Spiral (Off the Ice, #2) (54)

Elias had to have sent them to him. Of course he did.

“So, back to why I called. One of my friends invited us to hang out at his place during our midsemester reading break. He’s got this new console that hasn’t even come out yet.”

When Sean first started school, he was an outcast. He didn’t fit in with the rich kids, and the teachers didn’t approve of him being there. But after a few years, I’m glad he’s made some solid friends.

“That sounds fun. But remember the rules. I’ll need your friends’ names, their parents’ numbers, and the address.”

“I’ll text it all,” he assures. “Oh, and you need to confirm with the school that his mom can sign us out.”

“Okay.” I shuffle through my purse for my key. “And do you remember the phone rule?”

“I have you and Uncle Marcus on speed dial, and I’ll call you every day.”

I smile. Our uncle would love to know that he’s on our speed dial. “Good, I’ll call their parents and confirm with your school before you go. Call me every night, Sean. If you miss one, I’ll show up there. With a bat.”

His laugh is brittle. “So ... you really don’t mind?”

“Why would I? I guess hanging out with your older sister gets a bit old, huh?” My apartment is still damaged from the fire, and I’d never make Elias house more Beaumonts under his roof. One is more than enough.

Sean doesn’t answer.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s on the twenty-eighth,” he informs. “It’s the day I was supposed to head out so we could celebrate your birthday.”

I halt on the sidewalk and mutter an apology when someone bumps into me. My heart twists into an uncomfortable ball that squeezes so tight I think it’s going to pop.

“I’m sorry. I don’t even know why I asked. I can cancel. We were just—”

“No.” I fight through the stinging behind my eyes. “Don’t cancel. We’ll celebrate after your semester is over. You should spend time with your friends.”

He sees right through my act. “Sage, it’s really not a big deal. We always celebrate your birthday. I shouldn’t have even said yes to them.”

Talking is difficult when it feels like there’s a knife jabbed into your throat. “Sean, I don’t mind. I have that big showcase coming up, and I’m so busy it would have been hard to make time around that.”

“You’re sure?”

I nod tightly. “We’ll celebrate another time. I have to go, but I’ll call you later!”

Ending the call, I finally let my face fall into a frown. The last time I was alone on my birthday, Sean wasn’t born yet, and my parents left me home alone to go do God knows what. I hated my birthdays for the longest time, until Sean and I finally left that house and made them special again. But I don’t think he ever realized how important those days were for me, because I made sure on his birthday he would never experience the loneliness that I felt. There’s a deep pit in my stomach that feels a lot like betrayal, but I can’t blame Sean for wanting to hang out with his friends. If I was a teenager I’d want to do the same thing. And if he’s happy, I’m happy too.

When I open the door to the apartment, I head straight past everyone laughing in the dining room. Elias’s friends are great people, and I love hearing their crazy stories. But today, their laughter stings. I’ve never had the luxury of friends, and now it’s hitting a lot harder than usual. I wave when they spot me, and find the nearest door to lock myself behind. It happens to be the main bathroom, and once I’m inside, I regret not sulking in Elias’s room instead.

My tears are a broken faucet, and they fall harder when all the rejections weigh on me.

Rap. Rap. Rap. “Sage?”

Shit. My heart takes a leap when Elias’s voice comes after the knock. I stare at my tear-soaked face in the bathroom mirror. Taking a deep breath, I try to compose myself.

“Just a second!”

There’s shuffling on the other side of the door, and just when my heartbeats calm, his deep voice filters through the door again. “Can you open the door for me?”

I’m a hot mess, and all his friends are here. He’s going to think I’m crazy. “I can’t,” I say, my voice not doing a good job of concealing my emotions this time.

“I know, but I want you to.”

With a sudden sweep of confidence, I open the door to see Elias’s softening gaze. His eyes dart around my blotchy face and before I know it, he’s stepping inside and locking the bathroom door behind us. His hands cup my face as his thumb runs a smooth touch along my jawline.

“Why are you crying?” His words are laced with concern.

My gaze drops to the floor. “It’s stupid.”

“Not to me.”

Without any forewarning his large hands frame my waist, and he hoists me onto the counter. Shocked, I sit there as he goes over to the sink to grab a small towel from the shelf, soaking it under the faucet.

Elias steps between my legs, taking up all the space. “Can I?”

I’m not sure what he’s asking permission for, but I’d do anything not to be the loser crying in his bathroom. So I nod, and when he presses the wet towel to my face, the warmth of it seeps into my skin and descends to strangle my heart. He gently wipes my tears, one hand around the nape of my neck as he focuses intently on the mascara stains under my eyes.