Their Girl: The Hunt

Chapter Twenty-One

"Can I at least get dressed?" I plead with him and to my surprise he stops and sets me down with clear disappointment written all over his face. I swear this man is more excited about my birthday than I am. Then something flashes across his eyes and that mischievous grin of his is on full display. Before I even have chance to comprehend what he's thinking of doing he unravels my towel letting it drop to the floor.

"Freddie!" I moan wrapping my arms around me in a ridiculous attempt to dry and cover myself. I look over to Lorenzo expecting him to scold him but he's just leant in the doorway of the bathroom eyeing me from head to toe.

"Don't look at me like that I'm definitely not complaining" he laughs and just continues to take in my naked form.

I huff and cross my arms turning my attention back to Freddie continuing to glare at him disapprovingly. Of course he doesn't seem the slightest bit bothered and rolls his eyes as he reaches behind his head and pulls his T-shirt off. "arms up" he prompts tilting his chin up signalling he's losing patients with me, I swear this man literally has the patience of a fucking excited child sometimes. Reluctantly I lift my arms up and he pulls the T-shirt onto me. "There we go" then in a quick motion he reaches down and lifts me over his shoulder making me squeal again. This time I don't even bother to object there's literally no point. He's clearly really excited about whatever today has in store and there's no way I'm going to put a dampener on that.

Heading downstairs for breakfast still being carried by Freddie I pretty much gasped when he set me down and I saw everything laid out. There was flowers everywhere, more flowers than I ever seen in my life. Then there was the food. An array of different pastry's, French toast, fruits, eggs and bacon. It was like they were prepared to feed a whole football team. As Freddie flitted around the kitchen showing me everything he'd got, making it clear it was all safe to eat because he hadn't cooked a thing I couldn't help but start to laugh at how overboard he'd gone.

I walked past Alec and he gently pulled me into him placing a kiss on my temple. "It's a lot I know but Birthdays are a big deal to him" he whispered to me and that just made my heart melt. Freddie had gone to so much effort for me and to see how pleased he was with himself just made it all so much more special.

To me this was more than enough but then came the presents and I don't think I'd quite expected there to be so many. There was jewellery, designer clothes, shoes, art supplies. You name it it was there. By the time I'd finished opening them all I already felt like I needed a nap. And seeing as they clearly didn't think that was enough they then insisted on taking me shopping. They'd literally spoiled me more than I thought was even possible, any time I even looked at something they insisted that got it, in the end I just stopped looking because it was starting to get a bit ridiculous. Although I was extremely grateful for everything it wasn't the gifts that had made the day special, it was the fact I'd been able to spend time with them with no distractions. That's what really mattered to me. Well I'd got to spend time with Freddie and Lorenzo but not Alec. He'd been really distant compared to the other two and I didn't like that one bit it wasn't the usual for him, usually he doesn't leave my side but today it was different.

We sit and have lunch but before I've finished Alec gets up and disappears off somewhere. After he doesn't come back I start to worry about him. "I'm just going to go find Alec" I say to Lorenzo and Freddie pushing myself back in my chair. They both nod and don't say anything, I think they'd noticed his distance as well. Or maybe they knew what was wrong with him.

I go and search around the house for him and finally find him sitting on the end of my bed just staring off into the distance. He's so lost in his own thoughts he doesn't even notice that I'm standing there. "There you are" I say softly as I make my way towards him. His eyes meet mine and he gives me a faint little smile but his minds somewhere else.

"What's wrong?" I say climbing into his lap. He welcomes me and wraps his arms around me in a tight hold but I can feel he's tense and on edge about something. He's the one I've spent the most time with recently so I've come to learn and I can read him like a book now, today there's something off about him.

"Nothing princess" He replies unconvincingly and lays back onto the bed letting me shift down to his side. Looking up at his face I can tell there is definitely something wrong.

"That's a lie there's something bothering you I can tell" i reply as I reach up to stroke his cheek and he lets his head sink into my hand seeming to ease a little.

"I have a present for you I just didn't know when I should give it to you" on the outside anyone would look at him completely unaware of the torment that flows through he's head. He doesn't let it show keeping it locked up inside, but with me when it's just the two of us he's vulnerable letting that emotion show and I love him for it. I love that he trusts me.

I sit up with a smile on my face and hold out my hand but he just eyes me "well now seems like the perfect time to me" I prompt not really understanding why he seems so anxious to give it to me. After a moment of hesitation he sits up and reaches into his jacket pocket, pulling it back out he cautiously hands me a black box wrapped in a black bow. I take the box from him and slowly start to open it, noticing how his eyes are locked onto me like he's scared of what my reaction will be.

Opening the box I see a beautiful gold bracelet with five emerald green four leaf clovers. "Alec it's beautiful" I practically gasped looking at it.

"We're so unbelievably lucky to have you Alissandra" he seemed so nervous he couldn't even look at me whilst he spoke. "this is my way" he stuttered "my way of" i knew exactly what he was trying to say and I knew how hard it was for him. I put the bracelet and laid myself back.

"You don't have to say it out loud for me to know Alec but you know I love you too" I said softly pulling him down next to me so I could curl myself up into him. He pulled me into his arms and held me tightly against him, this time I could feel he was a lot more relaxed and I couldn't help but smile to myself.

As we laid there together in silence I tried my hardest to stifle my yawns, but started to fail miserably. "You're tired get some sleep before we head out later" that peaked my interest and I lifted my head so I could look at him. "We're heading into the city with Maggie and Luca" he chuckled.

"We are?" I replied in a half yawn fully unable to hide how exhausted I was.

"Sleep Alissandra" Alec prompted and I didn't resist I burrowed myself into him letting the warmth of his body sink into mine and my eyes started to droop closed, I wasn't quite asleep yet but he must have thought I was as he started to whisper next to me, I was just about able to distinguish his words. "Don't ever leave us again Alissandra. I'll be so broken if I lose you" I felt my heart swell just hearing him and how pained he was by the thought of it. "I love you" he then whispered as he gently stroked my hair. God hearing him say it out loud was like being hit by a train. He gently placed a gentle kiss on my temple and within seconds I drifted off peacefully with the biggest smile on my face.

A/N: Sorry I've been slow on the update I've come out of a reading slump and literally haven't put my kindle down! but I'm back to writing this again now :)