* * *
I’d no sooner foundmy footing about being back at Rowan’s than I was struck speechless again. The guys had bought me birthday presents, and they were strewn all over the bed that I’d slept in two nights earlier.
“What did you guys do?” I could hardly believe what I saw.
Rowan cleared his throat. “We bought a bunch, then when you got hurt, we bought a bunch more. Maybe overboard, but we just wanted to spoil you. A lot.”
Tanner walked over to me, handing me the book he’d read to me last night. “This is one of them. I didn’t wrap it because I used it.”
I brought it to my chest to hold on to it. “I’ll never forget it. I’ve read Gatsby many times. I love it. I loved it even more when you were reading it to me.”
His cheeks brightened a little bit pink. “I loved it too.”
“Open the others.” Ace brushed against me. “See what we got you.”
Griffin met my gaze. “I hope you like what we picked. Just things we thought you might like, want, or need. You’ve already seen the cupcakes, but we’ll cook you dinner too, if you’re feeling up for food.”
Someone cleared their throat, and we turned around almost all at once. One of the older servants stood there. “Your fathers need you now.”
Rowan held up his hand. “We’re going to need a few minutes.”
“Sir.” She sighed. “They said very specifically now or there would be a huge problem.”
All of the joy in the room fled. A muscle visibly ticked in Rowan’s jaw. He rubbed at it. “Okay, be right there.” The woman turned and fled. “Maci…I am so—”
“I think she is probably sick of our sorry,” Griffin interrupted him. “She gets it. We’re sorry. We suck. It’s going to be like this from now until it’s over, and then she won’t see us again. We ruined her life, and we can’t even give her birthday presents the day she is released from the hospital, where the nutjob who will dose us with sedatives before we get in the fucking coffins threatened to kill her. Please don’t tell her we’re sorry, because if I were Maci, it would make me want to hit us in our fucking faces.”
I reached out and took his hand in mine. He’d gotten increasingly loud as he’d hollered at Rowan, but I didn’t really think it was Rowan he was upset with. Nor was he really concerned that I was going to hit anyone in the face. He was just mad because this was life, and he had no say so in what happened to us at all. Whether Griffin liked it or not, this was fucking happening. Sometimes when the world got to be too much, what I really wished for was someone to just hold my hand.
Actually, therewassomething I wished more. I dropped his hand so I could hug him tightly. He froze for a second but quickly hugged me back. The room went quiet, and although I closed my eyes, I could feel everyone’s gaze on me.
I couldn’t make this better, but I was getting good at hugs.
* * *
They insistedI open all my presents without them there. I’d never been so overwhelmed in my whole life. I had more clothes than I’d ever owned, all different kinds, and they got my sizes right. Someone bought me earbuds, so I could listen to music with my new phone. I had four different books to read and a gift certificate to the restaurant Tanner had taken me to. They’d also baked me the cupcakes that were in the kitchen, and if I weren’t mistaken, gotten the ingredients to grill steaks and make baked potatoes.
I sank into one of the stools by the counter. How did you say thank you for all of this? How did you even begin? As I pondered that, with no answer in sight, I took a bite of one of the cupcakes. It was delicious. Who baked them? Was it Caesar? He did like to cook. Did that include baking?
Arguing the birthday presents were too much seemed really rude. If a person spent time and money getting you something, and didn’t have anything nefarious planned in the gifting, then it seemed the right thing to do to just say thank you and enjoy the gifts. But it wasn’t like I could ever reciprocate this, assuming we kept them from becoming vampires next week.
I was going to go with thank you and hope I got a chance at some point to make them feel as special as they’d made me feel.
Even if they hadn’t been here to watch me open them.
“Hey.” Ace rushed into the kitchen. “I finished fast. Passed all my tests. Helped that my father has spoken on these matters before, so I had an edge. Anyway, you’re here, in the kitchen. Can I please make those steaks I was going to make for you? Right now? It’ll be like I got to take you out, even though I didn’t get to.”
I stepped toward him. “Ace, I don’t know how to say thank you for those gifts. I really don’t.”
He hugged me, and I wrapped my arms around him. “This is thanks enough. Okay? I wanted to hug you all day after I saw you hug Griffin. Not jealous, just wanted one of my own.”
I smiled against his chest. Ace did like to speak his truth and not worry about how it came out. That was amazing about him. Most people were guarded, even when we didn’t have to be.
Finally, we pulled apart, and he hustled to the fridge. “Making those steaks.”
“Thank you. Sounds great. Can I make the salad? Or the baked potato?”
He shook his head. “No. This is me. Part of my gift to you, so no. There’s something else, actually. It’s sort of a regifting.”