Chapter 97

Maya

Fifteen Years Later

"Happy birthday!" Bianca is holding up her glass. "The big thirty-three—only seven years until forty and your mid-life crisis!"

"Not so loud!" I grit my teeth, hissing at my friend. There is lemon juice stuck on my teeth; I can taste it. "Every single soul inside this restaurant doesn't have to know my age!"

Jenna and Felicia lift their cocktail glasses, smiling at me with warmth and love radiant on their faces.

"You still have a young soul," Jenna consoles me. "And you're the youngest successful attorney that I know. Hurrah for your success in the business!"

All my lovely friends clink their glasses, and with a bubble of joy lifting from my chest, I lift mine as well, glad everyone who matters in life is free this weekend.

My birthdays aren't an occasion safe to celebrate alone, as I go hard on the bottle. Aging reminds me of a traitor who ne