Page 7 of Bliss, Part 2

Bliss

I turned nineteen today.

The first thing I woke up to was noise downstairs. But it wasn’t the usual kind. The voices were low at first, then sharper, like they were arguing. I lay there for a second, trying to make out what they were saying, but the words blurred together. I decided to just go check if whatever was going on down there was something serious or not. I slipped out of bed, headed down the stairs, and stepped into the kitchen.

All six of them were there, moving around the kitchen like it was a restaurant rush. Plates clattered against the counter. Silverware clinked. The smell of something frying filled the air. They were carrying platters and bowls like they were on a mission.

It took them a moment to finally notice me.

Every head turned toward me at once, their grins wide and full of excitement.

“Happy birthday!”

they all called out.

I froze in the doorway, thrown off by the sudden change of energy, my eyes darting between them. I couldn’t tell what I’d walked into.

“We’re making breakfast!”

Ashby announced, like it was top-secret information I wasn’t supposed to know. He had a whisk in his hand, something white dripping from it onto the counter.

“You weren’t supposed to come downstairs yet.”

“Yeah, go back upstairs. Come down when we tell you,”

Rhys added. He was wearing an actual apron, tied tight around his waist, looking like he’d been at it for hours.

The sight of them like this made me want to laugh. But all I could do was gape at them.

“We’re almost done,”

Dad said, walking over. He kissed my forehead and gave me one of his rare smiles that made my chest tighten.

“Happy birthday, sweetheart.”

“Thank you.”

I smiled up at him, still caught between amusement and confusion.

“Do I really have to go back upstairs?”

“Yes!”

the guys shouted together. But Dad shook his head.

“Go sit at the table,”

he told me, nodding toward the dining room.

“We’ll be right there.”

I bit my lip, hesitating before I gave in. “Okay.”

The dining table was already set. Plates, glasses, silverware…everything was in its place. Balloons floated against the ceiling and streamers hung over the doorway. My throat tightened. They’d gone to so much trouble for me.

My stomach growled at all the nice smells coming from the kitchen.

A few minutes later, they came in carrying trays and bowls. Bacon. Pancakes. Fresh fruit. Someone had even made a stack of toast cut into perfect triangles. One by one, they leaned down to hug me, kiss my cheek, and wish me happy birthday again before sitting around the table.

Then they sang to me loud, off-key, and unapologetic, and I tried not to laugh, but that would’ve only made me want to cry. My heart was so full, and I could barely hold in my emotions. I was so grateful, so full of love for them.

Halfway through breakfast, Dad reached into his pocket and handed me an envelope.

I looked at him and sighed.

“You know I don’t want presents.”

It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate the thought. It was that we couldn’t afford things like this. I never cared for presents on my birthday or on Christmas. All I ever wanted was to be with them and have food on the table.

“It’s just a little something,”

he said gently.

I took it, careful not to smudge it with my fingers sticky from honey. Inside was a folded card with his handwriting spilling across it. A note about how proud they were of me. How strong I’d been. How lucky they all were to have me. My eyes blurred before I even noticed the gift card taped to the bottom.

I peeled it off, deep down annoyed by the fact that he had spent money on this. And when I saw the 200 on the gift card, my mouth fell open.

My head snapped up.

“Dad…this is too much.”

“It’s what we want to give you,”

he said.

“You deserve something nice. Go to the mall. Buy new clothes, new shoes. Whatever you want. You can use it anywhere. Even the food court.”

“You could just buy books,”

Ashby added, smirking like he knew exactly how tempting that was for me.

“Do you know how many books you could get with two hundred bucks?”

I did. And the thought made my chest ache in a good way. But I still hesitated.

“I don’t want to spend this on myself alone,”

I said, frowning.

“Maybe we could go to that Italian place on the first floor. All of us.”

They shared a look across the table. Odin reached over and touched my arm, his hand gently squeezing.

“No, Bliss. This is for you. For what you want.”

I shook my head, but I knew they wouldn’t back down. I exhaled.

“Fine. Thank you.”

I stood and went around the table, hugging each of them one by one before sitting back down. My chest still felt heavy, and there were so many different things I wanted to say to them to maybe get them to change their minds about how I’d spend the money, but I continued to eat, deciding now wasn’t the right time to start an argument.

We kept eating, the quiet conversation filling the room. I didn’t need to say it out loud, but I’d never forget this morning.

Later that day, Tia and Tyler arrived in his oversized G-Wagon. I already knew they were coming. Dash had told me he invited them, and I truly didn’t mind. In fact, I was glad. I’d half expected Tia might not want to come to a birthday where there wouldn’t be any other girls. I didn’t have any female friends other than her. I didn’t have many friends at all, if I was being honest.

But when she stepped out of the car, smiling wide, I could tell how excited she was to be here. She hugged me tightly, holding on a moment longer, and told me how happy she was to be spending the evening with us. She said today felt like a good day to celebrate. She never made me feel uncomfortable about what had happened. She never pushed me to talk. Instead, she had this way of letting me know, without words, that if I ever needed to, she’d be there to listen. I was grateful for that.

The guys had set up everything by the lake. They carried tables down earlier for snacks, finger foods, and drinks. They’d even thought to bring balloons. Later, they planned to set up the projector and screen so we could watch a movie by the water when the sun went down. We’d spread out towels on the grass, lean back, and watch under the stars.

That was exactly the kind of birthday I wanted. Surrounded by people I loved and who I knew loved me back, doing something simple and good.

At that moment, I was stretched out on a pizza-slice float, drifting on the lake. The sun was warm on my skin, music played from the shore, and everything felt just right.

The float dipped suddenly on one side, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked over to see Rhys holding onto the edge, water dripping from his hair.

“Hey, mind if I come up?” he asked.

I shook my head and shifted to make space. The inflatable was big enough for two. He climbed up, water slicking off his skin, and lay down beside me. He was close enough to have our sides touch, but it didn’t bother us.

“How are you liking the party?”

he asked, turning his head to watch my face.

I smiled.

“It’s perfect. Even better than I imagined. You made it perfect for me.”

“It’s what you deserve. Hell, you deserve more. But it’s all we—”

“Had the money for,”

I finished for him. He nodded.

“Yeah. It’s not like we were gonna get you a Lamborghini anyway.”

I laughed softly and reached over to rest my hand on his arm.

“I wouldn’t want something like that. The gift card, all the food, the decorations…it’s already too much.”

He took my hand, squeezing gently before sliding his fingers through mine. He didn’t speak for a long moment. Something about his silence told me his thoughts were heavier than he wanted to admit.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing, I just…”

He laughed under his breath and shook his head.

“Ah, shit. I didn’t mean to get emotional.”

His eyes glistened.

“I’m gonna be blunt here, so don’t make fun of me, alright, sis?”

“I promise I won’t.”

I’d seen him emotional before. At the hospital. Out of all of them, Rhys had been the slowest to open up. He’d tried to keep his feelings locked down, always making jokes to distract me, to distract himself. But emotions have a way of breaking through eventually. Seeing him cry hurt me, but it also made me proud of him for letting himself feel it.

“I’m so fucking angry, Bliss,”

he said, his jaw tight.

“I’m angry about what happened to you. I hate that I can’t put that motherfucker in the ground myself. I wish I could make him pay for touching you. But I’m also so fucking proud of you.”

His voice cracked, his grip on my hand tightening.

“I’m proud of you for being so strong. You’re a fighter, and I need you to know that we all see it. We all admire it.”

His words caught me off guard. I’d heard similar things from the others in the last few days, but Rhys had always been in the background. Right now, he was being the protective older brother in full force.

“Rhys…”

“No, wait, I’m not done.”

He wiped his cheeks quickly, muttering something about being a “fucking crybaby”

before he continued.

“If anyone ever gives you shit again, I’m right here. I know you can handle yourself. You’re strong. But you don’t have to handle it alone.”

“I know,”

I said, smiling a little and rolling onto my side to face him.

“You’ve been stepping in for me since kindergarten. Always the first to run when I was in trouble.”

“Yeah. But last time…”

He stopped, unable to finish.

“Last time, you weren’t there. I fainted, and he took advantage. It’s going to take me time to accept that and move on. But it wasn’t your fault. Or anyone’s. I don’t want you to think it was.”

He studied my face, his hand still holding mine.

“You’re so fucking special, Bliss. I hope you know that.”

“I do,”

I said quietly.

“Because of you guys.”

They made me feel loved every day. They were the reason I could get through this without falling apart completely. It still hurt, but the hurt was bearable because of them.

Rhys leaned in and pressed a kiss to my shoulder. His lips lingered there before he looked at me again.

“I love you, Lissy. So fucking much.”

“I love you too.”

After I dried off from the swim and pulled on a pair of soft shorts and a loose shirt, I stepped back toward the lakeshore.

Dad was standing near the tables, a faint grin pulling at his mouth.

“We’ve got one last surprise for you,” he said.

I gave him a look, already feeling full from everything they’d done today.

“Another one?”

My voice was part laugh, part disbelief.

“Last one, we promise,”

Tripp said, winking at me.

I folded my arms, smiling despite myself.

“Well…what is it?”

“Look over there,”

Ashby said, pointing toward the house.

I followed his hand and saw Odin’s back first. He was walking slowly, careful with his steps. Then he shifted to the side, and my breath caught.

Between him and Tia was a massive three-tiered cake, balanced between their hands. Dozens of candles covered the top, and the light blue layers were decorated with glitter and dark blue swirls of frosting.

“Oh my god…”

I whispered.

“You got me an actual birthday cake?”

“Technically, Tia and Tyler got it for you,”

Ashby said with a grin.

I couldn’t stop staring. They were still halfway across the grass when they started singing “Happy Birthday” to me.

My eyes blurred, and I realized I was already crying.

They reached the table and set the cake down gently. Dash nudged me from behind, urging me closer. When the song ended, they clapped and cheered, making it feel like I had accomplished something big instead of simply having a birthday.

“Make a wish!”

Tia said, her face glowing.

I stood there for a moment, taking them all in. Their damp hair, bare feet, sunburned shoulders, and wide smiles. My heart felt too big for my chest. How did I get this? How did I deserve this? Some would say it wasn’t much, but to me, it was a whole damn lot.

I closed my eyes, thinking hard about my wish.

Most people used wishes to ask for something they didn’t have. But I already had everything I needed. A family who loved me. Men who would protect me without hesitation. A friend who had gone out of her way to see me happy.

When I blew out the candles, my wish wasn’t for me. It was for all of them, to always get the best this life could give.

I opened my eyes to the sound of their continuous cheering, and for a moment I believed the wish was already coming true.