Chapter 2

Saturday 23rd March, 2024.

I looked at my outfit, I had on a gorgeous teal sun dress with off the shoulder sleeves and some brown wedges. I tried to dress a little nice seeing as it's my birthday after all.

I was going to spend the day home scrolling through Tik Tok and binge eating but Kade messaged me last night asking to carry me out today. He overheard me telling someone that my birthday is today and that I didn't have any plans.

When he asked me, I felt a little "Pang" in my chest but I simply ignored it and answered him with a simple "Sure, why not." I styled my hair in a cute half up half down style and put on some gold hoops and a chain with my name on it.

I thought it would've been cute to get matching chains with my ex-boyfriend and that's how this chain came into existence. Although we aren't together anymore, I still wear it because it's pretty and the chain didn't hurt me, he did.

"Knock, knock, knock..." damn I guess Kade's here, early as usual. I looked at the time on my phone and it said 5:45pm we had agreed to meet at 6pm.

I grabbed my brown purse and my stuff and headed downstairs. I sprinted to the door because I didn't want to keep him waiting too long and when I opened the door and there he was. This beautiful man staring back at me.

He wore dark blue jeans with a dark blue suit jacket and a white shirt below and the top button was left undone, I have to admit he wore it well. I walked outside and closed the door behind me. In the glass on the door, I could see my reflection, brown curly hair with caramel skin and small doe eyes looking back at me.

I always seemed to stand out in school even as a child because of my race, my mom is black mixed with white and my dad is black mixed with Chinese. The first question people would always ask is "What are you mixed with?"

I noticed something in the corner of my eye, it was Kade in the reflection. He had a slight smile on his face which got me thinking "Why is he even here right now?" As if he had read my mind he decided to say, "Hey I didn't want you home today doing nothing so I thought why not be a good friend and carry you out."

I turned around to face him, that's when I really paid attention to his face. He had the classic jock look to him but a bit more toned down, his eyes were blue, his skin slightly tanned, his hair was blonde, straight and slicked back, it looked nice. Aside from his face his muscles showed through his jacket and jeans, they were definitely eye candy and he knew it.

Men always looking for a quick fling sighh, "You know you don't have to wear clothes 2 sizes too small for you right? I'm sure women can see your muscles through the clothes regardless." He chuckled and responded with, "Oh so that means you can see them too good, that was the plan after all."

"Now shall we get going?" He said slyly, causing me to give him a cut eye and followed him to his car.

He drives to school, home and to my house, now he's driving us to... I'm not sure where he's carrying me. All he told me was that it was going to be a surprise and to not worry about anything today. I decided to trust him with it since I had originally planned to stay home and be a bum. I'm sure whatever he has planned can't be any worse than that.

I glanced over at him driving but instead of looking away I started staring at him, he really was handsome but not overly just enough to get you hooked on him. I tranced the features of his face till I made it to his eyes but wait...why does it look like he's staring at me? Oh, shit because he is. I panicked and quickly looked away, focusing on the road ahead of us instead of the mess of a situation I had just created, "You can look at me all you want Darling, since it's your birthday I'll allow it."

Damn, why is he calling me by my last name? Curiosity got the better of me, making me ask him, "Why Darling? Why not my first name?" I could see him watching me in the corner of my eye. I just kept my focus ahead of me, "Well Olivia is a pretty name but Darling just feels right, of course if you don't like me using it then I'll stop."

I turned to look at him and said, "It's fine, keep using it if you like it so much."

I started fidgeting with my fingers while looking out the window, we were in the town well where the restaurants, malls and shops are. He parked at the side of the road and got out to open my door for me. I shot him a quick smile before we entered a restaurant.

7:05pm, once we had finished eating, I thanked him, "You chose a lovely place to eat, the ambience here is amazing and I just wanted to say thank you for all of this." While waiting for the bill to come I checked my messages on my phone, "I'll be home late tonight, sorry sweetie but Happy Birthday!" This was the first year since my mom had gotten her new job that she couldn't be home to celebrate my birthday.

Of course, I was sad and I guess Kade noticed as well. I looked up at him and smiled weakly, he looked at me worried but I just shook my head as if saying "I'm okay", or at least that I would be.

7:20pm, why is it taking so long just to get one measly bill jeez, by the time I had caught a waiter's attention it was too late, there was a group of waiters on their way to our table with a cake in their hands.

I spun around to look at Kade with a "What the hell is this?" look. I sat there shocked as the waiters rested the cake on the table with candles lit on it and started singing "Happy Birthday" to me. It was kind of embarrassing mainly because I've never had any kind of public birthday but at the same time as I looked at Kade's face while he joined the waiters in singing, I felt a tear drop.

I quickly wiped it and once the song was done, I blew out the candles. I told Kade that we should pack the cake up to go because I was already full from dinner.

We quietly made our way back to my house where he walked me to my door, "I had a really good time today and I'm not just saying that I mean it." He smiled at me and grabbed my free hand and raised it to his mouth before doing anything he looked up at me and asked, "Can I kiss you?" In that moment I felt my heart skip a beat but I just nodded my head.

He kissed my hand and said, winking at the last part, "You're too kind and beautiful to be spending your birthday home doing nothing and I'm not just saying that I meant it."

I could hear my heart in my ear, I cleared my throat and said, "Remember to work on those questions I gave you last session, if you get so much as any wrong, I'll beat you up." He let go of my hand and laughed as if I had just told some amazing joke. I squinted at him and he stopped laughing, "Okay okay, I'll be sure to do them though I don't think I mind the punishment either."

How could he say those kinds of things with a straight face jeez he's unbelievable. I turned my head away as if I was angry with him but not even a second later, he grabbed my chin and made me look at him.

His eyes were all I could see in that moment; he leaned in and kissed me on my cheek. Immediately he pulled away and said, "If only you could see how red your face is right now, you look like a tomato but a cute one."

He quickly ran off to his car and hopped in leaving me standing there like an idiot, he leaned over and said, "Cheer up, I can't kiss you anywhere else without your permission so I'll ask you next time, okay?"

Even though I felt bad I just nodded so he would hurry and leave already.

I took out my keys and opened the front door and locked it behind me. Once I was inside, I put the cake in the fridge and made my way to my room. I tossed my purse on a chair in the corner and plopped down on the bed.

"Does he take me for a fool?" I said out loud to no one, "I mean who does that kiss a girl's hand then her cheek and not kiss on her li..." I trailed off, not being able to say the word.

I mean I'm so dumb for expecting anything to begin with. He's the kid I'm tutoring why would he be interested in me of all people besides we agreed to be friends nothing more. I'm so dumb I let myself get excited again for no reason, I never change, do I, this time I can't get swept up into any kind of drama again.

8:32pm, I got up from moping and washed up for the night and changed into something more comfortable. I went downstairs to cut a piece of the cake. It tasted amazing, one of the best chocolate cakes I've tasted in my 17 years really. I took another piece and made my way to the living room. I decided to put on a Christmas movie for no specific reason.

10:00pm, I heard the front door open so I woke up and stretched. "Sweetie, what are you doing downstairs at this hour?" my mom said almost in a whisper. I smiled at her and grabbed her work bags from her, "I thought maybe I should wait for you down here, It would be easier to hear when you come in."

I could see a glint of sadness in her eyes but only for a moment once I had blinked, she was back to normal. I carried her bags upstairs to her room and dropped them in a corner of the room.

I jumped onto her bed and sat waiting for her to come in, "Olivia whose cake is this in the fridge?" I could hear her ask from the kitchen I just responded with, "It's mine mom, a friend bought it for me today."

She finally came to her room and took off her work clothes. My mom was a really beautiful woman even for being in her late forties. She and my dad had me when they were relatively old but somehow, they both manage to still look young even while nearing 50.

Her hair was in a messy bun and I could see wrinkles and eyebags starting to appear, "Mom, are you sure you don't wanna take a small vacation? I mean I know you only recently started working but maybe you should take a small break."

She let out a sigh and sat next to me on the bed, she grabbed my hands and said, "Sweetie, I would love to. It's just that things are quite hectic at work right now, maybe in a few weeks when everything's settled okay?" I looked at her and just nodded.

She proceeded to ask, "So who's the friend that bought the cake?" I chuckled and answered with, "Remember the kid I'm tutoring, he told me instead of staying home and doing nothing he wanted to carry me out for some food."

She looked at me as if saying "Ooo" with her face I just said, "It's not like that mom were just friends and besides we both need to focus on exams coming up, anyways I'm going to bed and so should you so goodnight mom." She simply said a quick "Goodnight, sweetie" back to me and I made my way to my bed.

I got under the covers and closed my eyes, the moment from when he had kissed my cheek came back to me, I just let it sit for a while as I drifted off and within a few seconds I was sound asleep. 

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