Picking Up the Pieces (Pieces, #2)(31)

Trevor started speaking again, but I zoned him out as I saw her. She came. When I’d mentioned the party to her, I hadn't been sure Lily would actually make it, thinking it may be too weird for her to hang out with my family and friends. She had told me she'd come, but part of me didn't want to get my hopes up. I couldn't quite figure out why I instantly felt relieved when I saw her. My shoulders dropped and my tension abated. She looks f*cking fantastic! In the five seconds it took for her to see me sitting at the bar, I had already completely taken her in: her black tights, cream silk shirt, black ankle boots, just enough makeup to accentuate her natural beauty. No wonder I'd wanted to f*ck her as soon as I’d laid eyes on her in that airport. When her eyes finally landed on me, her face lit up with a broad smile, and she started making her way toward me.

"Oh, so that's who we've been waiting for," Trevor mumbled beside me.

I cut him a quick sideways glance, which only made him chuckle. Then, I turned my attention back to Lily just in time for her to put her arms around my neck and squeeze.

"Happy birthday, old man."

"Thanks. And old my ass," I retorted with mock indignation.

She giggled and thrust a small, wrapped box at me. "Here, this is for you. Obviously."

"Awesome. I'd say you didn't have to get me anything, but I'd be lying."

She shook her head before putting that bright smile back on her face.

"Should I open it now?" I asked, unsure of what the protocol was for opening gifts once you hit thirty. I normally just tore everything open immediately, but maybe I was supposed to be more mature now that I'd entered a new decade.

"Whatever you want. It's your birthday."

"I love your attitude." I ripped the paper off of the gift and stared at it. My eyes darted to Lily, and I saw the smirk she was trying to suppress. "You got me a whistle?"

She couldn't hold back anymore and allowed the laugh she had been choking back to escape her lips. "It's a rape whistle. So that the next time you get stalked in a bar by a cougar, you can summon help."

I laughed with her. "You *. This is a horrible gift."

She wiped tears from her eyes and then reached toward me with a card in her hand. "Here's your real gift."

I snatched the envelope from her hand and tore it open, pulling out a card—something silly about getting so old my body was starting to fall apart. Yeah, right. Inside the card were small colorful slips of paper with writing and drawings on them. I examined them more closely, reading each one. Realization dawned on me slowly as I looked over them: coupons. About ten coupons that Lily had made, each promising me something different. One was redeemable for a late-night pick-up, no questions asked. Another was to be used in place of an apology. Shit, she probably should've given me more of that one. There were coupons for a free hug, for an accomplice in crime, for a corny joke when I needed a laugh. And as I sifted through them, it dawned on me what the real gift was. Her friendship. Lily was offering me another chance to be close to her. Not romantically, but still intimately. I suddenly realized why I felt such relief when she’d walked into the party. It was because she was my friend—probably my best friend—and things just weren't as good when she wasn't around. I decided in that moment that this would be enough. I wouldn't screw up with her again by trying to force things to go in a direction that we didn't both want. If friendship was what she was offering, then that's what I would take. And that was all I would take.

I sifted through my pile of coupons and handed her one.

She looked down at it before smiling sweetly at me. "Since it's your birthday, I guess I can let you slide with a free one." Then she slid her arms back around my neck and I inhaled her as I wrapped my arms around her, speechless at the gift she had given me and confident that it would be the best one I would receive this year. Especially since I was pretty sure no one else's tits would feel this good against my chest. Friends be damned, I was still human. The fact that I restrained myself from running my tongue down her neck should've spoken volumes to my dedication to our new relationship.

We broke apart before the embrace became awkward, as if there was a set amount of time a hug between friends should last. Trevor cleared his throat beside me and I wished that he had gone the hell away. "Lily, this is my good buddy Trevor. Trevor, Lily."

Trevor extended his hand toward her, and Lily shook it, but her face was cool and impassive. Huh.

"Nice to meet you, Lily. I would've spoken up sooner, but I didn't want to ruin the Hallmark moment."

"You too." Her response was clipped and she looked away from him quickly, dismissively. I stared at her strangely for a moment, but before I had time to dissect her behavior, I heard another familiar voice over my shoulder.

"There's the person I've been waiting all day to see."

I watched my father approach, wide-eyed and beaming with his arms outstretched, ready to give me a big hug. Even knowing that it wouldn't be as fulfilling as the one I got from Lily, it did always feel good to get a hug from my dad. He somehow always managed to convey so much with it: his love, his pride, his devotion. When he got closer, I moved slightly toward him to receive the embrace, but he simply pushed my arms out of his way.

"Out of my way, Max. I need to hug this pretty girl."