Waters Edge

Chapter 4

Egdeli Addison

"I don't get it...." I was so confused.

"The late Edgar Jeffrey Addison never changed his will and Everard Jonas Addison left everything to Edgeli Jenessa Addison," Mr CW Pearson, Dad's lawyer, explained.

"So Edge owns 66% of the hotel?" EJ confirmed.

"Edgeli Jenessa Addison owns 66% of the hotel," Mr Pearson confirmed, "can I continue?" He asked us and we agreed.

"To Easton James, I leave the family home to raise his family in," Mr Pearson read and EJ hugged his son, and had clearly realised now that Ever hadn't been left anything. "To Everard Jonas, I leave any land vehicles registered to my name for his desire to travel the country, and to Edgeli Jenessa, I leave The Addy, for her love of the sea," he continued and I didn't need all that stuff. I'd potentially take the Addy back home but EJ and Ever would get more use out of it than I would being away at sea on bigger boats half the year.

"Any money to my name is to be divided equally amongst my three children," he finished and I needed a smoke.

"This is crazy," I muttered and I could see that EJ was pissed that our father didn't leave any property or money to his son but also relieved he got the house.

"Ev, why don't you go play in the garden for a bit?" EJ suggested to his son, helping him down from the table. The little Addison ran off outside.

"It doesn't make sense, how do I get more when Red's been dead for six years?" I asked him.

"Your father's will stipulated that the hotel was equally spilt between his children, and Everard had a video will that was considered legally binding," he explained and opened his laptop. He turned it around and there was a video queued up.

I pressed play after getting a nod from EJ, "Edge! I need you to shut up for like five minutes!" Red yelled. He looked about sixteen, which meant I was twelve or thirteen, and EJ was 20 away at college.

"I'm going out anyway!" Me out of the shot in the video yelled then thundered down the stairs and out the door to go hang out with some neighbourhood kids.

Red turned back to the camera. "My name is Everard Jonas Addison, my siblings call me Red, other people call me Jonnie," he told the camera, told us, "I don't really know why I'm doing this, I guess after mom dying when we were so little and all this stuff we've been studying in law class about wills and estates," he said and sighed, "I mean I leave it all to Edge, my little sister, because she'll need it more," he said and EJ took my hand. This was like Red saying his goodbye to me, to us. "Not that I don't love you too, East, but you won't leave this town and she is dying to," he said, "it'll make her come home to you, to be a family for my sake, what I'm leaving to you is her returning home," he told the camera. "I love you guys so much and I really hope you never see this," he said and shut off the video.

"I did come home," I agreed and wiped up the tears.

"You coming home is pretty good thing to be left in a will," EJ agreed.

"Can you set up a trust for me with some of the money?" I asked Mr Pearson.

"Of course I can," he agreed.

"I want to put Red's share of the money in trust for when Ever is older, for college, to travel, to do what he wants," I said and EJ hugged my shoulders.

"I'll sort it out when I get back to the office, I just need you both to sign some paperwork to confirm your inheritance," he explained and we did what he needed to get hold of the house, the hotel, the cars and the boat.

"So."

"So," I agreed with EJ as we watched Ever playing on the swing set out the kitchen window.

"You own the majority of the hotel, you can sell it," he said and I did, I could but I wasn't going to.