Purposefully Coincidental ✓

15. D W

Leo

May twenty-seventh marks the day that my favorite cousin and best friend came into this earth. Today she turns twenty nine. One more year before her 'roaring twenties' come to an end—can you tell I watched The Great Gatsby yesterday?

A few days ago, Nicole made a deal with her dad. When she turns thirty, she has to work for him alongside Mateo. So no more traveling whenever she sees fit. No more 'freedom', as she said.

She got her real estate license a few years back to prove to her dad she can do it, but is choosing not to. But apparently she and her dad got into a heated argument last week and she ended up saying she'll work for him when she turns thirty and he took her word for it.

"Happy birthday to me." Nicole enters the club and wishes herself a happy birthday in a dead tone.

"Someone hates their birthday." Izzy teases.

"Just this one." Nic answers.

The dance floor of club Lusso is empty beside all of my cousins and their partners. We've put up a few balloons for her. Mostly to spite her because she hates balloons. No one knows the reason besides me. My fearless friend isn't afraid of much, but one thing; clowns. And clowns use balloons as a prop so she associates them with clowns.

She nears me at the counter while I'm making a drink for myself. She's wearing a beige dress that's loose around her body and it reaches past her knees. Her hair is curly and untamed around her face. Her blue-green eyes glare in my direction and I grin.

"Ugh." She grumbles, resting her elbow on my shoulder.

"I heard being too happy brings bad luck." I hand her a shot and she tips it back without flinching.

"Funny." She deadpans. She lifts the hem of her dress a little and grabs a joint and a lighter from a little bag strapped around her thigh.

Before she lights up the cig, I take it from her and crumple it in my hand before throwing it in the sink.

She gapes at me, her eyes switching between my face and the ruined weed.

"Hey!" She points at it. "That's perfectly good weed."

"Not anymore." I cross my arms across my chest.

Her eyes narrow at me. "You're lucky I love you, otherwise I would've decked you in the face."

I smirk, raising an eyebrow. "I'd like to see you try."

Just like I knew she would, she raises her hand and swings at me. I stop her fist with a palm.

Shaking my head disapprovingly, I tsk. "Pathetic."

"Whatever." She rolls her eyes, steals my drink, and goes to sit on the couch.

I don't mind her smoking, but I don't want her to be high when we're throwing her a little something for her birthday.

There are four lightweight couches in total. Each couple is occupying one—Luca and Izzy, Antonio and Sara and Mateo and Carina. Nic is sitting on the last one with her feet sprawled. I go to her, lift her feet and sit in their place before placing her feet on my lap again.

She wiggles her toes and when I glance at her; she says. "Massage please. It's my birthday, after all."

I chuckle and start kneading.

Nicole and I couldn't be more opposite than we are. She hates routines and schedules and I love them. She does what she pleases without thinking things through, but I'm not like that.

Despite that, we're the closest to each other out of my cousins. She's closer to me than her brother.

"So, where are you headed for your birthday this time?" Luca asks, his girlfriend in a similar position as Nicole, her feet perched on his lap. Only difference is that his arms travel all the way up her thighs, to dangerous territory, then back to her feet.