Waters Edge

Chapter 3

Edgeli Addison

I pulled up outside the school and I was nervous. I didn't know how this was going to go and I was about to use a four year old who seemed to think I could do no wrong as a human shield.

I managed to psych myself up and got out the car. I walked towards the pick up area to get Ever and speak to Teo about some kind of catch up and closure. "You got this, you got this," I muttered to myself and put my hands into the back pockets of my shorts.

I saw him and it was like I was fifteen again in that moment but I snapped myself out of it real quick. Teo had aged well and was still super hot. "Hell must have frozen over or someone put peyote in my coffee at lunch because there is no way that Edgeli Jenessa Addison is actually walking towards me," he said with a smile, like he was actually pleased to see me not pissed off with me.

"Hell didn't freeze over but pigs did fly," I offered awkwardly and I still felt nervous about this.

"You look good, E," he said and opened his arms.

"You look better, T," I said and I hugged him. I couldn't stop myself inhaling him, the familiar smell that I would always associate with my first love and made me feel like I belonged somewhere in a town I didn't belong in.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again," he said and pulled back.

"EJ called me back for Dad's funeral, and now I'm here to pick up the future Yacht Captain Addison," I said loudly, getting Ever's attention.

"He's a really great kid, really reminds me of Red," he told me and I saw it too in his personality, "but is the spit of EJ," he added and that was entirely it. Ever put down the toys he was playing with and came running over to us.

"You know Mr Valdez?" Ever asked me.

"We go way back," I told him and messed with his hair, "I'm not going to be in town long and we've got a lot we need to talk about," I said, turning my attention back to Teo.

"Dinner tonight at Mama Sierra's?" He suggested.

"Meet you there at 7," I agreed and we hugged again. "Come on kiddo, let's get you home," I said to Ever, who had now gotten his coat and bag like the lil Angel he was for me.

"See you tomorrow Ever!" Teo called after us and we both waved bye to him as we left the classroom.

I got Ever back to the hotel, "so?" EJ asked me.

"We're going for dinner tonight," I told him and he looked proud of me, and Lola whistled, "I'm going to go call Skye," I said and headed out back to go call my boyfriend, potentially have a stress cigarette.

"How's it going?" Skye asked me.

"The accounts are a mess and sorting out dad's personal paperwork is a nightmare because it's partially at the house and the family business," I said and we'd managed to find a load of accounts from a few months ago under dad's bed when we were clearing out his bedroom, which really helped out Lola but it wasn't looking good for the business.

"You know, I don't think I actually know what your family business is," he said and I had managed to avoid telling him what it was.

"We own a boutique hotel, in a town full of failing boutique hotels," I told him, "and Dad clearly wasn't interested in actually trying to run a successful business in the last couple years," I said and headed down the street a little because I had nothing to wear to Mama Sierra's other than my funeral outfit but there was an amazing thrift store around the corner that I could definitely find something awesome in to wear.

"You catching up with any old friends whilst you're waiting for the will reading?" He asked me.

"I ran into a few guys I used to hang out with back in the day and I'm going out to dinner with one of Red's old friends tonight to catch up," I told him, making the executive decision to describe Teo as Red's friend and not my high school sweetheart because I'd never talked about Teo with Skye either, only mentioned my brothers because it was clear I grew up with boys.