Thank you to: 'JustAnotherFangirlingBookworm', 'sevenofdiamonds7', 'KittyKatPeanutButter', 'SweetCang', 'Ellabooo17' and my anonymous reviewers for reviewing my last chapter! You guys are awesome- and are why this chapter's up now!
Oh, and a reviewer asked if there was going to be a lemon. To answer that i'd say that I don't think that here will be a lemon in this story as i want to keep it at a 'T' rating, but I could do an outtake as a oneshot 'M' once i'd finised the story if people would like that? Do let me know!
Please let me know what you guys think! I hope you enjoy! :D
The gifts continued for the rest of the week, but thankfully there were no more letters. On Tuesday there was a Pandora bracelet on my doorstep. I texted Will, but he, again, refused to let me give it back to him, insisting that I could only return it if I came to see him in person, and even then suggested that I'd have to keep it anyway.
I also got a brief text from Sam. He'd managed to track Elinor down, and, after her shutting her door in his face, had finally managed to sit and chat things over with her. It seemed to me like things were playing out well between the two of them, but he remained coy in his message, saying that he was staying in Edinburgh permanently until the time being- using all of his vacation days to do so.
Wednesday brought a bottle of perfume, and a basket full of luxurious toiletries. It was a very expensive Marc Jacobs bottle I might add, and a monster sized gift basket from Lush. I hoped he wasn't suggesting that I smelt, and I texted him to say as much! It joined the growing pile of gifts at the back of my wardrobe. If my Mum ever discovered this rapidly growing stash then I wasn't exactly sure how I'd manage to convince her that I really didn't have a sugar Daddy. I texted Will to ask him to please stop sending me things, but he didn't reply.
Wednesday also meant netball training, and a chance to get rid of some of my energy. Monty joined me on such sessions, as we played on an outdoor court, and the juniors loved to pet him, not to mention the fact that some of the adults were especially partial to a cuddle when they weren't playing. He had a way of squirming his was into everybody's heart. Setting off at half five with Monty in tow, I drove to collect Rach, before heading on to training. It was easier when we car-pooled, and it gave us a chance to have a quick catch-up. Pulling up outside her house, I gave my horn a quick honk and waited for her to come out. Monty, who was sleeping on the passenger's seat, woke up quickly at that.
"Sorry, boy." I whispered, ruffling his fur. Rach ran out of the house in her kit a couple of seconds later, sliding into the passenger seat, and letting Monty settle on her lap.
"So, how's your boyfriend then? Did he like the present I got him?" She asked as she fastened her seatbelt. I growled in frustration- she never gave up, did she?
"Rach, I told you- I don't have a boyfriend!" I exclaimed, as I pulled away from the kerb.
"Liar, liar pants on fire Alexis Jayne Anderson!"
"Rach, if I had a boyfriend, I would tell you. I promise."
"Yeah, yeah, Lex. Look, we both know you've got something going on." I opened my mouth to categorically deny that statement, but she continued on regardless.
"Don't even attempt to deny it, Alexis! I know when you're lying, so you better spill it right now, or else!"
"Or else what?" I asked, pulling out at a T-junction.
"You really want to go there?" No, I probably didn't. Rach was able to get any secret out of anyone- if she wasn't a teacher, she would have made an expert MI5 interrogator.
"Yes.." I squeaked, not knowing what I was letting myself in for.
"Alexis, do you remember a certain boy in our form at high school? A certain Jay Clarke? Jay Clarke. Does that name ring any bells yet?" I groaned; of course it did. Jay Clarke had been, well, there was no easy way to put it, but obsessed with me. He was a notorious oddball- rejected by everyone, apart from me and Rach because we were the only ones that were nice to him. Unfortunately, because of that, he developed a sort of 'thing' for me, which then spiralled out of control, despite the fact that I most definitely wasn't interested. He kept posting love notes in my locker, asking me out in the dinner queue, and even followed me home once.
"Yes, Rach" I groaned. "I still remember him; he keeps 'poking me on Facebook! I haven't seen the guy since we left school!"
"That's because he wants to poke you elsewhere!" She chortled to herself.
"Rach!" I screamed, taking my hand off the wheel and whacking her in the arm for that comment. "That was below the belt!"
"I know; that's why I said it!" She began making obscene thrusting gestures with her hips, much to Monty's confusion. The poor guy was still sat on her lap!
"Oh, Rach!" I laughed, wiping the tears from my eyes, whilst trying to concentrate on the road. "Please stop- you're making my ribs hurt, and traumatising my puppy. God only knows how they let you become a teacher!"
"Hey, I take offence to that! Anyway, to continue with my threat.." She comically cleared her throat as though she was a news presenter about to make a serious announcement. I shook my head at her- she was mad, absolutely bonkers. "Jay is now a plumber- my Mum got his card as she needed some work doing. Anyway, if you don't tell me what's happening with you, then I'll have no choice but to give him your name and number and tell him.." She waggled her eyebrows for comic effect, before saucily continuing. "That your pipes need looking at, if you catch my drift.."
"Pipes, Rach? Seriously? Who makes an innuendo out of the word pipes! My pipes do not need looking at-"
"But his probably does. I bet your rejections have given him a big, hard pipe that's about ready to burst!"
"Ew! Rach! Stop right there! Fine, okay, you win- I'll tell you, as long as you never, ever, ever use that bloody 'pipe' analogy again, do you hear me? And, you promise me not to ever contact Jay Clarke! If he were the last plumber on the planet, I would not call him."
"What pipe analogy, Alexis? I was just saying that Jay was good with pipes!" She fluttered her eyelashes at me innocently, and I quirked my eyebrows at her. She knew exactly what she was doing.
"No you weren't, and we both know it."
"Whatever you say, Alexis. Honestly, you're so dirty minded sometimes!" I let out a snort at that- pot calling the kettle black, much? "So, what's going on, then?"
"Okay, well first off- don't have a boyfriend." She snorted at that. "I don't! I have a new friend that is a boy, that's all."
"Right, so where did you meet your non-boyfriend, boyfriend then? What's his name?"
"He's called Will. I met him at my great Uncle's funeral last week." I fibbed. Rach didn't know I was a savant. I mean, sure, I would have told her- I'd trust her with anything, but telling ordinary people was strictly forbidden. From a young age my parents had taught us not to reveal our abilities to anyone. For that reason, when I was going to Paris I'd given Rach the exact same excuse that I'd given to my school. It was easier that way- there were fewer lies to trip up on, and it explained why I wasn't able to make the netball match last Saturday.
"You met a guy at you great uncle's funeral? You horndog, Alexis! The guy wasn't even in the ground and you were getting it on? That'll be one to tell the kids- hooking up at a funeral! So, where's he from, how old is he, what's his surname, what does he look like, what does he do, when can I meet him?"
"Woah, woah, woah, Rach! It's like the bloody Spanish inquisition over here! Cripes! Right, his name's Will Benedict, he's my age, and he's from Colorado. That's all I know."
"Is he hot?"
"He's not bad." I hedged, my cheeks turning red at the thought. He was most definitely hot, and he damn well knew it!
"So he's hot then? You know, Lex, you should probably make sure you're not related, you know. I mean, your family are genetically blessed! I mean, your brother- Jesus he is such a looker!"
"Rach! We are not related, that I can assure you! I thought we'd got over your obsession with Jack." I exclaimed, exasperated. When Rach was thirteen she'd had a massive, extremely obvious crush on my older brother. It was a tough time- every time she came over for tea she'd ignore me, and spend the whole evening gawping at Jack, much to his amusement. Thankfully, she got over it pretty quickly, but she still liked to tease me about it.
"I am.. nearly." She winked. "But just think.. if I hadn't met Dan, and Jack hadn't met Savannah then I'd probably be your sister-in-law by now!" I rolled my eyes at her.
"So, when do I get to meet him?"
"Who?"
"Will, of course!" We'd now arrived at the netball courts, and I pulled in to the nearest space.
"Never, if I can help it!" I said with a laugh, taking my keys out of the ignition, and watching her dramatically pout in response.
"We'll see!" she promised, attaching Monty's lead and running out of the car towards the courts.
"Girls: Alexis has got a boyfriend!" She screamed as she went. I hear a collective "Ooooh" from the courts and groaned. I was now going to be interrogated by about thirty women. Great. This was set to be a very, very long session indeed.
Thankfully, the session wasn't as bad as I'd feared. As soon as they got a look at Rach's engagement ring they quickly switched their focus to her, letting me off scot-free. I arranged to go shopping with Rach the next day, despite the fact that she'd tried to embarrass me in front of the whole club- she knew how much I hated attention. She wanted to start looking for some wedding stuff. Not anything big yet, but just little things like table decorations and placemats, but we also wanted to properly go clothes shopping too. I arranged to meet her at the local shopping centre at ten, so we could make a day of it.
By Thursday night I'd managed to end up a hundred pounds poorer, but with a lot of clothes to show for it. Most of them I convinced myself were essential purchases, but it still didn't make me feel any better once I'd looked at my bank account. Waiting for me when I got home was another package- this time it was a Michael Kors handbag. It was gorgeous- a lovely tan shade, made out of supple leather that just slipped onto my shoulder perfectly. Still, it was completely unnecessary, and I rang Will to tell him as much, but he remained stubbornly adamant that it was now mine, and I couldn't possibly give it back. How did the boy happen to know what I liked so well? Seriously, his gift picking ability was uncanny- to the extent where I was convinced it was part of his savant gift.
XXX
Friday marked the start of the bank holiday weekend, and was another reminder of my single status: everyone else was out doing things, and I was sat at home on my own, with only my dog for company. Rach had called earlier to say that Dan had surprised her with a long weekend in Venice, Savannah and Jack were off to London for the weekend, and Mum and Dad were both on call at the hospital. They always volunteered to do shifts during the holidays as they said that they'd rather they do them, than some of the younger doctors with had kids, as they knew they would want to be spending the day making easter egg hunts for them. As if to add salt to the wound, a large basket of chocolate arrived later that morning. I didn't even bother texting him this time- he seemed to take no notice of my texts asking him to stop sending me things. Now I was going to be fat and single, rather than just single.
Saturday meant a break from my usual routine. Usually, every Saturday I had a netball match to look forward to, but this Saturday it was different. As it was bank holiday, there was no match, so I was left on my own once more. A couple of girls from my team had texted me earlier, inviting me out for a few drinks, and I'd happily accepted, knowing full well that in our team there was no such a thing as a 'few drinks'. I knew we'd all be bladdered by the end of the night- it was tradition, and was one of the reasons I didn't have Facebook. No parent wanted to see photographs of their child's teacher pissed on a Saturday night.
The door chimed at about eleven, and I sighed. The boy just never gave up, did he? My suspicions were confirmed when I opened the door and received yet another parcel from the delivery boy. Opening it up, I saw the jeans I'd been lusting over for months. They were Stella McCartney, and I'd fallen in love with them a couple of months ago after trying them on on a whim whilst shopping at a designer outlet mall with Mum. They were the most comfortable pair I'd ever worn, and made my bum look great, but at £250 a pop I had to put them back- they were extortionate. Who could justify spending that much money on an item of clothing? Mum had wanted to buy them for me, but I'd refused- it was far too much for a pair of jeans, and I didn't want my mother to have to be buying her grown daughter clothing. Lifting them out of the box I was shocked to see that there was more to the parcel- there were another two pairs in there! I now had three different coloured versions of the same pair; black, light blue, and a navy. This was ridiculous! He'd spent nearly £800 on jeans for me- and he didn't even know if I'd like them, or if they were the right size. He had to have had help on this- no man was able to guess a girl's dress size without help. But who could have helped him? Mum didn't even know he existed, and she hadn't told anyone about them, unless.. Of course! She'd probably told Alice about them, she always did. Alice liked to get everyone outlandish gifts for their birthday, and was always asking different members of the family what they thought other members of the family might like, before beginning to stockpile appropriate gifts, months before the event.
Grabbing my phone, I rang my meddling little sister, intent on finding out if she was responsible, although I was already pretty certain she was! She'd made her feelings about my reaction to my soulfinder pretty clear, and I definitely would not put it past her to help Will- she definitely had a soft spot for him! Besides, the rest of the gifts made more sense now- how come the lingerie was in my exact size? Was it just a coincidence that the handbag had been the exact one I'd pointed out to Alice in Paris, and that the toiletries were from my favourite shop? Alice had a lot to answer for if my hunch was correct! She picked up after a few rings.
"Hello"
"Hello, dear sister of mine. Just how are you today?" I asked in a saccharinely sweet tone.
"Alexis? Are you okay?" She asked from the other end of the line. Of course she'd sense something was off- I was never this nice to her.
"Yes, I'm fine thank you, Alice-"
"Alexis, what's wrong?" She interrupted
"You know exactly what's wrong, Alice! Now, is there maybe something you'd like to confess to? Something you'd like to come clean about?" There was silence on the end of the line. "Or am I going to have to pry out of you how Will somehow knows my bra size, and exactly what type of toiletries I like?"
"About that…"
"I'm listening.."
"Look, he rang me begging for advice about what to get you- he didn't know what else to do."
"And you encouraged his gift buying? Not to mention, told him what to get me?"
"I didn't tell him- he asked for suggestions and I gave him a few. He was so sweet, Alexis. How could I have said no?"
"Easily." I deadpanned.
"Stop being so uptight, Alexis! We both know you liked him spoiling you really." I didn't respond to that.
"Alice, you know I don't like people giving me things- I'm not a charity case."
"He never said you were, did he? He was only trying to make you happy. Stop being so ungrateful, and give the boy a chance!"
"I'm not ungrateful. I just.. I just feel uncomfortable with it. He can't buy me."
"He's not trying to 'buy you', he's trying to get you to give him a fair chance, but you're being stubborn as per usual."
"I just can't, Alice. I just can't." She sighed at the other end, but didn't say any more. She knew she wouldn't be able to change my mind. "I still can't believe you gave him my bra size!" She laughed.
"Don't be so prissy, Lex. It's hardly classified information! Besides, I'm sure he'll be getting well acquainted with them at some point in the not so distant future." I doubted that very much. "Oh, and those jeans would look absolutely divine with that new top you bought on Thursday. They'd be perfect for when you go out tonight." It was really hard keeping anything from Alice- she knew absolutely everything.
"I'm not keeping them, Alice. They're far too much. I'm returning them the next time I see him."
"So you are seeing him again, then?" Of course that was the piece of information that she focussed on.
"Yes.. No.. Maybe. Oh, I don't even know anymore!" She laughed.
"That sounds awfully like a 'yes' to me, Alexis!" She replied smugly. "Now, I'm off to do some shopping, so I'll have to let you go. Don't forget- the jeans, and the new top. You'll look stunning. See you soon, Lex! Love you!"
"Love you too!" I echoed, hearing the click of the receiver as soon as I'd finished speaking. I looked longingly at the jeans on the table. Alice was wrong, I wasn't going to wear them tonight.
Unfortunately, Alice was proved right, as at six o'clock I left the house wearing the very outfit combination she'd predicted. Drat.
XXX
Sunday was a good day. A very good day. Do you know why? Because, to quote Harry Potter, there was no post on Sundays! Hallelujah! That meant that there would be no surprise presents for me to feel guilty about today! To celebrate, I decided to go on a walk in the Peaks with Monty. I was still feeling a little bit grotty from drinking way too much with the girls the night before, and it seemed like a good way to work off the hangover. I made myself a sandwich to eat while I was up there before packing a bag with everything else I'd need: waterproofs, water, a map, a compass, plasters, poo bags, and all other manner of walking equipment. Clipping Monty onto his lead I grabbed my phone and headed out to the car. The Peak District was right on my doorstep- a twenty minute drive was all it took for me to be in the mountains.
It was a rather miserable day- the sun was hidden way behind the clouds, which seemed to be threatening to rain at any moment. Still, it meant that I'd probably have the views all to myself- nobody bothered going up the mountains if the weather was bad. Parking at the foot of my favourite ridge I grabbed my rucksack, phone and Monty and began to walk.
I loved it out here- the views were just spectacular, and it gave me time to think, something that I valued. Monty loved it up here too, bounding along beside me, before tearing away across the moorland once I'd let him off his lead. Once we'd climbed to the peak we began skirting along the edge of the ridge- a well-worn path, usually frequented by hundreds of walkers, but not today. The rain had finally come, and the heavens had opened- most sensible people had decided to stay inside. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of them. Summoning Monty, I stopped for five minutes, sheltering with him under a rock whilst I pulled on my waterproofs. Waiting for the worst to pass, I took out my phone to check the time. The screen was black. That was odd; I always charged my phone every night. Shit- I hadn't last night, no wonder it was flat! I groaned- I'd completely forgotten to put it on charge when I'd got back from the pub with the girls, crawling into bed fully clothed, and promptly falling asleep. I was such an idiot. Stupid iPhones and their stupidly short battery life! Still, I'd walked these hills ever since I could remember- it wasn't like I was going to get lost. Besides, I'd never had need for a phone all the times I'd been up here in the past. I'd be fine. Petting Monty, I ate my sandwich in peace whilst I waited for the rain to subside. I guessed it must be around about three in the afternoon by now- we'd been up here for hours, as we'd set off quite late and the sky was gradually beginning to darken. Polishing off my sandwich I clipped Monty back onto his lead, and began to make my way back to the car, despite the rain- it didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon.
The rain was heavy, a soaking rain that you felt in your bones. I couldn't wait for a hot shower. I always found it strange when people called rain 'wet rain'- I mean, what could rain possibly be, other than wet? Yet, this was definitely wet rain- I was beginning to shiver, despite my layers and waterproofs. Why hadn't I stayed in bed and watched films all day like any normal person?
We were now about an hour's walk away from the car, and the rain had only got heavier. Monty was tugging at the lead, and it was taking all of my strength to keep him back. Coming to a rocky section of the downhill, I needed both hands to navigate the tricky terrain. Using my left hand to grab onto the rocks, and my right to hold Monty's lead, I gingerly made my way down. It all happened so suddenly; my foot slipped slightly on the slick rock, my hands unconsciously readying themselves for the impending fall. And that was all Monty needed. Sensing I no longer had a grasp on his lead he shot off towards some sheep that were sat grazing on a bank further down the footpath.
"Monty!" I yelled. "Monty, no!" I began to run after him, tearing down the hill. I couldn't even see him any more- the brow of the hill had cut off my view. "Monty!" I screamed. I could see the sheep running quickly down the mountain, and I ran on in that direction- Monty was probably the one chasing them. Thanking God I was fairly fit I followed him, stumbling down the craggy hillside and steep inclines. The straps of my rucksack were digging into my shoulders, and my lungs were burning. Why did I have to have a labrador that thought he was a sheepdog? The farmers weren't kind up here- they shot dogs that chased sheep, and that spurred me on over the uneven terrain.
Suddenly, I felt my foot give way beneath me, and I screamed, falling flat on my face in the mud. The pain in my ankle was familiar- I'd twisted it badly, I could tell. I tried to flex it, but it hurt too much to move. Looking back I could see that I'd stepped in a small hole, which had caused my ankle to give way. Now I was in a mess. My ankle throbbed, a pain that made my eyes water, and my body spasm in shock. It was a familiar injury- I'd done it many times at netball, but this one was bad. I knew I wouldn't be able to walk on it, but out here I didn't think I'd have much of a choice.
"Monty!" I screamed. "Monty!" my voice was lost in the howling wind and rain, but I continued in the hope that he would hear me and come running.
Dragging myself up into a seated position I tried to assess the damage. The design of my walking boot meant that the severity of my injury was reduced, but it was still bad. The rain showed no signs of relenting and my teeth were starting to chatter; the cold was setting in. God, why the hell hadn't I charged my phone? I couldn't mind link anyone either- everyone was away for the weekend, and my powers weren't that strong. My only hope was that Alice could 'see' what was happening to me and send help. Yet, if she had 'seen' she would have definitely warned me yesterday. The temperature was dropping, and the light was starting to fade- I had to get down off this mountain, or I was as good as dead. Hypothermia didn't take long to set in- anyone who'd watched any survivalist program knew that. Forcing myself to stand I tried to take a step with my bad ankle, but it just buckled- the pain made me want to vomit. Blinking away the tears of pain and frustration I began to edge my way down on my bum. It was humiliating, but beat staying up hear to die.
Half an hour later, and my body was shivering uncontrollably. I'd managed to move little more than a few hundred metres down from where I'd fallen, but the pain was still too great for me to stand and walk. My palms were raw and bleeding as a result of my shuffling, and I couldn't feel my fingers. The sun was starting to set- I had no idea what time it was, but I'd almost resigned myself to the fact that I'd have to spend the night in the mountains, and pray that I woke up in the morning, or someone found me during the night. Unfortunately, neither of those seemed very probable. Just as I was losing hope I spotted someone walking towards me. I wasn't sure if it was a figment of my imagination at first- like a mirage of some sort. I tried to shout, to catch their attention, but I couldn't force my lips to move and make a sound. As they drew closer, I could see them carrying something in their arms. I wiped the rain from my eyes, and waved them towards me, I could just make them out. It was Will, and he was carrying Monty! I don't know how he got here, or how he found me, but I was infinitely grateful. I was saved.
So who wants a best friend like Rachel? And who wants to see what happens now Will's showed up?
I have written the next chapter (I got really into my writing- ha!) and I will upload it if I hit 120 reviews, I promise. So, if you want to see what happens next you know what to do! If not, I'll be putting it up at the weekend to keep up with my weekly upload schedule.
Repeat: 120 reviews, and I'll put up the next chapter early.