I walk forward and wrap my dad up in my arms as tears sting my eyes. “I love you too,” I murmur into his chest.

  “Hey,” he scolds, taking me by the shoulders and pushing me off him. “Cut that shit out. There’s no room for your sappy, girl bullshit. Today is about celebrating.”

  My friends chuckle behind me and just when I think dad is about to reach for the handle of the front door, he shuffles me across a few steps to the internal entry for the garage.

  My heart starts pounding. Why the fuck is he going for the garage?

  This couldn’t possibly mean…?

  Dad turns the handle and swings the door open before stepping through and switching on the light.

  I peer into the garage with Noah right behind me and not a second later, a high-pitched squeal comes tearing out of me. A brand new, bright yellow Toyota Supra stares back at me with its beautiful curves and sexy lines. “HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!” I scream out before barging dad out of the way and racing towards it. I look back at dad. “Is this for me? Is this real?”

  “Yeah, Squish,” he laughs as the others make their way in. “Do you like it?”

  “Like it?” I scoff, tearing my eyes off dad to look at the car once again. “I fucking love it.”

  “Language,” dad scolds.

  Apparently, on my eighteenth birthday where I magically become an adult, my dad can still scold me for bad language. Damn, I guess some things you never grow out of.

  Noah comes to my side and starts looking over the car as dad pulls out a set of keys and throws them to me. I pluck the keys out of the sky and instantly notice the massive, diamante studded ‘H’ keyring attached to it before grinning to myself and opening the car.

  Screw school, I have a feeling I’ll be driving this all over Haven Falls today. Hell, maybe I’ll go and show it off in Broken Hill for a while too.

  Noah rips the door open and starts his interior inspection before finding the lever to pop the hood.

  I’m about to climb in when I hear Aiden whistle from beside dad, clearly appreciating the yellow beauty in front of him. “Shit, Mr. B, that must have cost you a bomb.”

  My back instantly straightens. He’s right. This car isn’t cheap and there’s no way we would have been able to afford it. “Dad,” I say, shaking my head. “Aiden’s right. This is too much.”

  Dad holds up a hand. “Don’t even think about it,” he tells me. “You deserve this car more than anyone and besides, you wouldn’t dare take this moment away from me? I feel like Oprah right now. ‘You get a car and you get a car.”

  I roll my eyes. “But…”

  “No, buts,” he says. “And before you ask, we can afford it. I’ve been saving up for this since you were twelve and I realized that the old pick up truck wasn’t going to cut it for you. You needed something with an attitude to rival your own, so here we are.”

  I laugh out, hardly able to believe what’s right in front of my eyes. “You’re fucking insane.”

  “Just because it’s your birthday doesn’t mean that I won’t ground you for the rest of your natural life,” dad warns.

  “Please,” I scoff. “Your language is worse and you know it.”

  “So?” he grumbles. “I’m a trucker. It’s in my DNA, but as for you; do what I say and not as I do. Now, a few rules,” he starts.

  I roll my eyes. This is going to be good.

  “This car is your new baby. You’re going to treat it with the utmost care and respect, if not, it’ll be mine. You’re going to abide by every road rule and be a model citizen while driving. If I hear word that some kid in a bright yellow Supra has been causing havoc on our roads, then you’re done. I know it’s a fast car and the need to test its limits are going to tempt you every single time you drive this thing, but don’t. Understood?”

  I nod.

  “Lastly,” dad adds, his eyes flicking across to Noah. “Don’t act as though I don’t know what’s going on with the kids in this town. I know all about those illegal races and this car will not be participating, under any circumstances. Got it?”

  “Yep,” I nod again as my eyes rake over the shiny, yellow, sleek lines. It would look really great on a race track and I already know that despite dad’s warning, this car will be racing on the new track once Maxen is finished with it.

  “Uhhh, Mr. B,” Tully says. “You know the races were closed down about a month ago, right?”

  Dad grunts. “And thank fuck for that.”

  Chapter 7

  “You really didn’t need to do this,” I tell Noah as we stare up at his home, so packed with bodies that people are spilling out into the front yard, each of them drunker than the last. He’s already done so much for me today. He’s treated me like an absolute princess; anything I could possibly want, I got. Not to mention, he kidnapped me from school after lunch and took me sky diving and scared the crap out of me for my birthday.

  “Spitfire,” Noah sighs, turning to me and taking my shoulders in his warm hands. “You only turn eighteen once and there was no way in hell I was about to let you pass up on this.”

  “Yeah, but…”

  “No,” he says. “You’re going to go in there, have a few drinks, shake your ass a little, and have the time of your life while Tully drags you around, talking shit,” he tells me with a grin. “Besides, it’s been ages since our last party. Mom and dad are out and I won’t stop until you’ve had the best night of your life.”

  “You know, I might have been a loner back then, but I heard about what happened at your last party. Maybe this isn’t such a great idea.”

  He pulls back slightly, giving me a strange look. “Were you not at that one?”

  “No, that was during my ‘hating myself for allowing Jackson and Kaylah to have such an effect on me’ stage.”

  “Ahhhh,” he says with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Back when you were Frankie No Friends.”

  I punch his arm. “And that’s the way I liked it until you forced your annoying self on me. I mean, how do I get rid of you? Is there a trick I haven’t worked out yet?”

  “Nope,” he says, lowering his hand around my waist and yanking me in hard against his body. “You’re stuck with me.”

  “Damn. How does one ever become so unlucky?”

  “Watch it,” he warns me. “I don’t have an issue putting you in your place on your birthday.”

  “And how do you intend to do that?”

  His lips crush down on mine, devouring me for a short moment before he pulls away all too soon. “Trust me, Spitfire. You haven’t even touched the surface of what I’m capable of doing to you.”

  Heat instantly floods me as I raise a curious brow and snake my arms around his neck. “Really, now?” I murmur, hovering my lips just in front of his, teasing him just as he’s done to me. “Even more reason not to walk into that party. I need to see how much you’ve been holding out on me.”

  “You will,” he promises, closing the gap and taking my lips in his. “As for now, you need to get that fine ass of yours inside my house and enjoy your party. I’m not having all these fuckers trash my place for you to sit out front, sulking about having all the attention on you. Get in there and enjoy yourself, though please try to refrain from taking a joint from anyone, especially douchebags like Spencer. That’s the last thing I need to worry about tonight.”

  “No, your only worry is making sure Nate and Jesse don’t turn up at this one and start a brawl like last time.”

  “Too late, those fuckers are already here.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. Tora declared you a friend and that makes you family. And I don’t really picture any of them passing up an opportunity to party with their family.”

  I smile as I get hit with the warm fuzzies deep within. “I guess you’re right,” I tell him. “What about Kaylah?”

  “You really think I’d forget to tell Kaylah about this? Besides, if Jesse is here, you know Kaylah isn’t far behind.”

  “You’re the best.”

  “And don’t you fucking forget it,” he says before turning me towards the door and hooking his arm over my shoulder. “So, tell me,” he says with a sly grin. “How do you want me to announce your grand entry? Should I get a few guys and carry you in like an Egyptian goddess or would you prefer I roll out the red carpet?”

  I nail him in the ribs. “If you do anything to embarrass me, I’m going to castrate you.”

  He looks down at me, feigning innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Shit,” I sigh, stopping by the open front door and turning to look up at those sparkling green eyes. “You’ve got something planned.”

  He shakes his head but the truth is written in the way his eyes laugh at me, glistening with excitement, and teasing me with their hidden secrets. I fucking love it. There’s only one thing in this world that could possibly top the way he makes me feel when he teases me and that’s the way he makes me feel when he shows me just how much he loves me.

  Noah doesn’t respond, just pulls me along beside him. I make myself a promise to be alert all night. Whatever he has planned is going to be big and while I can’t wait to see whatever it is, I’m also terrified of the embarrassment which will surely come with it.

  We squeeze our way through the front door and within the first two seconds, my ass has been grabbed and my tits pressed up against some dude I don’t know, though both incidents were caused by close proximity and tell me that tonight is going to be fucking awesome. It’s a real Haven Falls party.

  The music is blaring and bodies are grinding and pressing into one another. Skanks are standing on the dining table, putting on a show for the group of football players around it. People are falling out the back door and into the yard where nearly everyone either has a cigarette or joint between their fingers. It’s going to be a messy night, wild and unpredictable and that’s the kind of party that I know I’m going to love.

  As I make my way around the house, I start realizing a few things that are a complete contrast compared to the many other Haven Falls parties we’ve been to over the past few months. The main one being that all the people here, whether or not I know them personally, are all respecting Noah and Tully’s home. No one is smoking in the house, there are no crazy, drunk chicks spilling their drinks all over the carpets, things are kept tidy, and trash cans are actually being used. Though, some of that might change as the night goes on but it means that Tully and Noah can relax and enjoy it just as much as I can.

  Speaking of Tully, where the fuck is she? Tonight is her first night really seeing anyone from school after the crash, apart from the idiots who thought it was necessary to invade her space in the hospital. It’s been three weeks and while she’s mostly healed, she should really be taking it easy tonight.

  Noah drags me over to the kitchen table where it’s nearly spilling over with bottles upon bottles of alcohol and starts mixing up something that I’m sure will kill me. “Here,” he says, handing me a red Solo cup. “Try this.”

  I cautiously take the drink and give it a sniff. “Shit,” I say as it burns my nose. “What the hell did you put in this?”

  He shakes his head. “That’s for me to know and for you to find out when you’re throwing it up in the morning.”

  I push it back into his hands. “Nope. I’m not spending the rest of my weekend with my head in a toilet bowl.”

  He lets out a sigh. “What a shame,” he says making my eyes narrow on him. “I didn’t realize you were such a pussy.”

  “Excuse me?” I demand, snatching the cup back from him and downing the whole thing. I slam the cup down on the table, ignoring the burn that threatens to kill me. “The only pussy around here is you, Noah Cage.”

  “Oh, really?” he questions.

  I raise a brow as if to say ‘is that all you’ve got?’ and he instantly starts working on another. “Nuh uh,” I say, walking around to his side of the table and bumping him out of my way with my hip before taking over, only I pull out a second cup. “I’m running this show now and if I have to drink this shit, then so are you.”

  “Nah,” he says as I start mixing all sorts of shit. “I’m not drinking that.”

  “You know,” I grin. “I didn’t realize you were such a pussy.”

  “I’m no pussy.”

  “Oh, yeah,” I say showing off my award-winning sarcasm. “I completely believe you. Noah Cage is definitely no pussy.”

  He narrows his eyes on me. “Give me the fucking cup.” He steals the drink from me and I try to snatch it back, but before I have a chance, it’s already at his lips and the cup is bone dry. Noah coughs out as I howl with laughter. “Holy fuck, Henley. What is in that?”

  “I wasn’t finished,” I tell him, trying to control myself. “You took it before I could put any juice in it.”

  “Shit,” he laughs, stealing a bottle of lemonade off the table and drinking from the bottle to wash down the foul taste of whatever the hell I just gave him.

  I watch him for a second before being hit with a startling realization. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drunk,” I tell him.

  “Trust me, it ain’t good.”

  I can’t help but grin as I watch him. “Why not?”

  A brunette head pokes its way between us before a howling Tully sings out, “Because he gets messy.”

  “Fuck off,” Noah tells her as she squishes herself between us and dives for the red Solo cups.

  “How do you mean ‘messy?’” I ask as Tully makes herself busy while Noah and I start making each other another drink.

  “Well,” she starts. “The last time I can remember; he got naked and-”

  Noah grabs her and slaps a hand over her mouth, holding her to his chest like some kind of hostage. “If you keep talking, Tully, I swear, I’ll make your night a living hell.”

  She grabs his hand with her good one and yanks hard on it, clearly with every intention in the world to complete story time, only he’s far too strong, so she does what any good sister should do and slobbers all over his hand until he’s thoroughly repulsed enough to remove it. “Yuck,” he groans, ripping his hand away, only to wipe it down the side of her face.

  Tully grabs him and wipes her face off on his shirt before grinning up at him. “Either you tell the story or I will, but remember; the birthday girl gets what the birthday girl wants and it looks to me like the birthday girl really wants to know the ending of this story.”

  Noah looks up to me and I bat my eyelashes, hoping that somehow entices him to share. “Fine,” he groans with a loud huff before giving Tully a nudge to get out of his way. “But I’m telling it. You’ll probably exaggerate and make it sound worse than it actually is.”

  “I don’t think it’s possible to make it any worse.”

  “Shut up,” he groans before looking down at his feet in a show of embarrassment that I’ve never seen from him before. “So…I might have drunk just a little too much and stripped off naked before running up and down the street singing ‘I’m a Little Teapot’ while doing all the actions.”

  “Are you kidding?” I laugh.

  “And the rest,” Tully prompts.

  He lets out another huff. “And I ran around showing everyone how my junk wasn’t ‘short and stout’ and then showed them my ‘handle’ and my ‘spout’.”

  My mouth drops and I blink a few times, hell I think I even gape at him a while. “You’re lying.”

  “No,” Tully bursts out, over the moon to be the reason for her twin brother’s embarrassment. “I have it recorded on my phone.”

  She instantly digs in her pocket and pulls out her phone as I gawk at her.

  “And you’re only just showing me this now because…?”

  “Because I’d completely forgotten about it,” she laughs.

  Her brows pull down in confusion as she flicks through the videos stored on her phone. “Wait…I can’t find it.”

  A devilish grin spreads across Noah’s face. “And you never will.”

  “What?” she demands. “Did you delete it?”

  “Of course, I did,” he scoffs. “I can’t have that shit getting around, and besides, I hate you having shit on me. You’re too fucking sneaky. I can’t risk that one day you’re going to post it on your fucking Facebook page just to see how many ‘likes’ you’d get.”

  Her face goes red and she stomps her foot. “You’re such an ass. I was saving that for something special.”

  He stands a little taller and it’s as though he’s proud of himself. “Exactly my point.”

  She narrows her eyes. “Just you wait, Noah. Soon enough, you’re going to do something incredibly stupid and I’ll be right there, ready to capture every moment of it and this time, I won’t save it for later. It’ll be going straight up.”

  “In that case, would you like to see the videos I’ve got of you?”

  Within the blink of an eye, she has his phone in her hand and she’s darting away, running as though her life depends on it, barging through the dancing bodies and knocking over all sorts of shit on the way. “What videos do you have on her?" I ask as I get back to refilling his drink.

  Noah chuckles. “There are none, but watching her panic for the next few days, wondering why she can’t find them is going to be priceless.”

  I shake my head. "I’m really fucking glad I don’t have you as a brother.”

  Noah’s hand comes down on my ass as he steps into my back, lowering his lips to my neck. “Believe me, Spitfire, so am I.”

  Two hours later, Noah is wasted and it’s the best thing I’ve ever seen. Gone is his game face and bad boy persona and all that’s left is the happy guy who’s been running around causing absolute havoc with Jesse and Maxen.

  This is good for Noah as with all the alcohol running through his veins and the chance to fuck around with the boys, he hasn’t had a chance to dwell on the fact that Rivers isn’t here. Unlike me. It’s one of the only things I’ve been able to think about all night.

  Rivers should be here and it’s really getting to me that he isn’t. I mean, I kind of understand staying away out of guilt for the car accident, though he wasn’t at fault and I understand not wanting to face me for sending out the video although it’s completely unlike him, but not showing up to party with me on my eighteenth birthday…well, that’s a low blow, one we’re all feeling, especially Tully.