Chapter Thirteen
The door opened and Mrs. Wesley was standing in front of me.
“Gidday, Natalie!” The corners of her eyes crinkled up as she gave me a dazzling smile. I like the way she and Tyler pronounce my name, kinda skipping on the letter T.
She had changed out of the clothes she had worn earlier at the barbecue and, to my surprise, I found her in a pair of faded blue boxers and a shirt two sizes bigger than her. One of the sleeves dipped down, exposing her right shoulder and she let her wild curly hair tumble loose down her back. She looked like a teenager in a college dorm.
“Good morn…I mean, good afternoon, Mrs. Wesley.” I stammered. “Can I talk toTyler?”
“Tyler’s at the pool.”
“Um, if he’s busy, I’ll just talk to him some other time.”
“No, he’s not busy.” She assured me as she playfully tugged my hand. “Come on right in.”
She stepped aside to let me in, and as soon as I was inside, she closed the door and led me into their house.
The inside of their house was breath-taking. We were standing in the living room, and right above the stone fireplace was a huge plasma TV. Across it were three velvet brown sofas and a center table with magazines stacked carelessly on it—in an artistic fashion. There were half a dozen paintings in the room—splashes of colors to accent the shiny oak walls. On the ceiling hung a wide wooden ceiling fan that twisted around lazily.
“Wow. This is some place you got here, Mrs. Wesley.” I remarked, wide-eyed.
Her smile widened. “It is grand, isn’t it? David’s the ostentatious sort, though I have no complaints.”
“Where’s Collin?” I asked when I remembered.
“Up in his room.” She let out an exaggerated sigh. “Took me forever to get him to nap, but I finally did it. He is so much like his father in more ways than one; so stubborn and impatient.” She shook her head. But even as she spoke, there was an obvious twinkle in her eyes. Then her smile took on a wistful look as she sighed. “He’s like a mini David. Every time I see him, I see his father. I know he’ll only be gone for a couple of days, but I already miss him.”
“Mr. Wesley left?” I was confused.
“Yes, on that darned business trip.” She pouted. “He left right after the barbie at Nana’s. In half an hour, he’ll be landing in the Big Apple. Call me silly, but I like wearing his clothes when he’s gone.” She looked down at her attire and she giggled. “Oh, jeez. I feel like a love-struck teen!”
We walked past a wide arched opening through an aquarium wall—let me repeat that: an aquarium wall—that divided the living room from the next. It contained some fish I had seen only on National Geographic, along with some smooth rocks and pebbles and colorful seaweeds swaying as the fish darted past them. There was a huge sunken ship on the bottom that was split in two.
“How did you two meet?” I blurted out before I could realize what I was going to say, mesmerized by a lionfish that seemed to be staring right back at me. “But you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I wouldn’t want to pry.” I added quickly.
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Beautiful Disaster (Ongoing & on Hiatus)
RomanceEver since her mother died, Natalie has been the glue that desperately tries to keep the remains of her broken family intact. And when Caleb, her older melancholic brother, runs away from home, she comes to a moot point in her life---go after him...
