Trails (PP 1) [Complete]

18.2

18.2 - His Discovery

~ Robyn ~

"Now, we have a few presents," Gerard announces. I glance at the collection. Redefine a few to fucking loads, Gerard. He catches my gaze and smirks slightly. "So, can we have Alpha and Head Beta back at the front?" I roll my eyes before walking towards him.

Ethan moves through the crowd on the dance floor with difficulty. "How many girls want wine on their white dresses?" He states frustrated. I bite back my giggle. However, the threat works as they part like the red sea. "That's what I thought," he mumbles as he walks.

"Hey, Eth!" I call out causing him to look at me as I walk around the edge of the dance floor.

"What?"

"This is why it's better to not like being in crowds."

Ethan grins and rolls his eyes.

I sit on the edge of the stage, crossing my heels smiling as Ethan still continues to wind through the crowd. Indigo's camera clicks again so I turn to face her with a smirk. "I'm not sure I like that expression," Indigo comments but takes another picture anyway.

"Do you want the camera out a window?" I ask sweetly. Indigo narrows her eyes at me before shrugging.

Ethan smirks as he joins me, nudging my shoulder with his. I look across at him smiling to cause loads more cameras to click. Great. I roll my eyes making Ethan laugh.

Niall stands off to my right, smiling as he watches through his mask.

Gerard clears his throat quietly in front of me so I look back at him. "We're going to be starting off with a meaningful gift. They're things your parents wanted you to have when you got to this age," Gerard says quietly.

Tears immediately sting the back of my eyes and Ethan's hand reaches for my own, my hand meeting his halfway. I glance across at him to see what I feel mirrored on his face. At this moment of time the pack is truly seeing us without the invisible masks we wear. They look as vulnerable as us after hearing where these gifts come from.

Gerard turns slightly to take one of the boxes being offered to him. He picks one up before handing it to me. Due to size, I place it immediately beside me and sit up on the stage completely, my legs folded beneath me and the trail flowing behind. Ethan does the same as he eyes the box.

Nervously I glance at Niall who gives a small smile and an encouraging nod. My eyes find Gerard again and he nods also, tears pricking at his eyes as Maeve joins him.

Ethan looks at me instead of the crowd and I take the cue to start opening mine cautiously first. Once I've finished opening the side I'm sat on Ethan starts opening his. However, I remain frozen looking at the present.

A wooden box is in the wrapping paper, a glass panel on the side showing a collage of pictures of our family before mum died and after as well, mainly pictures of me and Ethan. I also manage to find one of me, Ethan and Niall before the accident, the picture he painted on his wall.

By this point, Ethan has frozen too, having noticed what I have. He glances at me and then what's inside my wrapping paper. His eyes find mine again. "At the same time?" He offers in the mind-link.

I smile weakly at him making a camera go off. "I swear to the Moon Goddess, don't take pictures right now!" I snap looking at the crowd.

Tash scratches her chin pointing a finger subtly at Vivianne, their mum. Why does that not surprise me?