Mr. Elitist [ A Novel ]

22

| Isabella |

I heard the laughter from downstairs in a sleepy daze before I actually woke up and realized I was alone. Nathan must have gotten up before me, but then again I shouldn't be surprised, I know he is a very early riser. Clearly, the rest of his enormous family had woken up before me too. There were so many of them. There were his grandparents, his mother and father, his brother and his fiancé, his uncle, his wife and their two adorable children. I thought, in particular, that his relationship with them was completely adorable.

After they had woken up yesterday morning and realized he was there, they ran to him shrieking, tackling him. He was the most affectionate, and I use that word loosely, with them than with anyone else. It made me wonder if he had a secret soft spot for children.

I didn't understand how he could be such a cold and calculated man if he had grown up with all that light, love and laughter surrounding him. I desperately wanted to ask him these things, question him about him, his past. I wanted to know so much.

Sure, he'd been adopted from what was most likely a poor excuse for a family, but shouldn't what he came into be enough to heal him? Wouldn't he begin to realize just how lucky he was to have all these people around him?

Whereas I had grown up in a cold, empty home which was only occasionally filled with the sounds of shouting and violence until my father finally left.

I sit up and stretch, yawning from being up late. But it wasn't like I had regretted staying up late, especially with what I had gotten out of it.

Sure, I'd been with other guys, but never like that before . . .

I get out of bed and go to the bathroom. I tame my wild mane of hair until it sat in soft waves around my shoulders and wash my face. I decide that my grey t-shirt and black night shorts were decent enough. Then I go downstairs, hoping everyone would still be in their pajamas and that I wasn't the only one who waited until at least noon on vacation days to get dressed properly.

I nearly got lost in the vast home, the many hallways confusing me but the sound of talk and laughter was all I needed before I walked down the grand stair case and into the beautiful kitchen.

"Isabella!" cries Rose happily, and she flutters toward me, still in her nightgown. In my mind I sighed, relieved to see everyone else was in their pajamas still too. There was a loud chorus of 'hellos' and 'good mornings' as I entered the kitchen.  

"Good morning!" I say and Rose engulfs me in a hug. I laugh.

"How did you sleep?" she asks and I smile at her as she releases me.  

"I slept really well thank you." I say. "How about you?"

"Oh . . . I slept wonderfully." she says. I glance around the kitchen, Nathan's Uncle Drew, his Father Derek, younger sister Sarah, Lucy and Jackson all standing around the large room.

"Would you like some coffee?" asks Derek from across the room.

"Oh, I'm more of a tea drinker." I say declining politely and he nods before going back to his conversation with Drew.

"Would you like some tea?" asks Lucy, who seemed to have a mug full of tea herself.

"Sure." I say, walking over and she heats up some water. Soon I held a mug of peppermint tea, which was warming my hands.

" So are you liking Florida so far?" asks Sarah and I nod.

"Yeah, it's really warm here, which I like and the beach is amazing." I say.

"You know, to be honest, I am surprised your with my brother." says Sarah and I laugh a little.

"Oh, we're not together." I insist and its her turn to laugh. She shakes her head.