3 days later
Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm so not looking forward to it, to me it's just a normal day that I was born 18 years ago, I have no emotion towards it. I know Hero has forgotten about my birthday, I think he has ever since I told him. It's been 3 days since I've heard from him since I've spent the night with him, not a single text or call from him in the last three days. I thought about him every night for the past three days and our time together and he even appeared in some of my dreams.
I was hoping I would see him the night after I stayed with him and all the nights after that but I didn't it makes me wonder where he is and what he's doing and most of all who he's with and Brooke comes to mind. I know he said that they haven't slept together in months until that night but it bothers me that he's with her right now. Why haven't I heard from him in three days? Is he okay? I hope he is.
My head is swirling with thoughts of him right now as I try to consume my lunch. We spend the rest of evening hiking up the trail until we finally stop and get settled in. Today was tiring, it was the longest hike we've taken since we've been here. I just wanna sleep, I'm not even hungry I just wanna sleep. Kate and I make our way to our tent and both lie down staring at the ceiling.
''It's your birthday tomorrow!'' she shouts and rises from her spot and I smile at her.
''I'm gonna be the first one to tell you happy birthday, before Nelson and your mom, I'm gonna be the first'' she assures me.
I text everyone good night except for Erin and April as Erin is in the countryside and she's barely getting any service and April is on vacation with her parents and they have a strict no phone policy on their family vacations. You would think that I'm nearly to the top of the mountain in a forest that I wouldn't be getting any service but I am, it surprises me. Kate and I both exchange goodnights before she falls asleep.
I close my eyes and try to draw out the thoughts of him from my head and it works, I eventually fall asleep. I wake up in the middle of the night, it's now 12:30 and Kate is still asleep.
I turn on my spot and something nudges me in the stomach as I turn. I get up and pick up a small wrapped gift box. I rip it open and there's a note sticked on a box.
Happy birthday
~Love Hero
I open the large blue elegant box and it's a necklace inside. It's a silver necklace with two pendants joined together as one, one is a mask that looks a bit scary and joined next to it is a silver heart with a diamond cubic stone at the side of the heart. Both pendents are conjoined and they form one beautiful large pendent. There is something engraved in the heart in a really nice font.
What Lies Under The Mask is a reveal you see but not the one you bring out in me.
The words read.
My heart warms as I read the words over and over again and I can't stop smiling as I stare at it. He did remember my birthday. This is the most beautiful gift I've ever gotten, the words are so deep and touching it's hard to believe that he came up with them but then again who would've thought all those classic romance novels were his. I would've never guessed that, the most I thought he would read would be the back of a cigarette pack or something and that would only be to see how many cigarettes the back has. I take the necklace out and graze my finger on the pendents.
Does he really mean these words? They're so deep and full of meaning, does he really mean this?
I love it so much, it's beautiful no one has ever given me something like this before with deep words like this engraved in it. I hold the necklace in my hand and peep outside the tent. I silently but swiftly make my way outside the tent and stand in one place and look all around hoping to see him but there's no luck. I don't see him anywhere, I wish I would've seen him when he brought it but I didn't.
I hold the necklace in my hands and hug it against my chest.
I just wanna run in his arms and start kissing him after I thank him over and over for this gift, I love it so much. I wish he would've woken me up and tell me that he brought it but he didn't.
I make my way back inside the tent to find Kate turning on her spot.
''Happy Birthday'' she shouts and rushes up to hug me as I hide the necklace and wrapping paper and jewellery box along with the note under the sheets. I hug her back and thank her.
''Oh shoot it's after midnight, I was supposed to wake up at midnight to tell you happy birthday. Did anyone else tell you happy birthday?''
''No''
''See I told you I would be the first one'' she says and smiles. She wasn't the first one, Hero was but I can't tell her that.
I tell her that I'm really tired and she said that we'll celebrate in the morning when my mom and Nelson gets here and we both go back to sleep. I don't sleep instead I lie down read the words over and over again until I fall asleep with the necklace in my hand. I wake up to find 10 messages from my phone all telling me the same thing happy birthday and some longer one from my parents. Nelson also says that he'll be here with my mom at 10. I change my clothes into jeans and a top and shoes and make my way outside. I unzip the tent and make my way outside but I'm stopped by a group.
''Happy birthday!'' Everyone shouts, the entire group is outside the tent and they all rush to hug me. It's a huge tight hug with me in the middle. I smile at them and say thank you and then we all make our way outside.
''Okay everyone since today is Sia's birthday so we'll all take you out for breakfast'' Ms. Wilber announce with a smile.
''The bus will be here in the next 20 minutes to take us before your parents arrive and we'll have breakfast then meet them at the cabin'' She continues.
''Happy Birthday'' Easton hugs me.
''Thank you'' I reply.
''So what do you wanna do today? When your mom and Nelson comes?''
''I don't know I think when they get here we'll decide'' I smile and make my way inside the tent.
I just put on some make up then head back outside. The bus arrives and we step in, I sit in the end closest to the window seat while Easton sits in the middle of both of us. After long hour and half drive we finally pull into a car park. It's a 2 storey pristine building with a large open sign to the front. We make our way inside and the waiter leads us to the largest table that they have. We all sit and are handed our menus. I order french toast, pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausages and hashbrowns. I don't usually eat this much but I'm starving and today is my birthday so I decide to eat as much as I could. The food arrives in 20 minutes and we all dig in, the food is good but not as good as the restaurant that Hero took me too after the stream, their food was amazing. Everyone is caught up in conversation while I just slowly graze my fork against my plate thinking of Hero and why he disappeared for 3 days and just gave me that beautiful present without me seeing him, he just dropped it off and left.
''Are you okay?'' Easton asks.
''Yeah''
''Cheer up girl it's your birthday'' Kate says and I smile in response.
We arrive back to the cabin, the place I haven't seen in at least a month. It looks the same as it did as we left. We all hang out in the living room for a while when 2 cars pull up followed by a car horn. My mother and Nelson both step in the cabin and Nelson gives me a bouquet of flowers before he rushes me into a hug. I feel really peccant after everything I've done to him without him knowing when I see him with the flowers in his hand and the huge smile across his face. He thinks I'm the same Sia that I was when I left, the one who would've never done the things that I did with Hero before and still love him. I do still love him and I want to tell him about Hero and I but I don't even know what we are, I'll confirm it with Hero first.
''Happy birthday'' He says into my shoulders.
His hug is nothing like Hero's, it's more soft and gentle. Hero's hugs are tight and more intimate and they warm my entire body as he wraps his muscular arms around me. I need to stop it, stop thinking about him right now.
''Thank you'' I reply I feel like I've said that at least 10 times today so far.
''I'll give you your gift later'' He says.
''Happy birthday my baby, I feel like time is going by to fast'' my mom says and kisses me on the forehead followed by a hug.
''Are you ready?'' she asks.
''Ready for what?''
''We taking you out for the day''
''Oh''
''Where?''
''You'll see'' My mother says.
I say bye to everyone and I Kate informs me that we'll all hang out when I get back. I follow my mother and Nelson out the door and this time my mother moves tot the back and I sit next to Nelson in the front. He smiles at me multiple times and I smile back. We drive for about 2 hours before he finally stops. It's a huge park with several benches and a few maple trees. The place is clean and there aren't much people around the area but I spot a group of people in the distance. As I get out of the car they all run to me it's Erin, April and my dad.
''Happy Birthday'' Erin screams and and they hug me tightly.
''Ugh I can't believe it, my little Sia is growing up so fast'' April wipes under her eyes as we all laugh.
''What are you guys doing here? I thought uou were in the countryside at your parents' barn and I thought you were on vacation in Florida?'' I question them both.
''We were but do you hoenstly think that we would not spend your birthday with you?'' April says and hugs me again.
''Yeah I got here yesterday the drive was so long'' Erin says.
We all go the trunk and they take out food that I guess my mother prepared. I am shocked to see my dad here I know that he would want to see me for my birthday I just don't know how he convinced my mom.
''Happy birthday honey'' he says and hugs me.
''Where did all those years go, look at you, you're so grown up now but you'll always be my little Sia'' he says and hugs me again and kisses me on the cheek.
We first eat lunch sandwiches and salad dishes that my mom packed then we all play twister and I laugh so hard, harder than I have in a long while. I laugh at how many times my dad falls and loses 3 times in a row causing Nelson to fall under him followed by Erin then me, April was the only one who won all four games. We then play charades and I laugh hard when Nelson tries to as gangster robbing a bank. He does almost everything wrong and everyone's guesses are far from what he's portraying. We then hang out for another hour then we take a drive uptown through the city and head to a restaurant for dinner.
The restaurant is filled and we wait for almost 10 minutes to get a table. We eat dinner and I order a burger and fries with a side salad. It's time for dessert and Nelson tells the waiter that it's my birthday today. Before I know it, our table is surrounded by the restaurant's staff and there's a slice of strawberry cake in front of me with a lit candle at the top. Everyone sings happy birthday to me then I blow out the birthday candle while everyone cheers for me. After dinner they drive me back to the cabin. Some people are outside and some are inside. I spot Kate outside talking to Elliot and she has to give me the details later. Just as I thought I was getting out and everyone else is leaving everyone comes out. I walk up to Kate and he looks at me with a big smile.
''Everyone this is Kate my friend. Kate this is my mom, dad, Erin, April and Nelson'' I gesture to everyone.
''It's nice to meet you. I've heard so much about all of you'' She shakes each of their hands.
''This is my mom, dad, brother and Elliot'' she says and I smile at all of them then shake their hands.
''I'm sorry we can't stay longer but we have a very important meeting to go too soon'' Kate's dad says.
''That's okay, I'm sure we'll meet up again'' My mom smiles.
Kate's family walks to their car telling us bye ebfore they drive off. They wave us off and I take a good look at Elliot, Kate and Elliot make a great couple they look great together except they're not a couple. They should be, Kate needs to tell him how she feels and I think he feels the same way. They are perfect together just like Nelson and I.
''Hey'' Easton says as he makes his way outside with his parents.
''Hey'' I say back.
''How was today?'' He smiles.
''It was great, I'll tell you about it later'' I say.
''Oh Easton this this my mom, dad, Erin, April and Nelson, everyone this is Easton my friend'' I say and he smiles and shakes their hand then he introduces me to his folks.
We hang out outside and our both families talk for a bit.
''So how long have you guys known each other?'' Nelson asks.
''Since we came here for the internship and well since Sia came running in from the bus that night after she saw some masked man'' Easton says and my eyes widen in shock.
Why did he say that? He could've just left it that we met since we came here for the internship.
''What? You saw a masked man? What happened? Did he hurt you?'' Nelson asks with great concern in his voice.
''Yeah but it was just once and he didn't hurt me or anything. I just glimpsed him and that was it'' I lie and try to sound convincing. If only he knew about him and the things I've done with him but I'm not gonna tell him. I will soon though, he has to know.
''Are you sure?'' He asks.
''Yeah, I never saw him again'' I lie.
Nelson pulls me aside from everyone and he has a wraped present in his hand. He hands it to me and I smile at him before I rip it open. It's tickets for a vacation to palm Colorado, there are 5 tickets.
''What's this?'' I ask.
''Well I know you've wanted to go to Colorado since last year so I thought we could all take a trip there, your mother suggested it. It'll be you, me, my parents and your mom, like a family getaway''
''Oh great thank you''
I was so happy when I saw the tickets and I've wanted to go to Palm Springs for a while now. I would've liked it to just be me and Nelson not incorporate our parents on the trip, it would've been more private if it was just us and I would've been way more excited.
''When is it?'' I ask.
''It's after your internship, it's a christmas vacation, we'll go away there in December'' he says.
We talk for about another 10 minutes and Easton and Nelson get to know each other a lot. It's now 8 as our parents are informed that they have to leave now so that we can head back up to our spot in the mountain. Our parents say their goodbyes to us before they leave.
'' I love you'' Nelson says and kisses me on the cheek.
I feel extremely guilty as the words leave my mouth but I still say them not to ruin the moment and so Nelson wouldn't get suspicious about anything.
''I love you'' I respond and I gulp at the words.
I feel so different saying those words.
I can't believe I have turned into this girl, the one who cheats on her boyfriend with a guy she barely knows. I have always seen these things happen in movies but I never thought I would ever do something like this.
He still loves me, of course he does because he doesn't know the things that I've done to him yet, I'll tell him soon really soon, I can't keep doing this to him he doesn't deserve it.
We drive back up the mountain and the bus drops us off. Easton joins us in Kate and I's tent and we hang out for 2 hours making jokes, playing music from Kate's phone while we jam along to some of the songs and Kate and I do make overs and even put some on Easton. We laugh at how goofy he looks with the make up on, we use the eyeliner to write his name on his cheek.
Easton then leaves and heads back to his tent as it's now 9 and I'm exhausted from my day today. Today was actually great, it was better than I thought it would be, having everyone with me today I was actually happy and laughed hard much harder than I can remeber. I forgot about everything today, today was my day, I forgot about everything and just had fun. I was so busy today with everyone that my mind barely ran on Hero.
It still hurts me though that he didn't come to see me today, he just came by when I was asleep and dropped off the most amazing gift I've ever gotten and just left.
We've asked Kate multiple times to tell us what was surprise that Elliot had to tell her but she refuses too as she says today is all about me and she'll tell me about it tomorrow. I change into my pajamas and Kate and I both exchange good nights before we turn the lamp off and fall asleep.
My eyes snap open to a noise coming from outside, it's him I know it is. I rise from my spot and head outside with my flashlight, I really wanna see him, I've missed him over the last three days but he needs to give me an explanation for his disappearance in the last three days and why he just decided to come in my tent at midnight and drop off that present and just disappear.
I hear the noise again and follow it. It's his way of summoning me outside, it is and it always will be.