26. Dylan
Chapter 26
Dylan
W e only have about thirty-five minutes of peace, holding hands, humming along to Beautiful Deceit on Spotify, before it’s my phone’s turn to start ringing.
I silence the call, wanting more moments of peace, but Jake looks at me with his perfect brows raised.
“You might as well answer that. I don’t want your dad coming out the front door with a shotgun thinking I defiled his baby and then broke his heart.”
“If anyone got defiled, Jake, it was you ,” I tease back even as I swipe right on my screen to answer the call. I place it on speakerphone and lay it on my knee.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Dylan, we need to talk.” His tone seems aggressively somber for an engagement announcement...even if he thinks it’s real.
“I know about the newspaper article,” I reassure him. “Cassie sent it to me earlier.”
“The what?” he asks, almost annoyed. If he didn’t call me about the article…
“Dad, what did you call to talk about?”
“How far are you from the house?” he asks instead of answering my question, which I don’t like at all.
“Is Cassie okay?”
“How far , Dylan?”
“Dad!” I shout. “Answer me right the fuck now. Is Cass okay?”
“Yes, Cassie’s fine.”
Something’s off and I don’t believe him.
“Let me talk to her,” I demand.
“Dyl, she’s…packing.”
“Packing? Where the fuck is she going? Put her on the phone, Dad.”
He huffs a sigh and I hear him moving through the house until finally I hear his knuckles rap on her door.
“Cass, your brother’s on the phone.”
“I’m busy.”
She’s crying.
“Cass, he’s gonna climb through the damn phone if you don’t talk to him,” my dad says and fuck does he sound tired. I’ve been gone less than forty-eight hours. What the hell happened?
“Hi, Dyl.”
“Twin talk, Cass. I need to know what’s going on.”
She sniffles into the phone. “Carl Rogers was killed this morning.”
I grip the door handle even though I’m already sitting. Christ, first Glynda, now Carl?
“How?” It comes out as a whisper.
“Hit and run,” she cries into the phone. “There’re tire marks like the car tried to stop, but when they hit him, they just left him. Betty said he wasn’t even supposed to be there, he was just trying to get something out of the truck before they had it towed before the new owner took over.” She sniffles again and I hear her zip her bag. “Mom wouldn’t want any of us to stay here, Dyl. The shop isn’t worth it, and you know it. I’m moving out. I can’t drive down that street one more day.”
“Cass, I’ll be home within the hour. Please, don’t go anywhere yet. Home is still safe. No one has attacked our home. Don’t go to the office, but don’t leave.” At this point, I don’t even know where my sister would go, but it’s clear she’s hit her breaking point. “Cassandra Isabella Ryder, did you hear me?”
“Yeah, Dyl. I heard you.”
My dad’s voice comes back on the line. “It could’ve been you, Dyl. Or your sister. Or me. This street isn’t offering us anything but heartache anymore.”
“I’ll be home in forty-five minutes. Make sure Cassie stays put.”
It’s Jake’s turn to squeeze my thigh as I end the call.
“Fuck, baby. I’m so sorry. What the hell is going on over there? Gang violence? Drugs?” he asks.
“Hell if I know.” Losing Carl feels like losing a piece of my mom simply because he knew her. There aren’t many people still here who did. I sigh and stare out the window as the exits pass by. Jake keeps his hand on some part of me for the remainder of the drive home, but I feel numb even to his touch.
When we pull into my driveway, I lean over the console to give Jake a quick peck on the lips. “I’ll call you later, okay?”
He grabs my forearm in a vice grip, halting my exit and a sense of déjà vu washes over me from when he prevented me from getting in the car only two days ago.
“Look, I know it feels like we’re getting hit from all sides, but from here on out, I’m on your side. Always. Please don’t ask me to drive away and leave you to your grief. I want to help.”
I know what he means, but, “Don’t you need to talk to Cora? Or your father?”
Without answering me, he gets out of the car.
Okkkay then.
I grab my phone charger and my coffee cup, but when I go to open the car door, Jake is already there, pulling it open for me. I look up at him, climbing out slowly. He doesn’t back up to give me any room, so our chests are only an inch apart as he reaches up to cup my face with both hands the way he does when he wants to tell me something important or wants to make sure I’m paying attention.
He never makes jokes in this position.
It’s like our own version of twin talks .
“Dylan, I love Cora. Part of me always will, but I’ve never loved anyone the way I’m in love with you. And right now, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than with you and your family. Cora can wait. My father can wait. The entire fucking world can wait.”
His words settle over me bringing with them a torrent of emotions. Sadness, resentment, bitterness, joy, and gratitude all cascade through my synapses.
I’m so sick of the shit that keeps knocking me off the ladder every time I try to climb.
The front door opens on my dad’s ranch-style house. Jake drops his hands from my face and steps to the side, giving me a chance to go to my dad.
But I want him with me. So, I grab his hand and lead him toward the very small front porch where my dad’s waiting.
“Jake,” he says, nodding to my boyfriend.
“Charlie.” Jake nods back at my dad, recognizing that now isn’t the time to do the whole Mr. or Sir bit. It’s not the right situation to have the same jovial argument for the twentieth time.
Not letting go of Jake’s hand, I reach to hug my dad with my free arm.
“I’m sorry to hear about Carl,” I tell him sincerely, getting choked up as I do.
“Me too, son. Your sister’s shaken up pretty badly. You should probably get in there to see her.”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Mind if I talk to Jake out here while you do?”
I eye my father quizzically.
“Um, sure. As long as it’s okay with him.” I flash my eyes to Jake.
“Go. I’ll be here when you get back.”
With that, I head inside to find my sister curled up under my sheets, her tears staining my pillow, her duffle bag on my floor.
I kick off my shoes and climb into my bed next to her. Laying on my back, I let my sister put her head on my chest. We laid like this for two straight days after our mom died not knowing what to do or which way was up.
I start with the leading questions to get her to talk.
“If you leave tonight, where will you go?”
“Genevieve said I could stay at her place for a little bit.”
“You’ll just end up couch hopping because you can’t stand Genevieve,” I remind her.
“What I can’t stand is staying here,” she says, frustrated.
“Why?”
“Isn’t it obvious? People are fucking dying, Dylan . Dad’s hellbent on selling the shop, and you’re moving on with Jake. There’s nothing here for me anymore. I mean, Dad is, but just because—”
“How’d you know I’m moving in with Jake?” I stupidly interrupt.
She pulls her head back so she can look at me. “I didn’t. I said you’re moving on with him, not moving in with him…but congratulations.” She gives me a smile. It’s weak, but I’ll take it because I know she had to dig deeply to find it.
“Thanks.” An idea hits me as quickly as the smile falls from Cassie’s face. Jake said he wanted to help, hopefully he can come through here. “Maybe Jake can help. You’re great at business and he has more connections than the Atlanta airport. Will you let me help you come up with an actual plan instead of just running away like a teenager? Don’t forget, you own a third of Ryder Automotive. If you’re cashing out, don’t leave money on the table.”
She reluctantly agrees before changing the subject. “Tell me about your weekend. I need something happy.”
Understanding her need to talk about something different, I fill her in on the band, the bonfire, and Jake telling me he’s in love with me. It feels like I don’t take a single breath the entire time.
When I finally pause, Cassis puts her hand on my chest and pushes herself upright.
“I’m sorry. Did you just tell me you fucking hung out with Beautiful Deceit and you couldn’t even FaceTime me for one second to let me say hello to Brett Donovan? What kind of half-assed, twin-brother, bestie-bullshit is that? ”
Oh.
Yeah, I fucked up.
“I was so fucking star-struck I could barely pull my tongue off the roof of my mouth. Then Jake told me he loved me right in the middle of the bonfire and then shit just kind of got out of control,” I admit sheepishly.
“I’ll forgive you this once, Dildo, but you’d better start working on one hell of an apology to make it up to me.” She’s still mad, but her use of my stupid nickname eases the tightness in my chest a little.
“On it,” I assure her as I study her expression trying to see if she’s feeling better.
“I’m really happy for you and Jake. I’m sorry his dad’s such a cunt.”
I huff a laugh because Cass has a way with words. “Yeah, me too.”
“Should we go rescue Jake from Dad?”
I nod, eager to see what they’ve been talking about.
We find Dad and Jake still outside on the porch. When I open the front door, my dad goes silent.
“What are you two talking about?” The tension has moved from my chest to my jaw, making my back teeth grind as I talk.
My dad flashes Jake a pleading look, all wide eyes, forehead wrinkles, and tilted head. He’s silently asking Jake not to answer me, but Jake braces his hands on the white railing behind him and crosses one ankle in front of the other and starts talking. He addresses my dad first.
“Charlie, I won’t keep this from Dylan because I won’t keep anything from Dylan. Ever.” Swinging his eyes to me, Jake says, “Your dad and I are discussing options for selling the shop. Specifically, he asked me to buy him and Cassie out and be a silent partner for you until you can either buy it outright or wanted to sell your portion too.”
The sting of betrayal cuts deeply.
“So, this is how we do things now, Pop? Go behind each other’s backs with secrets?”
“Damn it, Dylan. I’ve been trying to get you to sell for months. Cassie doesn’t want to be here anymore, with Carl gone, their shop sold, and Terrell and Glynda closing their doors too, this isn’t the same street we started out on, son. We had a good run, but now it’s just run down . We need to think ahead. Take the money while it’s still worth something and start somewhere new.”
“So, let me get this straight, you didn’t want me to get involved with Jake in the beginning because,” I hold my fingers up for air quotes, remembering his words quite well, “ that kind of money changes good men and you didn’t want to see my heart get broken when he got tired of slumming it and now—”
“Dylan, I never said pursuing you was slumming it for God’s sake,” he argues. “You’re my own flesh and blood.”
“The implication speaks just as loudly as your words,” I bite, pissed that now that my dad has a use for Jake’s money, his wealth is no longer the evil it once was.
Jake pushes off the railing and places his strong, steady hands on my pecs, his face taking up my entire line of sight.
“Hey, we all say some harsh shit when we’re trying to protect the people we love. I’m not offended.” Slowly, half his mouth draws up in a smile. “Besides, baby, I believe it was you who once reduced me to a Tesla-driving, expensive-liquor-drinking, Rolex-wearing douche with an early tee-time.”
I can’t help but smile as I point out, “The only part I got wrong was the Tesla and I never called you a douche.” He doesn’t ever need to know how I labeled his contact that first day.
He leans in and throws my words back in my face for a second time, but delivers them with a kiss to soften the blow. “The implication speaks just as loudly as your words.”
Shaking my head, I laugh and gently push him away from me.
“Touché, asshole.” Turning to my dad I offer an apology before looking back at Jake and asking, “So, what’s the plan?”
“I’ll buy your dad and Cassie out, giving them the cash flow they need to pursue whatever is next for them. I’ll be a silent partner as long as you’ll have me and if/when you’re ready to move, we’ll sell this building, find the one you want, I’ll sell my portion of the company to you for one dollar and you’ll be the sole proprietor and all the money from the sale will be yours.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Is it still not obvious? I’d do anything for you.” Jake grabs two fistfuls of my shirt at my waist and plants his forehead against mine.
“Maybe we should take this inside before you two set my yard on fire with those looks. I think we could all use a shot of tequila and I think a toast to Carl would be nice.”
Around our kitchen table, my dad pours five shots. We set Carl’s on the mantle as we all toast and knock them back.