Authors: Samantha Towle
God bless the internet is all I can say.
I did have to borrow Craig’s credit card though to pay online, but I gave him the cash straight away. His credit card bill will look interesting that’s for sure … La Perla, Victoria’s Secret, Topshop, H&M. I hate been trapped on the farm like this, having to rely on delivery and them to get things I need. Hopefully it won’t be for too long.
I used the money that I should have given Zeff to pay for my passport to pay for Nathan’s birthday present and my new stuff. I should feel guilty, I know I should, but right now I’m too mad with him to care. I’ve still got plenty of money left over, but I’m going to work here on the farm in exchange for my room and board. Jack didn’t want me to pay him rent, but I was insistent.
I pay my own way from now on. No relying on anyone else.
Jack has cooked an amazing lobster dinner. He even let me and Scarlett help him cook, which is a first for Jack. It was awesome. I had a real blast in the kitchen with them both. It was really good to spend time with Scarlett, getting to know her better.
The table is all set up for dinner, candles lining the centre, and a pile of presents and cards at the end from us all.
Champagne is chilling in the cooler. Birthday cake at the ready. I really hope he likes it.
I'm so nervous I’ve got butterflies swooping circles in my stomach. We spent t thael guihe morning together, but he went out this afternoon Carting with Craig, giving us time to surprise him with this meal tonight.
I position him in front of the table.
Sliding my hands away from his eyes, I say, “Happy birthday!”
Jack, Craig, and Scarlett, all chorus in too.
Moving around, I see the smile on his face. But I also know he’s so uncomfortable right now. He really doesn’t do the centre of attention thing. But I don’t care. It’s his birthday. And he’s turned thirty. It’s an important day, even if he says it isn’t.
“Thank you,” he murmurs, leaning down to kiss me on the cheek, just skimming shy of my lips. I still get spine tingles every single time he kisses me.
“It wasn’t just me, it was a team effort.” I smile around at everyone.
“Cheers guys,” says Nathan.
“You’re welcome, son,” Jack pats him on the back. “And happy birthday.”
I can see how happy Jack is that Nathan’s happy.
And it makes me happy. That’s a lot of happy’s but rather that than going back to where we all were before.
“Happy birthday,” chirps Scarlett.
“Yeah, happy birthday mate,” Craig chips in.
“Food smells great, what're we having?” Nathan asks me.
“Lobster with garlic sauce.”
His face lights up.
“It’s all on Jack. He said lobster is your favourite.” There’s so much I still don’t know about him. But I’m loving learning.
“It’s ready to dish up now,” says Jack, heading for the kitchen.
“You need a hand?” I ask, turning to him.
He shakes his head, “No. You all just sit yourselves down.”
Jack loves having people to cook for and take care of. It’s his thing for sure. I pull my chair out and sit down, Nathan sits beside me. Craig is opposite Nathan, Scarlett across from me.
“So I get presents too?” says Nathan, eyeing the little pile of gifts.
“Of course you do, silly,” I nudge him with my elbow.
“Yours in there?” he nudges me back.
I shake my head. Mine is in my pocket, hidden from view.
Craig smiles at me over the table. A little conspiratorial smile.
Jeez, you’d think it was something big I’ve got him. Because it’s not. Not really. Or maybe it is. I don’t know.
I start to feel nervous and a little nauseous. My hand is resting on the table. I drum my fingers on it. I think Nathan senses my nerves because he reaches over and takes my hand in his, entwining our fingers. That one simple act from him calms me and sends shivers running all over my skin.
No one has ever been able to make me feel like he does. Or ever will again.
Jack starts to bring the food over, laying the platters in the centre of the table, and everyone quickly tucks in, presents momentarily forgotten.
There is no clean way to eat lobster, it’s ridiculous. I’m making a real mess. But it’s also delicious which makes it hard to care.
Nathan looks at me, a smile forming on his lips. He reaches over and wipes a dribble of garlic sauce from my chin, then licks it off his thumb. Heat flushes through me, intimately.
He leans over and gives me a soft kiss on the lips. I’m left feeling disappointed when he moves away and continues on eating.
Coming to, I glance around the table, wondering if anyone just saw our exchange. They are all too busy tearing into their lobster to have noticed. Then I just sit for a moment watching them all, eating, drinking, the odd exchange of idle chatter.
And it feels just like old times.
Except there’s a few faces missing from around the table. A feel a pang for Sol and Erin. Carrie too, even though she was never here, I always wished she was.
But no, tonight is not about sadness of any kind, or discussing the Original’s or vampires or anything. It’s just about Nathan.
I filled Craig in, yesterday, about Zeff, and learnt a few things myself …
“
So let me get this straight. You’ve met Matthias,” Craig said, a puzzled expression on his face.
“
Yes.”
“
And you thought he was someone else, because that’s what he told wanted you to believe?”
“
Yes.”
“
And he helped you? Wants to protect you from Isaiah?”
“
Yep.”
“
And they haven’t seen each other for eighteen years?”
“
Nope.”
“
Wow. Shit. I know they cast me out, but hell, I thought I was still in the loop to a certain extent. But fuck, there’s been a lot going on I didn’t know about.”
“
Cast you out?”
Pause. “I’m kind of related to the Originals.”
“
What?!”
“
It’s not common knowledge, we have to keep it secret, obviously, but as you – know him, well then, I guess itAnd idthheigs not such a big deal now.”
My mouth opened forming an ‘O’.
“
Their aunt, Genevieve, she was my paternal, great great and beyond grandmother.”
“
Oh.” I wondered if Craig has the magic gene at all. I didn’t ask though.
“
And my family. We the ones who are charged with protecting and keeping them both safe. Have done for generations. I didn’t want in. I wanted a semblance of a normal life. Hence the cast out.”
Apparently, that’s why I felt that weird pull to Craig when I first met him. The bloodline. His bloodline is what in effect swims through my veins.
So I’m guessing that was part of the allure with Zeff too.
Anyway, enough Original talk. I don’t want to think about Zeff. It’s coming close to a week since I watched him drive away from me in Italy. And not a murmur.
I hope for it to stay that way. With all of them. No one knows I’m here. Still, I know I can’t stay here permanently. But I’m in a bubble at the moment with Nathan and I don’t want to burst it.
The real world is out there waiting to destroy me. So for now, I’m hiding in here with him.
I’ve noticed Nathan isn’t really drinking much tonight, he’s still on his first glass of champagne. I want him to have fun on his birthday, but still, I’m glad he’s eased back on the drinking.
We get to the presents and cards before having the birthday cake. Jack didn’t make it, he didn’t have the time, so he bought one and it looks delicious.
“There’s a card from Erin, Rose and … Cal,” Jack says, holding a card out to Nathan.
The temperature in the room drops to sub-zero.
Nathan’s eyes flick to it. He stares at the card for a long moment but makes no attempt to pick it up.
Jack puts it down on the table.
“Get to it later,” he says.
“And of course there’s mine,” Craig says, breaking the tense moment, handing him over a card and what looks to be a CD.”
“I got you something too,” Scarlett says, sounding nervous.
He opens the presents. Craig has got him the Coldplay album, and when he opens it, two tickets to go see them in concert at Wembley later this year falls out.
“Shit man,” says Nathan. “This is awesome! Thanks!”
“Ah,” Craig waves him off. “No probs. It’s your thirtieth. It should have been more really.”
“No mate, this is great,” Nathan enthuses, eyes scanning the text on the tickets.
“I got you t思
“No,” I say to Nathan, raising my hand in resistance. “You should go with Craig.”
“Already got myself a ticket to go to,” he grins. “Scarlett too.” She smiles, seemingly already aware of this. “I thought we could make a weekend of it.”
“Sounds great,” Nathan beams, squeezing my leg under the table. “Don’t you think?”
I nod, smiling.
I’m worried about going out in public like that here. But then the gig is in November which is ages away. And it is in London. I don’t think anyone would recognise me down there. But, then, will I still even be here to go. I shove the thought from my head. Either way I’ll be with Nathan. I’m never leaving him again.
“You not down for it?” I ask, Jack trying to stay upbeat for Nathan’s sake.
He rumbles out a laugh. “Not my scene love. Give me Cat Stevens any day.”
“My turn,” Scarlett jumps in eagerly, holding her gift out for Nathan to take.
I helped her pick his present. I know how much Nathan likes his vintage T-shirts, so she ordered him a vintage Rolling Stones T-shirt online. We got it on express delivery so it would be here in time.
“Cool, thanks,” he says pulling it out of the wrapping paper, holding it out to look at.
Putting it on the table he pulls the Metallica T-shirt off he’s currently wearing and pulls his new T-shirt on.
“Fits perfect,” he says to Scarlett, smiling.
I think that was his way of letting her know he loves her gift. What he fails to realise is he’s just left the poor girl rigid in her seat and blushing at the sight of his bare chest. I know for sure I am and I get to see it regularly.
He sees her as a little sister I think, which is sweet. I think she might have the teeniest tiniest crush on him. Not that I’d ever say anything. It’s understandable, though. Nathan has that closed off bad boy way about him that women just love, especially teenage girls, and he is really beautiful to look at. Sometimes I don’t think he realises the effect he has on women.
And I love that he’s mine.
I smile at Scarlett over the table, widening my eyes and lifting my eyebrows, giving her a ‘what are men like’ look. Returning my smile, she seemingly relaxes
It's Jack’s turn next. He suddenly looks anxious. Not like Jack at all. He picks his present up off the table and hands it to Nathan.
“Happy birthday, son.”
Nathan opens the box and inside is a watch. It looks really old and antique. “It was your Granddad's,” Jack says. “Your Nan bought it for him as a wedding present. I’ve had it for so long and it’s just been gathering dust, so I took it to the jewellers and had it fixed up and back to working.”
A truly genuine smile is on Nathan’s face. I m soto see ifeel a lump in my throat.
“Thanks, dad.” I can hear deep emotion in Nathan’s voice. It’s not something you hear often from him, so you know when you do he means it. Nathan puts the watch on, looking at it for a long moment.
And now it’s my turn. I really didn’t think this present through now faced with having it to give him. I feel stupid.
I don’t want it to give him now, in front of everyone. Craig knows what it is of course. It’s just Nathan is not easy to buy for, and he did brand himself with my name in Arabic. But one of the main reasons I got him this gift is because Nathan has abandonment issues.
Not that he’d ever admit it. But it goes back to his mum leaving. Stupidly, I’d never really taken it into consideration until talking to Jack. And me leaving him like I did, at that time, so soon after Sol – well even though for the right reasons, it wasn’t great for Nathan. So I got him this gift, because I want him to know how much he means to me, and that I am committed to him, everything else aside.
Everyone is looking at me expectantly. Oh God. My face is starting to heat.
Hell, why am I so nervous? I mean it’s not like I’m asking him to marry me or anything.
Craig gives me a look of encouragement.
Okay, here goes. If he hates it, thinks it’s stupid, well, it’s no big deal. I won’t be gutted at all.
Okay, well maybe just a little bit.
I reach into my jeans pocket and pull the little box out. I see his eyes widen when he sees it.