Our Aquarium

28 ~ Wesley

She still hasn't broken up with him and a part of me is beginning to wonder if she's really going to or if she's just dragging me along. I really hope it's the former.

Helping Rex out of the jeep I let him play in the yard as I walk into the house where my family resides. Thankfully it's only my parents and my brother and his family. I couldn't deal with my aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. all being here. And the one person I really want here has yet to arrive.

Mom is the first to greet me, rushing up to me and pulling me into a hug. "I expected you to bring Eliana with you."

I just shrug. Eliana and I haven't hung out since the night we kissed and what I thought was come to an agreement that she is done with Jacob. I feel as if that agreement has only pulled us farther apart. Hopefully tonight things won't be like that.

Dad greets me next clapping my back and giving me that look. The look of built up disappointment and an extreme attempt to try and hide it. The face I've seen since I was 15 years old. In his eyes I'll probably never be good enough, but I've grown used to it at this point. The main reason I came back to work was because of Mom.

I greet my brother, Oliver, and his wife, Gianna. Then my favorite and only nephew comes rushing into my arms. Immediately I lift him up and toss him into the air. "Wyatt!"

"Uncle Wes!" He hugs my neck and I hug him back. He's my favorite five year old.

Setting him down, I ruffle his blonde hair. "Kid, I haven't seen you in forever. How's school?"

"Boring." The kid is definitely my nephew. "You want to play video games with me?"

Chuckling, I move over to the table where my family sits. "I'll play with you later. Let me talk to the adults first."

He nods and runs back to the living room as I sit down at the table with the "adults" and one baby. I catch up with my brother and his wife who I haven't seen in nearly two months. They live in Seattle because that's where Gianna is from. But I would choose them living in Seattle than all the way on the other side of the country in New York or Florida. Usually I only see them around holidays or special occasions, and I'll take what I can get .

Oliver is the older one and the favorite one. I go into the family business and he's the favorite one. Parents claim they don't have a favorite, but it's obvious that Oliver is their favorite.

"Seems like things with you and Eliana are going well," Dad says coming over to the table and sitting across from me. "She seems like a great role model for you."

I want to scoff. The woman who's three years younger than me and has a perfect track record is a good role model for me. Because I'm nothing but a fuck up who fucks women for money. In his eyes I'm a prostitute along with my other misfit friends who have been a terrible influence on me since the day we all met.

Mockingly, I agree with my father. "Things are going great. I screwed her brains out, had her coming on my dick until she was practically begging to have my kids. She's a great role model," I laugh ironically. "Such a slut for me."

My family glares at me then my father's eyes shift behind my head and his expression morphs into one of sympathy. I follow his line of sight hoping and praying that it isn't what I think it is. Hoping that it isn't who I think it is, I slowly turn around to find Eliana standing next to my mom who must've went to go answer the door that I never heard. My own heart falls at the expression on her face. Fuck I shouldn't have said that shit.

I barely push myself out of the seat before Eliana rushes up to me and sends a sharp slap straight across my cheek. Immediately I take her wrists in my hands. I don't know what she thought was supposed to happen but she's not going to hit me again.