Chapter 146

‘Happy birthday,’ he said again. He placed it on the worktable. The cake inside was tiny. Four inches, maybe. Enough for two. The icing was smooth and white, with a single purple flower piped dead centre. No glitter, no sprinkles. Just that flower, neat, precise, a shade darker than amethyst. Primrose, my birth flower. I stared at it for a few seconds. ‘Thanks,’ I said quietly, before my voice could crack. He lit a candle on top, just one, and grinned at me. ‘Make a wish.’ The flame flickered. I closed my eyes. Nothing came to mind straight away. My brain spun in ten directions before settling. I opened my eyes and blew out the candle. The smoke curled upward, sharp and faint. ‘Happy birthday,’ Ashton said. I repeated it. ‘Happy birthday to me.’ The heat in the room had settled into my chest. It wasn’t from the heater. ‘Cake?’ he asked. Then he swiped a finger through the frosting and smeared it across my cheek. ‘Birthday girl.’ I blinked. Then grabbed a chunk off the side and smeared