Love Not Lost

Chapter 18

"There goes my baaaabyyy" Shawn sung to Colby as we came back from the funnel cake line that was OD long holding two confection sugar covered strawberries funnel cakes. Usher played through the speakers making Elijah and Shawn both sang goofily in their high pitched voices drawing attention towards them as we sat down at the wooden table with the plates in our hands.

"You don't know how. Good. It. Feels to call you my girl" they sung to us while Eli wrapped his arm around my waste and Shawn's around Cole's head. I could see why they were friends since they were so silly. I laughed a ripped a piece off the golden brown funnel cake and popped it into my mouth. My eyes almost rolled to the back of my head that it was so good and they followed suit. It was around sunset and my day had been made all because of Eli. I'd usually spent my birthday with Val and Gen and we'd go out to eat or do something in the house but this year was different.

"Stop being nasty" I said in disgust as Shawn sucked the sugar off Colby's fingers. She winked at me before laughing and eating more of the funnel cake.

"You had fun today?" He asked me as we sat at the top of the Ferris wheel where we could see the whole fair and all the flashing lights of the other rides and little kids running around as well as the pinkish-purple sunset that was directly in front of us. It was like a scene out of a movie.

"Yea, thanks for today. I never really celebrate my birthday" I told him laying my head on his shoulder with his arm wrapped around me.

"My parents didn't celebrate birthdays. That's why now I go all the fuck out " he said resting his chin on my forehead before asking me to hand him my phone. Forgetting that I had turned it off, I powered it on and waited and noticed that I'd gotten hella notifications from my friends wishing me a happy birthday and missing calls from my dad.

"Damn you got the juice " he said watching my phone glitch because of all of the messages I was getting. I handed him my phone after replying to a couple a people and he took a random off guard picture of me.

"Delete that, I wasn't ready " I told him trying to snatch my phone back as the Ferris wheel began to move again.

"You look good though " he said sending it to himself while holding my arms out of reach. I rolled my eyes as the wheel came to a stop and he helped me out of the little cart and we stood to the side waiting for Shawn and Colby who were just making out the whole time.

After getting off the wheel it had gotten pretty dark and we walked hand in hand out to the gravel parking lot after he had bought us both an ice cream cone. Cole and Shawn had left right after getting off the Ferris wheel and told us that they'd catch up with us later. We got into the car and my little self was worn out.

"I'm actually kind of sleepy" I told him resting my head on the back of the seat.

"That's too bad. We're going to dinner. You can sleep afterwards " he told me but my ass was almost sleep before he finished what he was saying.
***
"Ny, wake that ass up. We here" he said to me after opening my car door. I sluggishly woke up from my short nap and yawned.

"Come on wipe the crust out ya eyes" she joked leaning against the door with his hand out for me to grab.

As we walked into the warmly lit restaurant that I had never noticed before, the smell of soul food hit me making me hungry all over again. He didn't even wait for a waiter, he just grabbed my hand and led me to the back of the restaurant making me all sorts of skeptical.

"SURPRISE!" Yelled my friends and my parents and brother as I entered the room behind Eli. I was so caught off guard since I was just out cold not even five minutes ago and I've never had this big of a celebration for my birthday. My mouth dropped to the floor seeing all of my close friends including Genesis and Valerie, Tory, Colby, Shawn and Zay.

"You really thought we forgot your birthday?" My mother gloated like she's never forgotten before. I internally rolled my eyes as she came to hug me but externally smiled and hugged her back. I took my seat between Valerie and Genesis in front of where the two tiered cake that read "happy 18th, Ny" sat. I felt kind of out of place seeing as though I'd never been in this position before. I looked over to Genesis who was staring at Miles who was occupied on his phone. She looked uneasy before noticing that I was looking at her and smiled telling me happy birthday. Her face was a little pale and it looked like she was shaking. I made a mental note before looking over at Elijah who was having a good ole conversation with my father. I was really confused at the fact that they were speaking to each other at all.

I walked over to them to at least find out a little bit of what he was saying to Eli. Only God knew the awful things he'd probably told him.

"Oh here's my baby girl" my father said opening his arms up to hug me. I looked over at Eli while hugging my dad before he began to speak.

"I was just telling Mr.Elijah here how nice it was that he put all this together. He's a genuine guy." He said shaking his hand. I nodded skeptically. 

"Did you know He's a-" my dad started before Eli cleared his throat loudly obviously trying to cut his sentence short. As I was going to ask what he's was able to say, Gen excused herself from the room and almost ran out with Valerie following behind her. A look of confusion washed over my face as me and Tory looked at each other at the same time, thinking what I was thinking.

*

Another update for you guys. I feel like it's a little ALL over the place but it will due for now. In this book the pace is a little slow and I set it up this way so that the anticipation will build and the big things that pop up will be more exciting. I want to engage you guys with detailed writing and I understand that for some of you it's kind of boring right now. So what I plan to do is write a completely different book that has a faster pace in it, a lot of action, twists and turns in the storyline for those of you who are getting bored. If not, continue reading this one.

On another note... 600 reads?!? OK OK WE GETTING THERE. I'm really appreciative for you guys reading and enjoying the story enough to continue reading, voting, and comment so keep em coming. And update will be coming soon

~M🤘🏾