Chapter 70
Sienna's POV
Hayes closed his eyes briefly, jaw clenching. "You've got to be kidding me."
He stood and walked to the door, every line of his body radiating barely suppressed frustration.
I pressed my hands to my burning face, trying to get my breathing under control.
When he opened the door, Ava's voice rang out, bright and unapologetic. "Happy birthday, big brother!"
Bobby's voice followed. "We brought champagne and party favors! Hope we're not interrupting anything important."
I heard Hayes's low growl, then Ava's delighted laugh.
"Oh, we are definitely interrupting something important," she said gleefully.
I stood up, smoothing down my shirt and heading toward the kitchen.
"Neither of you were invited," Hayes said flatly.
"But it's your birthday!" Ava protested, sweeping into the dining room with Bobby trailing behind. She spotted the table, the melted candles, and her grin widened. "Oh my god, did Sienna make you a candlelight dinner?"
I emerged from the kitchen with glasses, my face still hot. "Hi, Ava. Bobby."
Ava immediately abandoned her brother to pull me into a hug. "Thank you for celebrating with him. He hasn't had a real birthday in six years, did you know that?"
"Ava," Hayes warned.
She ignored him completely, turning back to examine the table with exaggerated interest. "His favorite meal. Wow, Sienna, you really committed to this."
Bobby stood with his arms crossed, looking thoroughly entertained. "So this is what you ditched the team party for. Can't say I blame you, man."
Hayes shot him a look that could've melted steel.
I busied myself clearing plates, desperate for something to do with my hands. Ava caught my eye and winked, clearly enjoying her brother's discomfort way too much.
"Well," Bobby announced, pushing off the doorframe. "Since we crashed the party anyway, might as well make it official. Ava, get the champagne."
Ava produced the bottle they'd brought, already working on the cork. "Don't be mad, Hayes. We're just here to celebrate with you. Besides—" The cork popped with a satisfying sound. "—you looked way too happy when I walked in. Someone needs to keep you humble."
Hayes's mouth twitched despite himself.
I caught his eye across the room. He was trying so hard to look annoyed, but I could see the affection underneath it, the way his shoulders had relaxed slightly when his sister hugged him.
"Fine," he muttered. "But you're both leaving in an hour."
"Deal," Ava said, already pouring champagne into glasses.
Bobby grabbed a glass and raised it. "To Hayes Sterling, who finally remembered how to be a human being instead of a football robot."
Ava clinked her glass against his. "And to Sienna, for making the best birthday surprise ever."
They both looked at me expectantly.
I picked up my glass, met Hayes's gaze across the room. His eyes were still dark, still full of everything we hadn't finished saying, but there was warmth there too. Something that looked dangerously close to contentment.
"Happy birthday, Hayes," I said softly.
He held my gaze for a long moment before lifting his glass. "Thank you."
Ava immediately launched into a story about her latest music video shoot, gesturing wildly with her champagne glass. Bobby chimed in with industry gossip. The conversation flowed easily, punctuated by Ava's bright laughter and Bobby's sarcastic commentary.
I found myself relaxing despite everything, watching Hayes interact with the two people who knew him best. He was different with them—looser, more willing to smile, occasionally even laugh at Bobby's increasingly terrible jokes.
At one point Ava dragged me into the kitchen under the guise of helping with dessert plates. The moment we were alone, she grabbed my hand.
"Thank you," she said seriously. "For tonight. For all of it."
"Ava—"
"He's been so lost for so long." Her voice dropped. "I forgot what he looked like when he was actually happy. But tonight? Just now when we walked in? That's the brother I remember."
My throat tightened. "I just wanted to do something nice for his birthday."
"You did way more than that." She squeezed my hand. "You gave him hope."
Before I could respond, Bobby stuck his head into the kitchen. "Ladies, Hayes is threatening to physically remove me from the premises if I eat any more of that lemon tart. Please come save me."
Ava rolled her eyes but let me go, and we headed back to the dining room.
Hayes was indeed glaring at Bobby, who had somehow acquired another slice of tart despite the threats. When he saw me, his expression softened immediately.
I watched them bicker. It felt normal. Easy. Like maybe we could all exist in the same space without everything being complicated and painful.
Ava checked her phone and made an exaggerated sound of dismay. "Oh no, is it really already ten-thirty? Bobby, we should go."
Bobby looked at his own phone, clearly confused since they'd been here less than an hour, but Ava glared at him.
"Right," he said quickly. "Yeah, early morning tomorrow. Big… thing."
Ava said cheerfully, already heading for the door. She paused to run back and hug her brother tight. "Happy birthday, you grumpy asshole. I love you."
"Love you too, brat."
She turned to me next, pulling me into another quick hug. "Take care of him," she whispered in my ear. "He needs you more than he'll ever admit."
Then she was gone, dragging Bobby out the door before Hayes could protest the abbreviated visit.
The door closed behind them.
Silence fell over the house.
Hayes and I stood in the foyer, suddenly very aware that we were alone again. That we'd been interrupted right in the middle of… something.
"Sorry about them," he said finally. "Ava has a sixth sense for the worst possible timing."
"It's okay." I twisted my hands together. "They care about you."
"Yeah." He ran a hand through his hair, looking at me like he was trying to figure something out. "Listen, about earlier—"
"You should rest," I said quickly, panic rising in my chest. "You're already exhausted."
"Sienna."
I stopped.
He crossed the distance between us slowly, deliberately, until we were standing close enough that I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "For tonight."
My chest felt too tight. "You're welcome."
His hand came up to brush a strand of hair behind my ear, the touch feather-light but sending electricity racing down my spine. "This was the best birthday I've had in six years."
I couldn't speak. Could barely breathe.
He leaned down, and for one heart-stopping moment I thought he might kiss me. His breath ghosted across my lips, his hand still cradling my face, and every nerve ending in my body lit up in anticipation.
Then he pressed his lips to my forehead instead.
Soft. Reverent.
"Goodnight, Sienna," he murmured against my skin.
He pulled back and headed for the stairs, leaving me standing in the foyer with my heart pounding and my thoughts in complete chaos.
I watched him go, pressing my fingers to where he'd kissed me, and wondered how much longer we could keep pretending this was just about shoes and contracts and professional boundaries.
Because nothing about tonight had felt professional.
Nothing about the way he looked at me, touched me, spoke to me felt like anything other than exactly what it was:
A man still desperately in love with the woman he'd never stopped wanting.
And god help me, I was starting to think I felt exactly the same way.