Domineering

Thirty

"Happy Birthday!" is what wakes me up on, yes you guessed it, my birthday.

I shuffle around until I'm sat up, looking at Eleanor who is wearing a huge smile and carrying a tray of breakfast.

"Thank you" I say as I try to wake myself up a bit by rubbing my eyes. When the tray is placed on my lap I see that there's a glass of juice, a plate of pancakes and a small pile of cards and presents. "Wow" is all I can say because I didn't expect anything other than the present that my parents had sent to my old house which Harry went and picked up. There is a card from Louis, Niall, Liam and Zayn collectively as well as one from Eleanor and Louis accompanied by a gift voucher.

"Harry's going to let us go on a shopping trip" she says excitedly as I open the present. Harry also gave me a card along with a present. After unwrapping the paper there is a small box inside. Inside it is a gold chained bracelet with a gold rose charm.

"It's beautiful"

"It is isn't it? It's the gang's symbol, see?" she lifts up her wrist and it's only now that I realise she has always been wearing her own gold bracelet with a rose charm.

"But why do I get one if I'm not in the gang?"

"You're in the gang Riv', I think the bracelet just proves that" Eleanor smiles a knowing smile. "I can't believe you got yours so quick, it was a while before I got mine."

"Can you help me put it on?" I hold it out and give it to her to clasp it around my right wrist.

I don't know why but Harry's gift makes me unbelievably happy and I finally feel as though I belong here.

As I eat my breakfast Eleanor gives me a run-down of what is happening today.

"Harry is held up working until lunchtime but the other boys are out buying stuff for tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Yeah, we're having a meal together like you wanted. Even better is they're cooking it, so I was thinking that we could have a bit of a pamper day so I've brought us a face mask and some nail varnish so we can do our nails. Only if you want to though" she looks at me for reassurance.

"Yeah that sounds amazing El, thank you" I smile, overwhelmed with how lovely her plans for our day are.

"Good! I'll leave you to change into something comfy then" she takes my empty tray and leaves. I take a moment to savour everything before getting up and getting ready.

The day is exactly as Eleanor has planned. We did facemasks, painted our nails and just talked and watched chick flicks.

"So what do you do on the days that you're not with me?" I ask Eleanor as we paint our nails.

"I help out with some things"

"With the gang?" She nods, "no way! Why haven't you told me this before?!"

"This is going to sound bad but I wanted you to trust me, we all had a feeling you wouldn't if you thought I was working in the gang. With the way you were behaving with Harry in the beginning and after you found out about the gang, Harry and Louis thought it'd be best if you didn't know until you knew more."

"Well, what do you even do?" I stare at her with a poker-face as my mind fills images of Eleanor fighting and killing someone. If I think about it now it doesn't make sense, she's handled situations so well and I don't know how I didn't guess.

"I help manage the properties"

"Really?" I can't hide my disbelief and surprise in my tone and she laughs lightly. I guess the fighting and killing is left to the others.

"Yeah, it's actually fun. I just have to go and inspect the buildings once in a while but we own so many properties that it's quite regular. I do some finance stuff too but that's quite new and confusing so I think I'm going to ask to just stick to inspection."

Harry returned a little after lunch in a noticeably good mood and for the first time in forever I couldn't stop smiling.

"Did you like your present?" Harry asks me quietly at dinner, leaving everyone else to their own conversations.

"I love it, thank you so much"

"Good" he smiles and puts his hand on my right one, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Do you have the rose on you too? Like on a necklace or something?" I look over his body for a piece of jewellery.

"Not on a necklace no" he grins and instead of giving me an explanation he pulls up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal his rose tattoo and it suddenly clicks.

"Oh!" I say in realisation and giggle because I've seen that rose tattoo many time before but never thought it was as significant as it now appears to be. "What about them?" I nod my head towards the other boys at the table.

"Tattoos"

"And the other people in the gang?"

"They get a tattoo or a neck chain or something, there's a few things they can choose from"

"That's a lot of things though right? How many people are even in the gang?"

"I don't know, let's just forget the gang for today and focus on you"

"Oh..okay, sorry..I was just interested"

"I know, you don't need to apologise" he gives my hand another squeeze before removing it to finish eating. "What did your parents get you?"

"I got a few things, I got a photo frame with a little collage of photos of us in it. I got a necklace too which is like a friendship necklace but family. I have the 'paper' charm necklace and my Dad and Father have the 'rock' and 'scissor' charm necklaces so it's like rock paper scissors. And they got me some vouchers like they normally do."

"Good, I'll get El to hang the frame somewhere in the house"

"Really?"

"Yeah" he says like it's no hassle at all.

"Thank you" I lean over and kiss his cheek, taking him by surprise. It doesn't go unnoticed by the rest of the people in the room and Eleanor gives me a look, the same one which Louis gives Harry. I sink further down into my seat in an attempt to shield my embarrassment.

In the evening Louis asks if I want to go out to the club but I refuse, wanting to stay in and relax. I also don't particularly like going to the club because for years I've gone there and I never knew that it was a HQ for a gang so it just makes me slightly uncomfortable.

Instead of going out, Harry, Niall, Liam and I watch Fast & Furious on TV whilst Eleanor, Louis and Zayn go out to the club. I lay my head on Harry's lap as we watch the movie, we're not even half way through it before I fall asleep. Though I'm sure it's partly due to Harry' playing with my hair not just tiredness.

Today was so perfect that I finally feel like I can sleep peacefully.

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I don't even know what to write in this little author's note bit now..I know it's been a while and I have been writing (this story and a new one) but it's been nice just to write whenever I feel like it without the pressure of having to update. Currently I'm in my final year of college so I'm going through exams but I will continue to write and update! Thank you if you have stuck with me! xx

PS THE NEXT CHAPTER IS A TURNING POINT!!