She smiled. “True.”
“It looks good,” I said, gesturing to her tattoo. “Paul does good work, you’ll be happy with it.”
“Thanks. Has your girlfriend seen that yet?”
“Yeah, she came up right as Paul was finishing it up.” Tossing my shirt over my shoulder, I said, “But I’m out of here. See you tomorrow, bro.” I held my fist up for Paul and he paused in his work to tap me with his elbow, keeping his gloved hands clear.
“Happy birthday, jerk-off,” he said.
I grinned. “Thanks.”
“It’s your birthday?” the girl asked.
“Yes. Twenty-first.”
“Oh, wow, happy birthday then.”
“Thanks.” I waved to Paul and everyone else on my way out, pushing the door open to the warm night air. There were ashtrays on either side of the entrance and I wrinkled my nose at the stale smoke, moving away quickly.
Pulling my shirt back on, I headed down the street toward Robin’s, checking my phone again.
Nothing.
Climbing the stairs to Robin’s apartment, I was looking forward to sliding into bed next to her and just holding her in the dark. The lap dance, if she was really serious about it, could wait until tomorrow. Exhaustion seemed to have settled into my bones and I wanted a glass of milk and sleep.
Maybe I was on edge. God knew I was always suspicious. But when I pushed the door open, which wasn’t locked, I knew instantly something was wrong. The hallway that opened to the kitchen was dark, and there were shadows on the stairs leading up to the living room. I sensed immediately someone was in the house, waiting in the dark. I could hear breathing, the slight rustle of clothes as they crouched. Tensing, I stood still, letting my eyes adjust to the lack of light. Debating whether I should go to the kitchen for a knife first, or if turning my back on whoever it was would be stupid, I calculated distance between me and the stairs.
Chances were Rory and Kylie were either down the hall or with their boyfriends. Which meant Robin was upstairs by herself and the intruder was between me and her. So I forgot about getting a knife and moved fast. Head down, I connected with a body, and there was a grunt of shock. Masculine, solid, strong, was my instant assessment. Using the element of surprise, I yanked and twisted, kicking his knees out from under him, so he tumbled to the floor with a hard thump and a curse. I landed on his chest, and I was pulling my fist back to knock him unconscious when I heard multiple voices and a girl’s shriek.
What the fuck?
The lights came on suddenly, blinding me momentarily.
Then I realized I was about to punch my cousin. I was on top of Riley and he was staring up at me, amusement on his face.
“Get off me!” he said, shoving at my chest. “And happy birthday, asshole.”
“What?” I fell back onto my heels and looked around, confused. Robin, my cousins, Jessica, Rory, and Kylie were all on the stairs and Robin was holding a sign she had painted that said, “Happy Birthday, Phoenix.”
“I don’t get it,” I said stupidly, because I didn’t get it. My heart rate was slowing back to normal. “Dude, I thought you were an intruder,” I told Riley. “I was about to beat the shit out of you.”
“I figured as much. But it was supposed to be a surprise birthday party.”
“Surprise!” Jayden yelled, raising his fists up and shaking them.
Easton was trying to climb the banister to the second floor and he said, “It’s your birthday, bitch.”
That made me laugh, breaking the tension I’d been feeling.
“Easton!” Tyler reprimanded.
Robin’s eyes were wide. “Sorry, Phoenix, I didn’t think . . . I just thought it would be fun to surprise you.”
She looked so upset I felt bad. I stood up and leaned around Easton to give her a quick kiss. “Oh, you definitely surprised me. Thanks, babe.” I reached my hand out to Riley to help him up.
“At least we know we’re safe if the house is ever broken in to,” Kylie said cheerfully. “I mean, you were basically about to rearrange Riley’s face. How awesome is that?”
“Super awesome,” Riley agreed, then rolled his eyes.
“I could hear breathing,” I told him. “No one should be breathing in the dark.”
“I have a cold,” Jayden said. “Sorry.”
“Nah, it’s cool, U,” I said, giving him a fist bump. “Thanks for coming. No one has ever given me a surprise party before. I wasn’t expecting it.”
Jayden gave me a look like I was the one who needed the short bus. “That’s why it’s a surprise.”
He had me there. “Good point, man. I stand corrected.”
Hell, I’d never had a birthday party at all, let alone a surprise birthday party. For my twentieth, I had taken Angel to Olive Garden, but she had embarrassed me by getting pissed at the waiter when he wouldn’t let her order a jack and coke. Then the bill had come, and I’d felt sick that I had spent fifty bucks on a dinner that I hadn’t even enjoyed. My nineteenth birthday I had spent in line for unemployment after I got laid off from my factory job. My sixteenth birthday had sucked because I had realized I couldn’t get a driver’s license because my mother couldn’t find my birth certificate.
This year, I’d already thought I was a thousand times ahead of the last half dozen or so birthdays.
But this?
Fucking awesome.
“We have cake upstairs,” Robin said, still clutching her sign. “Maybe we should go up.”
Jessica nudged Riley. “Phoenix really got the jump on you.”
“He did not,” my cousin protested. “Another thirty seconds I would have had him on his back.”
I doubted it, but I wouldn’t want to go a round with Riley if he were really pissed or if he was protecting his family. He could be feral. I guess that was one thing Tyler, Riley and I all had in common besides blood.
“Thanks for doing this,” I told Robin, taking her hand as we went upstairs. “This was really sweet.”
“I’m sorry,” she said with a sheepish shrug. “It was stupid to be in the dark like that. I should have known better.”
“You know what? I’m glad you don’t think the way I do. I’m always assuming the worst and you’re not. That’s a good thing.”
But it was clearly bothering her. She was quiet as we went into the living room, and I frowned. Was this too much of a clear reminder that I was a criminal? I couldn’t help it. I had grown up with dangerous drug dealers and Mom’s loser boyfriends in and out of my house. I was always looking over my shoulder and that wasn’t going to change, probably ever.
There was also no denying that I was damn uncomfortable getting presents. It was a foreign concept, and as Robin put out a tray of appetizers and Kylie tossed around cans of pop, I looked at the presents being set on the couch next to me in awe. “All these are for me, seriously?”
“Open them!” Easton demanded.
I picked the smallest one first because it seemed less intimidating. It was a SpongeBob gift bag and it looked like a drunk monkey had stuffed the tissue paper into it.
“That’s from Jayden and me,” Easton said.
“Thanks, man,” I said. “And a gift bag and everything. We’re getting to be legit, aren’t we?”
“There’s a girl in the house now,” Riley said with a shrug. “Jess thinks that crap is necessary.”
Jessica smacked his arm.
“I picked it out,” Jayden said, already cramming a handful of cheese off the tray into his mouth. I didn’t envy Riley and Tyler having to keep him in food. The guy could pack it away.
Which was evident in the gift he’d given me. It was five king-size candy bars. “Damn, thanks, guys. I’ll have my sugar fix, that’s for sure.”
Easton was reaching out like he was going to steal one of them back and Tyler swatted at his hand. “Knock it off.”
I grinned at Easton. “Dude, there’s cake, you know. Chill. And thanks.” I looked at Jayden. “Both of you.”