The Art of Betrayal

Chapter 5 🌑

I get up and stretch. My clothes are laying on the floor, I get up and pull them over my body. I begin searching around the room for anything else that belongs to me. I see something gold shine on the desk. My watch? Did I really take that off? I click my watch into place and look back at where I laid. I see her chest rise and fall, her long blond hair covers her bare back and some of here pillow. I start to walk away when she twist over, facing me,  her eyes open.
"Leaving so soon?" She says.
"I have a business meeting. I need to get home and prepare." I start towards the door again.
"Come on. It can wait." She says in a seductive voice.
I turn towards her one last time.
"No it truly can't . I had an amazing time with you, but do not expect anything else to become of this. Do you understand?" I look at her with all seriousness. Disappointed fills her eyes but she nods in agreement. I turn and open the door, stepping into the hall way of the inn we're at. I close the door and begin walking down the hall. No sunlight has yet to shine through the window, telling me that it is very early morning. Good. Means there is a high chance everyone at the house is still asleep. I walk out and feel the crisp morning hair hit my skin. It's cool, and after a night of heat I needed it. I start walking down the street in hopes a carriage will soon pass by and I can hitch a ride. It's been a week since I last spoke with Layla. She arranged a meeting for me and that dress shop. Dress business? I'm not sure what to call it. I continue down the street when a carriage pulls up next me to. I look inside and see a familiar face.
"Lord Willis! Good to see you!" I say.
Lord Willis is closer to my age, around 23. His dark curly black hair is shorter than normal.
"What are you doing out this early?" I ask.
"Just- Doing some errands. Same as you I presume?" He winks.
"Oh yes hard at work doing some errands!"
"We'll hope in. We will get you home!"
I take his invitation and get in his carriage next to him.
"So Alan, what have you truly been up too recently?" I ask in a hushed voice. His father's driver had always had a big mouth.
"Truly not much. Higgins Art school has been out for some time now, so I've been waiting around for that to start again." He looks at me, and I guess he can see the hurt in my eyes.
"It's not the same without you there Nathan. In fact it's quite boring." He laughs.
"Oh I know it is! I was the life of that school for the years I went there." I lean back.
"I had so many people tell me that before I left."
"I'm sure most of them were women." He winks.
"Believe it or not they were the guys in the class. Guess they never caught on to the fact I was the reason they couldn't get any."
Alan and I start laughing, and begin talking about all that we did there. We took turns talking about all the memories we had. "Remember when you-" and "Remember I-". Before I know it we reach my home and the carriage come to a stop. I begin to step out when Alan grabs my arm.
"One last thing to remember." He says as I turn towards him.
"Remember how relaxed you were when you painted or sketched? I still take your advice when ever I'm stressed. I draw what I'm thinking about, paint how I'm feeling, and remember that the situation will soon pass." He lets go of my arm.
I step out of the carriage.
"We will have to talk again soon." I say.
"Of course."
He closes the carriage door and they take off into the morning. I can see some sun light shining through the sky, reminding me that I need to hurry and get inside before anyone wakes. I walk up our steps to our door. I try the door handle, it's unlocked. Shit. I gently open the door and walk inside, closing the door behind me. I walk down the hallway towards the stair case that leads to our bedrooms. I begin to walk up when I see a light shining from our father's office. Damn it. I turn and walk away from the staircase, I wish I could just run up them but I know that could get me in more trouble. I walk into the office.
"Mother I'm so sorry I-" I look up to see my brother smirking.
"You ass." I say.
"Good morning brother! How was your night? Hot?" He smiles.
"None of your business. What are you doing up this early? You should be in bed. What if you woke up mom, or the kids for that matter." I take a seat in front of him.
"I could say the same for you? What are you-"
"Answer the question Joel what are you doing up?" I stare at him intensely.
"I couldn't sleep."
"And that prompted you to walk down stairs into dad's office?"
"Well. I went to sleep you see. However I woke up after having a bad dream, about dad." His smile fades as he looks down onto dad's desk.
"I went into your room to see if you were there, and noticed you weren't. I was hoping you would be down here so we could talk."
"Talk? About what?"
"I heard your conversation with that client a week ago."
My stomach twist into a knot.
"I heard John say business has been slow, and I wanna help. I wanna help in anyway I can." He looks up his eyes meeting mine. He may be 17 but when I look at him I still see my little brother. The little brother who cried because I stole his toy, the little brother who followed me around like a puppy dog till he turned 6, the little brother I had to hold while he cried about our father.
"What was the dream." I say in a calm hushed voice.
"Why is that important? I know I'm still a little young but I think-"
"What was it." My tone growing more serious.
He pauses and then begins.
"Dad and you were in here, talking about business. He was speaking with you about the business failing, for us going bankrupt. I walk in and dad turns to me, talking about how it was my fault. That I'm the reason the business failed, that I should have helped you, that-"
"He would never say that and you know it."
"That wasn't what made me what to help. I've always wanted to help! You just have to give me a chance!"
"Not now. You should focus on your studies." I stand up and push in my chair.
"Come on! There has to be some way I can help? I can run quick errands, plan out meeting times, research clients, check -"
"Shut it."
He doesn't dare start talking again. I stand up, and begin walking towards the door.
"We can speak about this again when your turn 18. For now though you will continue to focus on your studies and continue to make something of yourself."
I walk through the door and head up the stairs towards my room. I will not let him throw away what he has. I walk into my room, close the door, and sit on my bed. I don't want him wasting his potential on a family business that could fail. He's a smart kid and I won't have it happen. I look in my mirror. The sun has now risen and is peaking making the sky a beautiful orange color. John will be here soon, I need to get ready and prepare a pitch.