CHAPTER ONE
The day never looked so bright before. My future too. I was turning eighteen. I was finally legal and I’d be able to chase my dreams.
Finally!
I was so tired of my mum bossing me around, it was time I started to call some shots around here.
I wasn't sure what to wear to my birthday party later today and I had so many choices to pick from, it was driving me crazy.
My lips formed into a smile as I heard the footsteps outside my bedroom door. It was my family. They always woke me up this way, for every birthday I could remember for the past eighteen years.
I stopped shuffling around my closet and hurried to my bed, diving under the covers and pretending to be asleep. I didn't want them to see me awake.
I drew the covers up to hide my face and the smile threatening to slip on my face.
I didn't see them come in, but I heard someone sit at the foot of my bed.
“Wake up, birthday girl!" Aiden yelled, pulling my legs and then tumbling into bed with me.
I stubbornly stayed still, my eyes shut tightly, as I held my breath.
“We know you're not sleeping." He said in a singsong voice, his hands going to my ribs as he tickled me repeatedly.
The squeal left my lips before I could think about trying to hold it in, my hands going to stop him from tickling me further.
"Stop—stop it Aiden." I laughed, my breath coming in short breathy pants. "I'm going to pee myself." I squealed, twisting and trying to turn away from him, all to no avail.
“Stop that, Aiden." A small voice chuckled at the foot of the bed, and I knew without looking that it was our mum.
Aiden’s devilish hands went away and I gave him a mock glare. I got up with the biggest grin on my face and rushed towards my mum, enveloping her in a bear hug.
“Careful, sweetheart or you'll knock down the cake."
I reluctantly removed my arms to look at the beautiful pink cake my mum was holding carefully in both hands.
“Wow," My lips formed a round o as I looked at the candles. "It's so…pretty."
"Well, a pretty cake for a pretty girl," Mum said.
Aiden snorted, and I flipped him off, my smile never leaving my face.
"What are you doing up? It was supposed to be a surprise."
I shrugged. "I got up early. I'm so excited for today, you know how I get during my birthdays. And Aiden, remember you promised to stay away today and let me handle my birthday party."
"I didn't agree to that," Aiden replied nonchalantly.
"Yes, you did!“ I retorted. “Mum, make him stay away."
My mum stood silently, not doing anything to stop our bickering, as always.
“As the man of this house, I'm allowed to be anywhere I want to be, Ava. You can't stop me."
I throw him a spiteful look and simply ignore him this time. Aiden enjoys pissing me off too damn much. I decided not to give him the satisfaction he wanted—not today. I was going to enjoy every minute of my day today.
I went closer to my mum and she dropped the cake on the dresser, stepping aside from it.
I stood before my cake, and closed my eyes for a moment, wishing deep in my heart that I never stopped being this happy. I blew out the candles and Aiden whistled while mum clapped, and I laughed at the childishness of it all.
I cut a piece for myself, and then a piece for mum, not even looking at Aiden.
"Hey, where's my cake?" Aiden asked.
"There's no way I'm giving you any when you just promised to ruin my party." I glared at him.
"Aww, come on! I'm not going to ruin it just because I showed up, Ava." He groaned. “It’s not my fault that your friends are scared of me.”
“They wouldn’t be scared if you didn’t pull that silly prank off three weeks ago.”
I rolled my eyes and hugged my Mum, already itching to go have a bath and go shopping with my girlfriends. If only Aiden would stop whining.
"Come on, Ava. You always give me a piece of cake. You give mum one, and then me. I'm your big brother."
"Ava, be nice to your brother."
I grumbled, even though I wasn't thinking of leaving without giving him a bite of the cake.
I cut a piece and carried it with the cake knife to him, holding it away from him until he got a frustrated look on his face before letting him take a bite.
"Thanks, Mum. You too, Aiden. But now, I have to get going."
"She's blowing us off to go with her girlfriends, mum. Can you imagine that?"
My mum laughed as they both moved towards the doorway.
Aiden leaves, but Mum draws back and instead turns towards me. "Ava."
I could tell there was a sermon coming up as I turned around and walked towards her, hooking my left arm through her right arm. "Yes, mum?"
Her black hair was peppered with a few grey hairs, but she still looked as attractive as ever. I was pretty sure that somewhere in her bloodline, someone had to have manufactured some sort of gene that made them age slower.