Breakaway (Beyond the Play, #2)(90)
Now, pushing the cart into the next aisle feels almost impossible. The rest? Laughable.
“He’s on his way!” Sebastian calls. “Everyone be quiet!”
I dim the lights; across the room, he gives me a thumbs up as he turns down the music. I’ve never thrown a surprise party, but once I had some time to get my head on straight this afternoon, it was fun to set up. James, now finished with the football season and on vacation, took Cooper out for the day, and meanwhile, we decorated the house, set up a full bar, and welcomed all his teammates and friends from the English department to the house. Tangerine was supremely unhappy with all the commotion, so we shut her in Izzy’s room with her toys and her favorite cat tower. I tried Seb’s slap shot earlier, and it’s exactly the sort of drink Cooper will love, a version of a whiskey smash, but with cherry and lime. I don’t think it would be a good idea to drink tonight, but I hope Cooper enjoys himself. He deserves it, especially with a dwindling number of games in the regular season to stay focused on otherwise.
The front door opens, and Cooper walks through first. “Well, he’s been good to me,” he’s saying, but the sentence dies as James turns on the lights and we all start cheering. He stands frozen for a moment—he really is surprised, which is adorable and makes my heart race in the best way—but then he laughs. “No fucking way!”
“Happy Birthday!” Sebastian shouts. “Drinks on you next time we’re at Red’s, you old bastard. Now let’s fucking party!”
He turns up the volume on the music, sending Nirvana through the speakers. Evan put together a playlist of Cooper’s favorite songs. I snuck a couple of the ones I’ve gotten him to enjoy lately, namely by my eternal favorites, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles.
Cooper pulls me into his arms and spins me around; he’s got a hand low on my back and the other on my bottom, a possessive grip that only gets more wonderful when he kisses me hard right up against the now-shut front door. I take a deep breath, enjoying his scent and the chill of the night air hanging around him. I missed him today, and when things went sideways for a moment, I wished I could have talked to him. I wasn’t about to ruin his birthday, though, and it’s for the best. I just need to stay in the moment. A shitty house party at Jordan Feinstein’s back when I thought sneaking a beer was scandalous has nothing on a surprise birthday party for my boyfriend.
I smile as his lips move against mine. “Happy Birthday, babe.”
“Did you do all this?” he asks as he glances around the room. We moved the furniture to the walls to make room for a dance floor, and thanks to all the decorations Izzy and I got earlier, the whole thing is decked out in blue-and-silver balloons and streamers. Instead of a cake, we opted for cupcakes in different flavors from the bakery in town, frosted purple and white with little edible swords stuck down the middle. Sebastian and James are planning to man the bar in the kitchen, Bex has a film camera to take pictures, and we even have a fire pit going in the back for anyone who wants a break from the inside but doesn’t want to freeze their ass off. Throw in the beer pong and darts tournaments his teammates are planning, and it ought to be Cooper’s favorite type of party.
“It was Izzy’s idea,” I admit. “For your Cooper Day. But Sebastian and I helped plan it. Bex too, and Evan and Remmy and Mia, and James helped keep you away for the day.”
He shakes his head in disbelief. “So basically everyone. This is incredible, Red. Thank you.”
I beam at him. “How does it feel to get to throw out the fake IDs?”
“Like I’m a new man.” He hugs me closer, putting his chin on top of my head and swaying us to the sound of Kurt Cobain’s voice. I listen as he greets someone, accepting birthday wishes. I press my face against his throat and ignore whoever they are.
He strokes his hand through my hair. I have it half up, half down, specifically because the other day while we were playing Super Smash Bros, he glanced over mid-race and said, “You look goddam gorgeous when your hair is like that.”
My mid-thigh, long-sleeved, baby doll-blue velvet dress has a plunge neckline I can get away with braless, making even my practically non-existent boob situation look enticing. I’m wearing the thigh-high boots that he loves and a scrap of lacy panties with tights that I am actively hoping he’ll rip, and in my purse, I have something ridiculous that will help to cross out the only other item on the list besides vaginal sex—roleplaying—and I know he’ll be into it. I’ve seen how he looks at Arwen enough times to get the hint that elf ears are a turn-on for him, and since he’s been good-natured about a version of him starring as a werewolf in the book I’m writing, I can do this. The sillier I can keep things, the looser and more relaxed I’ll feel, and I’ll need all the help I can get later.
Eventually, we break away from each other. He holds onto my hand as we weave through the party. Sebastian makes him a slap shot, and I snag a hard seltzer for myself before we meld into a group of his teammates, already engrossed in a game of darts. I chat with Evan, Victoria, and Mia while Cooper plays and wins the first game, because apparently his general athleticism applies to anything he tries. It’s also fucking sexy to watch, a fact that Victoria teases me about when it’s clear I’m not concealing my blush all that well. While he’s getting set up for another round, he tilts his head back for a kiss, and it takes every ounce of effort I have not to drag him upstairs right this second.