Chapter 28: Because Of You
"Surprise!"
Confetti exploded into the air, showering over Evie as she stepped into the mansion, with Ezra right behind her.
Behind them, the luggage and bags from Paris were being handled.
Evie’s eyes widened in astonishment when she spotted Ruby—her best friend—standing there with Shane. It was obvious they had meticulously orchestrated this surprise for her.
The intoxicating aroma of vanilla cake and roses wafted towards her from Ruby, who held the cake with pride.
"Hey, bestie," Ruby declared with her signature radiant smile, and Evie felt tears welling up—she had never seen this coming.
She leaned in and swiftly blew out the candles on the cake, while Shane clapped enthusiastically, and even Ezra joined in clapping. Once the candles were extinguished, Ruby set the cake aside, knowing they’d cut it later. Then she approached Evie, enveloping her in a warm hug, and they savored that heartfelt moment.
"I’m furious with you. You didn’t even mention going to Paris," Ruby announced, feigning annoyance as she pulled back.
She had only discovered the news through Shane upon her arrival. Ruby had sent Evie a birthday text, but Evie hadn’t seen it—she had been offline. It bothered Ruby because there was no way to reach Evie, and Ruby couldn’t resist coming with the cake, decorations, floating balloons, gifts, and all the confetti.
Ruby faced Ezra with a pointed look. "I had plans to celebrate Evie’s birthday as well. Why’d you just steal her away..." she demanded, her frown deepening.
Ezra met her gaze, unfazed by the entire drama. "We had plans first" He said flatly.
Taking Evie all the way to Paris? That was outrageous—but Ruby could already sense that Evie had just experienced the best birthday of her life. And she was happy for her best friend.
"It’s alright, Ruby. I apologize," Evie said, her voice steady.
She had gone offline deliberately, knowing there would be thousands of messages waiting for her. Evie had intentionally set her phone aside during the trip with Ezra, because she didn’t need any distraction and wanted to do her part well, but the getaway to Paris at the last minute had surpassed her expectations. There was no pretense; it felt genuine, almost overwhelmingly so. Heat flushed her cheeks at the thought.
She gently steered Ruby aside, breaking the tension, while Shane and Ezra dove into their own discussion.
"Paris, huh?" Shane remarked after greeting Ezra with their handshake and brief bro hug. He leaned against the couch, sizing him up. "What did you two really get up to in Paris? You both came back shining, or is that just my imagination?" he probed casually, though his eyes were sharp with observation.
Now that Shane had deciphered the ruse behind their relationship, he kept his thoughts to himself. He hadn’t let on to Ezra either. He was watching—closely. When Ezra first proposed the trip, Shane had assumed it was a joke. But then, in a flash, Ezra had made it happen. They were out of the country. For something fake, it felt excessive.
So, was Shane wrong about them?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
He was going to find out anyway, by observing because there was something fishy underneath it all.
"We did stuffs," Ezra answered coolly. "And... stuffs." That was all he offered—no further details needed.
As the girls chatted, Ruby couldn’t resist asking Evie, "So, you actually went to Paris? I bet your birthday turned out even better than expected." Ruby teased, a smirk on her face.
Evie’s cheeks flushed at the memory. "Definitely. It was better than anything I could have imagined—it was the best birthday ever." She recalled the breakfast, the art gallery, the boutique, the night stroll, the lunch, the dance... and that unforgettable kiss. Just thinking about how close she and Ezra had been sent a thrill through her. Yes, it truly was the best birthday ever.
Ruby pressed on, "You brought back some souvenirs from Paris, right?" She inquired, noticing Evie glance away toward Ezra, who was conversing with Shane.
"Absolutely, I brought back a lot. You won’t believe it," Evie replied. "Let’s go check them out later?" She proposed. Ruby couldn’t help but smile inwardly, excitement bubbling up as she eagerly agreed. Evie shook her head playfully, amused by her enthusiasm.
"Why don’t we cut the cake now?" Ruby suggested.
"Sure," Evie replied, and soon everyone gathered around, singing for her. She felt nonstalgic, as if she were a teenager again. As the countdown finished, Evie sliced the cake with ease.
She shared a slice with her best friend and then called out, "Ezra!" holding out the piece she had cut for them to share.
"Feed me," he said suddenly, his eyes locking onto hers before shifting to the vanilla cake on the plate.
Her cheeks flushed as she met his gaze, but she smiled, knowing she had to do what was needed to be done. She fed him the cake as he instructed, and before she could process the moment, she felt his arm wrap around her waist, pulling her closer. Her eyes widened in surprise at the unexpectedness of it all. He leaned in, bringing his lips near where the cake sat between his mouth, his gaze shifting from her to it. And she understood his intentions, Evie tilted her head and took a bite, the cake melting in her mouth as she pulled back and swallowed.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ruby and Shane standing off to the side, watching. They exchanged glances before focusing back on the couple.
Evie managed a nervous smile at Ezra as he released her, her insides igniting as if she were on fire.
"You really didn’t have to do that in front of us," Shane remarked with a mock frown, pretending to be jealous as he eyed the couple.
"Yeah, we did," Ezra shot back at Shane nonchalantly, which only earned him an eye roll from Shane in annoyance.
"Alright, we planned to play games when you two returned. Are you in?" Ruby chimed in, her enthusiasm unwavering.
"Absolutely," Evie replied firmly before Ezra could object, knowing he might be inclined to skip it.
"Awesome," Ruby said, clapping her hands. "Let’s head over—I’ve set up in the living room," she directed, pointing to her carefully arranged space, dimly lit with a rug laid out and wine glasses ready.
As Ruby and Shane moved ahead, Evie nudged Ezra.
"Come on, it’s going to be fun," she said, throwing him a playful wink. Evie’s eyes lit up while meeting his gaze, and Ezra instantly knew she liked to do things like this. He couldn’t help but give in to her.
"It’s only because of you," he mused silently, stepping into the living room. How bad could the game really be?