Sunkissed Serendipity

Chapter 57

Isla

"I feel horrible for not knowing your birthday was so soon," Julian says into the ohine for what seemed to be the umpteenth time today. I laugh again, finding his reaction humorous as I level my phone on a cup. I'm currently on the floor, trying to paint my toenails, but someone was distracting me.

"I know you do," I say, shaking my head. Moving my hair off my face and to the other side, I add, "But like I said, it's really no big deal. It's just a birthday."

Julian scoffs from my phone, and I look up to find that he has an incredulous look on his face. Running a hand through his hair, he says, "That's a lie. I bet you have been thinking about your birthday for the longest time."

"I haven't," I say, but my words are hesitant. The truth is, of course, I cared about my birthday. I was just another teenage girl needing to look forward. I did like how special it felt for it to be your birthday as well.

"Yeah, you have," Julian says, calling me out on my bluff before I can age on it. He brings the phone closer to his face, a smile increasing on his face as he asks, "So what would you like, baby?"

I laugh, shaking my head as I say, "Nothing."

"You don't want anything?" he asks again. When I look up at my phone again, I see him smirking. Wiggling his eyebrow, he says, "You have a boyfriend willing to buy you whatever you want."

"Yeah, right!" I say, laughing at how incredulous it sounds. He only grows more serious as he grows older. "Yeah. I'll buy you anything you want."

"I don't need anything," I say, laughing. "And if I did, I'd buy it myself."

"But it's just better to get it as a gift," he says, and I look away from him, focusing on the nail that wasn't cooperating. "I don't want anything for my birthday," I settle on with a shrug. "My birthday is not even that big this year."

"You've told me you've been wanting to turn seventeen for weeks," Julian cuts off, and I roll my eyes at him. He acts offended, evidently, and I roll my eyes again.

"I probably did." I amend after a while but then grow quiet. "But my birthday isn't that big this year. With my friends out of town and my parents busy with a new client they both have to deal with, it's kind of a dead zone out here."

Julian nods. "So you aren't celebrating your birthday?"

I flush from embarrassment at not having anyone on my side right now but then settle with. "I guess not."

Julian shakes his head, and I know there is a solution before he even says it. "You can come join Jack's birthday party!"

He sounds so excited, but I'm not entirely sure about the idea. It seemed a little far-fetched, and I didn't want to intrude on a family moment. "Uh, I don't think so."

"Why not?" Julian shas, his eyebrows forkwiving together in confusion.

I only give him an apologetic smile and say, "Thanks for the offer, but I am not intruding on an 11-year-old's birthday party."

Julian sighs firm at the other end, "You won't be intruding." I only focused on painting my pinky toe nail; I wasn't even sure if there was a nail on it. Julian continues, "It won't be that way."

"Yes, it will," I say, looking up from the pink nail polish. "Jack is excited for his party, so I don't want to ruin it for him."

"You most likely won't," Julian says with a nod of affirmation. I only look at him skeptically as he says, "I swear."