Page 23 of Boys Who Taint (Spine Ridge University #5)

“Can’t believe you actually went into that shop. I thought you hated it there,” she says with a full mouth.

“A soldier never backs down from a battlefield,” I say, wriggling my brows.

“Thank you, everyone,” Sisi says.

“Hold up, you haven’t even opened our gifts yet,” Xavier tells her.

“Yeah, there are some self-care supplies inside that I’m sure will come in handy when you go back to Prodigium Academy,” Melody says, winking.

“Oh, I’m not going back there for a while,” Cecelia says. “I’ve decided to take a few semesters off and take some classes at Spine Ridge U instead.”

“Wait, for real?” Xavier’s jaw drops.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re staying!” Orion says, hugging her tight.

“You guys didn’t know yet?” I boast.

“Of course, she told you before she told me,” Atlas says, lowering his gaze at me. “And you didn’t tell me.”

“I like to keep you on your toes, lil bro,” I say, winking back.

Cecelia’s dad beckons her. “Can you come outside for a second? Just wanna show you something.”

We all follow them outside toward their private parking garage, where her dad keeps all his expensive cars. But there’s one parked right outside with a giant ribbon on top. A brand-new, top-of-the-line Mercedes.

“Happy birthday, sweetie,” he says, before kissing her on the cheeks.

“For me?!” she shrieks, then hugs the car. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Really?” I raise my brow at him. “You had to go and one-up me.”

“Anything for my daughter.” He winks back.

“That girl is spoiled rotten,” my dad says, folding his arms while chuckling.

“Oh, c’mon, she’s our only girl. Let her have her day,” Mom says.

“The women in our families deserve a little extra every now and then,” Aspen’s mom, Penelope, says. “Too much testosterone to deal with.”

“Oh my God, Mom,” Aspen says, playfully nudging her mom.

“She’s right, though,” her dad, Dylan, says. “We are mad fuckers to deal with.”

“True that,” Alistair says, chuckling.

“Well, I don’t agree,” Orion’s dad, Blaine, muses, sipping on his champagne.

“Of course, you don’t, you’re the fruitiest fucker here,” Felix says.

Everyone laughs.

Suddenly, two more cars drive up to the mansion, and we all wait with bated breath as the doors open. But the minute Kai, Nathan, Milo, and Lana, along with all of their kids, step out of the car, it’s almost as if the outside air dropped by ten degrees.

Man, I thought this was going to be a party, not a funeral.

Levi looks at me and nods, and I raise my glass in a toast to him, praying he won’t fuck up this birthday party. I didn’t even know my parents had invited them over.

“What are they doing here?” Penelope grits.

Here we go again.

“Hi to everyone, I guess?” Elliot says, gently waving, before lowering his hand again when all he’s met with are raging glances.

“We’re here to celebrate Cecelia’s birthday,” Lana replies, pulling out a gift. “As we’ve always done.”

She hands it to Cecelia, but she doesn’t even know if she should open it, as she looks around at her guests, who can’t stop throwing eye daggers at each other.

“Congratulations, Cecelia,” Levi’s dad says, hugging her.

Dylan’s nostrils flare, but it’s Felix who first waltzes off.

“Happy birthday, doll,” Nathan tells my sis.

“Where’s Felix going?” Cecelia asks.

“Don’t pay any attention to him,” Nathan answers.

“Fuck you,” Dylan growls, before marching off too.

“Well, this went sour quickly,” Milo mutters to himself.

“Maybe you guys shouldn’t have,” Alistair tells him.

“Is this going to turn into a fight again?” Melody asks, but no one’s listening.

“Can’t we have a normal birthday party for once?” Atlas asks.

“Not in our family,” Orion says, chugging down his drink.

“Please, calm down, everyone,” Ares says.

Felix waltzes out again with his helmet in his hand. “No, why did you invite those fuckers?”

“Felix, please,” Mom says.

“Tell them to leave, now,” Dylan tells Ares, adding fuel to the fire.

“But we just arrived,” Max says, frowning.

“Why? We can celebrate her birthday just as well as you can,” Kai says.

Levi mutters into his ear, “Dad, maybe it’s better—”

“No. I won’t let them bully us out of their lives too,” Kai interjects.

“They killed my daughter!” Penelope shouts.

Everyone goes quiet, while I can’t help but look at Aspen, who seems mortified by the whole situation that’s unfolding. Dammit.

“I cannot stay in the same fucking room as them,” she says. “I just can’t.”

“Maybe we can do the party outside then?” Milo suggests, but Nathan nudges him to keep quiet.

“If you won’t tell them to leave, we’re gone,” Felix says.

“Great, I can’t fucking wait to get out of here,” Silas says. “All this pink makes me nauseous.”

“Felix is right,” Dylan says. “Let’s get out of here.”

Alistair grabs Melody’s hand. “C’mon, Mel. Let’s go.”

“Dad, please, let’s think this over for a second,” Aspen says.

“Why aren’t you siding with us?” Xavier asks her.

“Bunch of idiots,” Sunny mutters under her breath.

“What did you just say?” Silas growls back, his eyebrow twitching.

“Hold on. Not on my grounds.” Ares steps between the two feuding families. “You wanna fight? Do it somewhere else.”

“Or what?” Xavier rebukes, egged on by Silas.

“Stop,” my mom says, tears welling up in her eyes. “Please. Just stop.”

“Fine,” Penelope says. “C’mon.”

She grabs her kids’ hands and drags them toward Dylan’s car, and Felix puts on his helmet.

“Felix, please, can’t we talk about this like grown adults?” Blaine begs.

My sister chucks the bow that was on the car on the ground, wipes away her tears, and storms inside the house.

“Motherfuckers,” I mutter. “Now her birthday is ruined.”

“Sorry,” Levi says, rubbing his lips together like he doesn’t know what else to say.

“Why? Why couldn’t you just … not?” I ask him.

“Like it would’ve helped if I stayed home,” he replies.

“It might have,” Elliot says, but Sunny pokes him with her elbow to shut him up.

“Don’t blame them, blame me,” Blaine says. “I’m the one who invited everyone.”

Everyone looks at him now.

“Why did you think this was a good idea?” Cecelia’s dad, Caleb, asks.

“I don’t know, I thought they could maybe … patch things up,” Blaine replies.

“Patch things up?” Lana frowns at him. “With the people who want us dead?”

“There is no patching up,” Felix growls as he hops onto his motorcycle. “Ever.”

“Wait!” Mom says.

But Felix has already raced off, together with Alistair, Dylan, Penelope, and all the kids in their cars, until their entire family is gone from the premises.

And the birthday party lies in ruins.