Almost Eighteen

The next few days felt… different.

Not bad, or awkward, Just… charged.

Every little thing between me and him felt louder than before. The way his eyes lingered longer, the way his hand brushed mine when he passed me something. The way my heart refused to act normal around him.

It was like something had shifted… and neither of us was saying it out loud.

My birthday was tomorrow and I could barely breathe from how excited I was.

At school, I wasn’t even pretending to listen anymore, my mind was completely occupied by you know who.

“Bea,” Anna snapped her fingers in my face. “Hello?? Earth to birthday girl.”

“Huh?” I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts.

“You’ve been smiling at nothing for like five minutes. It’s scary.”

Maye leaned closer. “It’s giving mystery man on her mind.”

I rolled my eyes, trying to play it off. “You guys are so dramatic.”

“Mm-hmm,” Anna smirked. “So what’s the plan tomorrow?”

I bit my lip. “I don’t fully know yet… but he said he planned something.”

Their eyes widened instantly.

“HE??” Maye grabbed my arm. “Oh my God, it’s him.”

“Relax,” I laughed nervously. “It’s not that serious.”

But inside?

Yeah… it was, it definitely was.

I just couldn't wait for school to be dismissed so I could go home, back to him.

After a really long painful wait, school finally came to an end. I already knew nobody was coming to get me so I took the bus home.

When I got home, the front door was slightly open.

That was already weird.

I stepped in slowly, dropping my bag by the door.

“Hello?”

I hear voices and I was about to start thinking otherwise when I heard my mom’s voice. It was sharp and tense.

I froze.

“…you think I’m stupid?” she snapped.

“I already explained...” my stepdad tries to reply calmly

“Explained what? That I imagined it? That my Bea imagined it too?”

My chest tightened.

So we were back to this.

I quietly moved closer, stopping just before the living room.

“I said it wasn’t what it looked like,” he said again, frustration creeping in.

“Oh, so now I’m blind?” my mom laughed bitterly. “Or maybe she is the problem, right? That woman you brought into this house...”

“Cristine, stop.”

“No, you stop!” she shouted. “You think I didn’t notice the way things have been? The distance? The secrecy?”

My heart started pounding.

This wasn’t just about the kiss anymore.

This was deeper.

I didn’t mean to… but I stepped in.

“Can you both just stop?” I said, my voice cutting through the tension.

They both turned to me.

Then an awkward, tense silence filled the room.

My mom looked at me, her expression softening for a split second before hardening again. “You’re back.”

“Obviously,” I muttered.

My stepdad looked at me too, and for a moment, everything else faded. That look again… soft, careful… like he was checking if I was still on his side.

“I’m going to my room,” I said quickly, not wanting to be stuck in the middle of them again.

“Bea....” my mom started.

I didn't wait to hear her out, just went straight to my room.

I threw myself onto my bed, exhaling hard.

It was the same tension in the house as before, but somehow… I didn’t feel as affected.

Because now?

My focus was somewhere else.

Tomorrow.

My birthday.

And him.

Later that evening, I went downstairs for water and found him in the kitchen alone, cooking like nothing ever happened.

He looked up when he saw me, a small smile forming on his lips. “Hey.”

“Hey,” I replied, leaning against the counter.

“Your mom’s upstairs,” he said quietly.

“I figured,” I shrugged.

“I’ve been thinking about tomorrow,” he said.

My heart skipped instantly. “Yeah?”

He nodded, turning off the gas before facing me fully.

“I want it to be special for you.”

The way he said it made my stomach flip.

“It already is,” I said softly before I could stop myself.

His eyes locked onto mine.

“You deserve it,” he added, his voice lower now.

I swallowed.

“Just don’t make it embarrassing,” I said chuckling a little, trying to lighten the mood.

He chuckled. “No promises.”

I rolled my eyes, smiling despite myself.

Dinner that night was… tense.

My mom joined us, but barely spoke.

She didn’t look at him.

Didn’t look at me much either.

Just ate in silence like she was somewhere else completely. I hated when she did that, but at the same time… I couldn’t even focus on it properly.

Because every now and then, I’d feel his gaze on me.

And my heart would do that stupid little thing again.

After the awkward dinner I went up to my room and just laid down. I heard my mom confronting my step dad again, like could she just get over it already he said it was a mistake 🙄.

That night, I just lay in bed staring at my ceiling.

Wide awake.

My birthday was just hours away.

I checked my phone.

9:47pm.

It was so close, and I could feel my excitement growing. I hugged my pillow, smiling to myself.

Everything felt like it was building up to something.

Something big.

Something… I had been waiting for.

Even with all the chaos in the house…

Even with my mom still clearly upset…

I couldn’t stop the excitement bubbling inside me.

Because deep down?

I knew.

Tomorrow wasn’t going to be normal.

And honestly?

I didn’t want it to be.