Fixing Her

Chapter XXXIII

I stroke my thumb over the initials that stand for our whole friendship and then pick it up from the small pillow in the box. "Can you, maybe....?"

I hold the letters forming a bracelet towards him and he smiles.

"Of course," he says and takes it from me, locking it around my left wrist. "It's time for my gift."

"No please," I beg. "Seriously, not more."

"Why?" he laughs.

"Because you've already spent so much on me."

"And? You can't say no to a gift."

He whistles once, and a guy starts walking towards us with something in his arms. I stand up a second after that Landon's on his feet and watch the guy hand over the I don't know what to Landon.

"This is not meant to be a replacement," Landon starts off with and turns to me when the guy walks away. He's scratching whatever's in his embrace. It's looks like fur. Can it be.... "You were just so attached to him and you loved him and I just thought that it'd be good for you if you'd have someone like him."

He repositions his hand and I see two black eyes pop out of the grey fur.

"You got me...," I start, not being able to finish.

"He's not a replacement. I mean, it's a she, but she's not meant to be a replacement. Just.... another friend. I named her Allison."

I feel a tear slide down from my cheek. He got me a rabbit. He got me a new friend after my first and only one was killed by my nightmare. She's not a replacement, she's just another friend.

"Oh my God," I whisper.

I look at the fluffy little rabbit and then at him, his face showing an insecurity. "Thank you so much!"

Without caring I'm crushing the rabbit (okay, I am caring), I hug his neck, my lips pressed against his cheek. He doesn't hug me back, obviously, because he's holding Allison, but when I let go, I see a smile that's crinkling his eyes a bit on his face.

I touch the soft fur of the grey little creature and he slowly hands her over to me. Her warmth against my chest reminds me of Harris.

At the sudden sound of pang pang, I look up in the sky, the source of the sound, and see Happy Birthday Hayden! being written in silver in the sky.

"You're kidding with me right now," I say laughingly.

"Dylan's idea," he says.

Of course it is. "Happy birthday."

He takes a step forward and puts his hand on my back as he leans in to put his lips on mine.

Can anyone blame me for calling this my best birthday ever?

When he lets go, a lot of people walk over to us to ask if it's any of our birthday, to which I stay silent and Landon answers, "Yeah, my girlfriend's", causing them all to congratulate his girlfriend on her birthday.

Since no one let us inside their café because of Allison, I wait for him outside the same little café as always as he walks inside to get something. People continue giving me their congrats, and the boys from the café who asked if Landon was my boyfriend  comes towards me. I swallow and stroke Allison's fur to somehow become braver when he starts talking to me.