“How’s he getting her here?” We knew better than to tell Tori her party’s at her house. She would’ve flipped. I’m just hoping once we get her here and she’s having fun, she’ll forget about the fact that we didn’t spring for an actual event room at a hotel or restaurant.
“He told her he left his lucky hat here and that he couldn’t go to the party without it. Naturally, she’s pissed.”
Great. I don’t need her angry before Toby and I talk to her.
“Hey.” He reaches for me, but stops. There are people everywhere, and we can’t let anyone suspect anything before we talk to Tori. “Relax. We’re going to get through this.”
“If you say so.”
“I do.”
“Practicing for your wedding day, man?” Jeff claps Toby on the back.
“Very funny.” Toby rolls his eyes, but I can’t help thinking about Kim Kwan’s story. It took almost until her wedding day to get her friend back. I feel sick.
“Shouldn’t we get everyone to hide or something?” Jeff asks.
“Yeah. Good thinking.” Toby looks around. “Take them all into the dining room and den. Tori won’t see them from there.”
“Wait. What about all the cars outside?”
Toby smiles. “We had everyone park behind the school and walk. Even the people who crashed caught on to the plan. We’re all good.”
We’re so far from good. Maybe the cars were out of sight, but they aren’t what’s going to ruin Tori’s birthday. Toby and I are.
He ushers me with the rest of the group. We take a spot in the dining room, right by the door so we’ll be the first ones Tori sees. Toby whispers in my ear, “In case I forgot to tell you, you look amazing.”
“Oh no.”
“What? Do you not like being complimented on how you look?”
“No. I mean, I do. It’s just that I forgot your present and Tori’s in my car.”
“Don’t sweat it. You can get it later.”
The front door jiggles, and Toby presses a finger to my lips. I turn toward the door, wanting to see the happy expression on my best friend’s face before I tell her how I betrayed her. She opens the door and flicks on the light.
“Just find it quickly because I can’t be late to my own—”
“Surprise!” Jeff leads the group out of the den and into the living room. The rest of us follow. So much for Tori seeing Toby and me first.
She stumbles backward for a second, scanning the crowd. I’m waiting for the yelling to begin. The questions about why the party is here of all places. But instead, she smiles. “Becca Daniels, where the hell are you?” She continues to search the crowd for me.
Toby pushes me forward. “Go on.”
I work my way through the crowd as the music starts up. Tori sees me and squeals. “How did you get so many people here? And where are all the presents?”
I don’t have the heart to tell her most of the people crashed and didn’t even have the decency to bring gifts. “Um, Toby took care of the guest list, and I’m pretty sure the gifts are upstairs.”
“Well, what did you get me?”
“I left my gift in the car.”
“Why?”
“Um, I didn’t want it to get buried under all the others.” At least that sounds believable. “Why don’t you and Ryder get something to drink and then go dance? I’ll be right back.” I rush outside, and the second the cool air hits my face, I drink it in, gasping for something to fill this ache in my chest.
I fumble with my car keys and open the trunk. Both wrapped packages stare up at me. Tori and Toby’s. They’re the two most important people in my life, outside of my parents, and I don’t think I can have them both. At least not the way I want them. I’d give anything to have Tori as my sister one day. I don’t have a sister, but being her best friend, I always felt like I sort of did. And Toby, well, he’s the kind of guy you hope you end up with. I’m not looking for that kind of commitment yet, but one day, sure. It doesn’t seem fair that things can’t turn out that way for me. That I’m most likely going to lose one or both of them along the way.
“You okay?” Toby comes outside, shutting the door behind him.
“Yeah. Just getting the presents.” I can’t give him his yet, and I can’t let him open it in front of other people either. No one would understand it.
“Want me to take them upstairs for you?”
“Sure. Well, yours anyway. I think Tori wants to wear her present.”
“How do you know she knows what you got her?”
I smile at him. Tori always knows. It’s like a shopping sixth sense. She can smell shoes and clothing from a mile away. I hand him his gift. “No peeking. Promise?”
“I promise.” He smiles and walks back inside. I give him a head start, just like I’ve gotten used to doing at the end of every fifth period. Hopefully, that will end soon.
I go inside and search for Tori. She’s in the den, sitting on Ryder’s lap and holding a drink in her hand. She laughs along with a bunch of people I’m not even sure I know. I can’t help thinking that in some bizarre alternate universe, she and Meredith would’ve made good friends. They both love attention, parties, hot guys, and loud music.
I stand in the doorway watching her. Taking in her smile and how happy she is. At least I was able to give her a party before…
“Hey, Becca, come over here,” Tori says, waving two fingers around the cup in her hand. Her eyes fall on the box in my hands, and she jumps up. “Hold this, please.” She hands Ryder her cup and runs over to me. “Gimme, gimme!” She can be such a little kid sometimes. It would be annoying on anyone else, but on her, it’s endearing.
“Aren’t you at least going to pretend you don’t know what it is?”
“Hmm, let me think about it.” She pauses for a whole two seconds. “Nope. I can’t. Give me my boots!” She kicks off her shoes and tears open the box. Even though she knows what to expect, she squeals when she pulls out the boots. She slips them on her feet and does a little spin. “How do they look?”
“Amazing. Happy birthday.” I hold my arms out to hug her, and she squeezes me tight.
“You’re the best friend I could ever ask for, Becca. I mean, this party, the boots, putting up with Toby to plan everything. I love you. You know that, right?”
I inhale a shaky breath and squeeze her tighter. “I love you too.” I don’t want to let go. I want us to stay best friends forever. I want her to understand I never meant to hurt her. But everything about this hug feels like a good-bye.
Chapter Twenty-Three
My eyes start to water, so I blink back the tears and pull away quickly. “Um, I need to go check on the cake and some other things. Catch up with you in a bit?”
She nods and prances around the den, showing off her new boots.
I rush out of the room and head to the kitchen. Like every other room downstairs, it’s packed. There are cups everywhere, and a bottle of soda is tipped over, spilling all across the counter and down the cabinet. I run for it and stand it up, grabbing a dishtowel to mop up the mess. I want to scream at the handfuls of idiots who are too self-absorbed to notice—that or they’re taking the “not my house, not my problem” attitude.
“Looks like you’re always on clean-up duty, huh, Becca?”
I turn around, wondering why on earth Meredith would show her face at this party. After the way she slammed Toby in front of half the school, I thought she’d avoid him at all costs. But looking around, this is apparently the party to be at, and Meredith, being obsessed with social standing, couldn’t miss.
“I don’t remember inviting you.”
“You didn’t. Toby did. Had you sent out the invites, no one would’ve shown up.” She smirks and reaches for a beer on the center island. No doubt Jeff provided those.
“Tori doesn’t like you. If she sees you at her party, she’s going to freak. And in case you haven’t noticed, she’s got some influence at school now. I don’t think you want that kind of negative attention brought on yourself.”
“So what, is this like a friendly warning? You’re looking out for my best interest?” Her words are laced with sarcasm.
“Not at all. I’m looking out for my best friend.”
“Best friend?” She scoffs again. I’ve never seen anyone scoff as much as she does. “I doubt she’ll be your best friend for long. Not after she finds out about—”