Hate the Player: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romantic Comedy(87)

“Oh my God, what is happening right now?” Birdie just stands there, half smiling, half confused, and maybe even a teensy bit pissed off at me.

Sounds about right. I grin.

“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” I say and turn toward her. “I just couldn’t let go of the fact that teenage Birdie’s dream of a real surprise party never came true. And while I’m more than aware that you don’t know any of these insane people, I promise they didn’t just escape from a mental institution. They’re actually my family.”

When she told me about losing her parents and her granny and how it’s basically just her and Billie now, it kind of broke my heart. Especially when I thought about what that would be like for things like Christmas and Thanksgiving.

I don’t know why, but when I realized she wouldn’t be able to spend her birthday with her sister, something inside me just felt like she needed to be surrounded by family. And my family might be crazy, but they’re good people. Kind, loving, just…the best.

I knew without a doubt they’d welcome her with open arms.

Not to mention, it also helped that my mom and Kelly are big fans of Birdie’s music.

“So, there’s no number one fan named Mary Lou?” she asks, scrunching up her nose at me.

“Technically, there is a Mary Lou. But she’s not a winner from a contest. She’s my mom.” I say with a smirk, and a shocked giggle jumps from Birdie’s lips.

“You are nuts.” She moves her eyes toward my family. “Did he force you guys into this ridiculousness?”

My mom shakes her head, a big smile brightening her lips. “We wanted to, Birdie.”

“Yeah,” my brother Lance chimes in. “You’ll find out pretty quickly that Andrew can’t force us into shit.”

I laugh. Birdie smiles.

“You’ll have to excuse my initial shock,” she adds. “Andrew told me we were at a fan’s house who had won a meet-and-greet contest.”

“Jesus Christ.” My dad bursts into laughter. “Son, sometimes I wonder how you have your mother’s and my DNA.”

“Maybe Mary Lou got frisky with the mailman, Teddy?” Uncle Tim teases. “I mean, before old man Lenny retired his mail sack, he always seemed a little off to me.”

My mom sighs and proceeds to step forward and smack my dad’s brother upside the head again. “That’s strike two, Timothy. The next inappropriate comment that comes out of your stupid mouth, you’re outta here.”

But in true Tim fashion, he just shrugs and takes a sip of the beer in his hand.

“Birdie, I’d like to officially introduce you to my awesome albeit crazy family,” I say and proceed to make the introductions. “This is my mom, Mary Lou, and my dad, Ted. My brother, Lance, and his wife, Kelly. And, unfortunately for everyone here, this is my uncle Tim.”

“His favorite uncle Tim.”

“Nope.” I shake my head. “That’s incorrect. He’s just my uncle Tim.”

Once everyone hugs Birdie and gushes over her music and celebrity for a good ten minutes, and my crazy uncle offers a few more insane comments, everyone heads into the kitchen and out onto the deck to enjoy the early taco dinner my mom prepared.

But just before Birdie can step outside, I gently grab her hand and pull her to face me.

“You good?” I ask and search her eyes.

Truthfully, when I had this idea of enlisting my family’s help to throw her a little surprise party, I thought it was brilliant. And once I told my mom about the possible plan, her excitement ensured Operation Surprise Party was full steam ahead. But now, inklings of uncertainty have started to settle into my stomach.

Was this too much? Is it weird for her that she’s here with my family?

It’s not weird for me, but I can’t be sure what’s going on inside that head of hers.

Yeah, if anything, it feels insanely right seeing her here with my family…

“What do you mean?” She tilts her head to the side, confusion visible in the depths of dark chocolate. “Of course, I’m good.”

“I mean, is this okay?” I ask. “The surprise party. Meeting my crazy fucking family…”

“Are you kidding me?” she exclaims, and a big, genuine, sweet-as-fuck smile consumes her face. “This is fantastic.”

Thank everything.

“Yeah?” All of a sudden, my heart feels like it may burst from my chest.

“Yeah.” She leans up on her tippy-toes and presses a kiss to my lips. “Thank you for making my thirteen-year-old dreams come true.”

“The pleasure was all mine, sweetheart.”

“Now, we need to get out there because I’m pretty sure your uncle Tim is trying to add some beer into the salsa, and your dad looks like he might blow a gasket.”

I laugh and gesture for her to lead the way. “Let’s do it.”

As we step out onto the deck and I watch my dad and his brother arm wrestle over a bottle of Budweiser, I don’t miss the infectious, amused laugh that escapes Birdie’s pretty lips.

And I don’t miss the way my mom goes out of her way to make Birdie comfortable.

Or the way my dad and Lance grin whenever Birdie teases me relentlessly.

This woman fits in surprisingly well with the crazy Watsons. And for some strange fucking reason, I’m really enjoying seeing her here, with my family.