"I have a proposal," Mina announced.

"Fine, I'll marry you," I sighed heavily as if it was a huge hardship.

Mina half rolled her eyes before she continued determinedly, "my proposal is that we go shopping for Christmas presents after school tomorrow, it's late opening in town."

"Shit," I slapped a palm to my forehead, "I forgot how close we are to Christmas. Count me in, I've got nothing."

"Brilliant!" Mina beamed, "I knew I could count on you."

"I have no clue what to get any of the boys," I huffed, "what do you get people who have everything?"

"No clue," Mina reached over and tapped me on the nose, "but I promise you we will find it tomorrow."

"Now you're making serious promises here," I gave her a stern look.

"And I never make a promise I can't keep," Mina nodded with the same deadly seriousness.

We were clearly not the only ones who'd chosen to take advantage of the shops late night openings. The town was so packed it was difficult to move; moms with arms full of shopping struggling to contain the kids scampering around them, boyfriends and girlfriends holding hands and tugging each other through the compressed crowds and friends like us prying their way through to their desired shop.

"I've just discovered I have claustrophobia," Mina panted once we finally managed to make our way through a throng of people. She collapsed onto a bench with the one bag of things she'd managed to purchase, a bath bomb for her sister and a perfume for her mom. I had yet to find anything for any of the boys or my dad, not that I knew what I was looking for.

"I didn't know I could squeeze my body through such a small space," I flopped down beside her in defeat, "not that I have any clue what I want to buy even if we could manage to actually reach the doors to the shops."

"I promised we'd get you something, and I never break my promises," Mina's voice became threatening and I feared for whichever soccer mom was going to stand in the way of her getting the presents she wanted.

"I don't doubt it," I pressed my fingertips to my temples, "but please can it be soon I feel a headache coming on."

"Magic can't be rushed," Mina chided, "give me time."

"It's coming," I warned ominously, "my headache is well on its way."

Mina swivelled to face me so her eyes could look directly into mine, "Cara. Get your head in the game."

"Aye, aye Captain," I gave a mock salute.

"Right so what ideas do you have?" Mina prompted.

"Absolutely none," I sighed.

"Seriously," Mina gave me a withering look, "give me something to work with here."

"Well Mitch likes football, Sawyer likes piano, Grey likes swimming and Nico likes comedy," I summed up, "but I don't know what to do with that."

Mina thought for a moment before the most conniving of smirks floated her lips upwards, she lent back and folded her arms across her chest, "I know a present you could get that would please them all," the mischievous glint in her eyes told me that I did not want to know, "you."

"Me?"

"Uh huh," Mina was pleased with herself, "you wrapped up in a Christmas box with nothing on but ..."

"Stop talking!" I slammed my hands over my ears, beside me Mina rocked in laughter.

"Okay, okay," she held her hands up, "that's not for you. But there's still hope left, come on I've thought of something."

Mina rose and grabbed my hand yanking me to my feet before I could object. Eagerly she pulled me down the jam packed high street with a determined resolve in her expression.

***

Three hours later I arrived back at Kings Bridge with three giant shopping bags accepting the fact that Mina was a miracle worker. When I'd told her this she'd only given me a disappointed look as if to say and-you-didn't-know-this-already? I was exhausted, too tired even to be hungry and wanted nothing more than to collapse into my bed and massage my feet that ached so badly walking was torture in itself.

"Pheeeeew," a deep voice whistled as I heaved the weighty shopping bags into my room, he continued sarcastically, "successful shopping trip?"

"You could say that," I dropped the bags on the floor not caring at they tipped sideways into each other in a heap. I was too sore to even bend down and adjust them, my body needed serious respite.

"Need any help?" Grey offered. I glanced up with an are-you-serious eyebrow raise.

"Bit fucking late for that, would've been helpful when I was at the bottom of the three flights of stairs," I seethed but Grey was undeterred by my irritation, it only made him grin wider if anything.

"I was just about to go up onto the roof, do you want to join?" He asked.

"I'm so exhausted," I hated turning him down but every muscle in my body throbbed, "I just want to go to bed."

"It's a full moon," Grey persuaded.

"Fine," I threw my hands up, "why can I never say no?"

"Because you can't say no to me," Grey fixed me with his enigmatic grey eyes, they were a rippling mass of storm clouds about to explode into lightening.

"Go," I shoved him out my room, "before I regret my decision."

Grey went up first then helped me through the skylight onto the cold roof where the wind had an icy chill to it. I shivered instantly despite the three layers and thick jacket I had on.

"Here," Grey pulled his hoodie over his head, as he did so his shirt underneath rose up exposing his defined stomach that made a scarlet flush colour my cheeks.

"Are you sure?" I checked but he only gave me a look and handed the jumper over while pulling his top back into place, "thanks." I took the jumper from him, immediately turning my face up to the stars so he could've see my pink cheeks.

"You know we'd be warmer if we took all our clothes off and used our body heat," Greys voice was low and teasing. My blush only deepened but I gave him my most withering look.

"Not gunna happen," I smiled sweetly, "better luck next time sweetie."

"You did not just call me sweetie!" Greys eyes bulged.

"Why do you prefer sweetheart?" I cocked my head and used my most patronising tone.

Grey leaned back, his jaw clenched tightly together as if he was trying to restrain himself, he was shaking his head in disbelief, "you are something else," he muttered.

"You love it," I teased lying down beside him companionably, our arms a hairs width apart.

Grey didn't reply, but when I turned my gaze away from the stars towards him he was staring directly and intently at me with a hunger in his eyes that half made me want to run for my life but half made me want to cross the small distance between us and slam my lips onto his. When I caught him looking he immediately swivelled his gaze back up to the stars, "there," he pointed. I took my time in turning my head away from his handsome face towards the inky night sky illuminated with lanterns of light. He was pointing directly at the brightest colour in the sky, a brilliant round full moon.

"It's beautiful," I breathed in awe.

"So beautiful," Grey exhaled slowly, it didn't sound like he was talking about the moon.

"Grey ...," I gulped and turned my head towards him preparing myself to say something, though my mind was yet to form to correct words.

"Cara," Grey spoke with a sudden urgency, "you're using that voice when you're about to say something serious. Please don't. Can we just be here right now, just us," there was a desperate pleading undertone in his voice. Grey took my hand in his and clung to it tightly.

"Okay," I promised, "just us. No serious voice."

Grey let out a sigh of relief beside me before we fell into a long peaceful silence where both our faces were upturned towards the sky. The cold made me tilt my body towards Grey's heat and soon I had my whole body pressed up against his with his arm wrapped around my shoulders and hand rubbing up and down my upper arm in little circles. We watched the stars for what seemed like a small infinity.