Chapter 6
1377 Words
Turning sixteen had always sounded like freedom. It was the birthday I’d waited for, the one that promised change.
A car of my own. No more squeezing into Eddy’s passenger seat while he blasted music I hated. No more begging for rides. No more putting up with Rossy and the drama she brought, especially the days she insisted I leave the front seat for her, like it was some kind of unspoken rule. In our house, Dad made it clear: your first car came on your sixteenth birthday. Chris got his at sixteen. Eddy did too. Now it was finally my turn.
But as my birthday crept closer, excitement slowly gave way to something else.
Fear settled in quietly.
I found myself wishing time would slow down. Or stop. Or at least stall for a few weeks. Every day that passed felt like it was dragging me closer to a moment I wasn’t ready for, a decision I kept pushing aside, pretending it could wait.
The night before my birthday, Ryan told me not to sleep.
“I want to be the first person to wish you,” he said over the phone. “We won’t see each other tomorrow. It’s Saturday.”
I smiled into my pillow. “You know you can be cheesy sometimes.”
“Stay awake,” he said. “Promise.”
“I promise.”
At 11:40 p.m., my phone lit up beside me.
I’m here.
I knew exactly what here meant.
A few blocks away from my house, at our usual spot. Quiet. Hidden from wandering eyes.
Everyone was asleep, so sneaking out wasn’t hard. I pulled on my hoodie, opened my window, and climbed down. My heart raced the whole time.
Ryan was smiling when I opened the car door.
“Look at you,” he said, glancing at the clock. “Sixteen in ten minutes.”
“Don’t rush me,” I laughed.
He reached into the backseat and pulled out a small cake box. Green frosting. My favorite color. Happy Birthday, Liora was written neatly across the top.
The candles made me laugh. A crooked one and a six.
“This is so cute,” I gushed.
“Just as cute as you,” he said, beaming. “Glad you like it.”
We waited together, watching the time tick closer. When it finally hit midnight, Ryan cleared his throat dramatically and started singing.
I groaned, laughing. “Please stop.”
He didn’t.
I laughed so hard my eyes watered. He lit the candles and held the cake out to me.
“Make a wish.”
I closed my eyes and did. When I opened them, he was watching me closely. I already knew the question was coming.
“What did you wish for?” he asked.
“I can’t tell you,” I replied. “It won’t come true.”
He smiled. “At least I tried.”
I fed him the first bite. He fed me the second.
“Just so you know,” he said casually, “the first bite of your birthday cake every year is mine now.”
“Noted.”
He promised to bring the cake to school on Monday so we could finish it together.
I snorted. “More like I’ll finish it alone. You don’t even like sweet things.”
“For you,” he said, “I can make exceptions.”
My cheeks warmed. Then he handed me a sketchbook.
“Gift number one. You’re running out of pages.”
I opened it slowly, smiling at how thoughtful it was.
Then came the second gift.
A pair of silver earrings, the exact pair I’d stared at weeks ago while shopping for June’s birthday. The ones I joked about buying for myself once I started my own fashion line and didn’t have to rely on my dad for everything.
Beautiful. Exactly my taste. And definitely not something my allowance could handle.
“No way,” I whispered. “Ryan… how did you–”
He leaned back, smug. “You keep forgetting who you’re dating. Let me remind you. Your boyfriend is the only Prescott heir.”
I laughed and shook my head. “You’re so humble. That’s what I love about you.”
He chuckled. “And there’s one more.”
He pulled out a waist chain with my name, Liora, etched in tiny letters.
My mind jumped to that movie we watched together, when I’d admired the lead actress’s waist chain and casually said I liked it.
I covered my mouth, laughing. “You did not.”
“I did,” he said. “And it’s my favorite gift.”
“Why?”
“Because only I get to see you wear it.”
My heart picked up pace. Ryan leaned in and kissed me slowly.
“Happy birthday,” he whispered.
When we pulled apart, he reminded me gently of my promise.
“When you’re ready to tell your parents,” he said, “message me. I’ll tell mine too. We’ll do it together.”
I nodded.
“Thank you so much for the gifts,” I said. “I love them. I don’t even know how I can top this.”
“You don’t have to,” he said easily. “Leave the spoiling to me.”
“Goodnight,” I said. “I should go before someone comes looking.”
“Okay. Enjoy your day.”
I hurried home.
I was just reaching the front door when headlights swept across the driveway.
Panic hit instantly.
Then the lights dimmed, and I let out a breath when I saw it was Chris.
I ran toward him as he stepped out of his car. He lifted me effortlessly and laughed as he turned us around.
“Happy birthday, princess.”
“Put me down,” I giggled. “I’m sixteen now.”
He grinned. “Big girl.”
I smacked his arm. He had said he wouldn’t make it home this year because college was hectic.
“You said you wouldn’t come.”
“Have I ever missed your day?” he asked.
“Never.”
“And I won’t start now.”
Then his smile faded slightly.
“I thought I saw a car driving away,” he said. “For some reason, it looked like that Prescott boy.”
My stomach flipped.
I shrugged. “Good thing our insurance covers eye doctors. You might want to use it.”
He frowned, then laughed it off. “College stress.”
If anyone in my family truly loved me, it was Chris. And I still couldn’t bring myself to tell him. That realization made the thought of telling my parents, and Eddy, feel impossible.
My birthday morning started with Eddy waking me up the only way he knew how.
“Wake up, you lucky bitch.”
I laughed as he complained, loudly, about how obvious it was every year who Dad’s favorite child was.
I understood Eddy’s mood the moment I reached the stairs. By the time I saw the car, his sulking finally made sense. Dad had definitely outdone himself.
Eddy was still going when Dad finally cut in, reminding him that being trouble-free had its perks.
“Do you know how many times your school called me?” Dad said.
Chris joined in. “When Dad isn’t around, I have to leave college for him. Don’t remind me.”
We laughed.
Breakfast was set. Mom asked what I wanted to do for my birthday. I told her I was open to surprises.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Then Dad’s phone started ringing. The moment he answered, his face changed. He said nothing and ended the call.
“What happened?” Mom asked.
“The Prescotts bought the land,” he replied. “The one for the project.”
Mom froze.
Dad started clutching his chest. Chris rushed for his medication. Mom led him upstairs to rest.
I sat there, frozen.
There was no way I could tell them now. Not ever.
What if telling them killed him?
I picked up my phone and sent the text that changed everything for me.
Me: I’m sorry, Ryan. I can’t do this. Maybe we should break up.
- Writer
