Status: Complete: Possible re-write/re-post
Two Roads Split Off From Here
Birthday Wishes?
Chapter Thirteen: Birthday Wishes?
Fall had rolled around, and I was about halfway through first semester of college. It was tough balancing homework with work, but I managed. There were days I was crabby at work, or I would fall asleep in class, but it never happened often. I had moved out and got my own apartment. It wasn’t the greatest, but I was living on my own, plus it was close to work and to school. I was also excited for Thanksgiving break, and I was sleeping in. Although, with Matt sleeping over, that was hard.
“Morning, birthday girl,” he whispered in my ear.
I groaned. “Lemme sleep for about eight more hours.”
“Lisa, you’re twenty today. You gotta celebrate it.”
“Gimme eight more hours.”
He jumped on me and tried to hug me.
“Come on. Get up, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease?”
I grumbled and pushed the covers off. I sat up and looked at Matt.
“Okay, I’m up.”
“Yay!” He tackled me back down and hugged me.
I sighed, and found his face. I stared into his eyes again and kissed him. His eyes were one of his best features. Those blue eyes. I was right though. He would grow up into a good looking guy. Blue eyes, brought out by jet black hair. To top it off, he had gotten a couple of tattoos.
“Come on, I made breakfast,” he said.
“Oh no. I’m afraid,” I said as I got up.
I followed him out and surprisingly, he made a good breakfast. Eggs, pancakes, bacon, and hash browns. The kitchen was also clean. We ate, then I went to go shower and dress. I got dressed in a pair of ripped blue jeans, and one of my baggy black hoodies.
“Did you talk to your mom about tonight?” I asked.
“She’s not doing anything.”
“I guess we’re going to my house. My mom makes the best turkey anyways.”
“I agree. My mom always burns it, or there was that one year she undercooked it and we all got food poisoning.”
“I remember that, because you gave some to me too. I missed two days of school because I couldn’t take two steps out of the bathroom.”
“Wait, I got one more thing.” He got up and walked towards the bedroom.
He came out a moment later, holding a small black box. I eyed it, shocked.
“Happy birthday, baby.” He opened it and I saw a silver diamond ring. It had my birthstone in the middle, and two small diamonds on each side of it.
“Matt, it’s beautiful. What’s it for?”
“You. I want you to promise me that we can be together forever.” He took my hand.
“Yes, Matt. We’ll always be together.” I let him put the ring on my finger.
I leaned and hugged him. He hugged me back. Then we cuddled on the couch and watched a movie. Around one, we left to go to my mom’s house for Thanksgiving. When we walked in the door, I was showered with happy birthday wishes, and hugs by family members. We all talked and ate. Matt leaned over a couple times and kept whispering in my ear.
“What do you say I give you the ultimate birthday present tonight?”
I shook my head at him. “Marriage,” I whispered back.
He frowned, and the third time he did it, he went upstairs. I followed him to my old room.
“Lisa, please?”
“Matt, we went over this already. Why can’t you respect my decision?”
“I don’t know. I want to, but I just can’t help myself sometimes.”
“Yes, I know you’re a horn-dog. If you can’t respect my decision, why don’t you go find some slut who’ll sleep with you in the snap of a finger.”
“You know what? Maybe I will.” He stormed out of the room, and I heard a door slam, followed by complete silence.
I just stared at the empty doorway. We just broke up. I sat on the bed in shock. A few hours ago we promised each other we'd be together forever. It's a curse. My mom came in a minute later.
“What happened?”
“Mom, he wants me to sleep with him, but he doesn’t understand I want to wait until marriage.”
“Oh, Lisa.”
“Mom, we’ve been great friends for so long, and now, I just feel it all slipping away.”
“Come here,” she said, pulling me into a hug. “Don’t worry. If he can’t respect that and love you for who you are, then you don’t deserve him.”
“You’re right, mom. I’m gonna go home.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll pack up some leftovers for you. We never got to your cake.”
“Sorry. I just wanna go home.”
She nodded and walked out. I snuck downstairs and around to go out the back door so I could to avoid family member questions. I drove back to my apartment and sat on the couch with the TV on. I grabbed the ice cream out of the freezer and started eating it while watching TV. I was in the middle of a brain freeze when my phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Happy birthday, Lisa!!!” Stephanie yelled over the line.
“Aww, thanks.”
“What’s wrong?”
“We got in a fight, and I think we’re over.”
“Oh, no. I’m coming over.”
“No, don’t worry about it, I got work in the morning.”
I said bye, and went to bed. I was supposed to work with Matt tomorrow, and I wasn’t really looking forward to it.