Worth Fighting For

Birthday Surprise

"Happy Birthday!!!!" My eyes fluttered opened, it took me a minute to react to my surroundings. Emma was holding a cupcake with a candle sticking out of it. I smiled sitting up on my bed grabbing Emma.

"Is this for my birthday?" I asked her. She nodded, dabbing some icing from the cupcake on to my nose making both of us laugh.

Beth came into the room holding another cupcake, "She was supposed to wait for me but someone got too excited" Beth grinned sitting at the edge of my bed. "Happy birthday baby sis" It's been three days since our little outburst with Beth and how I told her I wanted to move out. Beth had been quieter about everything and tries not to argue.

I hugged her grabbing the cupcake that Emma was holding taking a bite out of it. "Holy christ beth did you make this" Beth started blushing nodding her head. It tasted so good and had your favorite batter. I looked at the clock by my nightstand seeing the time. "Its time for someone to get ready for school" I tickled Emma making her giggle before she hopped off my bed and ran to her room.

"Are you gonna go to school?" Beth mumbled. I shook my head falling into my pillow again.

"Nah, it's my birthday ima skip out in this one let me just email my professors" Beth nodded going outside to help the kids get ready.

I bounded downstairs seeing the kids run around the home. "Emma where are your pants" Emma ran around the living room giggling around the room. "Hey if you put pants on ill give you a piece of my cupcake" Emma ran upstairs again most likely to get pants.

Beth gave me a stern look, "Oh come on it won't be that pig of a piece" Beth dropped it when Emma came downstairs wearing pants" Kenny was wearing his hockey gear on his shoulder grabbing an apple.

"Thank you, Kenny," Beth told him putting the last bag inside the lunchbox. "Come on babies daddy is outside and ready to take you to school" Beth walked out of the kitchen. You cut a piece of your cupcake putting it in Emma's bag.

"Bye!" I said bye to the kids still sitting in the kitchen. Beth came back putting pancakes in front of me. "So I was thinking, all of us should go to the mall" I took a bite of the pancakes savoring the taste. "All four of us like a girls day," Beth said yeah heading out to text Ruby while I texted Annie.

All of us entered the mall going by a couple of stores. At first, we started looking at things for the house but the more comfortable we got the more we started shopping for ourselves.

Beth got out of the dressing room twirling to show us her shirt. "Beth that looks great on you" Ruby was the first to fangirl.

"Makes you look incredible" I added.

"Makes you look hot" Annies made us laugh. Beth looked in the mirror seeing the shirt. Beth was silent but she had a hint of a smile. She's been going through so much I felt guilty for lashing out at her. I walked away looking more into the store. I checked my phone to see if I got a text from Rio but there was nothing. I haven't heard from him since our little 101 session and I didn't know what to think.

I glanced up spotting a dress, walking closer I touched the fabric feeling the softness it had. The dress was beautiful, the style, the color, and the fabric. I walked to the girls that were still by the dressing room talking.

"Hold up" I went inside putting on the dress. I smoothed the dress fixing any kinks. I walked outside showing the dress to the girls. Their mouths almost dropped which just made my blood go to my cheeks.

"Wow," They all said together.

"Really?" I told them feeling embarrassed

"It makes your eyes look incredible" The top was tight hugging my chest but the lower it got the looser it became so it could be worn as a day dress.

"Dude you look phenomenal" Annie mumbled. I went back into the dressing taking off the dress before heading to the front to pay for it. We stayed shopping for a while until we all felt exhausted and decided to go back to Beth's.

We all collapsed on her couch laughing at something Annie was saying. "Oh god im starting to feel real old" Ruby joked sitting up in the chair"

"Tell me about it" I joked getting up to grab some wine from the cabinet.

"Oh please" She fired back making all of us laugh.

"Okay, so I got some movies to watch and laugh at" Anni grabbed a bag that had movies inside of them she put in my favorite grabbing the bottle from me laying on the couch.

"Hold up I need my fuzzy socks" I shouted running to my room to get them, it'd get really cold in Beth's house at night. When I entered my room I saw a piece of paper folded in my bed. Confused I grabbed it cautiously opening it slowly.

Birthday lunch tomorrow at noon

I smiled feeling butterflies in my stomach, no texts but he sends me this. I hid the note in my nightstand before grabbing my fuzzy socks running downstairs to watch the movie.

When I woke up the next day I got dressed to go for lunch. I decided to sleep in since there were no classes that day and Rio wanted to meet up at 12 at the diner I went to last time with him. I grabbed the dress I bought yesterday putting it on. It still felt incredible on me and it just made me smile more. I grabbed the note from last night putting it in my bag before grabbing a pair of boots to match the outfit before heading out.

Beth was downstairs working on something. "Hey what you working on"

"Im planning next week for the kids" She was drinking a bottle of water as she sat on her desk. "Where are you going"

"Liam asked me out on a date" Beth looked at me giving me a half smile before saying bye.

I drove to the diner parking by the sidewalk again since the parking lot was packed. I went inside the diner no seeing Rio yet so I sat down on one of the booths and waited for him.

After a minute a lady came by offering me some coffee and asking what I wanted to eat. I told her that I was waiting for someone else so she left going to another table.

After a couple of minutes, I decided to text him. I checked my bag not finding my phone. "I always forget that freaking phone in my car" I mumbled to myself getting out of my seat and heading to my car. I opened my door grabbing my phone that was sitting on my cup holder. I slammed the door shut getting into my contacts.

I heard yelling coming from nearby, I looked up seeing what was happening. I saw a grey car racing towards me. I jumped on to the hood of my car getting out of the way of the car. The car continued going only missing me by a few feet.

"Fucking drivers dude" My body was still in a state of adrenaline it was hard to get down from that. I was walking back to the diner my hands holding my arms. I slowed my pace, looking at my surroundings. Another similar grey car passed next to me on the road. I just wanted to go home now but I dont know if I can walk past by Beth with a straight face. I did a double take noticing I saw another grey car, I thought that it was a coincidence but its the same car that almost hit me and the one that drove past me three times.

Now im sure im being followed. The windows were tinted so I couldn't see who was in the car. As I crossed the road I saw the car turn back to the road racing again towards me. I ran back to the sidewalk running to my car.

Im being followed and someone is trying to kill me.