Page 163 of The Surprise Play

Thankfully, it arrives quickly and I’m pulling up outside Football Frat at 7:52.

The place seems quiet, the lights shut off, but there are cars parked in the driveway. Wily’s truck is here, but his bedroom light is off.

My stomach pinches as I thank the Uber driver and slip out of the car.

“Have a good night.” She smiles at me before pulling away from the curb.

Yeah, right.I can’t help my sarcasm.

This is potentially going to be the worst night of my life.

Shuffling up the path, I mount the steps and knock on the front door.

“It’s open! Come on in!” someone shouts from inside.

I cringe. I hate letting myself into someone’s house. Is it really that hard to answer your own door?

With a little huff, I turn the handle and ease the door open, wondering why it’s so dark and quiet in here. I leave it open in case I need a quick escape and tentatively call out, “Hello?”

“SURPRISE!” The room erupts, the lights flicking on as a million people jump out of hiding.

I yelp and step back, banging into the half-open door as I take in the people crowding out the living room, popping out of the dining room archway, and filling up the hallway. They’re all grinning and laughing and… I don’t know these people.

My heart clutches in my chest until I start to notice what they’re all wearing.

Everyone is dressed in garb from the 1950s, and when Wily walks toward me with a beaming smile, looking like a blond Danny Zuko fromGrease, I don’t even know what to say.

“Happy birthday, baby.” He kisses my stunned mouth and then has to steady me when he pulls back. “Do you like it?”

I gape at him, then check out the sea of faces expectantly grinning at me. I don’t know half these people, and all I can manage is, “What is this?”

They all laugh, and I tense, the sound making my stomach itch.

“It’s a late birthday party!” Wily spreads his arms wide before pulling me into an all-encompassing hug and kissing the top of my head. “And it’s ’50s themed, just for you.”

Leaning back, he grins down at me, and I can’t believe this.

He threw me a surprise party?

I’m still blinking and trying to wrap my head around it all. This weird laugh kind of pops out of me, and then the music starts playing and Sienna skips over in a poodle skirt, her high ponytail swinging.

“Come on. Let’s go get you ready!” Taking my hand, she pulls me upstairs with a laugh. We’re soon in the guest room, and she’s ordering me out of my clothes.

“What am I supposed to wear?” My hands are shaking as I unzip my skirt.

“This!” Sienna beams, pulling my birthday present from Mom out of the closet. “Wily grabbed it yesterday.”

“When?”

She shrugs. “Maybe you were in the bathroom or something?”

I nod, struggling to… Oh yeah. I walked out after my shower, kind of bummed he hadn’t wanted to join me, and he was sitting on my bed looking anything but innocent.

So that’s why.

I can’t help another weird-sounding, breathy laugh as I reach for the outfit. “I can’t believe he’s done this.”

“He came up with the idea last weekend when you were in Fledgling, and he called for an assist. It’s been a flurry of activity all week while we got ready for this thing.”