A Timeless Place

Chapter 15 - Part II

"Wes?" I asked uncertainly. I was looking at him as him and everyone else stared at the couple in shock. Thankfully the glass he dropped was empty and had only fallen on the carpet, barely making an audible thud.

I reached a hand out to touch his shoulder. He snapped his head towards me but before I could even register his face expression, his lips were already forming a smile.

"Congrats!" he called out, turning back to the couple and standing up enthusiastically.

I quickly reached out to pick up the glass before he stepped on it. That was weird, he usually noticed every single detail. But no one seemed to have noticed Wes' weirdness, all were looking at the couple.

Wes reached out and hugged the couple.

"Sorry, we didn't know you had company," the girl said, nodding over at Eli and I.

"Yours and Jordan's girlfriends?" the guy asked, a broad smile still plastered onto his face.

"Don't be rude and introduce yourself," Marie chastised him, pulling them both in a warm embrace. "But I'm so happy for you two!"

"Sorry," the guy said. He looked at Eli and I, "I'm Mase, Wes' brother and this is my now-fiance, Renee!"

"Nice to meet you," Eli said, moving to shake their hands. "My name's Eli. Congratulations on your engagement!"

"Kitty," I said, smiling and shaking both their hands. "Congratulations! And no, we're not their girlfriends."

"Oh," Renee said, raising an eyebrow at Wes.

"Anyway, come in!" Andrew called out, after he an Jordan hugged Mase and Renee. "Let's make a toast to the happy couple!"

Andrew pulled out a wine bottle from the cabinet as Marie brought glasses, handing us each a glass of wine.

"To Mason and Renee," Andrew declared.

We toasted and drank as Mase and Renee recounted how they finally decided to get married. I sipped the wine slowly, instead looking at Wes.

He had a controlled expression on his face. More so than usual as he looked on at his brother narrating how he had proposed.

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming by today?" Marie asked, passing the salad to Renee at dinner. After Mase and Renee's engagement story was told, we stayed in the living room conversing. Marie and Andrew disappeared off to set up dinner and Wes followed shortly after. This left Jordan, Eli and I with Mase and Renee. We asked them a few questions regarding their engagement. It turned out they were marrying in the summer holidays since they wanted a beautiful beach theme wedding. It was obvious just how close Wes and Jordan really were. The way Mase interacted with Jordan was exactly as though he was his second brother, just as part of the Bane family as he was.

Through the interaction, I found out that Mase was very much like Wes but also very completely the opposite. While they were both overly friendly and outgoing people, Mase was not as careful and guarded as Wes. While Wes had a conservative nature hidden by a façade, Mase was truly that façade, it was who he was. 

"Well, we wanted to surprise you," Renee smiled.

"Still, I would've made more food if you had given me a warning," she replied, looking regretful at the food on the table.

"We all know you cook enough to feed the country for a year," Mase rolled his eyes at his mother.

Which was true, I lost count of the types of food she had cooked. Pasta, lasagne, chicken cutlets, even food I couldn't even name. Nonetheless, they all tasted amazingly.