Page 86 of The Burning
“Happy birthday,” Kael whispered before I even opened my eyes.
He had stayed the night and his warm body was wrapped around me; the heat from his skin was more intense than the sun creeping across my bedroom.
“I’m so over my birthday,” I groaned and blinked my eyes open. His head was on my chest, our bodies tangled together.
“And why is that?”
“We already celebrated twice, at the campground and at my dad’s, and honestly the second one really made me never want to acknowledge my birthday again for the rest of my life.”
“But I got you something. Should I return it?” Kael asked me in a low voice.
“You did?” I sat up a little and he lifted his head to look at me.
He nodded. “The materials are in the back of my truck. Well, some of them, anyway. The rest are at my place.”
“Materials?”
He nodded again and kissed my bare shoulder. I shivered and he kissed my skin a second time.
“What kind of materials?” I asked him. I had no clue what he could be up to.
“Well . . .” He licked his lips and squinted a bit as the light cast across his beautiful face. “Let’s get out of bed and I’ll show you.” He took me by the hand and gently dragged me out of the bed. I grabbed a hoodie from the floor in case Elodie or Austin, or both, were in my living room.
I handed Kael his shirt and he slid it over his head. The house was silent as we walked down the hallway and into the living room. Kael led me to the front door and opened it. I was confused, to say the least. He stepped out and I followed, standing awkwardly next to him, wishing we were still in my bed, but excited about whatever he had planned for me.
“I know how much you love porch swings—”
I almost squealed before he finished.
“So, first I’m going to build you a small deck, and then hang a swing on it, that is, after I fix the crumbled edges of your porch. It’s in pretty bad shape and—” I covered his mouth with my hand, and he playfully bit my palm.
“Are you serious?” My eyes stung with emotion. I slung my arms around his neck and squeezed him, making both of us tilt back a bit, but his strength kept us from falling backward off my porch.
“Kael! This is . . . that is . . . I have no words.” I kept hugging him.
I wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to do all of that, that it would take so much time and so much energy, but I wasn’t going to let my anxiety get in the way of such a thoughtful, albeit outrageous gift. He was bringing one of my dreams to life, my own porch swing on my own porch. I was so thankful I could have burst at the seams.
As Kael started to unload a toolbox and long wooden boards from the back of his truck, I watched him for a bit, still in awe that he had given me the best gift I’d ever received.
“Do you need help?” I asked him while sitting on my butt on the porch steps.
“Don’t even think about it. Go take a shower or lie back down. Don’t lift a finger.” He nodded toward the house.
I couldn’t help but smile. So, this is what it was like when someone did something for you just to make you happy, without the goal of getting something in return.
“Fine. I don’t want to go back to bed, but I’ll take an everything shower,” I told him, pushing my palms against my knees to stand up. My thighs were delightfully sore from our night together.
“An everything what?” he asked, dropping an armful of wood next to the porch.
“It’s like an everything bagel, but in shower form. I saw it on Instagram. It’s basically every possible step of a shower, double shampoo, shaving, body scrub, and wash . . .” I went on, thinking about the woman whose nighttime routine I watched daily. If only I had a nicer bathroom, and maybe more self-confidence, I could film my self-care.
“The internet is a weird, weird place,” Kael groaned with a hint of amusement.
I stepped down the stairs to stand in front of him. “Speaking of the internet, you should follow me on Instagram.” I put a hand on my hip. It was a little sore, too. I stretched a little, twisting my torso. Kael looked pleased.
“Okay?” he said simply, pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to me. “Passcode is 0917.”
I lit up. I had never seen a guy give a girl their phone passcode so casually, but I had seen plenty of women finding insane infidelities on their partners phones. “I get to follow myself? How romantic,” I teased, rolling my eyes, and Kael bent to kiss my forehead.
