Nathanial Winters
The boys had convinced me to go to a party and I had been acting indifferent the whole time that we all drove there in a convoy.
The various other people that were going popped up though certain groups were being reckless and I was surprised it never led to an accident.
I also desperately wished I had my 765LT so I could put all of these dumb rich kids in their place for being idiots in their BMW's and Audi's.
Eventually we got to a large house owned by Landon Saint he was one of the people I used to go to Thornbrook with, and his father and mine knew one another for the past twenty years which felt weird in the sense that not only was my family incredibly feared and respected in the business world I was months away from inheriting my parents friends and enemies.
Probably why I chose to attend galas and charity events. I could earn my own reputation in the world I was surrounded by.
Which was what this was a formal party that was likely to become a fucking shit show as expected. These were all people who if you weren't known you didn't get through the door.
Pulling through the gate of the house I made my way up to the main parking area and slowed at the valet stall where the sharply dressed man stood stiffly.
I then rolled down my window to speak to him.
"Good evening, I'd rather do it myself where do you want it?" I ask removing my sunglasses.
"Next to the R8" he says gesturing to the spot by the white sports car.
"Thank you" I say pulling off and looping before backing in while Arilynn smiled coyly in the passenger seat casting the occasional look at me as I did so.
"How the hell you back in perfect every time I will never know?" she remarks with a small head shake while I watch various other people arrive including my long time friend Yana Khaliya.
"Skill" I smirk before pushing open the door to my car and grabbing the blazer in the back seat.
Tucking it over my left arm while putting the corresponding hand in my pocket I shut my door and walked around to the passenger side to Arilynn where I opened the door and helped her out.
She was dressed in navy blue which matched the watch I'd chosen the rest of my suit was nearly black.
"Thank you" she says adjusting the pin that resided in her hair holding it all together in a similar way to how it was on the first day I met her.
Yana then spotted us and walked over to us dressed in her typical gold.
"Nathanial good to see you here" she beams.
"You too Yana" I reply before turning, "this is Arilynn Hamilton" I gesture to the girl next to me whose waist was wrapped by my free arm.
"You're very pretty, she's very pretty" Yana says looking from Arilynn to me.
"So are you" my date comments and Yana smiles.
"Thank you" the curly haired arab girl replies before we all walked towards the door of the house before walking inside to see a table covered in presents since it was Landon's sister's birthday.
The boys were already here along with Chloe, Lea, and my sisters. All of them dressed for event all the whole Landon and his sister Britney stood together, along with their parents who were already drinking.
Coveted wealthy event makes sense.
Letting go of Arilynn's waist I pulled on my blazer so that I didn't stand out amongst the crowd though most people here knew me or would at least recognize small distinctions of my dad.
Speaking of my dad he had been helping set up the research centre that was meant for all aspects of Winters Group Industries, meant to be the headquarters of the Research division that when done would be allowed to be photographed until then it was private.
"Hello everyone who is here there were a handful of benefactors for helping get this party going tonight, that list including members from the four New York families, please raise your glasses so we know where you are" Landon says and everyone aside from me does as asked.
The goal is to avoid attention.
"The next are my parents who helped to get the Saint birthday princess my dear sister to have a party so she doesn't cover all of us all in powdered eyeshadow".
Various people laugh except for Britney who blushed and covered her face.
"Enough of that, enjoy yourselves, at eight we will be opening presents" Landon says before shutting off the microphone and putting it back on the stand which got moved aside.
"He purposely embarrassed her" Zavier says leaning over to whisper in my ear.
"Well she curbed his precious 458's wheels. If one of my sisters did that I'd probably do something similar" I muse and I see Izzy glare at me before August pulls her away to get a drink and likely indulge in the fudge display.
"Nathan" Arilynn says and I look down at her to see her glance at something.
"There is someone staring straight at us" she says before looking at a much different girl compared to the one I used to know two years ago.
Natalia Raye dressed in a flowing strapless satin silver dress. Her skin was clear and glowing not pale and sallowed. Her exposed arms had muscle on them in fact her whole body seemed to have filled back out healthily, along with cleared of the sores that had afflicted her during her meth addiction.
Over a year of sobriety and she was normal once more.
"Who is that?" she asks and I meet her brown eyes.
"I'll deal with it go stand by Lucian please tell them Natalia is here" I say with a soft firmness and she nods understanding, though I know on the car ride I'll have to explain to her.
Separating from Arilynn I make my way over to the girl I dated almost two years ago.
The final day I saw her came back to me standing in front of her as she injected herself. I could relive the terror of possibly having her overdose. I'd taken her to hospital and waited until her family arrived where they told me their plan to send her to Maine for treatment while I moved on from Natalia.
Stopping a few feet away from. Her ash brown hair hung in waves on her shoulders, along with her dark green eyes piercing into mine.
"Hello Nathanial" she says seeming rather nervous while looking up at me.
"Natalia" I respond calmly while actively bringing my own nervous heart rate down to normal so that I could reply in a controlled state.
I didn't really know what to do. The history between us was long and very complicated and I knew that.
"I-I don't really know what to say" she shyly says and I am briefly reminded just how shy she was. Natalia was incredibly insecure as a fifteen year old in ninth grade.
The girl was very skinny, and would bounce between that and rising twenty pounds in a week which I think was what led to her starting on drugs she could never be happy with herself since she always took others word instead of her own.
Now I could see the same shyness just matured, and fixed. She seemed relaxed and happy which was always a good sign.
"You're here, alive, and clean from what I can tell" I say purposely softening my voice.
"Yes, I have been clean for over a year they stopped me that night went to therapy for a year, finished school over the summer, and now here I am" she says a small smile of pride crossing her lips.
"That's an accomplishment" I say nodding slowly.
"I take it that girl is your girlfriend" Natalia says and I turn to look at Arilynn who was holding a champagne glass and talking to the heir and his fiance of one of the largest winery companies on the East Coast.
How I wish.
"Not yet" I reply looking back at Natalia.
"She's cute" Natalia says.
"Very" I affirm, "I also should get back to her".
"Yes you should..." she trails off her eyes not meeting mine. "You go to Harvard right?".
"Yes" I reply glancing at my watch to see its seven forty.
"I got in I'm just joining slightly later in the semester" she says.
"Then I suppose I will see you around" I smile before stepping back and turning to head back over to Arilynn who had gotten laughter out of the two people she was talking to.
Coming up to her I gently put my hands around her waist and looked to both the people she was talking to.
"Nathan, your date is very smart, she'll go far wherever that is" Ryan says looking to me.
"Modelling correct Arilynn" I say smiling down at her while she returns it though in her eyes I could see minor puzzlement.
If that was her dream I would support her to go for it. That's just what you do for people you care about. At least that was the lesson I was taught that I took to heart.
"Yes, Nathan" she says and I didn't miss her lean back into me while resuming conversation with Ryan and Luna Vermónte.
I called them by both their last names since they were just weeks away from tying the knot and I wanted the habit.
Eventually our attention was pulled back to the front of the room where Landon and Britney were once again and together as a group we all watched as she opened the dozens of gifts clapping for each as she opened them.
The party was over soon after that as most people had hour or more drives back to wherever they were going. Those of us who were students the excuse was different most of us had projects due tomorrow and needed to get them done and handed in.
Stepping out into the cold air Arilynn and I walked to the car where I opened the door for her and helped he'd get in before wandering around to the driver side and got in before starting the car and beginning to drive off.
"What's the story with Natalia?" Arilynn asks and I smile lightly at how straight forward she is.
"Almost four years at this point we started dating, broke up several times from arguing, and eventually I found her doing hard drugs. I helped get her to the hospital before she went into treatment in Maine. I hadn't talked to her in almost two years until tonight" I explain looking over at Arilynn who sat with her arms crosses yet relaxed around her clutch.
"She needed a detox Centre and time to grow not a boyfriend at the time. And that ship has long sailed between us" I add for safe measure as I didn't want Arilynn thinking that I could get back together with Natalia.
A silence fell between us as Arilynn thought about my response and I thought that was perfectly okay. My past wasn't clean and I knew that.
"What about your comment before the gift opening when you came over and put your arms around my waist?" once again her eyes were back on me and I could feel the probing look she was giving me.
"You mentioned to me on the day we met that you wanted to go into modelling, I will support you to do that if you choose to fully go into it after University. I'll even help you get deals and get talks with brands so you can get into it with good graces" I inform and a beaming smile rises to her lips that makes me feel warm inside.
You're turning into a marshmallow Winters.
Fuck off.
"You're the best Nathanial" Arilynn says.
"I try to be for you" I reply without thinking, and just accept that I say it as it registered.
The piece that made it worth it was the blush on Arilynn's face that she hid by turning her head away and lowering it for a second.
After thirty minutes I arrived back outside Arilynn's sorority and parked in my preferred yet illegal spot.
Getting out I then walked around and helped her out of the car before we began to walk towards the door.
Upon getting there I stopped and Arilynn turned to me barely a foot apart.
"Thank you for taking me tonight I had fun, and your wealthy aristocratic friends are not as bad as I thought" she says and this illicits a laugh from me.
"I'm glad" I say before opening my mouth to ask something that suddenly occured to me but I shut my mouth knowing it was best left in my head where such thoughts and questions belonged.
"You were going to ask something" she prys twisting her torso in partial rotations almost nervously.
"Nothing, it'll be for another day" I say with a smile, "I should be going" I add reaching up to tuck a piece of hair around her ear which I'd admit was one of my favourite things to do.
"Good night Nathan" Arilynn coos before stepping into her house and casting me a smile before she shut the door leaving me to walk slowly back to my car.
You should have asked you idiot
And once more I tell my brain to shut up before getting into the car and driving away
So... what do you think Nathan debated asking comment below, also vote, and share, I have some really interesting points that I have planned for this book, I actually think this will be one of my best works so I'm excited. Anyways
Peace✌