Mr. Elitist [ A Novel ]

21

| Nathan |

I breathed deeply, taking in the silent evening. The ocean smelled of salt, even from the shore, where I stood, it was very strong. But I liked it. The sun was setting behind a dusting of pink clouds in the sky, and my bare feet sank into the sand, water from waves washing over them.

This was the first time I had been alone all day.

Right from the moment when Isabella and I had arrived my entire family was around me. All loud, obnoxiously cheery and planning out a day which had too many things going on in it. First they wanted us all to go down to the peer, then they wanted us to go to some amusement park, but no one could choose between the two, so following that there was a rowdy debate on whether or not to just spend the day at the beach.

But that didn't result in anything good or productive either.

My whole family was very opinionated, about the smallest things, and so it took a while for everyone to agree.

We ended up going down to the peer, and then all the men went out to a local bar and restaurant for a drink while all the women went shopping. My Uncle has demanded that we did this, insisting the men needed time to talk about  'manly' things together and the woman needed time to gossip. 

I had spent all of my energy trying to keep up with every body and everything. A good deal of that energy was put into time with my father and uncle, and talking to them about business.

Now, I was exhausted.

It bothered me that no one could just stick with a couple of things, and spread the rest out over the course of the week.

One whole week. How would I survive?

Isabella fit right in with everyone, and everyone loved her. Each person had taken a turn to come up to me and tell me how nice she was or how they were so surprised I had brought her. I was sick of it.

Didn't they understand that she wasn't my girlfriend? But they didn't because my mom thought I was lying to her, that I was secretly in love with Isabella. When the truth was so far from that... I couldn't even imagine really loving anyone, let alone her. I ran a hand tiredly over my face, and crossed my arms tightly over my chest.

I wished I hadn't brought her, it was so stressful, especially because I wasn't even sure what I felt for her.

The only thing I knew: I couldn't seem to stay away. But I liked my life the way it was. I did not need any sort of romantic relationship. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with that emotion, and she would get too clingy. I certainly didn't need anyone else going after me.

I hear soft footsteps in the sand behind me.

"Hey there." says the voice of my mother, and I turn to see her walking up to me.

"Mom." I say, addressing her.

"How can you be so cold my darling?" she asks, pulling me into her arms, even though I tried to resist.

"It's just how I am, I've always been this way. You know this." I tell her.

"Well, when you were little you would cuddle with me sometimes." she says in earnest. "Isabella is such a lovely girl Nathan, she's so warm and full of life. I do not understand how you two get along, but you must some how and I think that's just wonderful."

"Mom..." I say, my tone warning.

"It would be even more wonderful if she was your girlfriend." she says and I felt my temper flare.

"Mom." I bark and she chuckles at me.  "She's not anything to me." 

"Oh..." she murmurs, trailing off, and releasing me only to make me look her in the eye. "Young man, I know you know a good investment for business when you see one. That girl in there. " she motions back to the house. "Whom you claim is simply your friend, maybe less than that, she is a good investment for you, right here." she places her hand on my chest, right above my heart. Then she walks back up the beach, to the patio and then back into the house.