A/N it's a long ass chapter :'( (it's not sad dw i'm just sad that it's one of the last chapters)

Chapter 94 | Lucas' Birthday

Isabella:

"Oh good, you're here mija," my mom greets me as I step into the backyard after school, immediately throwing my hair into a ponytail and getting into party planning mode. "Everything is going smoothly," she says, looking down at the clipboard in her hand, her fingers skimming the huge list I've written out for her of everything that needs to be completed before Lucas arrives in about 2 hours.

"Mia's with Luke which should give us a bit of leeway with time seeing as she can stall him before they leave," I respond, gazing over at the list and seeing which items have been ticked off. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Aidan, Dylan and Grace rush to and from the house, following the demands of a bossy abuela. When Aidan and Dylan stop to take a breather and Grace pauses to wipe sweat from off her brow, the three get mercilessly yelled at, yelling that causing both my mom and I to wince and look up from the clipboard.

"Ma, leave the kids alone will you!" My mom says to abuela, "check on the cooking like you're supposed to be doing, the kids know what to do."

My grandmother opens her mouth to speak as my mom shoots her a knowing glare. However, before Abuela can utter a single word, she is cut off by a loud, familiar beeping - the sound of the smoke alarm ringing out into the air.

Everybody freezes in their places.

My gaze snaps to the door leading into the kitchen as abuela's eyes widen in panic, as do mine when I see the faint trail of smoke through the glass.

Oh no...

"The food!" Aidan wails in heartbreak, jumping into action and rushing into the kitchen. "The FOOD!"

We all follow him suit, batting away smoke from our vision as the loud beeping noise increases the closer we get to the oven.

Both Aidan and my grandmother grab dishcloths and wave them wildly in the air, jumping up and trying to get the smoke alarm to stop beeping. Well, Aidan manages to bat the smoke away anyway; my grandmother's short frame limits her from even reaching the bit of air that the smoke is wafting in, her dishcloth waving only manages to wack Aidan in the chest every time she jumps up.

"This is not good," Grace mutters, as my mom pulls whatever was baking inside the oven out, hastily putting the tray on top of the counter. It drops onto the marble top with a clang and we all peer over it to see what it was, the smoke alarm ringing finally coming to a stop.

"Please tell me that wasn't the cake," Dylan groans, staring down at what looks like a black rock. "I was so looking forward to eating that."

"It isn't," I reassure him, grimacing when my abuela pokes at it with a fork. "I made the cake yesterday, it's in the fridge."

"Ah good," Aidan sighs, taking a seat out of relief and exhaustion before running a hand down his face. "I was going to cry."

"Ma what was it that you burned?" My mom asks, opening the windows wide open to clear the air. She wrinkles her nose as she stares down at the burnt thing again. "It smells funny."

Abuela laughs sheepishly. "It was uh brownies."

My eyebrows scrunch together. "But I made brownies already."

"They're not for the party."

"Why were you baking them then?" My mother asks.

My grandmother clears her throat and scratches the side of her nose suspiciously, her cheeks blooming pink. "For my bingo friends and I to have a little," there's a pause before she continues,"...fun."

It takes us all a moment for us to register what type of fun it is that my abuela is referring to but when the ball drops...my mom's mouth drops open and both Aidan and Dylan burst out laughing.

Laughter that only heightens at the cry of outburst that leaves my mother's lips a second later. "MA! YOU DID NOT JUST COOK DRUGS IN OUR KITCHEN!"

"Oh please," abuela rolls her eyes and waves a dismissive hand. "Don't act all high and mighty Valeria, I know all about you and your highschool and college antics." When my mom's eyes widen, Abuela nods her head smugly. "Yeah that's right mija. And plus it's not even illegal drugs in these brownies," she looks down at the burnt rock as she says this, "its medicated marijuana that Vicky's doctor prescribed her, she just kindly asked me to share it around to all of our friends."

My mom groans and buries her head in her hands muttering something about how her own mother acts like a rebellious teenanger more than her own teenager before taking a deep breath, shaking her head in defeat and making a shooing gesture with her hand. "Fine mom," she exhales before turning around to us four kids and raising her index finger at us. "Please don't follow abuela's footsteps. Don't do drugs."

"That's a bit too late," a voice that belongs to neither of us kids echoes through the kitchen and I look over my shoulder to see Lucas leaning against the doorframe of the door. Before my mom can speak in protest however, he raises his hands in surrender and grins, dimples popping out and all. "Just kidding."

I'm phased for a moment by the dimples in his cheeks, before my heart stutters to a stop. "HEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" I all but screech, panic settling in. "YOU'RE TWO HOURS EARLY!"

Lucas's eyebrows raise as everyone in the kitchen jumps into action, shutting the windows and doors leading into the garden and closing the blinds before he can see the party set up behind us.

"Well isn't this a nice way to greet the birthday boy," sarcasm laces his voice as he eyes us all, lifting up from off the doorframe.

I laugh nervously. "Right sorry," I speed walk towards him and swing my arms around his neck. "Happy birthday, I love you, here's a kiss." I press my lips against both his cheeks then his chin and then his lips whilst simultaneously shoving him into the hallway and shutting the kitchen door behind me.

We both stumble backwards from my clumsy approach in trying to get us out but Lucas steadies us both with his arm wrapped tight around my waist, a muffled groan emerging from the back of his throat when I ease my tongue into his mouth and tug his hair at the back of his nape the way he likes.

A moment later, before the two of us get too carried away in the middle of the hallway, he pulls away, leaving us enough space to take in oxygen but close enough for his nose to still brush against mine.

"So hey, how are you, I didn't know you were going to swing by this early." I say quickly, a little breathless and trying not to rouse any suspicion although that is probably failing with the way I'm very suspiciously speaking a million words per second.

"I'm feeling pretty great," Lucas smiles, murmuring his reply against my lips.

"That's great," I hum in response, willing myself to calm down and quickly eyeing him to see if he suspects anything. "Very great."

Lucas' grin widens at whatever expression he sees on my face. He then inches his head closer to mine so we're only a slither of space apart. I'm thinking he's about to kiss me again but he pauses before our lips touch, his voice low and quiet as he speaks. "I love the set up of my party by the way."

His words take a second to cut through the brain haze induced by his proximity but when they do, my eyes shut in reflex. "You saw."

"I caught a glimpse of it when I walked into the kitchen through the window."

I groan quietly, annoyance filtering through me. No no no. Of course the one nice thing I had planned for Lucas would get ruined. "It was meant to be a surprise."

"It was. Before I saw the balloons in the garden."

I curse under my breath, frowning at the floor.

Lucas' smile softens and he uses his index finger to tip my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. "I didn't expect for there to be a party for me, I'm still surprised baby."

The more I stare up at him, I notice how Lucas doesn't look the least bit bothered that he walked in on his own surprise, he's still processing the initial gesture of it. At this very realisation, I lift up on my tiptoes, to press another gentle kiss against his lips. "I wanted it to be an extra special day for you." I tell him earnestly.

"It is a special day for me," Lucas returns, "it's special because for once I get to celebrate it with you."

My lips quirk into a small smile, my thumb brushing back and forth against his cheek.

"And if you want, I can forget that I ever saw anything so the surprise is still a surprise."

A half groan half laugh pushes through my lips. "That would be great."

"Of course," Lucas replies, closing his eyes and running a hand down in front of his face. "I did not see any balloons." He begins robotically. "Or realise that my beautiful, amazing girlfriend planned a party for me. Nope. I did not see a thing."

I grin and wrap my arms around his waist, burying my head against his chest. "Why are you home so early anyway?"

"Landon wasn't feeling so good so the mentoring got cut short."

"Oh, but I sent Mia to keep you distracted," I pause for a beat, my eyebrows scrunching together. "Wait if you're here, where is she?"

Before Lucas can even open his mouth to reply, as if by saying her name it summoned her, the front door pushes open and Mia herself storms in, halting when she sees the two of us in the hallway.

I pull away from Lucas as Mia narrows her eyes at him, pointing an accusatory finger in his direction. "YOU! How-how could you leave me when my nail was stuck in the seatbelt."

Lucas raises his palms up in surrender.

"Look at it!" Mia lifts up her left index finger. "The nail ripped from when you left me TRAPPED with no help."

"Sorry but you know I had something important to show Isabella."

At this reply and the mention of my name, Mia turns towards me, spinning around so fast her hair almost smacks Lucas' face . "Oh my God, I'm so so sorry Bella," she says briskly in apology, "I tried to stop him from leaving but I was in the middle of my own mentoring and then he actually was going to leave me without a ride home and I had to basically run after him and jump into the car like I was fucking James Bond or something. Then I tried to stop him from coming here but he is so STUBBORN, none of my awesome, non sexual, distractions even distracted him UGH. He literally speeded home to you."

"It's because I had something important to show Isabella." Lucas repeats.

"Yeah something important alright," Mia laughs dryly, turning back to my boyfriend and throwing him a glare. "It was a fucking picture of birds kissing! You could've just texted it to her."

"I couldn't. I needed to see her reaction!"

I raise a hand to cut off their bickering. "Wait, a picture of birds kissing?" I look up at Lucas curiously. "Hello, show me already!"

"Oh right," Lucas grins and digs into his pocket for his phone before loading up the photo he took.

"Oh my God that is so cute," I gasp, grabbing his phone so I can look at it closer. "HOW PRECIOUS."

"I know right!" He exclaims. "I had to take a picture to show you. Now is this not important?"

I glance up at Mia and nod slowly. "I'm sorry Mi, but I gotta side with Lucas for this. It is very important, I understand he was rushing to get home, it just wouldn't have been the same over text."

Mia shakes her head and throws her hands up in the air in defeat. "I give up. You guys are actually made for each other. I'm going to go show Grace my broken nail and cry. Bye." She stalks out of the hallway and into the kitchen.

She's barely disappeared behind the door before I turn to Lucas again. "Okay, okay, send me that picture! I need to have it on my phone."

***

For the sake of the others, Lucas pretends that he still has no idea about his surprise, we tell Mia to keep her mouth shut and I finish helping setting up what I need to set up, holing Lucas up in my room before I join him, telling everyone that I'll distract him before he starts to get 'suspicious'.

Mia and Dylan send several winks my way at the mention of 'distraction' and I tell the two of them to shut up before my mom and abuela start assuming things.

Little do they know however, that their dirty minded minds are right for once.

"Best birthday ever," Lucas breathes, his chest heaving with every inhale and exhale as he lazily zips up his jeans. He pulls me up beside him, pressing a kiss to my lips despite the fact those very lips had been on a certain part of his erm anatomy barely seconds before.

I push a strand of his slightly sweaty hair out of his forehead and grin down at him. "The best bit hasn't even happened yet." I quirk an eyebrow, referencing the party that's still yet to happen.

"Baby this was the best bit," his smile is lazy and impish, his eyes still glazed over slightly and his cheeks tinged pink.

"The cake will be the best bit," I argue, a giggle pushing through my lips, "not to boost my own ego or anything but it's the best thing I've created."

"Mm, we'll see," Lucas hums in reply, a suggestive look crossing his features, "but I'd much rather have something else for dessert than cake."

A blush rises to my cheeks. "Later," I murmur in promise, pressing another kiss against his lips. "Now let's get cleaned up, I'm kinda messy."

After we both fix ourselves up and look a little less...tousled, we return back to my room, sprawling ourselves against my bed on the floor, wrapped up in conversation.

The sounds of everyone talking downstairs vibrate through the floor and a sudden burst of music shoots through the whole house, scaring both Lucas and I and halting our conversation for a beat. A yell that sounds like Mia is then heard over the blaring music, which is further followed by another yell that sounds like Dylan, and then more yelling that only quiets down when another voice adds to the mix (probably my mom) and the music is turned off for good.

Lucas shakes his head amusedly, turning back to me once there is silence again. "Hey Izzy, can you grab my hoodie for me please," he gestures to the discarded hoodie thrown haphazardly in the corner of my room.

I nod. "Sure." I reply, getting up from the floor. As I go to grab it, my eyebrows furrow together confusedly; the hoodie seems to be really weighed down by something, making it feel abnormally heavy.

"Why is it so heavy?" I ask.

Lucas doesn't reply, he just smiles to himself and takes the hoodie from my grasp with a thank you and begins to pull out what looks like a thick purple journal from the pocket, undoubtedly the item that made the hoodie feel like it weighed a ton before asking me for a pen.

Still confused, I grab one from my desk and chuck it at him.

Lucas uncaps the pen and begins flipping through the pages until he pauses and begins scribbling something down. I retake a seat beside him and try to take a peek at what he's writing but he moves the journal away before I can read anything legible.

I sit back with a huff, crossing my arms across my chest as I scrutinise the journal curiously. There is something oddly familiar about it. Maybe it's the colour - it's a similar purple shade to the diaries I had when I was a kid.

Unsure why Lucas would be writing in a journal that looks like the one I used to write in when I was a child however, I continue sitting and just eyeing him jot something down.

A moment later, after Lucas snickers into the paper for a good 30 seconds, he gives whatever he wrote down a satisfied nod and turns to me smiling. "This is for you."

"For me?" I question, glancing down at his hand where he's holding out the journal.

Lucas nods.

I raise an eyebrow, but take the book from him anyway and Lucas leans back, resting his head on the bed, watching me as my brain flickers with trying to find an answer for what could possibly be inside the journal.

"Read it then," he gestures with his chin as I continue to stare back at him in thought, making no movement to actually take a peek inside to find out those very answers.

Riiighhht, maybe I should read it to find out.

My eyes flick down at the purple notebook again, and my curiosity heightens as I finally open the thick cover to the first page.

The very first thing I see written is little dedication. Askew boy drawn hearts and wonky smiley faces are drawn all around, surrounding the words that read 'for my Izzy' and immediately a smile pulls at my lips.

Only that very smile is extremely short-lived however, as when I turn the paper and my eyes read the very next words written on the next page; my mouth falls open as my heart skitters to a halt.

Oh.

'Reasons why I'm in love with Isabella Quintero and reasons why I always will be.'

Any coherent thoughts fail to filter through my brain as my heart turns to mush and my mind grows cloudy with emotion.

Oh wow.

My poor, poor heart. I think it is going to burst.

The only physical reaction I emit after my mouth drops open is a weird, odd timed, strangled noise that escapes the back of my throat.

"You okay there?" Lucas' voice cuts through the foggy haze in my brain, his voice tinged with humour, like him absolutely destroying me in the best way possible is funny to him.

Somehow, I find the strength to shake my head, still staring wordlessly at the 15 words written down in front of me.

"No?" He repeats, laughing.

"No," I choke out a whisper as I am completely overwhelmed with emotion.

Lucas chuckles again. "Read the last thing I wrote Izzy," he instructs me and with shaky hands I do so, flicking through the several pages seeing all the paper filled with words and words until I reach the last page.

Only when I read those the last couple of words, my heart swells even more and tears glaze my eyes.

#378 - She gave me the best blowjob in the entire universe.

Why that causes a choked sob to escape from the back of my throat I'm not entirely sure but as I read the words again, it only causes my eyes to become even more glassy.

He found 378 things to write about that he loved me.

378 things.

I try to pull myself together and force myself to continue flicking through the other pages and sporadically reading each bullet point, only to fail as I start crying harder at each sentence that I read, my vision only getting increasingly blurry.

Pages and pages are filled with Lucas' scrawly handwriting and little doodles fill up the corners of some of the pages; minuscule stick men drawings of the two of us and weird cat things - it is so freaking cute.

My fingers trace over those doodles and the words written down lovingly as I read, trying not to get any tear stains on the paper (and fail).

#5 - Her presence puts me at peace.

#12 -