The Bad Boy's Secret

~Chapter thirty two~

💙~💋~👙
I never thought I would
risk the chance of
getting hurt again
but for some reason,
when I'm with you,
it all seems worth it.

-Unknown
👙~💋~💙

Having arrived at the outdoor cinema surprisingly early with bags packed full of party food, Chloe and I carefully lay out the gigantic picnic blanket and watch on as Dylan struggles with the plastic champagne flutes, frustratingly so.

"Whose idea was it to have a damn feast in the park?" he moans, throwing his head back in utter frustration when another cup is subject to the non-existent wind.

"It's your best friend's birthday. Suck it up!" counters Chloe, in no way sympathising with her visibly failing boyfriend.

His response is to simply puff out a dramatic breath before, once again, trying his luck with the plastic kitchen utensils.

"Try filling them," I suggest, passing him the bottle of sparkling lemonade. "Jess said they'll be here any minute now and the liquid will weigh them down." I add, growing increasingly nervous for reasons unknowing to me.

Aidan's birthday surprise has been planned for quite some time now and although I'm sure everything is in order, thanks to Jess and her impressive organisation skills, I can't help but feel we've missed something. The need for this day to be truly perfect has blinded any unwanted thoughts of my own Mother and simply not wanting to draw attention away from the birthday boy himself, I've failed to mention to anyone that it is indeed her birthday today too.

Anna and I had shared a brief moment earlier this morning; where in which I promised her a night of cheesy chick flicks, accompanied by the over consumption of chocolate. It's how Mom would want us to spend our evening remembering her and although a little lazy, it's perfectly fitting.

"They're here!" exclaims Chloe, interrupting my thoughts by spotting the rather large group of people currently gaining on us.

Aidan, having not the slightest clue what's going on, is blindfolded with what appears to be Hayley's scarf and surrounded by his entire family; Drew included. Being gently guided by Kyle, he continues forward, nearing his impending doom and stops just a few metres in front of me, smiling like an idiot. I'm gifted a subtle head nod from Will and quickly set about lighting the candles on his cake; each one proving rebellious against my shaking hands, though thankfully, I just about manage it. Once done and in position, the blindfold is swiftly removed from his curious eyes; their unfocused beauty zeroing in on me before anyone else. Immediately, I'm held captive by those glorious cheek dimples, deliciously on display at either end of his smile and just as I match his grin with my own rather large one, everyone's loud chants rudely interrupt us.

"Happy birthday!"

Aidan instantly snaps out of his trance and absorbs all the people surrounding him, momentarily in shock.

"Oh, wow," he smiles, slowly making eye contact with everyone. "You guys are all here." he comments, stating the obvious.

"We are and we've a great day planned for you," informs Jess, setting about gathering people together in their designated positions. "But first blow out your candles." she instructs, offering no room for compromise.