Chapter 67

An hour and a half later, I reluctantly finished cleaning everything up. Ella said I had two more surprises coming, and honestly, I couldn’t wait to see what else she had planned. Just as I stepped back into the office building, my phone buzzed — it was Lucas. [Lucas: Hey man, happy birthday!] I frowned, surprised. Since we became friends, not once had he bothered with birthday wishes. Maybe I took too long to reply, because he messaged again, sounding kind of anxious. [Lucas: Seriously, why are you so quiet? Didn’t see any birthday post from you. You okay?] [Oliver: What’s with the sudden concern?] [Lucas: Thank God, you’re alive! So, how’s your birthday going?] That caught me off guard. I had no idea how to answer. I wasn’t big on birthdays, so I wasn’t used to people asking about it. After a bit of hesitation, and with Lucas pestering me for a response, I figured I had to say something. [Oliver: Well, Ella gave me her blessings and a gift.] [Lucas: No offense, but what kind of gift?