The whole room was glowing, but none of it compared to her. Macey, standing there in her blanket dress and glittering tiara, cheeks pink from laughing so much, eyes sparkling brighter than all the fairy lights strung across the beams. She was shining. Everyone was watching her, clapping, cheering, showering her with the kind of love she deserved. And she soaked it in, every second of it, giggling and twirling, as if she had been born for this moment. My chest swelled, and I couldn’t stop the smile pulling at my lips. I was proud of her, so proud it hurt. But underneath that pride… something else stirred. Noah stepped in close, his hand steady on hers as he helped her wrap her fingers around the knife. She was small, so small, but he made it look easy, guiding her toward the cake. The room hushed
in anticipation, everyone waiting to see if she could make the cut.
And that’s when Haiden’s voice rang out, teasing, sharp: “If the knife comes out dirty, you have to kiss the closest boy.”
The crowd erupted with laughter, and Macey nearly collapsed from giggling, but my whole body went still. My stomach twisted, not with dread but with something hotter, sharper. On paper, she was my sister now. My family. But my heart didn’t listen to the paper. Because instead of stepping back like I should have, I found myself edging closer. Just a step, then another, like some invisible string was tugging me forward. My pulse hammered in my ears. Why did I want to be the closest boy? Why did I hope, just for a second, that the knife wouldn’t come out clean?
I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to smother the thought before it could root too deep. She laughed again, pure and unknowing, leaning into Noah’s steady guidance as she pressed the knife down into the cake. Everyone leaned forward, breathless with the joke of it all. But me? I was holding my breath for a whole different reason. The knife slid through the cake smooth as butter, Noah’s hand steadying hers all the way. For a moment, the entire room seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the reveal. Macey wiggled the blade free, her face scrunched in concentration,
then held it up high. Clean.
The crowd erupted into cheers, clapping and laughing, and Macey bounced on her toes like she’d just won a battle. “I did it! I really did it!” she squealed, her grin wide enough to split the world in two. My heart deflated in my chest. I didn’t even know why I’d hoped. Why I’d wanted the knife to come out dirty, why I’d inched myself closer like some part of me couldn’t resist the pull. She was my sister now, in every way that mattered. On paper, in name, in family. Still… I forced my smile into place because her happiness mattered more than anything else. More than the strange ache twisting inside me. And she was happy. Radiant. She had a family now, a forever one, and it showed in every bounce of her curls, every sparkle in her eyes. She wasn’t alone anymore. None of us were. So I clapped with everyone else, smiling softly as she twirled, tiara shining like it had been made just for her. Even with that hollow pang in my chest, I knew one thing for certain. I’d give up every hope, every selfish thought, if it meant she never stopped smiling like this.
The hall turned into something out of a dream. Music floated through the air, the kind that made your feet move even when you weren’t planning to. Kids darted everywhere, chasing balloons that escaped from the bunches, their laughter mixing with the upbeat rhythm. Omegas passed out paper crowns and silly prizes, bags of candy, and little trinkets that sparkled under the fairy lights. Macey was at the centre of it all, of course. She twirled from partner to partner, sometimes dancing with Elias when he finally gave in, sometimes pulling Noah or Xavier out onto the floor. Even Haiden cracked a smile when she dragged him into a circle game, his usual sharp edges softened under the glow of her giggles. I played a round of “pin the crown on the princess,” lost spectacularly, and laughed until my sides ached. Then came races to see who could eat a cupcake the fastest, and prizes for the stickiest frosting face.
1/2
13:32 Wed, Sep 24
Chapter 181
For once, no one worried about tomorrow. It was just joy. Pure, simple pleasure.
(73)
Eventually, I found myself at one of the long tables, slumped in a chair with a plate in front of me. My cake was gone, but the lollies scattered across the china glistened in the light. I pushed them around with my finger, feeling neither hungry nor interested in anything. Just… full in a different way. That’s when she caught my eye. Macey. She bounced over, her tiara tilted to the side, curls springing with each step. Her smile was so bright it nearly knocked the air from my lungs. Without hesitation, she flung her arms around me, nearly knocking me off the chair.
“This is the best party ever!” she squealed, squeezing me tight. “I can’t believe it’s all for me.”
I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, hugging her back. “You deserve it, Mace. Every bit of it. I’m so happy for you.” And I meant it. Even with the strange ache twisting in me, I meant it with everything I had. She pulled back just enough to look at me, her eyes sparkling. Then her voice dipped low, quieter, secret.
“This means we get to stay together forever,” she whispered, like it was a promise carved in stone.
Before I could even answer, she leaned forward and pressed the softest kiss to my cheek, and my world exploded. Fireworks. Not the kind you see in the sky, but the kind you feel inside, bursting and sparking until I could barely breathe. My skin burned where her lips had touched, my chest tight with something I didn’t have words for. I forced myself to stay still, to smile back at her like it was nothing. But inside? Inside, I was unravelling, piece by piece, as one truth rang through me louder than the music, louder than the laughter, louder than anything else. Forever was a very, very long time. And I wasn’t sure if my heart could keep its secret that long.
