Chapter 33: Chapter 33
When I'm done in the shower I walk out and find Mark gone. I take this opportunity to get dressed. I got on a pair of dark jeans a black shirt and one of Mark's flannels. I want to be warm and cliche, I want to smell like him. I've always told myself that I never want to do that, but look at me now. Whatever, I can get away with it. I hope so.
"Nice shirt." Mark turns to me smirking with no shirt. I can't help but gauk at his chest. "Like what you see?" He teases. I can't help but blush. "Hold on a second. Is Alyanna Romero blushing?"
"I'm Alyanna Hernandez now." I say trying to get the subject off of me blushing. I don't get how I'm blushing so much now. I never used to. Even the occasional compliments from my first boyfriend. I just smiled and even felt uncomfortable when he did that.
"My mistake." He said, bowing? Sometimes he's really weird and hard to read. Especially with his guarded look. Speaking of the look, it's gone and I can see it in his blue eyes that he's happy.
His phone rings. "Hello?" He answered without looking at the caller ID. His look is back, I can't help but frown. "No, I have plans today." He says angry this time. "I'm going out with Alyanna." He says, he pauses. "I'm not coming in today, goodbye." He says before hanging up.
Who was that?" I ask, not bothering to hide the sadness in my voice. Even though he said he's not going to work I can't help but feel like he is.
"The nerve in that guy!" He shouts pacing the room running his hands through his hair.
"What guy?" I ask, I think I know exactly who he's talking about.
"He didn't even say happy birthday! How could he not say happy birthday to his own son!?" My hunch was right. "That jackass!" He yells. I can't help but mentally celebrate when he finally sees too, or at least sees it and expresses it.
"Mark." I say walking over to him and placing my hands on his chest to try and calm him. He looks at me. His eyes went from light blue to dark and his happy glint to him changed to anger and the slightest bit of sad.
"I have to get ready for work." He says coldly.
I grab his wrist before he can walk away. "No you don't." I say in the sternest voice I can manage.
"Alyanna. I have to. Let go." He says, more sadness in his eyes this time.
"No. You. Don't." I say slowly. "Today is your scheduled day off, you're not going to work." I say again, as stern as I can.
"But my dad." He said. All sadness, no more anger.
"Like you said he's a jackass. Now go get dressed along the lines of this." I say referring to my outfit and pushing him into the bedroom. "Ok." He says going into the room.
I sit down on the couch and go on my phone. Nothing special really. I go through instagram and see a post from Maya. She was with a guy. Probably her new boyfriend. I scroll through some more and see a post from Sophie. She's with a boy. I half expect to see that guy Brad. I actually see Mason, the boy who walked her down the aisle at my wedding. I comment something along the lines of if we need to talk with a winky face and the laughing crying emoji.
A little later Mark comes out of our room wearing something along the lines of what I'm wearing. "Ready?" I ask.
"Yep." We both head for the door and go out to the car. "So where are you taking me?"
"It's a surprise." I say as I get into the driver's seat. "But what I can tell you is that we need my truck. So we're going to my dad's first." I say pulling out.
"I could drive you know." Mark says when we were a little down the road.
"No. It's your birthday, I am your chauffeur." I say pretending to be offended.
"Ok, you're the boss." Mark says, putting his hands up in defense.
"I am, aren't I." I say over proud of myself.
We pull up to my dads house and see him and Maddy loading stuff into the car. "What are they doing?" Mark asks. I get out.
"Hey dad, Maddy." I walked over and gave them hugs. I turn back to Mark who is still in the car. I wave him to come out.
"Hey guys." He says fake smiling. "Whatcha doing?" He asks me to stand next to me. I elbow him in the stomach.
"Don't ruin the surprise." I say sternly.
"That hurt." He says, grabbing his stomach.
"That wouldn't have happened if you didn't try to ruin your surprise." I say smiling.
There's a few seconds of awkward silence before Maddy speaks up. "Well happy birthday Mark." She goes to hug him and he hugs her back.
My dad holds out his hand. "Happy birthday, I feel like I should give you a savings bond." He makes a dad joke.
"Ok, everything is in there right dad?" I ask, pointing to the truck.
"Yeah, everything is like... Mark pauses and waits for someone to answer. "Stuff in the car like... you put..." He waits for someone to answer him again. Everyone's quiet and stares at him. "Oh come on! Why can't I know?" He yells.
"You'll know eventually." I say patting his arm.
"But I want to know now." He said with crazy eyes.
"Come om, let's get in the car so we can go bye bye." I say in a mothering voice.
My dad, Maddy and I all laugh while Mark is staring forward, probably thinking about what his surprise is. I lead him into the car and Maddy and my dad head into the house. "Why can't you tell me?" Mark asks, pleading.
I open my mouth to say something when my phone rings. "Hello." I answer. "Hang on." I put it on speaker.
"Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Mark. Happy birthday to you." My family sings. "And many more." Hannah and Sophie sing.
"Thank you." Mark says, grabbing the phone and taking it off the speaker. "Hey do you happen to know what my surprise is?" He whispers on the phone.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" I say slamming on the breaks. The phone drops from his ear and I grab it. "Whatever you do, don't tell him." I say putting the speaker back on.
"Sorry Mark." My mom says.
"It's ok." He says, sighing. "Love you all."
"We love you too." They all say. "Bye." They all yell into the phone.
"Bye." Mark and I yell back. We hung up.
"Don't you dare try that again." I say pulling into a parking lot and getting out.
"Where are you going?" He asks me to get out of the car and follow me. I lock the car.
"I need a few things. Also, we need to get some snacks." I say grabbing a cart.
"What snacks?" He asks following me.
"Anything you want. You get to pick a drink, dessert, and a regular snack like popcorn or chips. I get to do the same." I say walking towards the snack section and look around for sour cream and onion chips. "Are you going to pick something out?" I ask.
"Right, be right back." He says getting out of the aisle and as if he's a superhero he comes back with a two liter of cherry cola, birthday cake oreos, and pringles.
"Well that was fast." I say putting the sour cream and onion chips in the cart.
"This is what my mom and I would get on our movie nights." He says putting everything in the cart and following. "What are you getting?"
"Favorite chips are sour cream and onion. Favorite cookies are the soft chips ahoy. And my favorite kind of soda, Dr. Pepper." I say putting all that in the cart.
We walk over to the Crayola section. I go over there. "What are you doing?" Mark asks.
"Getting a sketchbook." I say looking through them.
"Why?" He asks.
"Because I already filled up the one you gave to me." I say flipping through one and feeling the pages.
"You went through a one hundred page sketchbook in less than four months?" He asks.
"Yes." I say short and sweet. He gives me a look. "What? I have a lot of time on my hands. I get bored."
He just chuckles as I pick one and we go to the check out. "Is this all?" The cashier asks.
"Yes, thank you." I say grabbing the bags.
When we head out I pause at the back of the car. "What are you doing?" Mark asks.
When we head out I pause at the back of the car. "What are you doing?" Mark asks.
"Waiting for you to get in the car." I say frozen.
"Why?" He asks.
"Because, it'll ruin your surprise." I say not looking at him.
"I'm not moving." He says, crossing his arms.
"Mark Thaddeus Hernandez. you get in that front seat or you. will. regret. It." I say the last part slowly and squint my eyes.
"Ok, ok. I'll go." He says scrambling into his seat.
I open the back and put the stuff in and just about die laughing. He looks over to me with a mad face. "What? It was funny." I say starting the car.
"No it wasn't." He says blushing.
"Is Mark Hernandez blushing?" I ask teasing.
"Shut up." He says. I just begin laughing again.
"Where are we going?" Mark asks as we drive in the dark.
"You'll see." I say smiling as we pull up to a big blank billboard.
"What are we doing? You're not going to kill me behind the billboard are you." He asks to shrink away from me.
I chuckle. "No." I say backing up and getting out. Mark follows. I open the back of the truck. "Wait right there and close your eyes." I say climbing into the back.
"Fine." He says doing as I say.
I pull the tarp over and set everything up then text someone to start the surprise. "You're good." Mark opens his eyes and comes over to the back of the truck.
"What is all this?" He asks.
“Happy birthday.”