Chapter 149 149

Chapter 149 149
EVA

I woke up to sunlight streaming through the curtains and the weight of another year pressing down on my chest and about to sink me into the bed.

My birthday. 

Another forsaken reminder that I was getting old. I should be young. Forever.

I don't even want to celebrate it.The idea of getting older pisses me off so bad. I can't even fake it. I’m supposed to have a house, my house, cars all lined up, my own company. It's partly my fault and about ninety percent Jason's. 

If he didn't fuck me up and left me to fend for a child when I was practically a child myself I wouldn't be in this mess.

I'm on a train to my thirties and my life is still a mess.

Ugh! Thirties.

I was still living in someone else's house, recovering from some stupid injuries I shouldn't have had in the first place. I just wanted to lie there and pretend the day doesn't exist.

Spend the rest of the day bathing in sunlight, going in and out of sleep until I get hungry.

I shook my head and dragged myself out of bed, dragging towards the bathroom. I quickly freshened up and changed into a floral dress before making my way to Lily's room.

The maids spent the whole of last week fixing one of the spare rooms for her. They got balloons, streamers, and now a small banner that said "Happy Birthday Mommy" in shaky letters. 

Well, at least she remembered.
Unlike a certain someone that would rather spend the whole night and morning out.

Lily was sitting up in bed when I walked in, her small hands clutching a drawing she'd made.

"Mommy! I made this for you!"

“My sweet baby.” I took the drawing and kissed her head. “How was your night?”

She cried the first night when she woke up and was made to sleep alone in the ward. She was then transferred to her new room, and also made to sleep alone. The doctor suggested it was better that way and a good means to get her accustomed to sleeping in her own room. 

Most of the time we spent at my old place was together, we basically used one pillow.

I had to sleep by her door here because I couldn't just go to bed while she was sick and crying. She literally just had surgery.

I looked at the stick figure woman with a crown on the paper, a stick figure child holding her hand, and a tall stick figure man with grey eyes standing behind them.

Well, we do have a new thing in common. His eyes. If she got anything half right it was his eyes. The rest looked like he was drained by a vampire. I look worse.

I folded the drawing carefully and kissed her forehead.

"It's beautiful, baby. Thank you."

"Are. Are we–" She climbed down the bed and rushed to grab a new set of a very cute set of plates she was gifted by Chloe and rushed back to me. It was so cute I couldn't help placing an order for one, for me.  “Are we going to have cake?"

She was more concerned about the cake than my birthday.

Priorities.

“Later. First, breakfast. Cake comes after that.”

She nodded and began taking off her clothes.

“Bath!” She glanced at one of the maids and then rushed into the bathroom. The maid rushed after her.

And here I was thinking she wasn't used to everything.

She even knows who to call for a bath. She was meant for this life.

After her showers, I dressed her in the fit she already picked out the night before. She was more dedicated to this than me and it's my birthday.

After that we went down for breakfast.

Dante has been gone all night for a work emergency account to Nico. We both know he's lying, and he's bad at it too. I wonder how he does this job.
But let's assume it's work. He didn't even send a happy birthday text, or a box of chocolates. I'd appreciate that.

But then, he doesn't even know it's my birthday, I've never told him so I don't expect him to remember something he doesn't even know.

My phone suddenly began buzzing. It was from Sasha. I answered as Lily finished her toast.

“Hi, Sasha.”

“Happy birthday, Ms Bishop!” Voices shouted in unison from the background. Some of which were familiar so which weren't.

“Happy birthday, Miss.” Sasha chuckled. “We wanted to give you a surprise but that'll be until you get back. “How's Atlanta?”

Atlanta?

Oh.

Oh!

“Uh…good? I'm back, though. Came back a few days ago.”

I have no idea. why Atlanta was the first place that came to my mind when she asked me why I wasn't back at work. 

A girl must go on an imaginary vacation once in her life.

"Uh, gotta go. I have a guest. Thank you guys for the wishes, I'll be looking forward to the surprises."

“Have a lovely birthday, Ms Bishop.”

I hung up and stared at my phone. 

Another year. Another birthday.

Lily finished her breakfast, and I helped her to the kitchen where she went to watch the chef prepare the cake.

She was doing better—her color was returning and her energy was slowly coming back. 

Nico appeared in front of me just as I was returning from the kitchen. "Good morning, Ms. Bishop. And happy birthday."

“Spill.” I blinked. "What is it this time?"

"Your friend called to say Becky's is having a discount sale."

Chloe?

Wait! Becky's is having a discount sale?

Oh my fucking— “I'll change.”

I quickly rushed upstairs and changed into pants and a shirt. I need all the freedom I can get if I was going to fight for luxury dresses that are being dropped down to the middle class price. That happens like once in a pink Moon.

And to be told this early? I love you Chloe!

Best birthday ever.

He got the car ready before I got downstairs and we set off to paradise.

I shot her a quick text to thank her for the gold information.

But halfway through to our destination, like always in my life the car sputtered as it dragged itself to a stop.

In the middle of fucking nowhere!

I stared at the dashboard, then at Nico, then at the dashboard again. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Give me a minute." He climbed out and opened the hood, poking around at the engine. 

How is poking supposed to get the car moving?!

Gosh, I must've jinxed this when I concluded that this was the best birthday.

I watched him through the windshield, my frustration building with each passing second.

This was not how I wanted to spend my birthday. Stuck on the side of the road. 

Waiting for Nico to fix the car.

I climbed out and walked to the front. "What's wrong with it?"

"Something with the battery. I can fix it, just give me a minute. You can wait in the caMs Bishop, the sun is about to rise."

“Do I look some fair milk skin beauty from the medieval era to you?”

He paused, confused, then slowly nodded and went back to trying to fix the car.

I leaned against the car and stared at the sky. 

"Happy birthday to me, I guess." I muttered.

Finally, after several hours under the scorching hot sun —mostly him, it's already this bad on my birthday, I don't want to add a sunburn to the list — the car finally came back to life.

He climbed back in, exhausted and less annoyed than I was. “We'll be there in less than twenty. Or maybe ten If we take a second route and no detour.”

A second route in the middle of the woods and fall into a ditch or a trap set by a hunter, because that's all I see. 

Or does he see any other route?

Maybe an underground tunnel, or a bridge over the woods.

Or maybe a shiny fucking portal.

“I think seven mi—”

“Just take me home, Nicholas." I sighed. “The ladies there have taken all the good stuff. Being two hours late, the only thing that I might be lucky enough to find is a gold coloured underwear."

“How about—”

I shit my eyes tight. He has a way of making my bad day worse. “Nicholas?”

“Yes, Ma'am.” He answered so innocently the resemblance to Simon at that moment was uncanny.

Chloe must have a thing for annoyingly cute guys.

“I'm about to explode with frustration and anger, so unless you want chunks of my meat on you, make a U-turn.”

I plan to drown myself in alcohol and wallow in the bathroom.