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My heart is heavy with regret, wondering if I would have just been better off with Lex. Hudson’s moods are confusing me.
There’s no use in regretting anything now. All I can do is hope that the rest of the day and week ahead gets better than this.
I’m running my finger against the medallion around my neck—the same medallion Hudson gave me a while back when we were alone on the yacht which now seems like aeons ago—when I catch a glimpse of a high grey stone wall that spans for miles blocking out whatever is behind from the rest of the houses around us.
A high gothic black, iron-cast gate with thick cords of dark green vines appears to be the only entrance into the property and I quickly realise that it’s the same property we’re heading towards.Saylor-TyneEstateis built into a large steel plaque on the wall beside the gate.
“Is this the place?” I curiously ask as I sit up in my seat when we reach the gate.
“Yeah,” he says as he reaches out and presses a code into the little keypad that sits on a thick pole just outside the gate. “It’s been so long since I’ve come here.”
The gate opens automatically like wide welcoming arms and we drive through before they close once again with a clang behind us.
As we go further in through the cobblestone drive with tall, thick fur trees lining either side, like a natural archway, a house comes into view and it almost takes my breath away.
It’s a double-storey shingle-style manor with dark grey washed walls that give it a sophisticated look and glass windows with silver steel frames.
There’s a shiny black Mercedes AMG Coupe that sits outside a dark wooden garage door.
“No one is supposed to be here,” Hudson mutters as he stops the car just behind the Mercedes and shuts off the engine.
When we get out, the sun is shining above brightly, burning into my skin and the atmosphere faintly smells of the ocean’s salty, briny scent. Birds chirp and the trees brush against each other from side to side as they sway in the wind.
Hudson slams the car door shut and makes his way towards the house, while I quickly grab the paper bags and both of our backpacks as I try to catch up with him.
He pushes the unlocked front glass door open and I follow behind silently as he moves with a purpose.
Just as we enter through the cool foyer, someone steps out from a room, in front of Hudson and I try to look past him to see the person. It’s Matt. Hudson’s brother.
45
The Tour
Parker
“What are you doing here?” Hudson asks Matt.
“Mom told me you were coming here and I thought it would be cool if we hung out again. It’s been long!” Matt pats him on the shoulder.
Hudson is silent for a moment before he walks past Matt. “Well, other people are coming later too.”
Matt turns to me and flashes me a friendly smile. “You’re Parker if I remember correctly, right?”
“Right. And I remember, you’re Matt.” I return the smile.
“Can I help you with those?” He reaches forward for the bags.
“Sure, thanks.”
“Do you want to go on a little house tour?” he asks as I follow behind him.
“Yeah. That would be cool.”
I can’t seem to see Hudson anywhere and I won’t bother trying to find him if he doesn’t want to be found.
The house is a beautiful contemporary style with off white walls with soft neutral greys and the floorboards are dark, almost black and shiny. It’s like one of those million-dollar remote homes that you can find on the newest edition of Architecture Today or MTV Crib.
Matt leads me to the left and into a spaciously built kitchen that has stainless steel appliances and a white granite marble island that stretches from one end to the other with white barstools lined in a neat row. There are a few vases placed on each end of the island with preserved pretty, pink Hydrangeas.
