Stuck with You

by Alexandra Moody

  When Aiden pulled back, he settled himself on the bed beside me, giving me a better view of my room. As I considered the balloons and streamers surrounding me, I became curious. “How did you get the balloons in here without waking me up?” They certainly hadn’t been there when I fell asleep the night before.

  “Clary, you sleep like the dead,” he said with a snorted laugh. “And while it’s cute as hell, it’s also great for planning birthday surprises. You barely even flinched while I was putting all this up.”

  “So, I wasn’t snoring or anything else embarrassing?”

  “Well, I didn’t say that…”

  “Aiden!” I slapped his arm. “It’s my birthday; you’re supposed to be nice.”

  “I didn’t say you did snore.”

  I rolled my eyes at him. “I thought you’d stop being so annoying once we started dating.”

  “Please. You love being annoyed by me,” he replied. “I could hardly stop when I know you enjoy it so much.”

  “Feel free to stop whenever.”

  He paused and placed his hand over his chin, pretending to consider my request before shaking his head. “Nah, it’s far too much fun.”

  “So, I’m doomed.”

  “Pretty much.” His cheeky smile became more reserved as he shifted slightly on the bed. He reached his hand behind his back and pulled out a small box wrapped in black and white paper. “Anyway, I got you something.”

  “What? You didn’t have to do that. Coffee and balloons are more than enough.”

  “I wanted to,” he said, passing me the gift.

  “Thanks.” I slowly took it from him and smiled. Now that I looked at the wrapping paper closer, I could see the design had little ghosts all over it. I loved all things spooky, so it was perfect.

  “Happy birthday,” he said. His voice was soft and quivered slightly as though he was nervous. “Sorry there’s no card. I ordered one online, but it didn’t come in time.”

  “Oh, it’s fine,” I replied, as I focused on the gift. I always felt cards were a little bit useless anyway when you gave a gift in person. I started to ease the sticky tape off the paper, being careful not to tear it. As I pulled the paper back, a red velvet box was revealed.

  I held my breath as I slowly opened the box and found a delicate silver chain necklace inside. It had two objects hanging from it. One was a small disk with my initials carved into it, and the other was a clear crystal that sparkled brightly when it caught the light. The design was simple but beautiful, and it was the kind of piece I could wear every day.

  It warmed my heart that Aiden had gone to such effort for me. I think I would have loved his gift no matter what it was, but he’d done so well, and I couldn’t have chosen something better myself. I smiled up at him. “I love it.”

  His cheeks turned pink as he smiled back at me. “I looked up your birthstone, and it’s a diamond. I couldn’t afford an actual diamond, so that’s only a glass crystal, but I’m hoping one day I can replace it.” He was rushing as he spoke, and it took me a second to realize what he was saying. Did he believe we’d still be together years from now? It probably should have freaked me out, but I was surprisingly happy at the idea.

  His gift was so sweet, and I truly loved it. It was one of the most thoughtful presents I’d ever received. “Aiden, it’s beautiful. Will you help me put it on?”

  He let out a breath he seemed to have been holding before he nodded. I pulled my hair to the side, and his hands faintly trembled as he lifted the chain and helped fasten it in place around my neck.

  I looked down at the necklace and smiled as it settled against my skin. “It’s perfect.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.” I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his neck before going in for a kiss. Our lips had barely met when my phone started ringing.

  I let out a groan and drew back slightly to look into Aiden’s eyes. “I’ll ignore it.”

  “And leave your adoring fans waiting to give you birthday wishes? I don’t think so.” Aiden’s tone sounded shocked, but his eyes were full of mischief.

  “We couldn’t have that,” I agreed. I reached across the bed to pick up my phone from the side table. “It’s Zoey.”

  “Okay, I’ll leave you to talk to her. Meet me downstairs when you’re done.”

  I smiled at him and nodded, waiting for him to leave the room before I answered the call. Zoey’s face appeared on screen, and she immediately started to sing happy birthday to me. She really belted out the tune, not the least bit embarrassed.

  “Thanks, Zo,” I said, a wide smile on my face.

  “Happy birthday, girl! How does it feel to be eighteen?”

  “About the same as seventeen,” I replied. “I still don’t like mornings, and my coffee addiction is as strong as ever.”

  Zoey laughed but quickly narrowed her eyes on my neck. “Is that a new necklace?” she squealed.

  I lightly touched the necklace as I nodded. “Yeah, it’s from Aiden.”

  “Awww, that’s so cute.”

  “He also got me balloons.” I spun the camera around to show her my room, and she started squealing again.

  “That boy is a keeper. You are never, ever, allowed to break up with him. Unless he turns into a dick, then by all means…”

  “Okay, Zo.” I laughed.

  “So, I’ve got you a gift, but you’re not getting it until later.”

  “You didn’t need to get me anything.”

  “Obviously, I did. I organized it months ago and have been dying to tell you. I can’t wait all day for you to find out, so I’m telling you what it is now.”

  Her enthusiasm made me smile. “Okay, what is it?”

  “Well, you know how obsessed you are with The Walking Dead…”

  “The first few seasons.”

  She laughed. “Yes, the first seasons. It turns out my cousin knows a guy, who knows a guy, who works on set. And I managed to get you a poster signed by some of the cast!”

  “Are you serious?” Zoey was normally the one who did most of the squealing in our friendship, but right now, I was giving her a run for her money. “That’s awesome.”

  “I know.” She was beaming in delight as she took in my reaction.

  “I can’t believe you did that.”

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  “I love it. I can’t wait to see it.”

  “I’ll drop it on Aiden’s front doorstep later today,” she replied. “And I know it’s your birthday, but I think the birthday fairy got confused and sent one of your gifts to me.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Well, you know that couple who moved in across the road from me a few months ago?” she asked.

  “Vaguely?” I remembered the moving vans on her street but couldn’t actually remember the people who moved in. It seemed easier just to agree.

  “Well, it turns out they have a super-hot son who goes to college, and he’s moved home because of the pandemic.”

  “So, you finally got some lockdown eye candy?”

  “Yes! And he’s tall. Like, so tall.”

  “You should wipe the drool from your mouth. I can see it from here.”

  “Ha, ha, Lissa. Seriously, he is totally drool-worthy though. I hope he likes to mow their front lawn and do workouts outside.”

  I laughed. “Well, I’m glad you’ve got something to get you through these hard times.”

  “Me too. I can’t let you have all the fun, can I?” She winked at me, and I smiled. “Anyway, I’m sure you’ve got to get back to your own birthday snack of a boyfriend.”

  “Please don’t call him a snack.”

  “What? He’s tasty.” She grinned wickedly. “I’ll talk to you later. Enjoy your birthday!”

  “Thanks, Zo.”

  I stared at the phone as I placed it back on the side table. Snack of a boyfriend? I needed to get a new best friend.

  After a quick shower, I headed downstairs to meet Aiden. As
I walked into the kitchen, I was met with the joyful screams of three very enthusiastic Moores.

  “Happy birthday, Clary!” Aiden, Jade, and Elliot shouted as they unleashed party poppers on me, coating me in a layer of confetti.

  I smiled brightly and ran a hand through my hair to dislodge some of the flecks of colored paper caught in it. The kitchen had been decorated in a similar fashion to my bedroom with the addition of two huge balloons in the shape of the number eighteen.

  They’d all gone to so much effort for me, and I was seriously touched they were trying so hard to give me a happy day. “Thank you, guys. You didn’t need to go to all this trouble.”

  “Of course, we did,” Jade said, walking over and gathering me in a warm hug. “It’s not every day you turn eighteen.”

  I clasped Jade back tightly. The hug might not have been from my actual mom, but Jade felt like family these days, and I’d never appreciated her more than in this moment.

  When Jade released me, Elliot was right behind her. “Happy birthday, MJ,” he said before giving me a hug of his own.

  “You really should stop calling her that,” Aiden grumbled. “She is my girlfriend, after all.”

  Elliot laughed as he turned to his brother. “Feeling threatened?”

  “You wish,” Aiden replied.

  I shook my head at the two of them and walked over to the kitchen counter. Aiden and his family had done more than just blow up some balloons this morning. They’d also prepared a breakfast feast, and it was all laid out on the counter before me. It wasn’t any old breakfast though. Alongside the regular breakfast cereals and the toast and jam, there was an array of pastries and croissants, cupcakes, bowls of sweets, and even a towering plate of doughnuts. In the center of it all was a somewhat sad-looking cake. The middle of the cake was sunken, and the frosting was roughly iced over the top of it. It was covered in sprinkles though, so at least it looked pretty.

  “This looks amazing,” I said, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. They’d gone totally overboard, and I was lost for words.

  Aiden came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He lightly rested his chin on my shoulder. “Well, you’re amazing, and we wanted to give you a nice morning.”

  “This is more than nice.”

  “It’s the cake, isn’t it?” Aiden said. “That’s what’s got you so speechless and shocked. I know it looks expensive, and you probably won’t believe this, but I made it for you myself.”

  “What?” I let out a shocked laugh as I eyed the cake. It clearly hadn’t been bought from the store, but it looked surprisingly edible, and I was impressed at what he’d accomplished on his own. The fact Aiden had actually baked for me made my heart want to explode. “You really baked that for me?”

  Aiden dropped his arms from around my waist and spun me round to face him. His eyes were lit up with pride as he nodded. “I did.”

  “How did you manage to bake it without me seeing?”

  “Well, it’s not too difficult when you sleep most of the morning.”

  I glared at him, but the stern look only lasted a few seconds because I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. I was too proud of Aiden to stay annoyed at him. “I really can’t believe you baked for me.”

  “Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” he replied.

  “Yeah, it took him three attempts to come up with that, and I think he added about fifty bucks to the swear jar in the process,” Elliot said, as he stole a doughnut from one of the plates and took a bite.

  Aiden glared at his brother. “Dude, shut up.”

  Elliot gave him a cunning smile. “What? I don’t want Clary getting delusions.”

  “Leave your brother alone,” Jade said to Elliot. She smiled at me and passed over a plate. “Dig in, Clary. I hope you’re hungry.”

  “I am now.” I didn’t know where to start as I eyed all the delicious food

  I’d had zero expectations when it came to my birthday this year. But my morning with the Moores was better than anything I could have dreamed up. They showered me with presents over breakfast, and I well and truly stuffed my face with all the amazing food they’d arranged. Even Aiden’s cake tasted pretty good. It was slightly raw in the center, but we cut slices from the edges so you couldn’t tell it wasn’t cooked to perfection.

  After breakfast, we drove past my parents’ house. They’d also blown up some balloons and tied them to the front door. As we got out of Aiden’s truck, they came outside and sung happy birthday at the top of their lungs from the front doorstep. I could see several neighbors peering out through their front windows to watch. Not for the first time this morning, my cheeks quickly turned flaming red.

  I couldn’t have a party with my friends this year, but that hadn’t stopped my birthday from being awesome. There was nothing traditional about this eighteenth, but it was a birthday I wouldn’t soon forget, and I was smiling from ear to ear as Aiden drove us back to his house.

  “Someone looks happy,” he said, as he helped me out of the truck.

  “I’m actually having the best birthday,” I admitted. “And it’s all thanks to you. I’m not even upset that I won’t have a party this year.”

  “You’re not?”

  “Nope. Maybe every birthday should be like this. I…” The sound of horns honking down the street caught my attention. I turned toward the sound as the noise drew closer.

  “What is that?” I slowly moved toward the street.

  I froze as the first car came into view. It was a bright pink Jeep, and a buzz of excitement shot through me at the sight of it. There was only one person in town who had bad enough taste to drive such a hideously colored vehicle.

  “Zoey?” I gasped. There were streamers attached to the car that were blowing in the wind, and she was waving a hand out the window.

  “Happy birthday, Clary!” she shouted, as she slowly drove by.

  I clutched a hand to my chest and smiled at her. It was difficult not to feel overwhelmed at seeing my best friend again after weeks apart. I was so shocked and happy it took me a moment to respond. “Thanks, Zo!” I shouted back.

  She started honking her horn again and cheered out the window as she tore off down the street. I laughed lightly under my breath, watching her go. It was so amazing to see her again, if only for a moment. I went to turn back to Aiden, but I didn’t get a chance because another car came down the road toward me, its horn blaring loudly to a frenzied staccato beat.

  It wasn’t alone. I could see a whole line of cars down the street and more still coming around the corner. They all joined in by honking their horns, and the sound mingled with the shouts of birthday wishes coming from the vehicles. I placed my hand over my mouth as I tried to stem the shock at the sight of all these people who had come to wish me happy birthday. I couldn’t believe they were all here.

  My girlfriends were the first to drive by. They’d all dressed up in Halloween costumes and had spider webs covering their cars. I might not be getting my Halloween-themed party, but my friends had definitely brought the spirit of it to today.

  “Happy birthday, Clary! I miss you,” Elaine shouted.

  “Pick up your phone and call me!” Becca yelled, as she drove by next.

  Gabby pierced the air with a loud wolf whistle as she passed. “You and Aiden look so cute together! Is he your birthday gift?” She pulled out her phone and pointed it in our direction. “Smile for the camera!”

  “Focus on the road,” I called back.

  She laughed and waved at me before driving off.

  I was so happy to see them, but I also felt bad I’d been hopeless at keeping in contact since the pandemic started. They didn’t seem to mind though, and all had wide smiles across their faces as they waved at me and wished me a happy birthday.

  The birthday wishes didn’t stop at my friends though. There were kids from my classes, guys from my debate team made an appearance, and even some of the jocks Aiden was friends with came past. So many people from our
class had come out to wish me a happy birthday, and tears sprang to my eyes.

  “How?” I whispered, as car after car drove past the house with people honking and singing happy birthday.

  Aiden grinned and pulled me under his arm as we watched the cars drive by. “Well, I know you were just saying that you didn’t need a party. But it was too late to cancel the festivities. Would it really be a quarantine birthday without a quarantine birthday drive-by?”

  I turned to face him, my lower lip dropping with surprise. “You did this for me?”

  He smiled at me gently, his eyes shining with affection. “When are you going to realize, Clary? I’d do just about anything for you.” He turned back to the procession of cars, but I couldn’t look away from him. His words had struck me deeply. They’d buried their way into my heart, and I wasn’t sure there was any way of getting them out again.

  I leaned my head against him as he hugged me to his side. We watched the procession of cars together, and as I stood there, knowing Aiden had organized this all for me, I realized I didn’t just like him. No. The feelings inside of me were growing far beyond that.

  24

  Aiden

  Two weeks had sounded like a long time, especially given we were in lockdown. In reality, the two weeks after Clary’s parents arrived home passed in the blink of an eye. I thought I could handle being separated from her, but the closer we drew to her returning home, the more I started to dread it. I was growing increasingly attached to Clary and didn’t want to go a day, let alone weeks, without holding her in my arms.

  “You’re very quiet this morning,” Clary said. We were sitting at the dining table with our laptops out and books splayed around us. We were meant to be working on a biology quiz, but I hadn’t even started it. I’d seriously checked out of school since it had restarted, and as this was a multiple-choice test, I was half-tempted to simply guess the answers. It was times like these I really missed working in my bedroom with Clary. It was a whole lot harder to distract her here than it had been when we were in private.