I elbowed him, and he grinned, clearly enjoying himself. I risked a glance at Jax who, based on his smile, was having as much fun as the rest of us. At least their teasing was in good fun and not escalating into something more.
“Oh, I got you something.” Whitney held out a tiny gift bag.
I set my cake on the table and took the bag from her. Inside was a colorful beaded bracelet with two white tiles in the center. One had a C, the other had a W, for Chloe and Whitney.
“It’s a friendship bracelet,” she explained.
I slipped it onto my wrist. “I love it.”
“Really?” Her eyes widened with disbelief.
“Yes, really.” I gave her a hug. “Thank you.”
I returned to my seat, but Trent had commandeered it. He pulled me down onto his lap, which was not at all comfortable in this dress, so I settled between his legs, my back to his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my temple. I sighed with contentment, not wanting to be anywhere else in the world.
“All right, I guess that’s our sign to get lost.” Whitney laughed. “C’mon, you two.” She motioned at Jax and Wyatt. “Let’s give them a little privacy.” She gave me a conspiratorial smile and then ushered the rest of the party away.
I closed my eyes, content to lounge on this chair in Trent’s arms for as long as possible. He dragged his hands down my arms, then back up, creating a flurry of goose bumps along my skin. I snuggled closer.
“Tonight is perfect,” I said.
“I’m glad you think so.” He continued to caress my arms.
“I only wish Abby and Ellie and my other friends could have been here.” My voice held a twinge of sadness I hadn’t intended. “They would have loved this.”
Trent gently nudged me. “Sit up.”
I did and shivered. Behind me, he removed his phone from the pocket inside his suit jacket and then draped his jacket around my shoulders before guiding me back against his chest.
He opened the gallery on his phone and handed it to me. “I know it’s not the same as having them here, but I figured it was the next best thing.”
I took his phone and scrolled through the photos. All of them were of Abby, Aunt Beth, Uncle Dean, my friends. It was clear none of them knew they were having their pictures taken, but in almost every photo, they were smiling. Happy. Safe.
Tears pooled in my eyes.
And then I came to a video. With a shaky finger, I pressed play. Abby was sitting near a pool with Ellie. Both were in bikinis and sunglasses, tanned faces hidden by a large umbrella shading their table. But their voices were unmistakable.
“I can’t believe Chloe isn’t home yet,” Ellie said.
“Right?” Abby shook her head, her frizzy red hair bouncing with the motion. “It’s so weird that she suddenly decided to travel with friends for the summer.”
“Did she tell you where she was going?” Ellie asked.
“Nope.” Abby shrugged. “Last I knew, she hated it there and was coming home as soon as summer hit.”
“That’s strange.”
“Right?” Abby said again. “Have you talked to her lately?”
Ellie shook her head. “She called me a couple weeks ago, but I didn’t talk to her very long.” She frowned. “I wasn’t in a good headspace.”
My heart clenched at her words. Obviously, her parents’ divorce was still bugging her, but I was glad she was with Abby. The last thing Ellie needed was to be alone right now.
Abby and Ellie were silent for a moment, and then Ellie said, “I bet she’s having the best time. Seeing the world with all her new friends.” Ellie sighed. “I’m so jealous.”
I laughed. She was the same old optimistic Ellie, and I missed her now more than ever. I bet she and Whitney would get along great.
“She better bring us back some souvenirs,” Abby said.
And then the video ended. I wiped at stray tears and handed the phone back to Trent. “I’d told my father I was going home. To Keene Valley. I haven’t talked to Aunt Beth, so I hope Abby told her I’m traveling. But if she calls my dad…” Fear and panic swirled in my gut.
“That’s a worry for tomorrow,” Trent said, taking the phone and tossing it on the table. “I just wanted you to see that your friends and family are fine. They’re safe, and they haven’t forgotten about you.”
I did feel slightly better knowing they were all safe, but now I missed them even more, and the need to see them with my own eyes, to talk to them in person, to hug them was overwhelming. I needed to let them all know I was okay, too.
But Trent was right—those were worries for tomorrow. Tonight, I was going to enjoy what remained of my birthday. I turned so I could find his lips, and then I kissed him deeply.
Groaning, he swept his hand alongside my neck, drawing me closer. My entire body buzzed with desire, with the need to be so completely wrapped up in him the rest of the world ceased to exist.
His hand eased from my neck, over my shoulder, and down my arm before tracing the same path back up. His touch seared me, yet, somehow, it still didn’t seem like enough. My mind flashed to that night in the cabin when he’d tasted my blood, to the way I’d reacted. I wanted to feel that way again.
I broke the kiss, my body melding to his. “You said vampires drink human blood for pleasure, right? Like, because they want to and not because they have to feed?”
“Yeah… Why?”
“Have you ever done that?” My heart hammered loudly in my ears. Was I really about to do this, to suggest he drink from me?
“Once or twice.” His answers were slow, as if he were calculating how much to say. “There are some vampires who keep humans just to feed on them for pleasure. But the amount of self-control that takes…”
