Say you love me

Thirty

KAIDEN POV

Chapter name: blurry vision

Your eighteenth birthday is supposed to be remarkable. Unless it falls on a day of giving. My birthday falls on Thanksgiving. How unlucky. I was not too fond of my birthday landing on holiday when I was younger. Instead of celebrating me, they were celebrating thankfulness.

Now I'm happy that I share it with a holiday, now my birthday is usually forgotten. The day I was born, drowning in the holiday everyone feasts on.

"Please set the table; everyone will be here soon." My mom hands me a stack of glass plates. I glance towards Tivelly, who stands awkwardly in the corner of the house where we once had a dinner party. I take the dishes from my mom and step towards Tivelly.

She takes half of the plates from me and helps me place them on the table cloth. "What is a normal thanksgiving? Do you always come here? It seems more like a business thing." She says quietly, confused on why we went somewhere like this.

"It is a business thing. And we all get dragged into it." Reece steps in, speaking before me as she places food on the table.

"At least some of our friends will be here." There's a little sparkle in Tivellys eyes when she says "our friends," As if she realizes she has friends.

Aside from the business people coming with their snobby kids, we invited a few people. Case, Leo, and Chloe are our chosen guests. Tivelly spent an hour deciding between Chloe and Kate. Either the half-sister she's been dying to be with or her lifelong best friend.

"Children, children, I would like you to meet my daughter Vena." The hostess exclaims, eyeing me as her daughter steps into the room. She has sharp facial features that make her look like she would be stern, a prude. The glitter on her dark skin sparkles intensely.

"Oh and Tivelly, please walk with me to help finish preparing the dishes." The hostess grabs Tivelly's wrists before any words are spoken. Within seconds she is dragged out of the room. Vena looks at me, studying me as I place silverware on the table.

She steps closer, and Reese grabs onto my arm, "Tivelly was talking about your birthday this morning." Her words run together as if she's quickly trying to make it known that I have someone in my life.

Vena looks at Reese with irritation, glaring at her as if she's done something wrong. "I'm sorry..." Vena takes a pause, scanning my sister with disgust, "Would you be a dear and go water the flowers in the garden?" She places her long nails on Reese's shoulder, making her cringe back.

She gently picks Ven's hand off her shoulder and drops it. "I'm going to find Tive," Reese says, sending a glare towards Vena.

I silently plead with Reese not to leave me here with Vena, but she seems to ignore me and exit the room for her new favorite person.

"So... Kaiden." Vena steps forward, immediately forcing me to take a step back. As if God has set me up for failure, I fall back into a chair placed conveniently behind me. I look up, and Vena places her hand under my chin, forcing me to look up at her. Her knee is placed in between my legs, keeping me from scrambling away.

"I like you." She whispers into my ear, causing me to cringe back. "You don't know me. I need to leave." I tell her, glaring into her dark eyes.

"Is that scrawny girl your girlfriend? Give it up, Kaiden; she's too soft for you; you will only hurt her." She smirks as she tells me what I already know. My eyebrows furrow as I look towards the ground.

"Oh... I didn't realize you were busy. V-Vena, your... mom wants you." Tivelly peeks her head in through tall doors, standing in horror, misunderstanding the scene in front of her.