My brother walked into my bed room, banging a metal spoon against a metal pot and I almost screamed at the anguish he was causing me so early in the morning.
"Please, go away." I mumbled as I turned myself over and shoved my face into a pillow, it went to waste, because he rounded the bed, banging the pot near my head now and I screamed into the pillow causing him to snort.
I felt him tap my head with the same spoon in hand and I looked up to him with a side glance.
"Happy birthday!"
"Theres nothing happy about this moment." I grumbled dryly as I sat up on the bed, putting a finger into either one of my ears and wiggling it, hoping I wasn't going to go deaf.
He did it again and I grabbed the spoon, throwing it across the room, letting it hit my cupboard doors, then drop to the floor with a loud thud.
A pregnant pause passed between us as we stared at the spoon.
"So violent woman." He mumbled as he shook his head, making his way out my bedroom. "Oh, and come downstairs your surprise is waiting for you." He sang as he left causing me to snort but get up anyway.
Inwardly I hoped it wasn't something small and stupid, not that I wouldn't appreciate it, but because I was drowsy and all I wanted to do was sleep again since i'd barely gotten any sleep last night from the excitement of today.
Very anti-climatic now.
I walked- well lugged myself downstairs till I got to the bottom, my eyes closed as I stood at there with a soft sigh, just about to open them when a body collided with mine and we went falling back, a gasp leaving my mouth as my eyes shot open and I looked to the person laying on me and my jaw dropped.
"Spencer!"
"Popi!" She screeched, hugging me and this time, even in shock, I hugged her back, both of us squealing on the floor, practically rolling from side to side.
"You're here!"
"Im here!"
"Yeah, Spencer is here can we eat now?"
✶ ✶ ✶
After we ate breakfast, Spencer and I ended up catching up in my bedroom upstairs, talking about almost everything including later today when she'd meet the twins since they had made plans for my birthday, not exactly telling me what except that i'd be very drunk by the end of the day, I assume we're going clubbing.
"Im pretty sure I have something to wear." Spencer said as she sifted through her clothes throwing it around my bedroom and I snorted as my phone beeped.
I looked to it and rolled over on my stomach on my bed I was laying on, my eyes widening when the familiar name popped onto the screen.
Rhys: Are you busy?
I was far too curious to be busy now.
Me: You actually saved my number?
His reply came almost instantly, one that made me smile.
Rhys: No, I took a lucky guess.
Me: Very accurate guess Emrhys, seems more like you'd memorized it.
"What're you giggling at?"
I looked over to Spencer and scratched a finger over the top of my eyebrow. "Uh, Rhys."
She rose a brow. "Who's Rhys?"
"Ambrose's friend."
She blinked. "Why didn't I know of Rhys?"
I shrugged. It wasn't important, was it?
"Why're you talking to your brothers friend?"
"Hey, his my friend too." I said with a little smile and she snorted at my obvious offense, "What'd he say?"
"Nothing important."
Her lips parted.
I rose a brow at her.
"What?"
"Was it something like..." She drawled with a grin, wiggling her brows and my eyes widened at her silent insinuation. "No! Of course not!" I hissed and she rose a brow. "Is he ugly?"
"Not even close, its actually kinda annoying too." I mumbled and she giggled at that. I just shrugged. "But he's not my type."
She rose a brow. "What is your type?"
"Men who would actually like me back." I told her and she rolled her eyes. "Its hard not to like you Dylan."
"He doesn't like me that way, he makes it quite clear babe." I said with a little nod, looking down to my phone again to see another message.
Rhys: Good memory, are you busy or not?
Me: Never too busy for my favorite douche<3
Rhys: You make it hard to like you.
I grinned at the screen, not being able to stop myself.
Rhys: If you're not busy, come to my office.
Me: You got me a birthday present?!
Rhys: Oh. Its your birthday?
My grin fell.
Rhys: Im kidding, stop asking questions.
Me: I like asking questions.
Rhys: You know what? Just stay at home.
Me: Too late! See you in 10 minutes!
"Wait, where're you going?" Spencer asked as I rolled off the bed side and got to my feet, propping my hands on my hips.
"Rhys got me a present." I grinned a little too widely because she shot me the look, a small smile and raise of a brow which told me she was thinking awfully dirtily.
"Whats the gift Popi? Steamy office se-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" I stopped her with a narrow of my own gaze and she rolled her eyes as she got herself to the edge of the bed, "You like him."
I eye her, "Like who? Rhys?"
"Yeah, you like him." She teases as she wiggles her brows.
Definitely not. "Im in the process of getting to know Declan and Rhys knows that, plus he likes like, no one."
Literally no one.
I moved away as I slipped my shoes on my feet. "I'll be back in a few!"
"Why couldn't he just come here?"
"Its two in the evening on a Friday Spence."
"Clearly he wasn't too busy for you girl." She teased and I rolled my eyes with a smile, knowing she wouldn't let this go but I knew the truth, it really didn't mean much, I was always at the office on Fridays anyway.
"I can stay if you want me too, my brother can bring whatever it is after work."
"Oh no do go, I just was curious to see how he looked to be honest."
"Uh... search him or something, I guess."
"Last name?"
"I was just kidding." I deadpanned as I opened my bedroom door, sending her a pointed look which she responded to with her own.
Seriously? She really wouldn't let this rest.
I sighed, "Rhys Blackburn."
She gasped before saying, "Thats so hot."
"Shut up my brother could hear you."
"He's at work."
"Paranoia." I mumbled, blowing her a kiss as I closed the door behind me and made my way to my car, a little too excited to see Rhys and I realized that as soon as I got into the building, and out the elevator.
I really needed to dial it down.
"Hi Mikel." I said, inwardly cringing at his name but he was nice enough to wave at me. "Blackburn?"
I nodded. "Who else?"
He snorted.
"He's with someone right now, b-"
Just then a woman walked out the large double doors and I blinked when she'd barely closed it behind her leaving the one slightly ajar.
"See you Mikel."
He nodded over at her and I blinked, eyeing her golden strands of hair up in an intricately styled bun as well as her dark green eyes which contrasted beautifully.
"Who's she?" I asked without thinking, my gaze following her and he snorted. "Like i'd know, she just comes to work."
"So she works here?" I turn to him again.
He nods.
"In this department?"
He nodded again.
"Oh, so why was she inside there?" I asked him softly and he shrugged, "I've only been here for a few weeks Calliope."
"Hey you remembered my name!" I grinned over at him and he grinned back, "You remembered mine too, its the least I could do, like- the bare minimum."
With a little chuckle I walked back to the door. "Well it means a lot to me so thank you."
"No problem, Calliope."
I walked over to the door, opening it wider and then closing it behind before I looked ahead, looking to see Rhys on his phone.
"Are you done flirting with my employees Calli?" He asked me with what I could've mistaken as an awfully bitter tone and I flushed. "I was not flirting."
He just hummed and I rolled my eyes, walking over to the seats ahead. "So who was that?"
He looked to me with a raise of his brow, "Who?"
"That woman, she was pretty." I stated as I sat down.
"She works for me."
"Whats her name?"
He blinked. "You ask a lot of questions Calli."
I blinked back.
A second passed before I cleared the air with a new topic of interest, "So you called me here?"
"I remember telling you to stay at home."
I grinned. "You can't keep me away Mr Blackburn."
"Yeah, you're like a mosquito Ms Sweeney."
My grin fell and I rolled my eyes as he smirked. "Thats nonsense and rude."
"I don't have the track record of being a particularly nice person."
"Thats awful."
He snorted as he picked something up, setting a box down in front of me and I blinked.
"Happy birthday."
My cheeks burned and out of a nervous whim, I spoke, "Hoping its a new vibrator." I joked.
He coughed, clearing his throat and my eyes widened when I'd realized i'd said that aloud. "I mean- not- I mean-"
Fuck.
"I'll just act like I didn't hear it." He helped me out and I nodded. "Thank you." I spoke softly, wanting to slam my head in as I slipped a finger over the ribbon, immediately my lips parted when I saw the color.
It was also my exact eye color.
"You're more observant than you lead on." I joked as I undid the bow and opened the box top, looking to the cupcake inside.
The same damned cupcake flavor as the one he'd never eaten, vanilla almond with the Nutella center.
I couldn't help my smile that melted into a soft giggle as I took it out, turning the box over I looked to the lid, his ink black cursive writing causing my smile to form a grin.
It said from Emrhys, not Rhys.
And I loved it.
"Its just cake stop smiling like that."
I frowned but I just ended up smiling again.
"Can I hug you?"
He blinked. "Uh-"
I shrugged before this could get awkward.
"Never mind." I quickly said, peeling the white cupcake wrapper, just about to eat it when he stopped me.
"Hell no, if I had to blow a candle out so do you." He muttered as he opened the box lid and showed me the candle causing me to snort.
He walked around and sat beside me before he lit the candle then stuck it in causing me to snort.
"This is still idiotic." He said as he held it for me, his lips twitching into smile and I grinned up at him.
"Then why're you smiling at me."
"Because you're an idiot too."
I glared before I closed my eyes and blew the candle.
Afterwards I leaned forward and bit into it, moaning at the taste before I took it from him.
"Can you at least taste it before you knock it?" I asked him when I swallowed my piece and he blinked. "No."
"Please."
"No."
I frowned exaggeratively.
He blinked.
"I don't want it."
"It won't kill you."
"What if I poisoned you?" He challenged and I rolled my eyes.
"Then we'll both die, open up."
He snorted, letting me feed him a piece just enough to actually taste it, he just shrugged. "Its okay."
"What do you eat?"
"I just don't like sweets, i'll eat any savory Calli."
"Snails?"
He grimaced lightly. "Anything but snails."
"Horse?"
"Okay fine theres a lot of food I don't eat."
I smiled widely and shook my head, eating the other piece, and another, and another till it was finished.
Dusting my hands over my skirt which wasn't even dirty. I took the box in hand, closing it and wrapping it up again.
I wanted to keep it this way.
I stood up with it as he stood up too, smiling at him even if he didn't return it.
"Thanks."
He nodded but he definitely didn't expect me to cross the small distance between us and hug him because he stiffened beneath my touch for a second.
Till- he finally hugged me back.
His hands came around my waist and I held him closer as he did too, the scent of him invading my senses and I closed my eyes for a second to take it all in.
It felt nice to be held.
"You can let go of me now."
I snorted and leaned back down to my feet, looking up to him. "You ruined the mood."
I noticed his Adams apple bob as he slowly slid his arms out from around me. "What mood? Theres no mood."
I rolled my eyes, untangling my hands too, running my hands through my hair just for my phone to ring in my pocket.
I slipped it out, sending him a quick smile and mouthing another thank you before I left to go see Kiana, Kauai and Spencer.