Invisible String

Chapter 25 -The aftermath

Veronica playfully shoved Logan's shoulder. "Yeah, don't mind him. You're killing it."

I forced a smile, trying to brush off the awkwardness. "We should probably go eat, the food's getting cold," I said, my voice casual, even though a bit of frustration was bubbling under the surface.

As we walked toward the table, Ethan leaned in close, speaking quietly so only I could hear. "He doesn't know how to handle change very well. That's all."

I gave him a quick nod, appreciating the quiet reassurance, but still, the tension from Logan lingered in the back of my mind.

At the table, I made sure to sit as far away from Logan as possible. I didn't know what was going on with him, but I didn't need his bad energy right now. So, I slid into the seat between Ethan and Veronica, the familiar warmth of their conversation a welcome distraction.

On the other side of the table, Eros and Logan seemed to be having their own conversation. Every now and then, I felt Logan's eyes on me, like a heavy weight that I could never completely shake. I pretended not to notice, focusing on the conversation at hand with Ethan and Veronica, doing my best to ignore the tension that seemed to follow me.

"I heard your birthday is coming up," I blurted out to Ethan, breaking the silence.

He glanced at me, a little surprised. "You heard right then."

Veronica leaned in, clearly interested. "What's the plan?" she asked, her tone light but curious.

Ethan grinned, clearly enjoying the attention. "Oh, my mom's planning my birthday this year. You know, she gets all into it—theme, decorations, the works." He rolled his eyes playfully. "I just show up and pretend I'm not bothered by time going on so fast."

"So dramatic..." Veronica teased, laughing. "You're turning twenty-six, not sixty."

"Hey, these creaky knees don't lie," Ethan shot back, making a face as he adjusted his posture like he was trying to avoid some imaginary ache.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "You've got years to go before you can even start complaining. Wait until you're thirty at least."

Ethan groaned dramatically, putting his hand over his heart as if I'd just hit him with the worst news imaginable. "Please, don't remind me. Thirty sounds like an abyss I'm not ready to fall into."

"Being thirty isn't that bad," I teased, grinning.

"You're only saying that because you're still a baby," he shot back, a mischievous glint in his eye.

I leaned back in my chair with a smirk. "I'm twenty-four. Only two years younger."

Ethan looked at me like I had just told him the most inconvenient truth. "Two years is a lifetime, Gen."

"Drama queen," I laughed, rolling my eyes. "You'll be fine."

Veronica joined in, grinning at Ethan's theatrics. "Seriously, though, thirty isn't that bad. It's just another number."

Ethan looked at her, his eyes wide in mock horror. "You guys are way too calm about this! Thirty means I'll have to start doing grown-up things. Like... making sure my car insurance is actually reasonable."

Veronica snorted. "You still don't have that figured out?"

Ethan dramatically rolled his eyes. "Listen, just because I like to save money on insurance by, you know, not getting the most expensive plan doesn't mean I'm irresponsible. It just means I live on the edge."

I couldn't help but laugh. "I guess you're right, thirty does come with a whole new level of 'adulting'."

"Exactly," he said, nodding seriously. "And don't even get me started on retirement plans. At this point, I'm just hoping the government's got my back, and my back doesn't give out first."