Chapter 333: SS1 10: A BERRY Happy Birthday

Eve helped Ambryan all the way to the penthouse. He used a crutch beside the leg that didn't have his twisted ankle or his small fracture. Thankfully, both were on the same side or he would have needed two crutches. 

He'd rather not use one but he also did want to recover quickly.

That meant no relaying his weight on his injuries.

They arrived a few minutes after 11PM. Eve yawned while they waited inside the elevator. Her sleep from last night wasn't enough to compensate for her jet lag. The bags under her eyes felt heavy. She'd sleep on the couch as soon as they entered the penthouse if it was possible.

"Uh, Wen, would you mind helping Ambee for a while? I'll get the door open myself."

Wen nodded and held her boss by the arm. Eve unlocked the door, stepping inside ahead of them. Ambryan and Wen soon followed but she had disappeared from their sight. Ambryan thought she headed for the bedroom.

"I can take it from here, Wen," Ambryan said. 

He used his free hand to also use the wall as support. 

"Are you sure, Mr. Hathaway?" 

"Yes. Eve is also here so I won't be alone."

Wen bowed her head. She heard the message between the lines and left the room without another word. Ambryan adjusted to his temporary handicap. It required a lot more effort than walking as expected but the pain killers they had provided worked wonders. 

He rounded the corner at the end of the wall. 

A ball of fur circled his legs.

He glanced down and found Kiri, a pointed hat on her head.

"Meow~"

"What are you wearing?" He scowled. Then, the softest and sweetest melody he had ever heard reached his ears. His gaze looked up to find Eve wore a matching hat to his cat. Blueberry also had one as he sat on the kitchen island—annoyance clearly written in his blue eyes.

He also had a stupid party hat.

"Happy birthday to you~" Eve sang. She walked towards him, a small cake in her hands. It had one blue candle in the middle while being surrounded by white icing and sprinkles. "Happy birthday to you~"

Eve dared to take her eyes off the cake so she could see his face. At times like this, she wished there was another person present who could capture this moment. Ambryan had gone still beside the wall. Kiri followed his line of sight and purred, her tail swinging on the floor like a feather duster.

"Happy birthday, dear Ambee~" Eve continued until she stood right in front of him. Her smile had grown into a full grin. "Happy birthday to you!"

Ambryan darted his gaze between her face and the cake. The icing wasn't enough to fully cover the cake. He could see the texture inside, deducing that it was a vanilla cake. Others would have found it plain especially for a birthday celebration.

But he had always preferred it that way.

"The candle needs blowing, birthday boy." Eve chuckled when he still didn't respond. "Remember to make a wish too. Just not a skateboard. We already know that's covered."

Ambryan rolled his eyes before blowing on the candle. 

Then, the corner of his tugged upwards.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Did you make this?"

"I did." Eve nodded. She turned around to put the cake on the kitchen island. Blueberry watched her do it. Kiri soon joined him on the counter, her happy expression a contrast to his displeasure. 

Ambryan finally remembered how muscles worked. He also moved towards the kitchen island, heading for a stool. Eve had taken out two forks so they could eat. "I baked it yesterday with Andie's help. She had Jarrett deliver it this morning so you couldn't have the chance to see it."

"Why would he need to deliver it?" Ambryan asked, placing his crutch aside. He reached for a fork. "You could have just taken it with you. He wouldn't have a key anyway."

"Oh, that's because I slept here last night."

"Last night?"

Eve fluttered her eyelashes. "Well, I thought it could be a nice surprise. Then, I just found the idea of you not knowing about it until now funny."

"Of course you did."

She giggled and walked behind him in order to reach the other side of the counter. A silver box had been waiting on another stool. She pulled it out of hiding. "What's a birthday without a gift?"

Ambryan set his fork down. His heart raced when he spotted the gift box. Right then and there, it didn't matter to him what was inside. He already treasured it. Unlike him, Eve fidgeted from nerves. She had taken a long time to decide what to get him.

What did someone give to a person who could buy anything he wanted? Multiple people also give him presents. She had to think of something unique—even if she couldn't do it again, at least, the first one could be special.

Untying the ribbon, Ambryan opened the lid. Stripes black, blue, white and gray greeted his sight. His eyes blinked twice. The piece of clothing had all of his color preferences. He couldn't tell whether it was to mock him or impress him.

"A scarf," Ambryan whispered when he pulled it out of the box. The fabric unfolded and rolled towards the floor. Then, he inspected the quality. The knitting wasn't perfect. It contained a few holes here and there. They weren't noticeable unless someone stood too close.

Eve propped her elbows on the counter and cupped both her cheeks. 

"Handmade by yours truly," she revealed. It had taken weeks for her to finish. When he visited her in France, she had to make time to do it without his knowledge. She grabbed any chance he left while she stayed behind.

Ambryan pecked her cheek. "I love it. Thank you."

"Good because…" Eve laughed nervously. She snatched the box and showed him the other items. "... I also made you these gloves! And this beanie! You could say that I got carried away but the way I see it is that I just have so much love to give you."

"You got carried away."

"Or maybe I started early and had a lot of yarn left?" Her shoulders slowly rose up. "It's called minimizing waste."

Shaking his head, Ambryan pulled her in for a kiss. "Whatever it is, thank you."

He poured his feelings into that kiss. He hoped the same warmth he felt from the gift reached her. It had the cleverness and thoughtfulness only Eve could muster. His birthday was during the winter season. And since the scarf catered to the cold, he could easily remember that he received it on his birthday. 

It fit perfectly as a present and he had received the same item in the past.

But this one outdid them all no matter how expensive they were.

Eve sighed when they broke apart. She sneakily stole the scarf from him and wrapped it around his neck. Her eyes casted downwards. "So… how long before those pain meds go away?"

"What happened to resting my hip?" Ambryan smirked. His hands went on either side of her waist. They squeezed her skin like a pillow.

"Well, it is your birthday…" Eve paused. She used the ends of the scarf to cover the bottom half  of her face. Blood colored her ears. "And I'm at your service, monsieur."

Ambryan stiffened. "Those are dangerous words."

"Your birthday ends in 20 minutes so think fast." Eve stepped away from his embrace, escaping to the bedroom. She left the door open. Ambryan groaned at her teasing. He grabbed his crutch and followed behind as fast as he could.

The door shut behind him.

On the kitchen island, Blueberry glared to where the hoomans disappeared to. They had been gone for the whole day and when they came back, one of them was injured. He doubted for the nth time if they were reliable owners.

The string of the party hat itched his chin.

Then, his attention flickered to the only food out in the open. If cats could frown, he would have deep crease lines across his forehead. "Meow, meow?" (What about the cake?)

Kiri stalked towards the cake. She sniffed it and booped her nose on the icing. Her tongue wiped it off, wondering about the taste. "Meow, meow, meow." (Maybe we can eat it.)

Blueberry appeared by her side. "Meow." (Don't.)

"Meow?" (Why?)

"Meow, meow, meow." (It could be poisoned.)

Stomach rumbling, Kiri bowed her head. "Meow, meooow." (But I'm hungry.)

Someone had dropped by to feed them but she had wanted more. Two unopened cans were by the sink. Eve had placed them there so the cats could eat while they had the cake. Kiri had looked forward to it once she glimpsed the cat food.

But it seemed like they had been forgotten.

"Meow, meow. Meow." (So am I.) Blueberry responded. They shared a moment of silence before he spoke again. "Meow, meow, meow, meow." (But, at least, I haven't eaten you whole yet.)

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"Meow?" Kiri squeaked.