The Devils Of New York

Chapter Forty Six

Arilynn Hamilton

The group of us that was going consisted mostly of the couples though it now was just Lucian, Amelia, Zavier, Lea, Scarlett, Derek, and myself. We were all pulling on some form of hiking gear since Nathan's house was fitting with multiples of anything in the event all of us were here at once and since he had tweaked things over time as he did with everything the ski, snowboard and hiking room was built at the bottom of one of the decorative spires of the large home.

"Arilynn where are we going?" Izzy asks and I look up to stare at her.

"The top of the mountain preferably, but if we don't make it that's fine, mostly it's to get out of the house" I say finishing the ladder lace of my hiking boots and pulling on a windbreaker in the event of a storm coming in.

"Fine by me, Izzy won't leave me alone about taking her with me when I go for day trips" August remarks receiving a mild glare from Izzy.

"She likes the wilderness" Abigail says, "I just enjoy going shooting with Nathan and dad" the youngest Winters sibling shrugs.

"You're almost a better shot then Nathan, no one tell him that he get's sensitive about not being the best" Izzy says with a smile and I know that this is the kind of thing that was often a reality with siblings but the Winters did it in a way that had the edge of they would do anything from casual group activities likely to war crimes if any of them needed it.

But right now I was surrounded by the side of everyone here that only got shown in the company of those of us present. It was a family, one I'd been welcomed into the longer that I'd been around Nathan, and his friends that were his family whether by being labelled that or his actual blood. I liked it, I liked that all of them were still welcoming to one another that they devoted their loyalty to one another, and that they were always willing to let everyone if chosen by a member to be brought into their family.

I knew them better over these past seven years, but Scarlett I hadn't, I'd talked to her a few times, but not often enough, and like Nathan I held the memories of before the accident and the many year gap even if she had remembered none of us were aware that she had been fully aware of her past, and likely questioned why none of us were open about what we all knew about her, and her shit father who was worse that any of us actually knew.

Leaving the house with myself leading as I had been here before with Nathan since we came here to go skiing or simply to get away from New York. The trees swayed gently standing tall above the paths that led off of the property owned by Nathan high up the mountains that provided a natural backdrop to Vail and the serene landscape of this part of the world. Birds chirped high up on branches and before long I spotted the nesting eagles preparing themselves for the coming winter that would set in within a month from now. But currently I was enjoying that it was warm enough to have sun and no snow, and cool enough that none of us should sweat during this hike.

Everyone behind me was talking to one another and pointing to the wildlife that was spotted along with the views from here. They all were closer then they thought and I think Nathan knew that just as well as I did. I'd taken after him in watching them, in being the silent one in the group. It had led to them viewing me as Nathan's equal though Nathan had never been shy to let me know that I was his better half, and that I'd made him better then the angsty teen that he was before he met me.

And here I am proud that I was given the chance to see him grow, and do so many amazing things for the world while sharing it with me.

Now I was months away from being married to him, and being the mother to his child that even if he denied I would catch him zoned out and thinking about who even knew what but, I had an idea. He was thinking about being a parent, about what was to come for all of us which was probably why he wanted to work now so he wouldn't have to later when time with his family became his sole goal and aspiration.

"You're awfully quiet up here" someone says and I turn from my reverie to see Scarlett standing next to me with a smile on her face and hair pulled back in a bun.

"I'm enjoying nature while Zavier, Lucian and their partners take touristy pictures to keep" I say glancing back at the four of them that had stopped while Derek continued to talk with both the boys.

Despite Scarlett and Derek being newer to being around all of us they fit in quite well though that was likely from the year of friendship they all had in their senior year of Thornbrook.

"They all are welcoming to Derek, though I guess with the neutrality of the crash, and the agreement they all had, along with the peace talks between Nathan, and Derek there was never bad blood to begin with".

"Did it seem like there was?" I ask looking over at the French girl beside me.

"At times but Derek was defensive, and Nathan knew who Derek was so it was iffy, but they agreed, and settled down, and had communication over the years. Now I just think they should sit by a fire, and have a scotch together to build the same kind of brotherhood he has with who he'd call the idiots" Scarlett sighs and I let out a laugh.

"Nathan doesn't hold grudges, he just takes things at face value and holds it that way until whatever the reason was changes" I say glancing off as a family of birds changed trees.

"I know he does, I'm just glad that there is no weirdness to me being here with Derek especially after the past few years" she says and I nod.

"What was Nathan like before he was so... forgiving?" I ask and Scarlett presses her lips together letting out a hum of thought while keeping pace beside me on the uneven path.

"He was a little more angry, he's the same in how he deals with things, but his need to prove himself made him emotionally uneasy, and I didn't help since I was a delinquent at my former school, and bantered with him too often in our last year" Scarlett comments, though she had told me that was part of the reason she was glad she let him move on.

"Nathan was also in a period of his life where he was figuring things out, you got him when he was almost improved, and even if I couldn't talk to him, I could tell by the Winters Charity Gala when we were all in university that he had gotten better he was calmer. He'd made his mind up on who he was and where he wanted to go. I see now why Winters men choose stubborn but calm women, which I am not, I'm too hardheaded, and determined, few too many masculine traits personality wise".

"Makes you, you. I doubt Louviere Financial would be where it was and is today if you weren't who you are. You also were willing to go against Nathan to convince him of the benefit to mending the bridge burned by your father" I muse and Scarlett just laughs and shakes her head.

"I still haven't forgiven my dad, but I'm working on it. Also Nathan brought out the better parts of me, the soft side I was afraid of. He got me to be less of a hard ass, ask anyone behind us how often we bickered after meeting for the second time in our lives" she jokes but I could tell she was also being honest.

"Nathan has that effect on people. He seems to bring out the best in everyone, even if he needed someone to bring out the best in him" I say stopping on a flat spot on the path to wait for everyone else to catch up.

"I still believe you're the right girl for him, when you don't look he has such a happy smile when looking at you, as if wondering how he got you" Scarlett informs looking over at me as she unscrewed her water bottle.

"He got me by being patient, and being kind, he was very open with being who he was, and never has made promises he can't keep to me".

"That runs in the family, you fit right in with all of them, and you should be proud of that. I sure know that I'd be happy to call you a Winters".

"Wait until August, then you can" I say.

"You better invite me as a bridesmaid".

"I'm sure between Nathan and I, one of us will remember, now let's get going, we're almost at the top" I say turning and walking off up a steeper portion of the path with Scarlett, and everyone else not much farther behind.
     
   
Yay, it's longer then yesterday's comment, vote, and share, also I want to thank all of you for giving my books a chance since I know many of you have been here since day one of me publishing. Anyways

Peace✌