Chapter 94
Chapter 94
Astrid’s POV
A FEW HOURS BEFORE THE PARTY
My eyes snapped open before the sun had even thought about rising. There was no slow drift into consciousness; one moment I was asleep, the next I was wide awake, my entire body buzzing with a nervous, joyful energy. Today was the day.
I lay still for a moment, letting the excitement hum under my skin. For the first time, a party of this scale was being thrown for Kaeleen, and I was the one behind it. I had no idea why he wouldn’t even want a party for his birthday especially since I asked his sisters and they all told me he just doesn’t like it. I’m hoping he likes this one and that I’m not making a fucking huge mistake with this.
Everyone, from Serena to Rebecca to Yvonne, had been incredible, diving into the planning with a shared sense of mischievous purpose. The biggest challenge was keeping it a secret from Kaeleen who had eyes and ears who saw and heard everything.
I slipped out of bed, my heart thumping a happy rhythm against my ribs. After a quick shower, I chose my clothes carefully, a simple pair of jeans and a soft sweater. Normal. Today had to be completely and utterly normal. Not.
I made my way to the kitchen and was fixing myself a cup of coffee when he walked in. When he walked in, my breath caught. Maybe it was the fact that I was excited but damn, he looked good in that Armani suit he wore. When his eyes found mine, his face broke into that small, private smile that was reserved just for me, and I felt a pang of guilt for the deception I was about to commit. Yeah, that’s a lie. I felt nothing. I was more struck by his beauty than anything. How was he so fucking handsome?
"Good morning," I said, my voice bright. I turned back to the cook I’d been chatting with, pretending to be absorbed in a conversation about the day’s menus.
I could feel his gaze on me, feel the weight of his unspoken question. I forced myself not to look at him, not to give anything away. My stomach twisted into a cold knot. I hated seeing the flicker of disappointment in his green eyes, the slight slump in his shoulders as he poured his coffee. Every instinct screamed at me to run to him, to wrap my arms around his neck and whisper ’Happy Birthday.’ But I held my ground. The surprise would be worth this small, shared pain. And I also couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he found out.