"Happy birthday to youuu, happy birthday to youuu..."

Annette’s off-key singing dragged me out of sleep. I groaned and pulled the pillow over my face.

"Happy birthday, dear Abigailll," She yanked the pillow off me. "Happy birthday to youuuu!"

I opened one eye, a silly smile tugging at the corner of my lips. She was standing on the bed in her pajamas, phone in one hand, filming me, grinning widely.

"Hello, Miss twenty-five looks like twenty!" She grabbed my hands and hauled me upright, giggling along with me as we bounced on the mattress.

Both of us shrieked when some of the springs of the mattress snapped, grabbing each other and laughing our asses off as we got down.

Annette wrapped both arms around me in a cozy hug. "Happy birthday, babes,"

"Thanks, Annie." I leaned my head against hers. "You know now that I’m twenty-five, I feel kind of wiser."

"For real?" She teased.

"Yeah, the universe has revealed the most important answer of all to me. A tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable."

She cackled at my words, shoving me away from her. "Wise ass,"

With a spring to my step, I got ready for work. I was halfway through doing my eyeliner when my phone pinged with an email from work. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

All staff notice: Today will operate as a half day. Work hours will conclude today at 12 PM. — HR, Wolfe Group.

I paused mid-stroke, eyeliner hovering near my lash line. I frowned at the text on the screen.

That was odd. A half day meant the boss had ordered it, and if Finn had done that, I should have been the one scheduling the HR notice to go out. I handled every single communication that came out of that office. I knew his calendar down to the word.

So, why hadn’t he told me?

I pushed the thought aside and finished my makeup. Maybe he had gone directly through HR this week. Things had been...weird between us for the past seven days.

It was my doing. I knew that, okay. I pushed him away, and what bothered the heck out of me was the fact that he was staying put.

I would be relieved, but ugh, every time I saw him, I felt like I was standing in the fucking Antarctica.

I missed him. I missed talking to him and... And holding him. That solid, hard body. His cock. God, I had shamelessly used little Bobby on my cunt last night because the desire was driving me insane.

I guess my body wasn’t over him yet. I didn’t think it could ever be.

I waved the thought off and zipped up my bag.

"Okay, I’m heading out," I called.

Annette appeared in the kitchen doorway holding a mug. "Bye."

I paused, the frown on my face deepening.

Annette had, for every single birthday of our friendship, always given me a morning gift, an afternoon gift, and an evening gift.

Heck, she had once set an alarm for midnight just to be the first person to say happy birthday.

"That’s it?" I asked.

She sipped her tea, batting her lashes innocently. "Have a good day?"

"Right," I said slowly. "Okay."

She was up to something. I just knew that.

When I arrived at the company,

Marcus saw me strolling in through the lobby and yelled. "There she is!"

I almost turned around to bail when I noticed a small cluster of my fellow employees near the reception desk.

"Happy birthday to you!"

"Oh my god, for real, you guys," I laughed, clapping a hand over my face in surprise.

Kate was filming with her phone while Ted approached with a cake that had "Happy Birthday, Abigail the Brave" in blue icing.

"Speech!" Marcus called.

"I’m not doing a speech," I scoffed, collecting the cake from them.

"You’re doing a speech, we didn’t order that cake for nothing," Marcus grumbled, drawing another laugh from my lips.

"Thank you, guys. Honestly. You’re all wonderful, and you’re officially on my list of coworkers that I might throw a punch for."

They cheered, hollering and whooping. The entrance doors opened behind us, and the cheering died down so quickly.

Everyone scurried off so quickly, I would have thought I imagined there was a crowd if not for the cake in my hands.

The scent of Tom Ford filled my nose, and my stomach flipped in realization. I spun around, Finnegan stood at the entrance, his emerald green eyes fixed on me. His face was smooth and blank, but those eyes pierced deep into my chest.

I turned to face him fully, adjusting my bag and the cake in my hands. "Good morning, Mr Wolfe."

"Miss Kellerman."

I ignored the shiver that ran down my spine at his deep voice and immediately walked to the elevator.

He followed behind me. I held my breath when the doors closed. My bag was draped over one shoulder, and the cake platter was balanced in both hands. The plate was slightly too large, and it was hard to balance.

Without a word, he reached over and took the cake from me.

I blinked rapidly, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Thank you."

He said nothing and just stood there holding up a birthday cake while I counted every breath that I took, fighting the urge to throw myself against him.

***

"Don’t stay too long," Finn rasped as he walked out of the office at exactly twelve o’clock.

It was so odd seeing him ready to leave when it was barely noon. Why had he issued a half-day?

I grunted in response, avoiding his gaze until he stalked to the elevator and left.

I grabbed my phone, dialing Meemaw’s number for the third time that day. It was weird that they hadn’t called me to wish me a happy birthday. They always did.

It was even weirder that they weren’t picking their calls.

My phone screen lit up with a call from Annette, and when she spoke, she sounded frantic.

"Abby, are you done at work?"

"Just finishing up, why, what’s happening?"

Was it Meemaw? Did something happen to them?

"There’s something.... something you have to see."