Tiny's Sweet Obsession

65: Laughing and Living

Tiny POV

Lily disappeared into the kitchen, and I tried following her, but Whiskey demanded a rematch. House rules state that unless you are dying, you must fulfill the rematch when asked. So, Whiskey, Tiger, Gears, Shotgun, and I sat down and played an intense game of Clue. Tiger took the first game, but I swear she cheated because there is no way in hell she knew the who, what, and where in four rounds!

After five minutes of intense arguing, I demanded a rematch, and this time, all eyes were on Tiger. There is no way Tiger can cheat this time. Shotgun caught her trying to see his notepad and said we had to restart, which was fine because I knew Gears already had the answers.

I could hear beautiful laughter from the couch and saw my Sunshine laughing with the other Old Ladies and their babies. Seeing her fit in with my family seamlessly was a picture I would never tire of seeing.

Gears shuffled the cards, and we reset the board for another game. This time, everyone abided by the rules, and it took us a while to get through the round, and Tiger won, fair and square once again. Sunshine disappeared into the kitchen as Shotgun dealt the cards for the last game. The third game was mine to win, and after three rounds, I was confident I had the answers and went for it.

"Mrs. Scarlet in the Lounge with the knife. Take that!" I said, throwing down the cards, and I could see Tiger's eye twitching.

"How?! It's been three rounds!" she yelled.

"Dude, how the fuck did you get that so quickly?" Gears pressed.

"This is why I never play with you guys," Shotgun said, shaking his head.

Tiger got up and went to the kitchen, and I was about to follow, but Whiskey told me as the winner, I had to help clean up.

He's up to something.

The others talked about finding a new game to play since it was becoming "too easy," but Gears argued that wasn't the point. I suggested Uno but gained a collective "no!" from everyone. Then again, the last time we played Uno, we broke furniture and bones. Not our finest moment, and since then, Killer banned the game from the clubhouse.

We put the game away, and I headed to the kitchen, but Ginger called me over, saying Ellie wanted to show me something. Ginger knows I love kids and want my own, eventually. Hanging out with Ellie and their little family has allowed me to see what a healthy family looks like.

"How did last night go?" Ginger asked, referring to my gift.

"Lily hasn't given me an answer, but I'm hopeful," I replied.

"You and I both know Lily isn't going anywhere. You are both young, and it's okay to take your time. Lord knows no one else around here did," she laughed.

After twenty minutes, Sunshine and Tiger sat on the couch. "I think it's time for presents!" Tiger shouted, and my eyes snapped to Sunshine, who sunk further into the sofa, hoping we would all forget today was about her. However, the Phoenix Riders go all-out for the ones we love, and this is the first eighteenth birthday we have celebrated, so we were all excited.

Presents piled high on the table and overflowed onto the floor. Everyone gathered around, and as Tiger sat on the couch, I could see the dark circles under her eyes and her hands fidgeted. With her brother and husband still gone, she was hanging on by a thread.

"Hey," I said, leaning over the back of the couch, and Tiger gave a half-hearted smile. "They'll be home soon, but if you can't sleep again, come find me, and I'll keep you company."

"No, no. You have a woman now, and it's her birthday. If anything, I'll sleep at Ginger's house. The last thing I want is to hear the two of you...you know," she wiggled her eyebrows and laughed.

Rolling my eyes, I rounded the couch and tugged Lily into the armchair by the present and onto my lap. Everyone gathered around, and Gears started handing Lily her presents. The first was his, which consisted of a new pair of Ugg slippers and a fancy water bottle she raved about in purple, of course.

Soon, a mountain of opened gifts sat at our feet, and Lily cried multiple times. Hawk went all out on the tech, giving Lily a MacBook Air, headphones, and a portable phone charger, which triggered her tears. The next set came from the girls who gave her a tissue box filled with money and gift cards, including to Sur la Table, promising a shopping spree as soon as Kayla felt well enough. Plus many, many more from the brothers. 

"There's one last gift from me," I winked, and Gears cleared his throat. "And Gears," I rolled my eyes.

"But you guys already got me a gift!" Sunshine exclaimed.

Laughing, I helped Lily stand and stood behind her, covering her eyes, wanting it to be a surprise.

"Trust me," I mumbled into her hair, and I could feel her relax.

I waited until everyone was outside before Lily and I followed behind, still covering her eyes. Outside, my Rider family gathered around. My family accepted Lily and me with open arms and now are here to celebrate who she is.

Gears nodded, and I stood in front of Sunshine, blocking her present from her sight, and let her eyes adjust to the sunlight.

"You ready?" I asked.

Lily nodded, and I kissed her nose before stepping away, and tears sprang to her eyes.

Gears and I scoured the internet for the safest, most reliable, yet realistic car for Lily. We found one and modified it by adding a tracking chip, bullet-proof tinted glass to all the windows and our tech system. All standard for any Rider vehicle, especially the women, but Lily didn't need to know that.

Gears and I considered wrapping it in her favorite color, but we decided it would identify Lily as a Rider. So we settled on black and added purple accents inside.

Now that I have Sunshine, I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe and happy. Today, I can see my future with Lily, and I am beyond excited about our future.