“I don’t have any presents for you guys,” I admit, pulling my shoulders to my ears in a weak shrug and scrunching up my nose.
“Oh, really? You couldn’t spare a moment during the last seven days when you were unconscious to get us some presents? I’m deeply hurt, kitten,” Clay jests, feigning pain as he clutches his chest.
I shoot him a disapproving look, but a smile tugs at my lips.
That little jerk.
Joshua settles down on the couch, gently pulling me to sit beside him and draping my legs over his lap. Xander sits down next to Josh and cradles my feet in his lap. Finally, Clay sits on my other side, so close that my back rests against him.
Sophia settles on the other side of the couch, a warm smile gracing her lips as she remarks, “That looks cozy.”
Joshua, however, shoots a sharp glare at Clay and then shifts his gaze to Xander. His grip on my knee tightens, and I feel the tension radiating from him as his jaw clenches.
I start to withdraw, feeling the weight of the situation and not wanting to upset Joshua. Tentatively, I try to pull my feet from Xander’s lap, but he simply reaches out for them again and grips them gently yet firmly. He doesn’t allow me to go anywhere before he starts massaging my toes, and I feel guilty when it sends a soothing wave of calm through me.
Chiara, her hands tightly clutching a present from the pile beneath the Christmas tree, comes to stand before me. Her gaze shifts from Clay to Josh, then to Xander, and finally back to me. Furrowing her brows, she starts to open her mouth as if to speak but then hesitates, closing it again. With a sigh, she turns to lookat Sophia, searching for some guidance. Sophia just shakes her head lightly, to which Chiara shrugs.
“Tutto bene, piccola?” I ask, searching her face.
“Certo, non vedo l'ora di vedere come va a finire questo.” She snickers, but before I can ask what the hell she is talking about, she extends a gift to me and smiles. “Here, open mine first.”
“I haven’t been able to get your laptop yet either,piccola,” I admit, feeling a pang of guilt.
I should have gotten it earlier, directly after I got the paycheck, but I thought there was still time, and I had other things on my mind. Because of my selfishness, Chiara is left without a Christmas present for the first time ever. My stomach sinks, and I can’t help but feel awful.
“Don’t worry about it. Maybe we can get a used one for me when you’re feeling better,” she remarks, casting a hopeful glance at Xander, who nods approvingly.
She looks visibly proud at his agreement, standing a little taller.
I frown at her.Who is this girl?“No, I saved up for it. I’ll buy you the one you wanted tomorrow, okay?”
“Grazie tantissimo,” she gushes, nearly leaping to wrap her arms around my neck in a tight hug.
“Hey, take it easy,” Xander cautions, and she releases me with an apologetic grin.
“Sorry,” she says sheepishly. “Now, open it.”
I unwrap the package to find a mason jar filled with what looks like pink salt. Glancing up at her, I comment, “This is so pretty.”
Her smile broadens. “It’s a body scrub. Monica and I made it ourselves. It’s a mix of sugar, coconut oil, and peach scent.”
I open the jar, and the sweet aroma wafts up. “This is amazing.Grazie,piccola.”
Clay takes the jar from me, giving it a sniff. “It does smell pretty good,” he remarks.
Handing it back to me, I then offer it to Joshua for a sniff, and he smiles appreciatively. “This is really cool, Chiara.”
Xander then takes the jar and inhales, passing it to Sophia.
“Oh, I made one for you too, Sophia. And I have enough for the rest of you if you’d like some,” Chiara offers.
I bite my lip, trying to stifle a laugh at the mental image of Xander pampering himself with pink peach sugar scrub.
However, the side of his mouth lifts in a half smile, catching me by surprise. “Can’t wait to try it.”
My heart swells with gratitude. Their kindness toward Chiara isn’t something I take for granted, and I adore them for it.
“My turn,” Sophia announces, handing me a pink-wrapped package.
