Today was Rosalyn's seventeenth birthday. Seeing that smile on her face as she clutched onto the teddy bear I got her made a smile form on my lips.

On the belly of the teddy bear was a heart with the words te amo niña on it. I got it custom-made.

Earlier that morning, I bought her chocolate muffins with Dunkin' Doughnuts coffee and dropped them off to her at school. Honoka and I also made sure to drop her off to school and pick her up before bringing her over to our apartment. She was ecstatic for her gift and our gestures.

It wasn't anything too fancy, but it came from the heart.

       I didn't feel an urge to impress her because I felt completely comfortable with my little Latina. I knew she would love what I did because that was just Rosalyn in general. So simple and easy, and it wasn't complicated—unlike Darian.

       I almost groaned at the fact that he once again managed to creep into my mind. It seemed as if recently, he was all I thought about. I still had to wrap my head around the fact that he was gay. And the fact that he wanted me.

         Why?

       That was all I wanted to know.

       Why did he want me?

       "Kenji!" Rosalyn smacked me across the face with the teddy bear.

"Ow!" I pushed it away and rubbed my face. "Jacked up my hair." I ruffled it back into place, but, honestly, I didn't really care.

My appearance was the least of my worries.

"Wow, Kenji," Honoka said, reminding me that she was there. I was so out of it that I forgot. Clay and Alissa walked in at that exact moment.

"Happy birthday, Rosalyn!" They hollered as they approached us, and Rosalyn jumped to her feet with a grin.

"Thank you!" Rosalyn threw herself into their arms and the three of them participated in a group hug. "It's so great seeing you guys again!"

        Cute.

Clay and Alissa sat down on the floor beside Honoka and Rosalyn retook her spot beside me. As she held onto my arm, the night before that dreaded accident filled my mind.

All seven of us where spending the night at Camila's house, and we were watching movies, goofing off and eating snacks. When the food ran out, Camila asked who wanted to help her get more. I volunteered, and we made our way to the kitchen. Rosalyn came downstairs for a drink, and I remembered that moment vividly.

She wore bear shorts with a pink nightshirt and fluffy bed shoes topped with a messy bun. She kept blushing and stuttering around me before scrambling away.

While she left, Camila watched her sister before turning to me. She told me that she suspected that Rosalyn had a crush on me. For the first time, I took all of Rosalyn in.

Not as Camila's younger sister, but as a girl.

A very attractive girl.

Despite this, my only response to Camila was "cute."

        Cute.

That was the best way to describe Rosalyn and what we had. We were "cute." And supportive. And best friends.

We were safe.

Darian and I weren't.

I looked down at the grinning girl in my arms, and she snuggled closer to me. I guess she wanted to cuddle. I let her have her way since it was her special day, and I noticed that Honoka was watching me.

More like she was watching me and Rosalyn.

I perked a brow at her, and she quickly looked away. She focused on Alissa, and I re-emerged into the conversation.

"I can't believe you're all grown up, Rosie," Alissa said. "Last I remembered, you were only in middle school. I can't believe you're seventeen now." By Rosalyn's request, East Los High was running, and I watched it while the others spoke. Rosalyn rubbed circles on my chest the whole time. "I also can't wrap my head around the fact that you and Kenji are dating. A lot does change in two years."

"Sure does," I said with a nod. Honoka's eyes flickered between me and Rosalyn.

"I had the biggest crush on Kenji all throughout middle school," Rosalyn confessed, and I peeked down at her.

"Oh yeah?" I poked her cheek. I knew she did, but it felt good hearing her admit it.

It did wonders to the ego.

"Of course," Rosalyn said. "You're sexy, sweet, and stylish. The three powerful 's's.'"

I shook my head in amusement. My ego grew larger, and I loved it. "I'm glad you appreciate my awesomeness."

"Don't get cocky," Rosalyn said, "but you are pretty awesome."

I must have been doing something right in middle school with all these people I was pulling.

First, Darian. Then Rosalyn.

Too bad my irresistibility was coming back to bite me.

       I got a text.

That was easier than I thought. Before I could even put my phone away, I received a message from Facebook's Messenger.

Speak of the Devil, and he shall arrive. Darian had been texting me randomly ever since his little confession in his car that day. I liked it but hated it at the same time.

Darian wasn't the Devil though. He was an idiot, but I smiled at his stupidity.

I pocketed my phone while Rosalyn watched me. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it."

"You have a side chick, Kenji?" Clay teased, and my eyes almost popped out, but I recovered fast.

"Clay!" Alissa slapped his arm.

"Ow!" He rubbed the sore area with a pouty frown.

"Who even thinks of that?" Alissa said.

"Keep an eye on him, Alissa," Honoka instigated, and Clay frowned at her before turning to Alissa.

"You can't be leaving bruises on my body, 'Lis," he said. "There's only one way I wanna get bruises, and this ain't it."

Alissa's jaw dropped, and I bent over, cracking up. "Clay!" Alissa shrieked, about to smack him again, but he grabbed onto both of her wrists.

"Not so fast now, are you, 'Lis?" Alissa fought him, but he held her back. "Come on. Give me a kiss instead." He pursed his lips and leaned in.

"Hell no!" Alissa shrieked, turning her head and leaning back. "Clay, stop." He didn't relent and practically forced her to lay back on the ground, and he stole a quick peck. "You idiot," she huffed while they sat up.

"You love this idiot." He winked at her, and she hid her face.

"This isn't over, Clay." Alissa wagged her finger at him. "You're dating a competition beast."

"Beast?" Clay smirked. "There's nothing beastly about you, babe." He gave her a once-over.

"Oh God." Honoka rolled her eyes, probably salty that her man wasn't here.

"You guys are the best," Rosalyn said, and I sent her a funny look.

"There has to be a reason Camila kept us around," I said.

Her smile diminished but it came back up a second later. "Yeah. Definitely."

She looked away from me, and my expression dropped. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." She waved me off, suddenly focusing on the TV. "Let's watch Camila."

Honoka, Clay and Alissa stole glances at each other. "Camila...?" Honoka spoke up.

"Barrios," Rosalyn and I said together before grinning at each other.

I wrapped an arm around her, and she cuddled into me again as the five of us watched East Los High.

A few minutes later was when we brought out the tres leches cake, and we each took a slice. Once a person had tres leches cake, they were ruined for any other cake, and that couldn't be more true for me. I loved tres leches cake, and that was one of the many pluses of Rosalyn's birthdays. She always requested it over regular cake, so Honoka and I made it happen.

I had to admit, the day was chill, and we had a blast. Clay and Alissa kept the conversation going, and Rosalyn and I contributed a lot. Honoka didn't speak much, but that was her. She was always the quietest. Even new-found feistiness couldn't change that.

After Clay and Alissa left, Honoka and I dropped Rosalyn off to her house. Honoka stayed in the car while I walked Rosalyn to her door. When we reached the front, she wrapped her arms around my neck with her bear still clutched in her hand.

Rosalyn bit her lip as she glanced up at me. "Wanna sneak into my room tonight and have some birthday sex?"

        No.

She was still in the overly horny stage of our reunion. I had to fight the urge to groan.

"Nah," I said. "Tonight was beautiful and intimate. I don't want to end it with sex."

Rosalyn gave me a sideways look, stunned. I was, too. What guy turned down sex? But it didn't feel right to end the night physically.

"Everything was so emotional and mental today," I elaborated, "not physical. I want us to have some moments like that. Moments that mean the world to us without ending in sex. We're beyond that."

A slow grin spread across her face. "You're too good to be true."

"I try."

"I love you, Kenji." Rosalyn buried her face into my neck.

"Love you, too, girl." I hugged her back.

She watched me when we pulled away. "Y'know, I was really dreading this day."

"I don't know why." I stepped back to bury my hands into my pockets.

Rosalyn twisted her lips to the side, thinking. "My whole life, Camila was always the better sister."

"Rosie." I didn't even want to hear the rest of this. "Why would you—?"

"She was prettier," Rosalyn continued. "She had more friends. The adults liked her more. She was Camila."

"Camila wasn't perfect," I reminded her.

Camila had flaws—like everyone else.

She used to be overly emotional at times. She could be nosy, controlling and straight-up bossy. She was also very dismissive of people and situations she didn't like.

We loved Camila, but she was never perfect.

"Yeah, but y'know." Rosalyn shrugged. "She was better. Boys liked her more. She was going places with her life. She was leaving an imprint on the people she knew." Rosalyn sighed, dropping her shoulders dramatically. "Then there was me. The forgotten Alvarez."

"Rosie, stop." I freed my hands to reach for hers.

"But I'm the one who gets to turn seventeen, Kenji." Her eyes met mine. "Me. Not Camila. I turn seventeen. How is that fair?"

I dropped her hands and stared at her, speechless.

Rosalyn pressed her lips together. "I turn seventeen," she said, "and I've been dreading this day for that very reason."

"You shouldn't."

I could never understand why Rosalyn always felt inferior to Camila. Why she felt inferior to everyone.

She was beautiful. She was loyal. She was kind. She was smart.

Rosalyn had no reason to feel this way.

However, she still felt like the "forgotten Alvarez." She still felt unimportant.

Not on my watch.

"Rosie, listen to me." I reclaimed her hands in mine and didn't break eye contact. "You're important to me." She cracked a miniature smile. "You were important to Camila. You're important to your parents. Hell, you're even important to Chiyo. Not everyone breaks through to that Cyborg, but you do." She snickered. "When I said I was glad you get to experience your seventeenth birthday, I meant it. I am ecstatic." I shook her hands and yelled at the end for extra dramatics, which made her laugh more. "Camila deserved more years than she got." I lifted her chin up and leaned in closer. "But just because she didn't get those years doesn't mean you don't deserve them. You deserve the world, Rosie." She pulled back and fanned her face as her eyes moistened, and I straightened up. "The world," I repeated.

"How can I not have a crush on you all of middle school when you talk like this?" She pouted while wiping her eyes. "You really are a sweet-talker, Kenji. It's kind of dangerous."

"It's a gift."

"I was dreading this day," she said after a while, "but it turned out fantastic. Because of you guys." The moisture left her eyes, and she met my gaze again. "Camila may be gone, but she isn't forgotten. She's still here. You, Honoka, Alissa, Clay and everyone else she left an imprint on are a few of the many reminders of that."

I pulled her in for a hug, and she gladly accepted it. "I'm glad your dreadful day turned out fantastic."

"Me, too, Ken," she muttered into my chest. "I'm glad, too."

I sighed into her hair, keeping her close to me. She needed this hug.

I cared about Darian, and I couldn't imagine life without him, but I couldn't give up Rosie. I couldn't give up moments like this, and I couldn't give up what we had.

No. I couldn't give this up.

Not even for my ichiban.

"Thank you, Kenji," she said when we pulled back.

"Don't even mention it. Now go on." I motioned my head towards the door. "Get your beauty rest. Not that you need it."

She pointed her index finger at me."Glad you added the last part."

"Go," I groaned. "It's cold out here."

Rosalyn playfully rolled her eyes before opening the front door. Before she could close the door behind her, she stopped and grabbed the back of my neck to pull me into a kiss. She pressed her mouth against mine as a soft moan escaped her lips. I almost forgot about the goodbye kiss, but I recovered quickly and reciprocated, matching her actions and slowly taking over. However, before the kiss could deepen too much, I pulled away.

She pouted, and I squeezed her hand. "I need to get my beauty rest, too."

"Okay," she said. "You actually need it."

"Oooh," I said, "you got jokes?"

Rosalyn snickered. "You betcha." She stepped into her house and turned to face me with the door partially closed. "Goodnight, Ken."

"Goodnight." I turned to walk off, but she grabbed my arm, and I stopped.

"Thanks for making my birthday special," she said.

"My little Latina deserves the best."

She smiled. "Bye, Kenji."

"Bye, Rosie." I waved as I made my way over to Honoka's hatchback.

I entered the little car and watched Rosalyn close her front door while fastening myself in. I smiled at the little house as Honoka reversed out of the Alvarez's driveway. While we drove off, I continued to watch the house.

Camila was gone, but she was still here.

Rosalyn was one of the many reminders of that.

"She's so cute," I said as I leaned back in my seat with a hearty chuckle.

Honoka glanced my way and opened her mouth to speak, but closed it. I sat up straight and watched her. "What is it?"

"Nanimo nai." She shook her head while keeping her eyes on the road.

"Why do I not believe you?"

"That's your problem, Kenji," she replied.

"Honoka," I urged. "Nani?"

She glanced my way with a smile. "I'm happy for you. I love you and Rosalyn's relationship. You have such a strong friendship." Her eyes returned to the road.

"That's my favorite thing about us," I said. "Our friendship."

Honoka pursed her lips but didn't respond to my statement. "I'm having a little get-together a couple days from now," she said instead.

"Oh yeah? Who're you inviting?"

"I'm sorta making it a reunion of our old group," she said, "with the exception of Arya of course." I groaned, not wanting to be reminded of my disastrous encounters with her. "So, it'll just be the same setup. Me. You. Clay. Alissa. Darian." I jerked back in the seat, temporarily catching Honoka's attention. "What's wrong with you?"

"Darian is coming?"

"Why not?" she said. "He and I talked, and we decided we wanted to make things right between us. Plus, weren't you the one who told me to cut him more slack?"

       Yeah. I did. Before we kissed. Before he started harassing me with his cute stupidity. Before he started consuming my thoughts more than he should have.

"And I miss Darian," Honoka added. "We all do. I think he misses us, too. It's about time all of us started hanging out again. Arya doesn't want anything to do with us but that doesn't mean Darian doesn't, so we should invite him back into our group. You, me, Clay and Alissa all hang out. It wouldn't kill to start adding Darian into the mix, too, would it?" I didn't respond, despite my excitement at the news. "He was once our best friend. He could be our friend again, the very least." Her full focus was on the road now.

The conversation was over to her, but it was on repeat in my head. I'd been staying clear of Darian lately because that was the best option as of now. I hated being away from him, but I wasn't a cheater. Darian merging back into my inner circle of friends was frightening. That meant I would have had to see him more often, and I wasn't ready for that. I didn't trust myself with him.

I did dumb shit.

Like starting a friends with benefits relationship with a "straight" guy who used to bully me. Like kissing said guy when I had a girlfriend. Like finding out said guy was actually gay, and he had wanted me for years now. God, this was dramatic.

Rosalyn wasn't dramatic.

Darian—on the other hand—was nothing but trouble.

I received a text.

I ran my hands down my face.

        Darian was trouble that was going to be the death of me.

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* What do you guys think of how things are going? The Kenji and Rosie scene? Darian's "stupidity?" This future get-together?

* You know, people don't seem to like Rosalyn, but I actually love her friendship with Kenji. They're really good friends, and they always look out for each other. I admire that. 😊

* This chapter is dedicated to @iilyneii for being a dedicated reader and your comments are fun to read. I really appreciate your support for me and this book. Thank you! 😊

* I actually don't know how many parts this chapter will have, which is new. Either way, stuff happens. More Danji for sure.