Revenge Is Sweet

45 - Cafuné

𑁍𝚂𝚘𝚙𝚑𝚒𝚊𑁍

He lied to me. Lied straight to my face for months.

Well—okay. He didn't tell a lie, but it was still a lie. A lie of omission.

He didn't tell me it's his birthday today. He didn't say anything. I had to hear it from stupid Toby just about an hour ago when he asked what Grey and I were doing tonight to celebrate.

That jerk. It's already the end of the goddamn day! The sun is already down!

I don't even have a gift! He got me a gift when it was my birthday.

It's possible that he's just really, really embarrassed because he's old. He's twenty-three. He's basically ready to be cremated.

There's nothing I can give him for his birthday but a pie. It's the only thing I know how to make that we actually have ingredients for.

I could draw him something, but I don't have that much time. I honestly don't even know what I could draw that he'd like. I already did his car.

He's upstairs in his room, doing his own thing. Luckily, that gives me the time and privacy to bake.

I only know a couple of pie recipes, one of which I will never ever make again. Hopefully he likes apple pie. That's what he's getting.

Surprisingly, Greyson has birthday candles. But I don't know if he knows he has them. I found them in my favorite spot under the stairs.

We're lucky his grandparents apparently liked birthdays.

I let his pie cool for a while before I stick a pretty candle on top. Clem watches me, sitting on the very counter he hates her sitting on the most. The left side of the oven.

I scrunch my nose at her. "You should probably get down." I suggest. It's his birthday.

Clem stares at me with her big green eyes. I shrug her off, deciding it's just her fault if he gets mad when he gets down here.

I pick up the matchbox I found with the candles and smile to myself as I flick one across the box. Clem's eyes get wide when the tip of the match glows with a flame.

It takes a few tries, but I manage to get the candle lit. And only with five matches burning out before I can do it! It's a record, I'm sure.

Now, to get him down here.

"Greyson!" I urgently call out, holding the pie up in both hands in the middle of the kitchen.

He needs to get here quick before the candle burns out and leaves me in complete darkness again.

I turned all the lights off to give it a nice effect, but it won't work if the candle burns out before he gets here.

I grin when I hear him start hurrying down the stairs. "Yeah?" He calls back, sounding urgent too. "You okay?"

"In here!" I beckon. Just a few seconds later, he pops up in the doorway.

Greyson blinks at me, his eyes darting around to assess the kitchen. "What're you doing?" He mutters, coming further in carefully.