Damage Repaired

Chapter 54

The first thing I did when I walked inside my apartment was head straight to the bathroom, where I took the world's longest, most relaxing shower. The hot water beating down on my skin felt amazing. It was as if all the tension and stress were leaving my body, disappearing into the billowing steam above. I got out feeling fresh and rejuvenated, ready to spend the remainder of my day with my favorite people, something I hadn't been able to do in four years. Not knowing what Dylan and Nathaniel had planned made it hard to find something to wear. I didn't want to be overdressed, but at the same time, I didn't want to be underdressed as well. I ended up choosing a pale blue halter top romper, which I knew Nathaniel would love solely because of the color. I had just finished spritzing myself with perfume when my phone rang.

"Emily?" I had no idea why she'd be calling; maybe to get more details on my plans. "Hey."

"Hey, so sorry to bother you."

I shook my head as if she could see me. "No worries, what's up?"

"So Matt and I kind of fucked up. We don't have a key to lock the building when we close. Rachel isn't here, and Matt forgot his at home. I would've had mine, but I left it in my car, which my sister took. Would it be too much to ask you to come back and drop your key off? I'm so sorry; I swear I wouldn't have bothered you today of all days if it wasn't important."

"It's okay, shit happens, I'll be there in ten."

"Perfect, thank you, and sorry again."

"It's fine, Emily," I assured her again before hanging up.

"Fuck," I muttered to myself. I didn't want to leave just in case Nathaniel or Dylan randomly popped up to surprise me, but I honestly didn't have a choice. Luckily, I didn't live far from the foundation, so it'd be a quick turnaround. I grabbed my purse, made sure I had the key and left.

There were more cars parked in the parking lot than usual when I arrived, which was odd. It was almost 6 PM, which meant it should've been half empty, but I didn't have time to worry about that. I was only here to drop the key off and head back home. I quickly parked in my usual spot and made my way to the building. As soon as I swung the door open, my eyes widened to what greeted me inside.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANA!!!" A chorus of people cheered loudly.

I cupped my mouth, looking around in complete and utter shock. The lobby of the foundation was completely transformed, looking significantly different than it did when I left a few hours ago. Now, there were balloons everywhere, a huge sign hanging from the ceiling that read 'Happy Birthday Ana!, and confetti scattered across the floor.

"Oh my god," I whispered, scanning the large crowd before me. All of the employees were there, including Matt and Emily, who were grinning and high-fiving each other for obviously pulling off the perfect lie to get me here. and when I looked around more, I spotted Carter, Gabby, Stella, Theo, Frank, Nonna, Ethan, Dylan, and of course, Nathaniel.

"You have no idea how hard it was to keep this a secret," Dylan squealed, running up and hugging the life out of me. "It almost killed me, but the look on your face was worth it. Happy First Birthday back with us, cupcake. Don't ever leave again."

"I won't," I promised, trying my best to hold back the fountain of tears threatening to escape. "You planned all of this?"

"As much as I'd love to take all of the credit, this was mainly his idea," Dylan nodded his head in the direction of Nathaniel, who was walking up to us, devouring me with his eyes as always. "I just perfected it."

"Not what you were expecting, huh?" Nathaniel smirked triumphantly, placing his hand on the small of my back and bringing me close to him. "You look beautiful."