Chapter 26
MAX
B lake and I flew back to New York that afternoon, courtesy of Rowan’s private jet.
Unlike the flight over here with Dylan, I was in total shock. I was heading home, but I’d left Dylan behind and my heart along with him. But it didn’t matter how much it hurt. Whenever I questioned my decision, I looked at my daughter, and I knew I’d done the right thing.
I’d already warned Blake about what was happening online, and my phone had blown up with messages from reporters wanting a statement.
The picture of Dylan and I had been simple—him taking my hand as we walked along a beach with Blake by my side.
It wasn’t so much the hand holding but our faces as we stood close to each other.
There was no mistaking the intimacy of the moment.
But it was still Dylan Aylmer holding hands with a man, and some of the comments online had been hateful. I wasn’t in the least surprised.
In true teenage fashion, Blake did the exact opposite of what I had anticipated. Where I was worried, she took the news story in stride. Then I remembered that kids her age spent a lot of their time online. She only had one social media account, under an anonymous username, but I still worried.
While Blake was asleep, I distracted myself with work.
I was cleaning up Dylan’s manuscript draft so it would be ready to send to the editor for the first round of revisions in a week’s time.
I couldn’t wait to finish the damn thing.
With every chapter, Dylan’s life unfolded before me.
I was privy to his most private thoughts about his struggles and his victories.
It was beautiful and heartbreaking, and I fell in love with him even more.
Every word ignited a memory of the two of us.
I re-read the book again from the start, making edits as I went along.
Until I reached the last quarter of the manuscript, the part where Dylan was entering rehab for the third time.
Reading his words again, it was too much.
The horror of his detox and his fear that he might not make it—his anxiety and loneliness—was so raw, that it made my heart break all over again.
I felt like a total shit for leaving him.
I had abandoned him when he was coming out, when he needed support the most. How was he going to deal with the press? Would he relapse?
The next thing I knew, tears were streaming down my face, and I could barely read the blurry lines in front of me.
“Dad, what’s wrong?” Blake asked as she rubbed her eyes.
I took off my glasses and wiped my face. “Nothing, sweetie. Go back to sleep.”
“I’m not tired anymore. And I’m worried about you.”
“Me? It’s my job to worry about you, not the other way around.”
“Are you sorry we’re going home? I mean, without Dylan?” she asked.
I didn’t lie to my daughter. “Yes. Even though I think it’s for the best.”
“You really love him, don’t you?”
“I do.”
I couldn’t deny it. That would be denying my own heart.
“Well, if you love each other, you’ll find a way. This is just a bump in the road. You can’t give up.”
My daughter had a heart as big as the moon, and it struck me right in the gut when she said heartfelt things like that.
“You’re the most amazing kid, do you know that?” I wiped my face. “How did you get so wise? And mature?”
“Summer camp. It’s like the Hunger Games but with way more bugs,” she fake shivered and wrapped her blanket around her shoulders. “And I also learned a bit from you, Doc.” She winked at me, referencing Dylan’s nickname and the tears started all over again.
Shit, I needed to get my emotions under control before I got off this plane. Before I talked to my ex.
“How long was I asleep?”
“About four hours. We should arrive in New York around 10 p.m.”
“I’m bummed we had to leave early. I mean, at least I got a week in France. But next time, let’s plan for two or three.”
“You got it.” I smiled at her as I took a deep breath and got myself under control.
Blake and I watched a movie as distraction, and then I nodded off. Next thing I knew, we were descending into New York. The city skyline was impressive as always, but I was discomforted about going home. As much as I loved this place, the frenetic pace could be wearing.
Or maybe I had gotten used to the more relaxed way of life in France.
Long lunches, naps in the afternoon, and relaxed dinners that lasted late into the night.
And through it all was the memory of Dylan’s laughter echoing in the air, setting my blood on fire and settling deep into my soul like the warmest hug imaginable. God, I missed him so much already.
Once we landed, I picked up my phone.
Max: I’ll call you tomorrow. No matter the distance, I love you.
I expected silence but thirty seconds later, my phone pinged.
Dylan: I love you too, more than anything.
Not sure if I felt better or worse, I focused on the view outside my window as we landed.
Andrew had kindly taken care of arranging a pickup for us, and before I knew it, we were pulling up to Dante’s townhouse on the Upper East Side.
I wasn’t looking forward to this conversation, especially in the house we used to share. I’d never liked living here. The exterior was true to its historical 1920s roots, but in my opinion the interior renovation was cold and lifeless. Like our marriage in the end.
Blake and I stood on the top step and knocked on the door. Gwen, Dante’s housekeeper, answered.
“Blake, welcome home! And good evening to you as well, Mr. Lowell. Nice to see you again.”
“Hi, Gwen. Sorry about the hour, but there was a delay in our flight.”
“I’m awake until late, so it’s no problem. Dante is in his office.” She smiled briefly and let us inside.
“Come on, Dad. Let’s get this over with,” Blake sighed.
“Blake,” I warned. I tried not to let my toxic interactions with Dante spill over into their relationship. But it wasn’t always easy, especially now that Blake was getting older.
“How about we drop your stuff in your room first and then go see him?” I stated.
We walked down the hallway to the second door on the right.
The only part of the house that had any personality was Blake’s bedroom.
She had pleaded with Dante until he finally acquiesced and had the walls painted a deep aubergine.
After selecting a low-rise bed, she added bohemian touches like Moroccan-style footstools and macramé wall hangings.
It was eclectic, fun, and warm. A true reflection of her spirit.
Once we dumped her bag and sorted the laundry, we made our way down to Dante’s office, the last room at the end of the house. I knocked once and opened the door. As usual, he was on his phone, his back to us.
“Antonio, I specifically said no blue cheese! The client hates it…No, I don’t care how good it tastes. Take the salad home and eat it yourself. And make another one in the morning. The luncheon tomorrow needs to be perfect, so don’t screw up again.” He slammed his phone on the table.
I knocked on the open door again and he turned suddenly.
“You’re back!” Dante got up and walked over to give Blake a hug. As usual, and despite it being late at night, he was dressed in business attire in a gray button down and trousers, his black hair styled perfectly in place.
“Blake, why don’t you get ready for bed? Dad and I have stuff to discuss,” Dante replied softly as he gave me the evil eye.
“Family discussion,” she replied and pointed to all three of us.
Dante shook his head. “Excuse me?”
“I’m thirteen, not seven. If this is about Dad’s new relationship, I want in on the discussion.”
Dante shook his head. “Dad made a poor decision, and now he and I have to figure out how to fix it.”
“There’s nothing to fix. I fell in love,” I bit out but then softened my tone. “But Blake has a point. This is a discussion that involves all of us. Let’s sit down and talk.”
Dante sighed and waved to the leather couch in the corner of his office.
Once we were all seated, an awkward silence descended.
I couldn’t remember the last time all three of us sat down together.
Usually, I was dropping off Blake or vice versa for Dante.
We’d attend the same school or sports event for Blake, but often we said hello and sat apart.
“Here’s what I think?—”
“Let me explain what happened?—”
Dante and I talked over each other. No surprise there.
“Sorry, Dante. You go first,” I said and waited patiently.
“I would prefer to find out from you directly about who you’re dating.”
“I told you I was seeing someone.”
“Yes, but you neglected to tell me that he’s a celebrity who attracts bad attention because of his problem .”
“Dylan’s an alcoholic. You can say it. It’s not a secret and I’m not ashamed of him. He has an addiction and he’s been sober for two years. I’ve been honest with Blake—” I paused. “—And you’re not one to talk. You date celebrities and social media influencers all the time. How is that different?”
“Because they don’t become a part of my life!”
Blake shook her head. “Not true, Daddy. You introduced me to that musician, Jacob Aldoro, when you two were dating a year ago. Not to mention, you attended a swanky event with him, and your picture was in the NY Daily Press as ‘ hottest couple of the night.’ Reporters followed us when you picked me up from school the following Monday.”
“What?” I blurted out, not knowing about any of this.
“How did you find out about that picture?” Dante yelled, his eyes nearly bugging out of his carefully styled head.
“More importantly, you were followed? And you didn’t say anything?” I blurted out.
Blake shrugged. “There was nothing to say, Dad. They staked out the house for a few weeks, and that was it. Like I didn’t know the reporter was following us, duh. New York is full of paparazzi. He was so obvi.” She ran her hands through her blond hair and shook her head.
“Holy crap, Blake. You’re scaring me,” I joked. Well, sort of. What else did she know?
I turned to Dante. “I should have told you earlier about Dylan, and I apologize. I’d planned on discussing it with you when I got back in late August, as a family. Dylan was going to issue a public statement about his bisexuality when the book launched this fall, but it’s out there now.”
“This reinforces what I said a few months ago. Maybe it’s best that Blake stays with me for the foreseeable future.”
“No,” Blake interrupted. “I’m old enough to have a say now, Daddy. And this back and forth about where I should live needs to stop. I need both of you. Please.”
I’d never heard Blake talk so frankly before, or had witnessed Dante so silent in response.
Dante looked at her and then at me, a serious expression on his face. “This is something that Dad and I have to discuss privately.”
“Why? It affects me,” Blake answered.
“Because we’re the adults and we decide what’s best for your well-being. It’s up to us to look out for you and ensure you have the best possible life,” I replied.
“Having said that,” Dante said. “I don’t want to see you missing out on time with either of us. And I know how close your bond is with Dad. For now, I’m okay to leave things status quo, but I reserve the right to change my mind if the situation with the press escalates.”
I was shocked at Dante’s comment but tremendously relieved. Blake leaned over and gave us each a hug and a kiss.
“Now I’m going to bed. Love you both,” Blake pronounced and scampered off.
“What happened to our little girl?” Dante asked me with a pained look on his face.
“I have no idea, but I’m so proud of her.” Tears threatened again, but I took a deep breath and swallowed them down.
“Look, I know I can be a selfish dick sometimes,” Dante started, and I coughed. He glared at me in return. “But I really do want what’s best for her.”
“What brought this about? You were ready to rip my head off and fight me for full custody five minutes ago.”
“Well, our daughter has a point. I have to admit that the past six weeks, with Blake at camp and then in France, I had time to get a lot of work done without interruption. And she’s right, she needs both of us.
I…I can’t give her the type of attention that you can, and if she’s here with me full time, I know she won’t be happy. ”
I was too stunned by his admission to reply immediately.
“Are you okay, Max?”
“Yes, just completely shocked.”
Dante scowled at me. “It’s my nice deed for the year, so enjoy it. But…”
I knew there was a catch.
“If you and Dylan keep seeing each other, you need to figure out a plan to ensure Blake’s safety. I don’t want her harassed by the media.”
On that we both agreed.
“Of course.”
“Now, it’s late and I have a luncheon tomorrow to salvage. You can show yourself out.”
And we were back.
“I’m going. I’ll pick Blake up on Friday as usual.”
Dante nodded and stood up, and I followed suit.
“One other thing,” Dante started. “Next time, give me advance warning about who you’re dating so we can deal with it accordingly.”
“There won’t be a next time. Dylan is it for me.”
This time, Dante was the one shocked into silence.