Sin 4

"Do you like it here?" Alex asked, laughing.

"I think the house is wonderful," I answered.

"Yeah, but it needs to be fixed-up," Tyler said. "We'll be able to handle it but."

"Good," Alex smiled. "It'll be good to see the place restored to its former glory. If you need any help, just give me a ring."

He was really kind and very handsome. During dinner, he had told me that he looked like his grandfather, if that was so I'd really want to see the real Alex Ryan :o)

"Thank you," I smiled back.

It was strange, sitting there in such close proximity with people. Dinners with your closest friends can be awkward enough, let alone dinners with complete strangers, no matter how related we were. It wasnt that it was awkward, because Tyler and I got along with the Ryan's extremely well, it was that, I wasn't used to spending time with other people. It was usually just Tyler and I so it was unusual that a constant, steady stream of chatter was kept up and that the clink of cutlery against china never stopped. It was hard to ignore the smoke billowing from the small candle that was lit in the middle of the table, all things I wasn't used to, but not things I hated. If anything, I missed having them. I'd had them with my mother, and I had them there. I felt like I had a place to belong.

I found myself looking around the dining room as Alex and Tyler struck up a conversation about cars. His house was large, well decorated and warm. It was not like Drovers Run. Although it did feel a little strange sitting in their house. My Drover's Run was warmer than this even in its dark and dirty state. My Drover's Run, I had just called it. I was attached and I'd only been here for a few hours. I glanced up quickly at Tyler who smiled reassuringly, though he didn't know why. He just knew me too well, I suppose, he knew when he had to be supportive.

"What's next?" Alex asked his lovely wife, Kate. "Dessert?"

"Yep!" Kate smiled as she headed towards the kitchen.

"Can I help you?" I asked as I sat up and made a move to leave my chair.

"No thanks, Anita. Its okay," she said. "Karen will help." She gave her daughter a look that said 'get-up-right-now.' Karen grumbled a little but got up and walked into the kitchen with her mother.

Kate was a lovely blonde woman with beautiful green eyes. She wasn't overly talkative but I liked her anyway. Karen must have been 15 or 16. She too was beautiful. Her brown hair went to her shoulders and she had a pair of blue shiny diamonds that twinkled and shone instead of eyes. Her brother Tim was 8. He's so cute, I thought as I caught him looking and smiling at me with his little blue eyes. I fell in love with the freckles on his face.

Alex had a great family, I thought. I turned to look at him and I caught him glancing at me. I smiled and with his perfect white teeth, he smiled back. He seemed happy having Tyler and me around.

"Why doesn't anybody live at Drovers Run?" I asked suddenly.

"It was Charlotte's," he answered. "But she left one day and never came back."

"But she was used to live here. When she was little, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Until her father took her to Queensland."

"But why did he take her?" I asked again.

"When her mother died, she had nobody left but him," he stated matter of factly.

"But there was Tess, wasn't there?"

"No no, she wasn't!!" he paused for a while. "But I don't know what happened exactly. I didn't exist then, you know. My father used to tell some strange stories about it, but I'm not sure what actually happened."

Kate and Karen brought the desserts as we were talking.

"All I know about Tess is," he continued. "That she moved back to Melbourne after Claire's death."

"I really want to know what happened," I said.

"Maybe you should talk to her son," he suggested.

"Her son?" I exploded. "Tess had a son? And he's alive?"

"Yes, he lives at Wilgul. Pretty old but he's still alive" Alex laughed.

At that time I heard some strange voices and turned around to see who was there. In the far corner of the room, I saw a tall, charming man with teary blue eyes. He leant on the wall, his hands in his pockets and he was looking right into my eyes. There was something that I cant explain, but I could feel his sorrow in my heart..

"All of us were to blame," he said to me.

"What? Who are you?" I asked.

"You already know me. Now look at me! Everybody lied to me. I had nobody but her! Even my father was not real, and she had always been honest to me. And look what I did her! I KILLED HER!" he yelled and then started to cry.

Seeing him crying really efected me. He was just like a child, too weak and hurt. But he also had a strong and brave side.

"I don't remember meeting you," I said calmly. I tried to smile but I couldn't. I was in too much shock.

"Meeting who?" Alex and Tyler asked at the same time with identical worried expressions.

I turned back to the table and saw everyone looking at me. I felt dizzy and overwhelmed. I turned back to see if the man was still there but of course he wasn't. I realized that I was having another vision.

"I… I, umm," I was searching my foggy mind for something to say.

"An, are you okay?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm all right. Sorry," I answered, and turned to Alex again. "So where is this Wilgul?"

A/N: Please dont forget to tell me what you think! I need it...

Love xxoo

L.E.T.