As you looked around the packed VIP section, filled with all the people you loved most in this world, all there to celebrate you, you felt more and more annoyed by Rafe’s absence. He was supposed to be your boyfriend, and boyfriends were supposed to show up for your birthday.

All he’d had to do was show up with a present, your friends had planned the whole party taking all the responsibility off of him. Probably because they’d known if they left it up to him, you wouldn’t have had any kind of birthday celebration. You knew they’d called and texted him about tonight, knew that he’d ignored all the texts and calls.

Knowing that your boyfriend couldn’t be bothered to show up for you was a shitty feeling. One that had you reaching for your phone and angrily punching in the number you’d long ago memorized by heart. It rang and rang. You were about to give up, when his low, gravely voice came through.

“Hey baby. Where are you?” He asks, his words slightly slurred.

“Where am I?” You repeat incredulously. “I’m out celebrating”

“Celebrating what?” He asks, his voice taking on a hard edge. You want to reach through your phone and shake him. Was he really this oblivious?

“My birthday” you say, your voice bitter.

“It’s your what?!” That gets his attention. He sits up straighter in his barstool. He’s caught off guard. No wonder why you sounded so pissed. No wonder why your stupid friends had been blowing up his phone.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you remind me?” He’s practically yelling into the phone. He doesn’t want to admit that he’d forgotten, so he focuses the blame on you. You should’ve known he sucked with dates. If you’d reminded him, he’d have been there.

“Seriously? You forget, ignore all my friends texts and calls, and somehow it’s my fault?”

“Damn it, I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.” He snaps back. He knew he was in the wrong. He should’ve been paying more attention to the things he cared about. Should’ve paid more attention to you. But he was stubborn and refused to admit that. He was also drunk, and the cocktail of drugs and alcohol in his system were making him more irrational and emotional than usual.

“Good to know where I land on your list of priorities”

No, baby. That’s not-“ he starts to backtrack. It had just hit him that what he’d said had hurt you again. He couldn’t do anything right tonight. He rubs his forehead, trying to ease the headache that had started since picking up the phone.

“That’s not what I meant”