Finding My Muse - Nicholas Galitzine

Chapter Seventeen: Christmas Shopping

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--Esmerelda's POV--

"George, you're a menace to society," I whisper as he picks up the wet floor sign.
He glared at me as he fixes his hat that I pulled down to make him crash into the sign.

"We have been at the mall for hours. Just pick a stupid gift," he says as he catches up with me.

"No, Kylie deserves the perfect gift before she leaves. I might go to a small boutique near campus," I tell him, "What did you get her?" I ask as we walk into a small candle shop.

I start picking up various scents as he pulls up a picture on his phone. It's a giant blanket with pictures of their childhood dogs. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen. George has always been really good at giving gifts. Well, their whole family is. I'll never forget the first time I spent a holiday with them and he gave me a tea subscription. I was "babysitting" them which was really just me playing video games while Kylie and her parents were at a school thing. They were definitely too old to have one but that's beside the point. We stayed up for hours talking about various drinks and how we had underrated hot cocoa and tea our entire lives.

"Are Harry and Ky serious?" He asks looking at me over the shelves. The look in his eyes makes me want to laugh as I put down the candle I'm holding.

"They are still in the honeymoon phase. He's a good guy so you don't have to worry about him breaking her heart," I assure him.

"Then why is he friends with that Mick guy?" He asks as I let out a small snort.

"It's Nick and I ask him all the time," I tell him. He goes to ask another question as Kylie and Anna walk in with various bags. She sees me eyeing up a small gift bag from my favorite store and turns away.

"No guessing," she scolds. I hold my hands up in defense as I continue sniffing down the display, "Harry texted that he was almost done with getting stuff for his parents. Did you want to meet him for lunch?" She asks looking at the three of us.

"I'm down for free food," Anna says as Kylie and I look at her with an eyebrow raised.

"You're lucky you're my favorite," I tell her as I start walking out of the store. The other two siblings yell a hey as I giggle to myself.

"I'll tell him to meet us at Ralph's," she says typing away on her phone. I've been graving their soup. Nothing better than hot soup on a cold day.

"Find anything good?" I ask Anna as I take the car keys out. She shrugs her shoulder and starts talking about the small trinkets she got her friends.

By the time we get to Ralph's the sun has started setting. We shoved all the bags into the trunk and Kylie yelled at me for trying to peak, "You look pretty," Harry says giving Kylie a quick kiss. He's not wrong but doesn't make me want to sleep on a highway any less. I guess George feels the same as he mocks Harry.

"You guys ready?" Nick asks popping out of nowhere. He looks at everyone and I can feel the happiness on my face completely gone.

"This is Nick?" Anna asks looking at him, "I get it," she says walking in first as Kylie starts laughing. Nick looks confused as George side-eyes him. This is going to be uncomfortable. Why didn't Kylie say he was here? We haven't really talked since that night so there's no reason I shouldn't be happy to see him. But I also don't know what Nick we are getting today. Could be brooding musician Nick or happy-go-lucky Nick? He's off to a good start when he holds the door open for all of us. I'm the last one in before he walks in after us. There's a table in the corner with cute ambient candles in the middle of the table.