Page 87 of The Deviation
I wish I could say that lunch went smoothly. It didn’t. A tense Hannah was overly snarky. Calum was ready to throw down in her defence. My parents were awkward and wary of them both. The stress saw me fall straight back into old patterns of trying to keep everyone happy at once. It was something of a shit show.
Until Mum served dessert.
The triple choc swirl cheesecake had two sets of green eyes springing wide open and tongues just about falling out of heads. Cal and Hannah both devoured two slices of cheesecake each while gushing about how delicious it was. Mum beamed. Dad nodded approvingly. That’s how Cal, Hannah, and my parents managed to worm their way into each other’s affections. With treats on one side and compliments on the other.
The rain eases as more guests arrive and before long the house is overrun. Our band family is here, of course. Oz’s friends, who have become Hannah’s friends as well, streamthrough the door. Hannah’s even invited a couple of people from the new job she got after graduating university at the end of last year. To say Hannah dislikes her job would be an understatement, but for now it seems to be what she wants and we’re all supporting her decision.
Calum, on the other hand, is loving every moment of running his new company, Ellis Music Management. He has continued to be our very own World’s Best Manager, with the mug to prove it. Fifth Circle is growing and reaching new heights all the time. In fact, we’ll be leaving Australia late this year to join Dante Sinclair for an international tour to promote his new album. He and Ned have become fast friends over the past twelve months and when Dante was considering who to have as his opening act, Fifth Circle’s name ended up at the top of the list.
Calum will join us for most of the tour but will have to travel back to Australia from time to time, as he now has other clients to take care of. The Starling siblings Cal worked with at Rush have also kept in touch. They’ve made no secret of their plans to jump ship from Rush when their contract is up, thanks to Arthur’s less than gentle approach. Cal’s workload is insane, but he has an assistant now and is even talking about bringing another manager on board next year to help out. One of his old colleagues, Jess, has been losing patience with Rush’s practices and Cal thinks he may be able to tempt her to join him. I have my fingers crossed.
It’s not until after lunch has been served and devoured that the clouds decide to part. Not that anyone seems keen on breaking their food coma long enough to go outside and enjoy the sunshine. I can’t say I blame them. This house might be small but damn it’s cosy.
I’m chilling in a corner of the room, enjoying a beer with Gavin and Ned when my mother wanders by. She gestures to Calum, who is busy refilling drinks. “That man is going to makesomeone an exceptional husband one day,” she murmurs with a pointed look. “I’m just saying, don’t miss the boat.” She’s gone again before I’m even finished choking on my beer.
Gavin laughs his head off. “She’s not wrong.”
“That’ll do it,” Ned says with a grin. “We might as well get the calendars out now.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Shouldn’t you and Toni be booking in first?”
“What are you booking me in for?” Toni asks as he sidles up to Ned’s side.
“Wedding rings,” I say, waggling my eyebrows at him.
Toni snorts a laugh. “Who needs rings?” He wraps his arms around Ned’s waist. “I prefer to keep my man on a leash.” Ned slips a finger under the chain Toni wears around his neck, with its fancy scripted N. “Ditto.” The kiss they share somehow manages to be both chaste and unbelievably smutty at the same time.
Chuckling at the two of them, I straighten from my lean against the wall. “All right, you lot. I have a surprise to spring so I’m gonna need you to keep an eye on Cal for a minute.”
Toni rears back to stare at me with eyes wide. “Fuck a duck, are you proposing?”
I give him a look. “On Hannah’s birthday? I think I can do better than stealing my future sister-in-law’s thunder.” I glance at Cal, who is chatting with one of Hannah’s new friends. “Just make sure he doesn’t come into the kitchen. Gavin,” I add, turning his way, “can I get a hand?” He salutes me and we ease through the crowded living area and into the kitchen.
It takes less than five minutes to set up my surprise. While I’m finishing, Gavin goes back to the living room to get Hannah into position and turn down the My Chemical Romance song blasting through the house. Soon he’s giving me a thumbs up from the doorway. “All set.”
Picking up Hannah’s cake, I carefully make my way back into the crowded living room. “Can I have your attention, please?” Everyone turns to look at me, cheering when they see the decadent fire hazard I’m carrying. All twenty-one candles on top of the cake are burning brightly. “Happy birthday to you…” When I start to sing, the guests quickly join in and by the time we’re done, I’m depositing the cake on the table before the birthday girl.
Turning, I search the room for Calum. He’s the only one not smiling. Instead, he’s standing frozen. Lips pressed into a hard line. His gaze is locked on Hannah, as if worried about the reaction she’ll have to this simple tradition they’ve both been avoiding for so many years.
What he doesn’t know is that Hannah and I planned this together.
“Big brother,” she calls out, a smirk on her face and one arm outstretched. “Get your arse over here.” He walks over to stand beside her, and she takes his hand smiling up at him. “Make a wish with me?”
His mouth falls open. “Really?”
She nods.
Cal breaks into a laugh, one hand swiping at his eyes. “All right, little sister. Let’s do it.”
I have my phone camera ready and record the moment when they bend over, take deep breaths, and blow out the candles.
Everyone erupts in clapping and cheers, but Hannah’s not done. “I want to tell you my wish,” she says to Calum, loud enough for everyone to hear.
He blanches. “Then it might not come true.”
“I’m feeling pretty confident about this one,” she says, pausing to take a deep breath before she continues. “I wished to be the next artist to sign up to Ellis Music Management.”
Cal freezes all over again. Except this time, it’s a good kind of frozen. “Are you serious?” he whispers.