Four: LISA

I am surprised to find Ethan standing beside Kayden, his dark brown eyes scrutinizing Sandra and me. He coughs loudly again, as if to tell us for certain that he was the one that coughed before.

I roll my eyes. "Ethan, relax. It is not like I am trying to steal your girlfriend or something."

He simply smiles, showing off his sparkling white teeth. "Lisa, even if you wanted to, it won't be possible, because she is already mine."

"Awww." Sandra blushes, and I roll my eyes again when the both of them lean towards each other. I know what is coming, so I look away.

I hear the smooching of their lips, and for some funny reason, I start to feel goosebumps all over my skin. Their raspy sounds also feels like I am listening to some intimate moans echoing right from a porn video.

This should be normal. I mean, Ethan and Sandra kiss around Kayden and I all the time, but right now, with Kayden's body just about two meters away from my goosebumped skin, I find myself begging in my heart of hearts for them to stop.

"Hey guys, take a break." Kayden cuts in, swinging his arm over Ethan's shoulder. "We better dive into all these food right now. Then after that, you both can continue your fun somewhere private. If you wish."

I breathe, gently rubbing my hand over my chest to calm my thudding heart. Thank God Kayden snapped them out of their pent-up make out session. I don't know what would have happened to my entire body so close to Kayden if they had continued.

Sandra grabs my hand and leads me to the chair bearing my smiling picture at the head of the table. I can guess one hundred percent that the innovator who brought up the idea of making this chair look like this is Sandra, but I voice out my question anyway.

"Who brought up the idea of making this chair look like this?" I ask, plopping down on the chair.

Kayden and Ethan simply point at Sandra, who just takes the glory by raising her chin and flipping her hair over her shoulders.

"You know me Lisa. I love making special things, well. . . . .special. The chair is fluffy enough, and do not lie, I know you love it."

I smile. "Of course I do Sandra. I love it."

She tries to keep up her fake stern face, but I poke her at the ribs and she starts laughing.

"Alright Ladies," Ethan interrupts, raising up a corked bottle of wine. "Let us make a toast to the birthday girl."

Sandra squeals and grabs an empty glass from the table before sliding onto a seat at my right. Kayden is seated on the seat at my left. I am not looking at him, but I can tell from my peripheral vision and from the way my cheeks are burning up that he is staring at me.

I grab the empty glass before me. My fingers are shaking, but I manage to wrap it firmly around the body of the glass.

Ethan pops the bottle of wine open, and begins to make a funny toast speech about me that makes sense but also does not make any sense at the same time. I mean, how the fuck does he still remember that time back in college when I almost performed a drunk strip show in front of everyone that came to Kayden's party that night?

Gosh! I really do not want to remember the details, but Ethan is not helping me forget.

That night was the second night I got heartbroken. Really heartbroken. The first heartbreak I suffered was the death of my mum. My dad is like, non-existent in my life, because I have never met him, and according to what my mom told me about him before she died, she said he loved me, but not so much for him to stay with us.

I do not know if he is dead too, but I do not think I want to meet him or to have anything to do with him if I ever meet him.

Well, about that second time I got heartbroken, it was because back then in college, that night at Kayden party, I walked in on a blonde girl named Emily from the music department about to kiss Kayden. During those days back in college, and even now, girls can't seem to get their brains together whenever they are around Kayden.

Even me too.

I feel a slight tap on my knee and blink back to my senses.

"Hey, are you alright?" Kayden's voice whispers, and I sharply turn to him, trying to ignore the millions of butterflies now swirling in my stomach at the low sexy rumble I hear in his voice.

"Yeah, I. . . . .I am fine." I croak out in a whisper. "Ethan just sounds ridiculous."

Kayden's lips curve into a smile, and just when I am about to give into my urge to stare a little bit longer at his lips, Ethan's voice rises up a pitch, jolting me.

"To the birthday girl!" He yells, clicking his glass to mine, which is now miraculously filled with red wine.

When did the wine enter my glass?

Oh. That must be during few seconds ago when I was too busy and lost in my mind thinking about Kayden, and about that almost make out scene that nearly happened between him and that Emily blonde back in college.

Way to go Ethan! Thank you for your kind words. However, I wonder how my hand was able to be more present than my mind that the glass did not slip from my grasp.

Sandra clicks her glass to mine. Kayden does the same too. He leans too close to my ear and whispers. "Happy birthday Lisa."

I smile, but deep down, I feel like exploding from the warmth of his lips on my ear alone. When he pulls away, I feel air rushing back into my lungs.

Gosh! I need more air. Air devoid of his scent and presence. I grab a foiled chocolate bar from one of the plates on the table and stand to my feet.

"Guys, can you give me a moment? I want to see the beach for a while."

My voice is strained, but Sandra and Ethan doesn't seem to notice. However, the way Kayden is looking at me feels like he knows that something is off with me.

And yes, something is off with me. And it has always been because of him.

"Alright baby girl," Sandra chirps. "Please don't stay too long."

I nod and literally force myself to walk and not run out from the table.