#15 Ivy
1211 Words
“What’s wrong with Nathaniel?”
Paula placed the tray of food on the bedside table and set a couple of pillows behind me. “He’s angry with you.”
“Huh?” Did I hear her wrong? Why would he be angry with me? I’ve been ill ever since I came back from work.
She stopped fluffing the pillows and turned her gaze to me. “He is jealous of Mr Westfield, your fiancée.”
I would have mentioned that he was not my fiancée since I hadn’t agreed yet, but my brain was stuck on the part where he was jealous. That didn’t explain why he was angry with me.
She let out an audible sigh, something I had not witnessed Paula ever do. “Mr Westfield is the first person you have brought home,” she started to explain, most likely due to my perplexed look. “And you must have acted differently with him in front of Nathaniel to spark this jealousy.”
She turned away to pick up the tray and laid it on my lap. “It has always been you and him, then out of the blue this guy appears who has your full attention.”
God, I should have known this would happen someday. Tonia cared more about her image and spending money than on Nathaniel. Dad spent majority of his time at work, so he hardly got to see him and now after his stroke, he needed care, himself.
The poor boy had no friends at school. Both the teachers and the kids did not understand him, and it didn’t help matters when they involved Tonia without notifying me first. Why do I even bother paying them money for his education when they couldn’t even follow simple instructions.
It had always been me and him, when I should have introduced him to other kids his age.
“I can understand the jealousy, but why is he angry with me?”
“Wouldn’t you be angry if the only person you cared about decided to share it with someone else. He feels betrayed and in turn hates Mr Westfield for taking the attention away from him.”
For Paula, this conversation was deep, she always tried to help wherever she could, whether it be taking care of Nathaniel when I couldn’t or picking things up for me when I had to stay late at work. She never interfered with my life or gave an opinion about anything. Any employer would love her, yet here she was accusing me of something. I could see it from the way her lips pressed together and down cast eyes.
What could have upset her so much that she would act in such a way. Was she as thrilled about Ethan as Nathaniel? If so why. It wouldn’t affect her in any way if he were my fiancé or not.
In the time the questions of her behaviour had whirled in my mind she had made it to my bedroom door.
With her hand on the handle, she glanced back. “Mr Westfield has your mobile. It fell into his car when he brought you here.” Turning back to the door, she opened it and stepped out before she stopped again. “You should have spoken to him first about your engagement before introducing Mr Westfield. You might have had less of an opposition.” With that reprimand she left.
It seemed she was also hurt on Nathaniel’s behalf.
I loved Nathaniel, but I had to admit to myself that Ethan’s unromantic proposal was tempting. Recently, the thought of me ending up alone had been haunting me and it was one of the reasons I had decided to attend more parties and events, in the hope I would end up meeting someone.
So far none of the men I had met wanted to get to know me once they knew my name. Why that should affect them, I had no idea.
I couldn’t throw away Ethan’s proposal even knowing that it was not out of love he asked me, but something else. I didn’t believe the excuse he gave me. There was more to it then he had told me.
Does that make me desperate for contemplating his proposal?
He was a handsome man from a powerful family and a successful businessman in his own right. He could have any woman he wanted, yet he asked me. However, I couldn’t make a decision without talking to Nathaniel first.
Just not yet.
I pushed everything from my mind and ate the food Paula had made. My head was a lot better and I was starving.
Once I finished eating, I shuffled out of bed, changed into something loose fitting, and searched for Nathaniel.
It was seven already, I had slept majority of the day and hoped I would be able to drop off tonight.
Since Nathaniel usually slept at 7.30, I checked his room first and found him fast asleep. The day must have worn him out for him to sleep earlier than his time.
As I watched him sleep, it hit me that I couldn’t accept Ethan’s proposal if Nathaniel didn’t welcome him, he meant too much to me.
My shoulders sagged at the thought. I was about to leave when I spotted his hairbrush, reminding me of the paternity test I ordered. Grabbing the item, I scurried out the room and quickly entered mine. If Paula had witnessed my retreat, she would have wondered what I was up too. I never rushed around anywhere, and, in that moment, I acted like a teenager up to no good.
As my old tutor used to say, when we didn’t use our brains, I’m a wally.
Placing the hairbrush in my room, I realised I needed a small clean bag to put the hair samples in. My eyes fell on the tray and I remembered we had small freezer bags in the utility room. Picking up the tray, I headed towards the kitchen. Should Paula see me, I had a good excuse to be there.
I tried to walk in normally into her domain and not sneak in like a fugitive. The room was empty. I quickly went to the draw, grabbed a few and stuffed them in my pocket.
The tension left my shoulders after I had committed the act. I didn’t understand why I felt guilty, the house belonged to me, I could go wherever I desired and at any time.
After I washed the things on the tray, I headed back upstairs to my room, took out a bag and put the hairs from the brush in it. Taking out another, I headed back to his room, set the brush on his bedside table, and placed his toothbrush, which I took from his ensuite bathroom, in the bag.
Now all I needed was Dad and Tonia’s hair and toothbrush. Something I had to do tomorrow when I took Nathaniel back.
It was too early to sleep, and I couldn’t be bothered to do any work. That left watching TV or reading. I would’ve chosen a book to devour, but I didn’t have anything that I wanted to read.
I was contemplating what movie I could watch when the tablet on my table buzzed. Plucking it up, I swiped over the screen. The camera at the front gate showed a car, but I couldn’t make out the people in the vehicle.
I pressed the mic to speak. “Can I help you?”
“Ivy it’s Ethan. Let me in please.”
- Writer
