Beautifully Awake(133)

“So, Jim-” My stepmom sauntered toward us, swaying her petite hips. She encircled an arm around my dad’s waist and he kissed her temple. “You’ve been holding out on me. Please tell me the new Japanese restaurant in our strip mall at home is opening soon.”

I glanced at Chase who smirked and cocked his head. Who was he kidding? A new sushi joint in the center of Wrangel was not a coincidence. He totally planned that.

“This sake is delicious,” Sharon continued. She was drinking, not sipping, from her shot glass.

I looked over my shoulder at Sierra who was pointing at Sharon and mouthing three while holding up three fingers. Sharon was on her third glass already. Oh boy.

“Shar, sake is a bit stronger than normal wine. Trust me, I’m speaking from experience.” My lips curled remembering most of that completely mortifying night. Chase chuckled beside me.

“Is this an inside joke I don’t want to know about?”

“Yeah, Dad. Let’s just say when Chase and I first met, I made a bit of a scene.”

“Baby, it was the night I fell in love with you.” Chase tucked me into his side and kissed my temple.

That was the night I fell in love with him, I just didn’t know it yet. My feminine products rolling around the hardwood floor were quite the distraction, among other things. Lips, chest, abs, hair, eyes ... oh god, his eyes … always my distraction.

“Oh, Lil sweetie, you got yourself an old romantic. Dana totally called it the first night she met him,” Sharon said. Chase flashed me a beautiful smile. Damn, I loved him. “Jim used to-”

“Um, Shar,” my dad cut her off mid-sentence, “Chase and Lili do not need to hear whatever was about to come out of your mouth.” My dad knew his wife all too well.

“Oh Jim, you’re such a prude.” She swatted his shoulder.

Chase and I exchanged let’s-quietly-excuse-ourselves-from-this-conservation looks ... like right fucking now. We didn’t need a replay of the other night. Sharon knew how to take a conversation to a whole new awkward level.



I gave my dad a sheepish smile while Chase excused us and tugged me in the direction of our dinner. I flashed back again to our first night. The table in front of me was much the same, covered in a colorful display of sushi rolls, sashimi, seaweed salads and even some steak and chicken teriyaki skewers I’m sure he planned for my dad, just in case. No detail was left unturned when it came to Chase. Surgeons and their details.

“I figured if we had an assortment everyone could just dig in, family style.” It was perfect. He was perfect. It was exactly what I would have wished for. Simple, casual and family style. Because this was my family. Surrounded by everyone I loved. I was over the moon happy.

“Before everyone starts eating, I would like to make a toast.” Everyone quieted and looked toward Chase and me. He snaked his fingers between mine. “First, I would like to thank everyone for coming to celebrate Lili’s birthday with us. I know everyone in this room has a special place in her heart, and she loves you all to pieces.” Shit, he was totally going to make me cry. “And next, I want to thank Lili for finding me and waking me up in more ways than one. I love you, Blue, so much.” He ran his hand along my cheek.

My heart swelled at the double meaning of his words. This man held my fragile heart in his hands and he knew it. And I reveled in the idea that he would do everything in his power to keep it safe.

“And last, I would like to raise our glasses and toast to Lili’s birthday with years of health, happiness and triple digits...”

Oh my god!

My face turned seventeen shades of red again and no one had any idea what he was talking about except me. Damn him, making my swollen heart flip out with his double meanings. And damn my dad for my sucky poker face. Sierra’s eyebrows rose. Yeah, she would definitely be questioning my color change later. Damn, everyone around me knew exactly how to push my buttons. The eye daggers I shot at Chase got me a tight squeeze.

“Whaaat?” he whispered in my ear. “I want us to live to be one hundred.”

“Mm-hmm,” I sarcastically hissed. “I’m sure that’s exactly what you were thinking.” But hell, if I hadn’t wished for at least that many years with this man myself.



“Oh baby, you love me and you love when I do stuff like that.”

I couldn’t argue because he was damn right. He loved to tease me and I freaking loved every second of it, even if I got embarrassed every time.

“Happy Birthday, Blue.” He lightly kissed my lips before releasing me to sip my sake. “What? No wine glass tonight, baby?” Sexy bastard and his play on words.