk dress that I had eyed in the boutique window. With trembling hands, I lift the dress from the box, admiring how the light catches the silky fabric. I can't resist the urge to put it up to my body. I twirl around in front of the trio, my eyes sparkling with joy.
“I can't believe you got me this,” I exclaim, grateful and happy.
Nate leans in and kisses my cheek, causing a warm blush to spread across my face. “I knew how bad you wanted that dress. You can wear it tonight. Cain told us about that restaurant you've been dying to go to,” he says, holding out the box.
My heart swells with gratitude as I take the box from his outstretched hand.
“Thank you so much,” I say as my voice fills with emotion. “You three are too good to me.” With a smile, I place the dress back in the box, feeling incredibly lucky to have them in my life.
Nate nudges my shoulder, suggesting, “Maybe you could pull a sick day and we could all spend the day together. After all, it is your birthday.”
Mike, standing beside us, crosses his arms and looks unimpressed. “No, she had last week off. I can't cover for her anymore, I'm afraid,” he says firmly.
Cain rolls his eyes and shakes his head in disbelief.
“Mike is right. I have coursework to catch up on and I can't afford to take the day off. I can't wait for this evening, though. It's going to be fantastic,” I reply with a smile.
Mike and Nate express how they can’t wait for this evening and leave the kitchen to get ready for work.
Meanwhile, Cain stands motionless, his face emotionless as he stares at me. I feel slightly nervous under his gaze, but try to shake it off with a giggle. “What's up?” I ask, hoping to break the tension in the air.
“I'm not very good with birthdays and special occasions. I never really celebrated mine while growing up,” Cain admits, sounding apologetic.
“It's alright, Cain. I completely understand,” I say, moving closer to him and wrapping my arms around his neck in a comforting embrace.
“I know that you got me the beautiful necklace, by the way,” I add, flashing him a grateful smile. “How did you know?” he inquires, sounding a little surprised.
“You’ve always liked something around my neck,” I explain, smiling at him playfully.
He grabs my ass with both of his hands tightly, making my body jolt up, and lets out a deep laugh.
I stroll down the college hallway behind Mike. He turns his face to the side and my eyes are drawn to his impeccable appearance. He looks dashing in his snug, white shirt with his hair, which has grown long enough to be tied back, adding to his allure. A hint of stubble on his face catches my attention. Damn, I am so horny today.
He strides confidently into the classroom. I follow closely behind, feeling slightly nervous. Rae gives me a warm greeting and extends a purple gift bag my way. Without warning, she bellows out, “Happy Birthday, bitch!” causing the attention of the entire class to turn towards us. I feel my face turn red with embarrassment. I take the gift bag from her and thank her while trying to keep my cool. I open the bag and I notice a pleasant fragrance emanating from it. I find a beautiful perfume bottle inside and I can't help but exclaim, “Rae! You really shouldn't have. This perfume is so expensive!”
Mike suddenly interrupts our conversation, drawing everyone's attention to me. “Is it your birthday, Tessie?” he asks, a smug look on his face. Feeling confused and caught off-guard, I confirm that it is indeed my birthday. Mike then leans on his desk and rallies the class to sing Happy Birthday to me, causing my face to turn bright red with embarrassment. As much as I try to hide it, I can feel everyone's eyes on me, making me even more uncomfortable. While I thank everyone for their kind wishes, I can't help but feel a burning sense of anger towards Mike for putting me in this position. I vow to get him back later, but for now, I just want to disappear into the background. I look back at Rae who is singing loudly and proudly.
I pull out the chair beside Rae's computer and thank her again for the thoughtful birthday gift. With a smile, I reach for my phone and open the group chat, composing a quick text.
Me
I hate you, Mike. xx
Nate
Oh no! What has he done? Xx
Me
He got the whole class to sing Happy Birthday to me. I was so embarrassed. Xx
Nate
The whole class?! xx
Me
