“Let me go get some forks.” He looks inside the bag. “On second thought, I’ll get some spoons, and maybe a straw or two.”

I laugh because he’s probably right. Still, Mr. Kwan was nice enough to make us this cupcake for two, and I’ll be damned if we’re not eating it. Toby leaves, and I walk over to his guitar. I can’t play or sing if my life depended on it, but I take the guitar in my hands and remember the look on Toby’s face when he sang me my song. I still can’t believe he wrote a song for me. Toby Michaels might not have a lot of experience being in a relationship, but he is romantic as all hell. Not that I’d say that in public. Jeff and Ryder would never let him live it down.

The door opens, and Toby walks in carrying two spoons. “Got them.” He eyes me in his desk chair, holding his guitar on my lap.

“Sorry.” I gently place the guitar back on its stand. “I was careful with it.”

“No. It’s fine. I don’t mind at all. I just didn’t know you played.”

“I don’t.” I stand up, feeling my cheeks turning red. “I was remembering the other night when you played that song for me.”

“Your song.”

My song. I’m glad he thinks of it like that too. “It was so beautiful.”

“Of course, because it was about you.”

If I wasn’t already in love with him, I would be after that comment. Hell, I think I’m falling in love with him all over again. I step toward him and wrap my arms around his waist.

He holds up the spoons. “Still want that cake?”

“In a minute.” I press my body against his. “Or two.”

He tosses the spoons onto the bed and cups my face in his hands. “Make it three.” His lips find mine. He tastes like cherry soda. I’m kind of surprised to find out he wasn’t drinking beer like most of the others at the party. I was never big on beer. At least not the cheap stuff people buy for parties like this one. It tastes like something a skunk would leave behind. He pulls back for a second. “You weren’t licking the icing from the cupcake bag, were you? You taste very sweet.”

“No, that must be from the soda-soaked dishtowel I was sucking on earlier. Oh wait, that was Meredith.”

He laughs. “Wow, Becca, you have some bite in you.”

“What can I say? She threatened my best friend. I don’t like anyone messing with the people I love.” I lower my head. “I’ve been doing a bang up job of that myself lately.”

He raises my chin. “Hey, forget Tori for a second. Forget Meredith. Forget everyone else.” He pulls me closer. “Does any part of this feel wrong to you?”

“No.” I don’t have to even think about it. Toby and I couldn’t feel more right. “But how do we make Tori see that?”

“I’m not sure. But we’ll think of something. Later. For now, let’s enjoy the peace and quiet of this room.”

“And some mashed cupcake?”

He nods. “And some mashed cupcake.” He grabs the spoons off the bed and hands one to me. “Ladies first.”

“No way. It’s your birthday. Make a wish and drink some icing.”

“Sounds delightful.” He smiles and closes his eyes.

“What are you wishing for?”

“I can’t tell you or it won’t come true.”

“That’s what Tori always says. Every year I ask her what she wished for, and she always tells me she can’t say or it won’t come true. You guys are a lot more alike than you think.”

He opens his eyes. “Done. And I know we’re alike. I’m not the one who has a problem with being a twin.”

“Something must have happened to make her this way.” I reach for his hand and lace my fingers through his. “I can’t see how anyone can look at you and not see how amazing you are.”

“You did it for seventeen years.”

“Not true at all. I knew. I was just too shy to tell you.”

“And my sister forbid you from liking me.”

I try to remember a time when we all used to hang out. A time before Tori kept Toby and me separated. “Didn’t we go to some birthday party together in, like, third grade?”

“Yeah, at an arcade downtown.” He scrapes his spoon against the side of the bag, scooping up some icing.

“And didn’t you win a stuffed pink bear for Tori?”

“And a goldfish for you.”

“Oh my God, Mr. Gills! I totally forgot about him.” He was the only pet I’ve ever had because Dad’s allergic to pet hair.

“Tori got upset because she wanted a goldfish too, and I couldn’t win another one.”

“You used all your tokens trying, too.” The memory comes rushing back. “And then Mr. Gills died about a week later, and she still had her stuffed bear.”

He nods. “Open up.” He holds the spoon of icing out to me.

“I told you, birthday boy first.”

“Don’t argue with me on my birthday.”

I open my mouth, and he feeds me the spoonful. Even demolished, the cupcake tastes delicious. “Wow. That’s really good.”

“And you’re still alive, so I guess it’s safe for me to try some.”

I smack his arm. “You were making me test it?”

He smiles and pulls me in for a kiss. “Tastes good to me.”

“What the hell?” I turn to see Tori standing in the doorway, glaring at us.

Chapter Twenty-Four

My heart stops. My lungs shrivel to the size of peas. I’m dying. I must be. The cupcake was poisoned, and I’m slipping away with the agony of death. That must be it.

“I said, what the hell?” Tori walks into the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

“Oh God, Tori,” I say, pulling away from Toby. “You weren’t supposed to find out like this.”

“What is this?” She can’t focus on either one of us. Her eyes dart back and forth. “Please tell me this is a prank. Some sick joke that you two orchestrated while you were planning my party. Tell me someone is going to jump out and yell surprise and hand me the keys to a new car, because nothing short of that is going to make me be okay with my brother and my best friend making out in his room!”

“Okay, let’s calm down and talk about this,” Toby says.

“Calm down? Are you shitting me?” Tori screams. I’m grateful the music downstairs is so loud. I don’t want an audience of the entire junior class. “You don’t get to tell me to calm down, Toby. You were just kissing my best friend. My best friend!”

“I know it looks bad. I get it, but you have to listen to us.” Toby has to stop telling Tori what she needs to do or she’ll never let up.

“Tori.” I stand up, but I’m too afraid to step any closer to her. “We were going to tell you. I swear.”

“When?”

“Today. I promise. We were going to tell you everything. We didn’t want to keep this a secret from you.”

“Oh, so you were going to tell me today? On my birthday?” She forces a laugh. “Happy birthday, Tori, I’ve been sneaking around with your twin brother!”

“No.” Oh God. She’s right. What the hell made me think today was a good day to come clean? We’re ruining her birthday. This is the worst time for this. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“No, you weren’t. You weren’t thinking about anyone but yourselves.” She shakes her head in disgust. “My God, Becca, how could you do this to me?”

“I don’t know. You’re right. I should’ve told you some other time.”

“No.” She cuts me off. “I mean how could you go behind my back like this? You’re like my freakin’ sister, and you’re doing…this?” She gestures to Toby.

“It’s not like that. This is still pretty new.”

“How new? Right-after-Meredith-dumped-Toby new?”

“Before that,” Toby says.

“Holy crap! You two were together while Toby was dating Meredith? That’s sick!”

“You don’t understand. Meredith caught us together and threatened to tell you if I didn’t pretend to date her and get her back on top at school.” I don’t know how Toby is managing to find the courage to talk because my throat is closing on me.

“Meredith knew?” Tori’s eyes widen. “She knew before me? You confessed to her but not me?”