Chapter twenty

The car pulled up to the back of the hotel again and we all stumbled out; none of us able to hold our drink by this time. Louis was the loudest of the group, with Dani close behind him. Security met us at the rear entrance and escorted us to the elevator, depositing us in mine and Harry’s room. Everyone threw themselves down on either the couch or the floor. I, however, stripped my clothes off as I made my way to the bedroom. I heard whistling behind me.

“Damn!” Lou shouted.

“Aw, I’d get in there if I were you, mate,” I heard Zayn say to Harry. I stuck my head out of the doorway to laugh at them.

“Calm down, I’m just changing. I’ll be out in a sec,” I told them, heading back into the room to rummage through my clothes. I nearly stumbled over three times trying to bend over and finally just gave up, grabbing Harry’s shirt from the bed and putting it on. It was so long on me that I didn’t bother with pants. I walked back out to the room and sat on Harry’s lap, sprawling out comfortably. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my hair.

“Tease,” Harry whispered in my ear, his breath tickling my neck; I giggled into his chest. “Alright guys,” he said addressing the group. “Bring them over.” I looked up at him, my head spinning a little as I did so.

“Bring what over?” I asked.

“Your presents, dumb ass!” Niall teased me, bringing over an armful of colourfully wrapped gifts.

“No shit, you guys didn’t!” I laughed, sitting up a little, but leaning back into Harry when the dizziness kicked in again.

“Yes, we did, and you’re opening mine first!” Louis stated matter-of-factly, throwing his gift in my lap. Before I could even look at it, it was gone. I then realized that it was in Harry’s hand and watched as he threw it back to Lou.

“You know Dani called going first,” Harry told him. Dani grinned and stuck her tongue out at Lou.

“Here Sarah,” She said pressing a box at me. “Open it!” She squealed, bossy even when it came to my birthday gifts. I tore at the paper and lifted the lid from the box. Then I removed the tissue paper as well to reveal an amazing pair of boots. They were all black with major heels, but what made these boots so particular were the rainbow laces. I instantly loved them.

“Dani,” I started and then broke off shaking my head.

“Oh my gosh, do you not like them?” Dani asked in a panic, misinterpreting my reaction. She looked like she was going to cry; she got weird when she was drunk.

“Dani, stop your blubbering,” I teased her. “The boots are fucking amazing!”

She leaped up with joy, her mood immediately changing.

“I knew you would! I told you, didn’t I, Liam? I knew they’d be the most AMAZING boots on you!” I laughed at her and drew her into a hug from where I still sat on Harry’s lap.

“I love them, thanks babe,” I smiled. Lou was kneeling at my feet, looking like a little begging puppy.

“Alright Lou,” I rolled my eyes at him. “Let’s have it!” I smiled down at him and he placed a massive box on my lap. I shook it and it felt impossibly light. I looked at him curiously and he giggled cheekily. I shrugged and ripped at the paper, opening the box to reveal a tiny box decorated with a disproportionate bow sitting on top of a camel-coloured knitted scarf. I took out the scarf and draped it around my neck. “I simply adore this, thanks Lou!” I smiled at him.

“Pssh,” he rolled his eyes dramatically. “That’s nothing, open the little box!”
I peeled the bow off the tiny box and threw it into the bigger one. Lifting up the lid, I saw that this small box held what looked to be a ring box.

“Oh dear, Lou,” Harry looked down at him. “No proposing to my lady now.” Lou laughed loudly, urging me with his hands to open the felt-covered box. I pinched the lid between two fingers and gently pried it open to reveal a gold plated feather ring.

“Oh my God,” I gasped. “Lou, this is beautiful! Thank you so much!” He sat up on his knees to wrap he in one of his tight hugs. He kissed my cheek and smiled hugely as he pulled away leaving his hands resting on my knee caps.

“And, I want you all to know, that I picked it up all by myself, Eleanor didn’t even help, right El?” He stated proudly.

El raised her right hand as if to swear an oath.

“It’s true; I had no hand in this.” She smiled at Lou who looked at her like she was the only girl in the world.

“Well I love them and you,” I winked at him. Perrie walked over to where I was sitting and placed a box on my lap.

“This one’s officially from me and Zayn, but I want you to know that it was mainly me.” She smiled at me.

“That’s not true!” Zayn looked at her and then smiled at me. “I helped.” He said, raising a ‘thumbs up’.

“Of course you did, I believe you,” I told him, acting overly innocent like I’d never heard Perrie. I shot her a wink when he couldn’t see and Perrie stifled a giggle. I began opening the box, removing the tissue paper which concealed a gorgeous military style blazer; I adored it. “Perrie, Zayn!” I held it up, letting everyone see it. “It’s fantastic!” I let the jacket fall into my lap and hugged Perrie by the neck, swaying back and forth. “I love it, I love it, I love it!”

Perrie laughed.

“Yay!” she squealed.

“Zayn get over here,” I said motioning with my hands to come over.

“Wait, wait,” he told me, bringing a smaller box out from behind his back. “It’s just a little thing but when I saw it, I couldn’t not buy it.” Zayn laughed to himself, my curiosity heightened. “You’re gonna love this one, mate,” he said to Harry. I looked up to Harry with a smile; his eyes widened and she shrugged before laughing into the crook of my neck. I tore at the little package curiously, and revealed a phone case. Upon scrutinizing the case, I realized it was a collage of Harry with the word “loser” mixed in. I laughed so hard, reaching around to give Harry a kiss as he was pouting slightly.

“Hey,” he whined, keeping up the charade of being insulted. “Rude!” He said before breaking out laughing. I dragged Zayn into my arms.

“That’s genius,” I laughed. “Thanks, Zayn.” I said as he gave my cheek a quick kiss.

“Any time, love,” he smiled.

I slapped my knees excitedly.

“Alright, who’s next?” I asked them. Niall and Liam looked at one another.

“Liam, mate?” Niall asked him.

“No way man,” Liam said hugging his box tighter. “We’re saving the best for last!” We all laughed loudly at him. Niall laughing the loudest, as usual, shrugged and came over to hand me his gift.

“Now unlike Lou, I did have El’s help.” We laughed again and El nodded.

“Yes, he’s rather hopeless; but all I did was advise!” She told us.

“Well, if El was your advisor, then it HAS to be amazing,” I smiled at him. “You’re not too bad yourself either, Niall.” I teased him.

“Oh gee, thanks,” he laughed.

I opened the box quickly and pulled out a white, studded bag. I instantly loved it and thought of seriously ten different outfits I could pair it with; no doubt the same outfits El had thought of when she’d seen it.

“Niall, I adore it, thanks, bud!” I stood up and drew him into a hug.

“You’re very welcome, girl,” he laughed.

“Now open mine!” El said as she daintily handed me her gift. I smiled at her and began ripping off the wrapping paper. Inside the box was a pair of shiny black leather trousers which I instantly recognized as being from Harrods.

“El! You brought these all the way from Harrods! They must’ve cost you a fucking fortune!” I gazed in amazement at her. She waved off my concerns.

“Don’t even worry about it, I just pictures how sexy you’ll look in them and had to get them for you.” She smiled at me. I stood up and folded her in my arms.

“Thank you so much, I love them!” She smiled and I kissed her cheek.

“Good, I’m glad!” She replied, kissing my cheek in return.

“Harry you’re next!” Liam informed us all. I sat back down next to Harry expectantly.

“Liam, you know that my present can’t actually be brought into the room,” Harry said, and I looked at him in wonderment. What the hell was he talking about? Meanwhile, he was widening his eyes at Liam and I watched as knowledge slowly flickered in Liam’s eyes.

“Ohhh, right, of course, well never mind all that Sarah,” he said bringing his box over. “Happy birthday, love!” He said boisterously, trying to distract me from Harry who smiled in encouragement at Liam’s gift.

“No more surprises, Mr. Styles,” I told him firmly before turning back to Liam’s gift; he’d already done enough for me today.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw him cross his fingers before he replied with: “Promise.”
I rolled my eyes and opened Liam’s gift, lifting a tank top from the box with the bat signal on it.

“Liam, where the hell did you find this?” I asked him in disbelief. I loved it of course, mostly because it would forever remind me of him but also because, let’s be real, Christian Bale as Batman will forever be the hottest super hero. Ever.

“I may or may not have been in a comic book store,” Liam said, dramatically glancing about the room causing us all to laugh.

“Come here you,” I said, wrapping his tall frame in my small embrace. “It’s awesome, I really love it.” I grinned at him. Liam laughed.

“Can’t wait to see you wear it!” He said.

“Same here,” Harry said, winking at me. I laughed, slinking back down on his lap to kiss his awaiting lips.

“Your wait won’t be that long,” I whispered and he grinned widely.

Just as I was going to press for Harry’s gift, a knock sounded firmly at the door twice before Paul strode in.

“I thought I might find you all in here after going through your empty rooms,” he looked at us like a father coming home early from a weekend getaway to see a party taking place in his living room.

“Sorry Paul,” Harry began. “We’ve just been celebrating Sarah’s birthday – ”

“And drinking, I can smell you all from here,” he said sternly while we giggled like the drunk idiots we were. Paul held the door open. “Off to bed you go, you can celebrate later, preferably not at four in the morning.” He said, speaking to us like we were twelve instead of twenty and older. I was surprised however that it could possibly that late; or should I say early.

“Alright, alright, sorry Dad,” Lou said walking over to him and draping an arm about his burly neck. “We’ll go, night guys!” He waved at us as El walked over and they wrapped each other in their arms.

“Bye!” She called sweetly.

“Goodnight! Thank you!” I called after them as everyone else followed. Once they were all gone, Paul gave us a warning look, bidding us to go to bed with his eyes.

Harry and I sat, embracing on the sofa, for a while longer. He played with my long strands of hair while I traced the birds on his chest with my fingertips as his unbuttoned shirt lift them exposed.

“Did you have a good birthday, sweetheart?” Harry asked me, his voice husky with exhaustion; the tone was so sensual.

“The best,” I tilted my face up, kissing his jaw. “Although, I’m curious...”

“Yes?”

“Harry, what was your gift?” I asked him. He smiled and then kissed my forehead, pulling me closer in to him.

“Well, I suppose you’ll just have to wait and see.”

I jutted my lips out into a pout and he laughed, kissing them quickly.

“Let’s get to bed, darling,” he said. When I didn’t move he turned back to face me. “The sooner you sleep, the sooner you get your present,” he teased me and I smiled despite myself. I was about to get off the sofa but watched him walk into our bedroom. As he walked in, I saw him take something from his pocket; it was a small, black-velvet jewellery case. My breath caught in my throat. What was in that small black-velvet box?

Notes

Here you are my lovelies :) What could be in the box?! Rate/comment/subscribe <3