AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Max hums on my other side, doubtful. “No, it was good. Real good. But…”
Thad sighs. “Don’t say birthday curse.”
“The birthday curse.”
“Your birthdays are not cursed, Max.”
I chuckle lightly, having heard this before.
“It’s not just my birthdays, Thad,” Max says. “It’s yours, too. When you have a good birthday, I have a good birthday. When you have a bad birthday, well… so do I.”
“Max, stop blaming me for your shitty birthdays!”
“I’m not blaming you. But I do find it interesting that my shitty birthdays always happen about thirty-four days after your shitty birthdays.”
“It’s not my fault I’m one month older than you.”
“But this one was definitely your fault.”
I sigh. “Guys, must we rehash this one, too?”
They glare at each other.
Apparently, yes.
Yes, we must.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Max
Max’s 30th Birthday
Alas, the birthday curse continues.
I stare into my open suitcase and wonder why the hell I’m even doing this.
Why the hell did I agree to go home for my thirtieth birthday?
My mother called me two weeks ago and pleaded with me to come celebrate my birthday with her. I’m her only child. Thirty is a huge milestone.
Don’t worry about your father. I’ll make sure he behaves himself.
I haven’t seen her since we came to New York. Even before then, when my relationship with my father-slash-boss began to fall apart, I avoided visiting home whenever possible.
So, here I am. Packing my suitcase.
It’s just one day. Hell, just one afternoon. We’ll fly back to Los Angeles, suffer through a few hours of whatever my mother has planned, and then we have the rest of the night and weekend to celebrate however we want. Maybe we’ll book the best room at the LA Botsford Plaza. Have Penthouse Birthday 2.0 and break this birthday curse once and for all.
I enter the closet, aiming for my sock drawer. Sliding it open, I curse under my breath, remembering that I forgot to change my laundry load last night. All of my socks are currently sitting damp in the washer, and there’s no time to dry them before we have to leave for the airport.
I’ll borrow some of Thad’s.
I move over to his drawer next to mine, happy to see several balls all clean and rolled up. He’s already packed, so he won’t need these.
I grab two pairs, then pause, feeling something hard and fuzzy against the edge of my finger. I look closer, finding something stashed in the back of his drawer.
A small black velvet box with a silver lining.
