You Never Knew Me (Never 1)

“What did you get.”

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“It’s a freaking charm bracelet, it’s got a bass, electric and acoustic guitar on it as well as musical notes, it’s beautiful,” she says as tears fill her eyes and she hugs me again.

“It’s nothing really, now ladies please don’t hug me when you get yours, I’m not good with all that touchy-feely crap.” I feel myself blush as I say it and they start snickering.

Bella goes next and it’s a silver necklace with a drumsticks pendant on it, and Roxie got a pair of earrings in the shape of microphones. Oh yeah, they really want to hug me but I move out of the way and hide behind Mikaela, who has yet to open her gift.

I know it all seems a little over the top, but I didn’t care how expensive or cheap they were, as long as they suited the girls, and I know I got it right. Besides, they were all bought from my father’s guilt money for sending me down here without a fight. Why shouldn’t I spend it on people who seem to actually give a damn about me.

I pass Declan his and he is shocked that I even thought to get him anything. He opens it timidly and roars with laughter, as Roxie steals it from his hands and has a look. There are two books in his parcel one called 100 ways to dump a girl over text and another that says How to poo at school very immature, and clearly, I called it right.

“Come on girl, your turn.” Mikaela looks at me as I say this and slowly opens the bag. Hers is heavier than the others and there’s more to it.

She pulls out the complete collection of J.K Rowling, which have all been signed, as well as a few paperbacks including Blaze by Amelia K Oliver and Vengeance by Crystal North.

“Thank you,” she says quietly, and I know she really wants to start reading them. Everyone shouts out a chorus of no’s until she reluctantly puts them away.

“Okay, your turn,” they say, turning to me and I return to my stack of presents and grab the first one.

I’m just about to tear my way into it when two people sit down on either side of me. I look over to Mattias first who looks really uncomfortable as he stares down at his hands and won’t stop fidgeting.

And then there’s Amias, and even though I’m not looking at him I can feel his eyes burning into me.

“I didn’t think you were coming,” I say as I finally look at him.

“Neither did I, but someone said there was something waiting under the tree for me.”

“Well, seeing as you’re both late you’ll have to wait for Henleigh here to open hers first.” Roxie stares pinning them both with her glare and Mattias shrinks back even further.

I open the present from the girls, and I don’t know what to say.

“Roxie said you hadn’t really had many friends before you came here so we thought we’d make up for it,” says Bella as she takes the bracelet out of the box and puts it around my wrist. There’s a disk with a hen on it which makes me laugh and a letter for each of their names.

“We each got you a little something but that’s from all of us, minus Declan of course. He’s not getting any credit for this one.” She’s smiling and dancing about, even though she’s sitting down.

I laugh past the emotions threatening to choke me as I open the others to find a set of smoky eye shadows from Roxie and a set of satin scarves from Bella. Leah got me a voucher for an online clothing store and Mikaela gave me a gift card for books. I love every single one of them.

“This isn’t from me, but it was under the tree with your name on it,” says Declan passing me a neatly wrapped box over before handing me an envelope which he explained was his gift.

It was confirmation of my own security camera being installed and the feed being stored electronically, that made me feel better that I could at least catch the silly girls in the act from now on. And the other gift was written in my dad’s handwriting and I wasn’t sure if this was something I should open with an audience.

“Let’s stop the guys dying from boredom and let them open theirs.”

They know I’m avoiding opening it, and bless them, they let me.

Mattias looks surprised that I had anything for him, and I smile gently as he carefully opens it and looks back up at me with his mouth open.

“I didn’t have time to put a lot of thought into what to get you, so I really hope it’s okay,” I say nervously.

Years ago, my dad had got me the original trilogy box set of Star Wars and it had been signed by the genius himself. For me, it’s just a material thing but I thought it might mean something to my knight.

“I don’t know what to say,” he says quietly, the shock evident for all to hear.

“There’s nothing to say, I tend to go overboard when it comes to gifts but it’s what I do for my friends. I guess anyway, this is still new to me,” I say with a self-deprecating laugh, but honestly, I’m glad they’ve all liked what I got them.

He grips my hand right before I’m suddenly pulled over to Amias and he buries his head in my neck, no idea what has caused this.