Anton looks me over one last time, nodding. “Just stay out of trouble, little one.”
Jordan gives him one last pat then motions for Ava and me to move on ahead. When we walk through the swinging door, it’s like entering a completely different world. The music is booming with a slow sensual beat. The lights are dim, creating a much sultrier ambiance, and surprisingly for a weekday in the late afternoon, it’s quite packed in here, which speaks volumes to the alarming statistics on divorce.
Jordan leans in, talking into my ear. “He’ll be in the back. There’s a booth just off to the corner. Like I said, I’m not going over there. Ava and I will be on this side when you’re ready to go.”
I nod my understanding and start on my way. When I reach the other side of the room, I see the booth Jordan had mentioned. It’s tucked away so far in the corner that there’s no view to any part of the room, let alone the stage. For some weird reason, that gives me some comfort in knowing Jordan wasn’t lying when he said they came here just to get away.
I approach slowly, a little hesitant not knowing what I may see. But when I do come to the front of the booth, Dylan’s sitting there alone looking through his phone, a barely touched plate of food and untouched beer off to the side.
“Hey,” I call out.
The music’s loud but he hears me, and as he looks up a slow grin grows. “The diner not paying enough?”
Jerk! He never misses a beat.
“I don’t work here, you ass.”
His brow perks. “Then you’re here for the entertainment...interesting.”
I take a seat in the wrap-around booth, moving in close enough that we don’t have to yell over the bass of the music. “I’m here for you, Dylan. Why do you always have to make things difficult?”
He sits back, his smile gone. “Then let me make this easy. I have no need for you to be here, so leave.”
“Not until you hear me out.”
“What could you possibly have to say that I would want to hear, Velyn?”
“I want to try and reason with you. Dylan, I’m not a bad influence.”
He lets out a laugh. “You do realize you’re sitting in a strip club on a Thursday in the middle of the day? Oh, wait, let’s not forget and underage to boot. Let me guess, a new I.D., compliments of my dear friend Jordan?”
His eyes are locked on mine, and the space between us suddenly seems to be a little unforgiving. Why do I always get this tightening in my stomach when he’s close? What am I saying? I know why, but that doesn’t matter right now. The only thing that matters is Chase.
“I care about Chase. I would never put him in a position that would be bad for him,” I reason.
“As do I. Velyn, I know what girls in your situation want. Let me save you a lot of time, and maybe even some of your dignity. I won’t ever let what happened to my father happen to Chase.”
A tremble plays at my lips, but I hold tight. I almost want to cry. Not because of his words; sure, they hurt, but rather because he’s just so broken.
“Who did this to you?”
He laughs, trying to mask his insecurities, but I know they’re there. “It’s called the reality of life, Velyn. We have money and you’re in a bad place. That money would fix all your problems, now wouldn’t it?”
“Would it bring back my mother, Dylan? Because the only thing that’s going to fix any of my problems, is her here with my father and I. Also, money wasn’t enough to keep her alive then, so I doubt it’s enough to bring her back now.” I stand from the booth, but before leaving, I turn to him. “Dylan, I’ll never turn my back on my friendship with your brother, but I also won’t allow him to go against you. I hate that you’re doing this, but you know what I hate more?”
His eyes slant, focusing in on me. “What’s that?”
“That I let myself be affected by the words of someone so obviously damaged.”
Neither of us says anything more. I leave, and when I get to the door, Jordan and Ava are already waiting.
I want to cry out in frustration. It’s not only Dylan’s words bothering me that I hated, but there’s also this feeling I can’t shake. It’s the realization that when I'm near him, it’s the only time I feel calm—that I feel whole.
Chapter 13
Dylan
Dammit! Why do things always seem to blow up with her? No matter how hard I try, my inner jackass seems to pop-up whenever she’s around. It’s that same shield that Chase always tells me I put up when I’m trying to avoid showing people who I really am.
Her last words to me before she stormed away hit hard. Harder than they would’ve coming from most people. How is it that she does that to me?
I did run out to the parking lot after her. At the time, I didn’t know if I was going to go off on her or tell her that I was willing to listen, but it didn’t matter. When I got out there, Jordan’s car was pulling out with Velyn in the backseat.
Now it’s three in the morning, and for the last nine hours, I’ve just been lying here in my bed unable to get her or that whole conversation out of my head. Not just what happened at the club, but everything.
What is it about Velyn that sets me off? Maybe it’s the fact that she's one of the only people other than Chase and Jordan that see through my shit. How? I have no clue. But she’s called me out on it a few times, and I don’t know if I admire her perceptiveness or hate that she has me figured out.
Knowing that I won’t be getting any sleep at this point, I get out of bed and head out to the living room. When I pass by Chase’s bedroom door, I see the light shining from underneath. A flashback to that morning when I found Velyn innocently sitting by the chess table, comes to me.
Incident number one.
This could all be playing out very differently had I just handled that morning with a little more...finesse.
I raise my hand to knock, hesitating only momentarily before giving it a light rap. There’s no answer, so I open the door. When I pop my head in, Chase is fast asleep, but I can see that the light of his phone is on. I move in closer and notice that it’s connected to a call. Lifting it, I see Velyn’s name as the contact.
What do I do here? I could just end the call; he's asleep; it’s not like it would matter. But I’m curious.
“Hello?” I whisper into the receiver, not expecting a reply.
“Chase, is everything okay?” a groggy voice asks. I don’t answer right away, causing her to call out again this time with a little more urgency. “Chase, are you there? Are you okay? Bud, you have to answer me.”
Bud? That’s what I call him, or at least I used to when he was little. When did that change?
“Hello? Chase, you’re worrying me. Is everything okay?”
I can hear the concern in her voice. She doesn’t need to worry because Chase is tucked safely in his bed and fast asleep. I could just lay the phone back down and walk away, but then she calls out again and it prompts me to answer. “He’s fine. Fast asleep.”
“Dylan?”
“The one and only. Why are you on the phone with my brother at three in the morning?”
Crap! Why does everything that comes out of my mouth sound like an interrogation when I talk to her?
Velyn clears her throat. “Well, if you must know, he was upset. I told him about what happened at the club and that he had to listen to you. I explained to him that it wouldn’t be forever, but he was still upset. He was saying I wouldn’t be his friend later, which then resulted in him having a panic attack, so I just talked him through it until he calmed down.”
I let out a breath—why is he so attached to her?
“Listen, Dyl—”
“Can we meet up?” I ask, cutting her off.
There’s a slight hesitation in her voice, but then she comes around. “Sure. When?”
“Now.”
“What? Dylan, it’s three in the morning. No one should be awake at this ungodly hour.”
“You are?” I reply.
She lets out a sigh
. “That’s because I have to head into work.”
“What! No one should be working at this ungodly hour. Who does that?” I let out jokingly.
“Apparently the same kind of people who hijack phone calls making absurd demands,” she replies with a noticeable groan. “Look, if you’re adamant about meeting up right now, you can meet me at the diner.”
I think back a few weeks to the blow-up she and I had in that diner, and the words of the owner telling me it would be best not to return. “Um, Velyn, I don’t think meeting up there’s such a good idea. Your boss was clear; he didn’t want to see me back there.”
“Don’t worry about Stu. I’ll deal with him. You just make sure you show up ready to work,” she replies.
“You got it! —Wait? What?” Too late, she already hung up.
Ready to work—is she serious?
Yep, she was serious. When I walked into the diner, Velyn was already there.
“She’s waiting for you in the kitchen. Go on back,” the older woman behind the counter directs.
I offer her a friendly nod then head in the direction she had pointed me to; when I walk through the swinging doors, Velyn’s standing at a large stainless-steel table with bushels of uncut vegetables in front of her.
“Looks like you have a busy morning ahead of you,” I comment, moving to the other side and just opposite her at the table.
“You mean, we,” she replies.
“Huh? We what?” I have a sneaky suspicion that I’m about to be sweet-talked into assisting her.
“You said it will be me that will have a busy morning ahead; I’m just letting you know it will be, we.”
Yep, I was right.
I let out a breath, knowing I’m not going to win this one. “Where can I wash my hands? And before you gloat, I want to put it out there that this is not a victory. Just a wise man knowing when it’s best to give a little.”
Velyn locks her dismissive gaze with mine. “The sink’s over there.”
I quickly wash up then grab a knife off the counter behind me and pull out one of the rinsed peppers from the large bowl. “Brunoise, Chiffonade, or Julienne?”
Brow perched high, Velyn shoots me a smug glare. “Show-off.”
I reciprocate with my winning smile. “I owe it all to Connie. She taught me all I know.”
“Pfft yeah, well, you forgot Macedoine,” Velyn comments, starting to slice away at her pile. “Why did she teach you?”
Chuckling, I respond. “Connie was always on me to help her prep dinners. She said I needed to learn for when she was gone. I thought she meant dead, so I said we would just hire someone new—she threw a wooden spoon at my head. She apparently meant when she was on holiday. She then proceeded to let me know she would never die.”
Velyn lets out a belly-filled laugh. “Oh my God, she’s the best. You and Chase must love having her around.”
“Yeah, well, seeing as how our biological ones didn’t give two shits; Connie’s the closest thing to a mother Chase and I ever had.”
“Chase mentioned that to me. It must’ve been hard on you two as children?”
I shrug it off. “It could’ve been worse, but I don’t want to talk about that.”
Velyn rests her cutting hand on the table and looks to me. “Fair enough, but I know you didn’t ask to meet up with me so that you could help with food prep, so tell me why did you come?”
Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I look directly at her. “Velyn, I realize that lately I may have been somewhat unreasonable in my actions.”
“Oh, there is no may, you most definitely were.”
I let out a breath. “Can you hold back on the smart-ass retorts. In case you can’t see it all over my face, this is actually hard for me.”
“What? Trying to apologize?” Velyn asks.
Locking my gaze with hers, I reply, “Yes, but most of all, admitting when I’m wrong.” Her shoulders drop, telling me that she’s let down her wall a little. “Look, I’m an ass. I’ve been an ass most of my life; I won’t deny that. But the way I’ve been lately...that’s not me. Chase, and even Jordan in his own way, are my family. I’ve never treated them like this, and it wasn’t until they shut me out that I realized what I was doing.”
“Do you know why you did it; because they have no clue?” Velyn questions.
I shrug. “Yes and no. Mostly because I’m an idiot but also because of this thing with us.”
Velyn looks to me, her face holding only confusion. “What thing? I didn’t realize there was one.”
“Okay, I’m calling you out on that one. If I’m trying my best to be honest here, then you need to do the same,” I reply.
“Dylan, you’re the one that asked to come here and talk to me, not the other way around. I don’t need to contribute anything to this conversation.”
I look to her and shake my head. “You know what this was a bad idea. Why did I think this would fix anything?”
I walk past the table heading toward the kitchen doors but stop short when she calls out. “Dylan, wait.” I turn to her as she continues. “Fine, you’re right. But explain to me why that would have you acting like an ass to everyone.”
Rubbing my hand over my mouth, I let out in a mumble, “Because I’m jealous.”
Velyn steps just a little bit closer. “I’m sorry I didn’t quite catch that because your hand
is over your mouth.”
I shoot her a cynical glare. “You heard it fine; you just want me to repeat it.”
She lets out a laugh. “You’re right, I do. I’m going to guess that it’s been a long time, if ever, that those words have fallen from your lips. But tell me, Dylan, who would you be jealous of?”
“I’m jealous of you.”
Her eyes shoot wide open. “What? Why?”
“Because in a matter of mere seconds, my brother of seventeen years decided you were more important to him than me. He went from relying on me to needing only you. Then my best friend jumps ship and swims over to Team Velyn,” I let out, and her response is to stand there completely speechless. “Say something.”
She moves in close, her face still holding an expression of utter shock, but that changes quickly when she’s only inches away from me. “You’re right; you are a complete idiot. Do you honestly think that because I came into Chase’s life that he would just stop being your brother?”
“Well, no. But he did stop wanting to hang out with me and wanting to talk to me about his day and stuff.”
Velyn crosses her arms over her chest, looking me right in the eye. “That’s because every time he spoke, you made him feel like you weren’t really listening. Dylan, you were dismissive.”
“I was not.”
“You were, and if you’re serious about wanting to fix this thing with Chase, then I suggest you start admitting when you’re wrong too. Dylan, Chase knows who you are, and he accepts that. He loves you regardless of it, but this time you went too far. You tried to limit him. He’s not a child, and you need to stop treating him like one.”
I shake my head. “But he is a child. He’s only seventeen.”
“Yes, and I’m sure things would have gone over just peachy if someone had called you a child at seventeen.” Looking around, Velyn lets out a breath searching for her next words. “Look, I’m not saying he’s not still young and somewhat naive. You’re right; he does still need someone looking out for him. Dylan, if you honestly want that to be you, then you need to start acting like an adult. You can’t just pull rank when he’s not submitting to your every request; that’s not how that works—he’s a person, not a pet.” I start to talk, but she raises a finger to stop me then she starts back up. “And as for Jordan, you need to stop treating him like a piece of crap. He’s your best friend, but the way you speak to him, you’d think he was more of an annoyance.”
“He said that to you?”
She shakes her head. “He didn’t have to. Dylan, Jordan loves you like a brother, and I think no matter what, in
a way, he always will. But if you want to be in his life, then you need to start showing him some respect and also Ava.”
“What? Ava? Why?”
“Because he loves her, Dylan.”
Loves her? That’s just ridiculous. “How can he be in love with her, they literally just started hooking up? You do know I was with her just a week before he was, right?”
“See that-that right there is what I’m talking about. Dylan, who cares that you were with her before him or how long before. If it doesn’t bother him, why does it bother you?”
“Because she’s just like the rest of them. Ava knows he has money, and when she realized she wasn’t getting her claws into me, she moved on to easier bait,” I reply.
Velyn lets out a breath. “Just so you’re aware, Ava’s beyond brilliant. She’s one woman who will never need a man to get what she wants; she’s more than capable of doing that all on her own.” Velyn pauses a moment then continues. “Maybe I was wrong about you. This really must be who you are. Dylan, if you’re not willing to peek your head outside that box of yours, you’re going to lose a lot more than what you already have.”
“What does that mean?”
She takes another step closer, now only a breath away. “It means you’re going to be a very lonely man.”
Velyn turns, heading back to the table and starts to finish with her prep, not saying any more. I should probably take this as a hint and leave, but I don’t. “Help me fix it.”
She looks up to me, and I would almost think she looks relieved. “Are you going to argue with me when what I ask you to do puts you out of your comfort zone.”
I shrug. “I mean, depending on what it is, there may be some resistance.”
“Resistance I understand, pulling the ‘I’m Dylan Dandridge, you can’t tell me what to do,’ I won’t.” Crap, she does have me figured out.
“Fine, if I do that, I’m giving you permission not to help me anymore,” I reply, and she lets out a chuckle. “What’s so funny?”
“The fact that you said you’ll give me permission—I just realized I might have bitten off more than I can chew.” She shakes her head then points with the knife to the other side of the counter. “Get back there; we need to get this done before doors open at six. Then we’ll figure out how to best tackle mission ‘Get Dylan not to be a douchebag.”
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