Forever and Always

Chapter Two {Part 1}

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Word Count | 1,516

Kennedy leaps off the porch and over to Grey. I scan the faces, but I can't see Christian's. Wait—did he leave? Panicked, I look around again.

Above me, the sun has started to set. For a moment, I stare up at it in wonder, captivated by the warm colors. The clouds look like puffs of cotton candy, floating across the evening sky.

Suddenly, I feel a pair of hands around my waist. I spin around and find Christian standing behind me, smiling. "Hey, Sav. You look amazing." He kisses my cheek softly.

"Thanks. You look great, too, I say. Try perfect.

He laughs. "Thanks. Oh, and you reminded me of something." He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a small box. "Here. I want you to open this now."

"Now?"

"Now," he repeats.

I take the present, carefully peeling back the paper to reveal a black box. It's perfect for jewelry, and I hold my breath as I lift the lid.

Inside, sitting on a white pillow, is a necklace. It's beautiful; a smooth gold chain with a green stone in the center. My heart skips a beat. "This is . . . for me?"

"Yeah." He looks suddenly shy. "Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful," I say, looking up at him. "I love it."

"Here, let me put it on you," he says, gently lifting the necklace from the box. I turn around, lifting my hair up. I can feel his warm breath on my neck as he carefully fastens the necklace, his hands brushing my skin."There."

I let my hair fall down again as I turn to him, beaming.

"Thank you." I wrap my arms around his neck, and he holds me tight. After a moment, I reluctantly pull back. "We should go to dinner."

Christian nods, taking my hand. "I'm glad you like it; I got it to match your eyes," he explains. "Green, because that's your eye color of course, and gold for the gold flecks."

"That's so sweet," I say, reaching up to kiss his cheek. "And it's awesome, too."

"Speaking of awesome, look at the cake," he says, pointing to the dessert table. I follow his hand, and gasp.

The cake is a masterpiece. Three layers piled high with white, it has gold frosting dripping down the side of each layer, and pastel pink frosting flowers around the base of the layers.

I can't stop staring at it. It looks so smooth and flawless, it's hard to believe it's real. "It's amazing," I breathe.

"Jackson really outdid himself this year," Christian says, shaking his head. "He's going to have a lot to live up to next year."

The pizza is delicious, topped with crispy bacon bits and juicy chunks of pineapple, buried under mounds of cheese. The boys thought of everything, even fruit and veggies on the side. I load my plate up with strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries,

I also slip pizza underneath the table to the dogs, so Pepper, Joshua and Kota spend most of the meal crowding at my feet, and at Kennedy's, since she feeds them too.

Before the cake is cut, everyone sings "Happy Birthday". My mouth waters as I watch the cake, dreaming of what's underneath the frosting.

If I thought the cake looked amazing, it tastes even better. The red velvet is possibly the best thing I've ever eaten; soft, sweet, and chewy, with a bright red inside, and the frosting is to die for, so smooth and creamy. It's our family recipe, and the best you'll ever eat in your life, I swear.