Shadows of Revenge

18. Midnight Surprises

Freen stirred at the sound of a loud knock at the door, her eyes barely adjusting to the darkness. She glanced down, realizing Becky was still fast asleep, her head resting on Freen’s chest, their bodies tangled on the couch. Freen's heart skipped a beat as the events of the night rushed back to her in a hazy blur. Her gaze shot toward the clock—12:00 AM.

"Shit," she muttered to herself. It was her birthday, and she had completely forgotten.

Another knock rattled the door, louder this time. Freen carefully shifted Becky, holding her with ease. Her muscles flexed effortlessly as she picked Becky up. Years of working out, combined with her street training, had made Freen stronger than she looked. She carried Becky to the bedroom, her mind racing between what had just happened and who could possibly be outside this late. With Becky safely tucked in bed, Freen quickly grabbed her clothes, throwing them on haphazardly before rushing to the door.

As soon as she opened it, Nam burst in with a cake in her hands. “Happy birthday, fuzzy hon!” she shouted, almost dropping the cake in excitement.

Kate was right behind her, holding bags of food and drinks. “Happy birthday, idiot!” she teased, rolling her eyes as she pushed past Nam and into the house.

Behind them, Tee and her girlfriend, Yuki, chimed in together, “Happy birthday, sweet lady!” They both grinned, holding hands as they followed the others inside.

Freen blinked, still trying to process the sudden invasion. "Thanks, guys..." she managed, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly. She gave them a nervous smile, hoping the whirlwind of emotions she had been caught up in moments earlier didn’t show.

“Alright, let’s get this party started!” Nam shouted, setting the cake down and immediately lighting the candles. The room filled with soft, glowing light as they all gathered around the table. Freen took a deep breath, grabbing the knife, just as everyone started singing.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Becky stirred from her sleep, hearing the muffled voices and laughter. Her head pounded slightly, the effects of the wine lingering. She pushed herself up groggily, the sounds becoming clearer, and her heart leaped when she realized there were people downstairs. In her half-awake state, she hurried out of bed, stumbling toward the stairs—completely forgetting she wasn’t fully dressed.

She stopped at the top of the stairs, squinting at the scene below. Nam, Kate, Tee, and Yuki were all gathered around Freen, the room filled with the glow of candles and laughter. Becky blinked in confusion, before realizing with horror that she was still only in Freen’s oversized shirt. Her eyes went wide, and without anyone noticing her, she turned on her heel and darted back into the bedroom.

Her heart raced as she quickly rummaged through the clothes on the bed, grabbing the first thing she could find. After hastily putting on some proper clothes, she took a deep breath and stepped out again, this time moving cautiously toward the noise.

By the time she reached the living room, everyone had settled down. Freen was cutting the cake, Nam still teasing her relentlessly. “So, when’s the big reveal, Freen? You keeping her hidden like some dirty little secret?” she teased, only half-joking.

Just as Becky was about to make her presence known, she froze when she spotted Yuki and Tee—together. Her jaw dropped slightly. Yuki? Her best friend? The one she used to bicker with endlessly about being in a relationship while Becky was single? And now Yuki was here… with Tee, of all people.

Before Becky could even recover from the shock, Yuki spotted her. A wicked grin spread across Yuki’s face. "Well, well, well... look who's finally awake," Yuki said, her voice dripping with mischief. "How are you doing, Becky? Had a good night's rest?" There was a teasing edge to her tone, and Becky could feel the heat rise to her face.

"Yuki..." Becky mumbled, still too stunned to form a proper response. She had known Yuki for ages, but seeing her like this, with Tee, and at Freen’s party—Freen's party, of all places—felt like too much to process at once.

Tee, catching the exchange, couldn't help but add, "Looks like it's finally your turn to be in the hot seat, Becky. What’s with all the disappearing acts? You two lovebirds sneaking off upstairs, huh?"

Becky could barely hold back a groan. This was not how she wanted to spend the morning after. "It's not like that," she started, but Yuki wasn’t about to let her off the hook so easily.

“Oh, please! Don’t pretend, Becs. After all the times you teased me about Yuki, it’s so fun to finally be on the other side of things," Tee said, smirking.

Nam clapped her hands together, making things worse. “I knew it! I knew something was up! The way you two were looking at each other earlier—don’t even try to deny it!”

"Guys, stop," Freen groaned, rubbing her temples. The teasing was relentless, but she couldn’t exactly deny anything either. Not after last night.

“C'mon Freen, give us something!" Nam prodded, clearly enjoying herself. “That mark on your neck doesn’t just show up out of nowhere!”

Freen groaned, her hand unconsciously moving to the spot where Becky had left a love bite. “Can we please move on?” she pleaded, clearly embarrassed.

Becky, realizing she had to do something to change the topic, quickly cleared her throat. “So, uh... what’s with the cake?” she asked, attempting to shift the attention. It wasn’t exactly a brilliant strategy, but it was better than standing there like a deer caught in headlights.

Nam, thankfully, took the bait and grinned. “It’s Freen’s birthday! We’re here to celebrate our favorite fuzzy-headed idiot.”

Kate chuckled, adding, “Freen may act all tough, but she loves this mushy stuff deep down.”

Freen shot them a glare, but couldn’t help the small smile forming at the corners of her lips. “I hate you all,” she muttered, though it lacked any real venom.

As the night went on, the teasing didn’t fully die down, but it became mixed with laughter, cake, and stories. Becky and Freen exchanged glances now and then, the weight of their shared secret hanging between them. Even though the night had taken a lighter turn, the undercurrent of tension from earlier still lingered, undeniable and unspoken.

Yuki, ever the mischief-maker, kept throwing Becky knowing looks, leaning over to Tee to whisper something that made her giggle. Becky sighed internally. There was no way she’d hear the end of this. But despite the teasing and embarrassment, Becky felt a strange comfort. For the first time in a long while, she didn’t feel completely out of place. She glanced over at Freen, catching her in a rare moment of quiet laughter, and Becky couldn’t help but smile to herself. Maybe, just maybe, things were finally starting to make sense.

...........