Chapter 33
Dilynne
Calming Down Gorilla Man
“To our girl,” Nick says, reaching across the table to clink his glass against mine.
Carol smiles proudly on his right. “God, I’m so proud of you, Dilynne.”
“Thank you.” Lifting my glass of champagne to my lips, I take a sip and am immediately transported back to two nights ago when Elliot dribbled champagne on my breasts and then licked them clean while we were celebrating him taking over the office.
My body shivers from the memory. “I finally deposited the check today too, so it’s truly official. ”
After coming home from Motorlux, all of my energy went into helping Elliot confront his father. Honestly, he handled it better than I thought he would, but we still have a long way to go.
Two days after his father was arrested, the District Attorney came back with legal paperwork to transfer ownership of the law firm to Elliot since his father wouldn’t be able to manage anything from inside of his jail cell.
Elliot seemed reluctant about the new responsibility at first, but these past few days he’s slipped into the role seamlessly, which I couldn’t be more proud of him for, vowing to make sure that the staff finds their way back to how his grandfather built the practice, including volunteering for the community law council in Charlotte regularly.
But tonight, he’s actually at the office taking care of a few things, so it was the perfect time for Nick and Carol to have Henley and me over for dinner tonight to celebrate as a family. As much as I wanted Elliot here too, part of me is eager to talk to my brother without my new boyfriend around.
Yes, Elliot is just my boyfriend now. As much fun as playing the fake fiancé was, I think it’s smart of us to take this new relationship down a notch and start from the beginning.
Although, the other night after reading the letter from his grandfather, he made it very clear he plans on marrying me someday.
That’s right. One day I will be Mrs. Elliot Thorne, a sentence I never thought I’d utter. My body sure likes the idea of it, though.
But one step at a time, including making sure my brother knows where I stand on his conversation with Elliot before I got a chance to break the news to him.
However, Henley, Elodie, and my niece are running late. They told us not to wait for them to eat, and they’d bring dessert from Bites & Bliss to make up for it.
“Look, before Henley gets here, I wanted to run something by the two of you.”
Carol sets her champagne glass down before picking up her fork. “You know you can tell us anything.”
“I do, which is why I want you to know this before Henley gets here.”
Nick furrows his brow. “Is everything okay?”
Chuckling, I say, “Well? You know how Elliot and I have been pretending to be engaged?”
Carol fights to hide her grin. “Yes…”
“It turns out there might be some, uh…” I nervously clear my throat. “Actual feelings involved that I didn’t see coming.”
“Who has feelings?” Nick asks before taking a bite of his spaghetti.
“Elliot,” I say. “And…me too, I’m afraid.”
Carol bounces in her chair. “God, Nick! I told you! I told you those two were going to end up together.”
Nick nods, swirling more pasta around his fork. “You did, honey. Well done.”
“So you two have been talking about me?”
Nick peers up at me. “You’re our daughter. Yes, we talk about you, Dilynne.”
Hearing them call me their daughter will never get old. “Wow. And you were rooting for this to happen?”
Carol reaches out for my hand. “Of course. You deserve someone who can appreciate you, and knows how incredible you are, sweetie. And well, Elliot Thorne threw a punch for you and has never been hard on the eyes, if you catch my drift.”
Nick holds up the bread basket. “The garlic toast catches your drift, honey.”
She swats at him playfully. “Oh, stop it.”
I meet her eyes again. “I’m in love with him.” Saying the words out loud makes them all the more real, even though I know this thing between us is anything but fake anymore.
“Oh, honey! I’m so happy for you!” Tears cloud her eyes. “But why didn’t you invite him tonight then?” Carol prods. “You know he would have been welcome.”
“Elliot just took over his father’s practice this week, so he has plenty to keep him busy at the moment.”
Carol frowns. “I heard about his father. Such a shame.”
“Yeah, well, karma is a bitch, right?”
I still can’t believe that a father would do that to their own son, but then again, I didn’t have the best parents either.
I certainly do now though.
“Besides, I wanted to talk to Henley without Elliot here.”
Carol rolls her eyes. “Your brother has come a long way in the past year, but he still has that protective instinct when it comes to you. Deep down I think he always will because of your childhood. But even if he has a problem with you and Elliot, he will get over it if that’s what is going to make you both happy. ”
Thinking back over the past five weeks, I can’t remember a time when I’ve been this content and yet terrified at the same time. I know that Elliot said he and Henley already talked, but there are things I need him to know too.
“Has Elliot tried talking to Henley? Maybe that will help,” Carol suggests.
“Yes, actually. They talked before we went to Motorlux, which I didn’t know until after I admitted that I had fallen for Elliot.”
Carol squeals. “Oh my God, Nick. Our daughter has fallen for a boy!”
“Jesus,” my brother mutters as he walks through the door, Remy on his hip and Elodie trailing behind him with a bag from Bites & Bliss. “This would be the conversation I walk in on.”
“Oh, knock it off, Gorilla Man,” Elodie says, slapping him on the arm as she walks past him and straight over to the empty chair next to me, sliding onto it.
“Did I hear that correctly? That you’ve fallen for Elliot?
” She’s practically bouncing in her seat, and probably with good reason.
The only person I’ve spoken to about mine and Elliot’s relationship status since we got back from California is Laney, so Elodie and Vienna are still in the dark, as far as I know.
My eyes meet Henley’s just as Carol stands from the table, reaching for Remy. “Why don’t you and your brother go talk in the garage? Elodie, are you hungry, honey?”
“Just for cake,” she says, moving to take the bag from the bakery into the kitchen. “But Dilynne, you need to see the cake before you run off with your brother.”
Standing from the table, I follow Elodie into the kitchen and watch as she lifts the lid on the dessert. I fucking knew it! is written in dark blue frosting, with a capital C underneath.
Shaking my head, I mutter, “Freaking Carolina.”
Elodie bounces on her toes. “She was very excited to send you a message on a baked good this time.”
Henley pushes a hand through his hair. “Come on, Dil. Let’s get this over with.”
“God, you’re such a joy to talk to. Makes me wonder how the hell you scored Elodie.”
“He’s a big softie, Dilynne!” Elodie shouts from the kitchen as Henley and I head toward the garage. “Don’t let him fool you.”
Once my brother and I take our seats in the rocking chairs Nick has out here, he lets out a heavy sigh. “Elliot already talked to me, you know.”
“I do know, but there’s something that I need to say to you too.”
His brows draw together. “Like what?”
Clearing my throat, I adjust myself in the rocking chair. “I told myself after being with Vinnie that I would never settle again, that if I let myself fall for someone a second time, I’d be smarter, more intentional, but the thing is…I never thought I’d fall for Elliot Thorne.”
He huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, you and me both.”
“But I love him, Henley.” My voice doesn’t waver. “And he loves me in a way that I’ve always wanted from a partner.”
He pushes a hand through his hair. “I’ve known Elliot for nearly twenty years now, right?”
“Yes…”
“And if there’s one thing I’ve always known about him, it’s that he loves hard, just like you. My reservations about the two of you were never about him, they were about you, Dilynne.”
“Wow. Okay. Uh, not sure how to take that.”
He shakes his head. “The only reason I was worried to begin with is because I didn’t want to see you get hurt again.
” He reaches up and rubs the center of his chest. “I can’t handle watching you go through something like that for a second time, and watching Elliot go through it has been tough too, but you’re my sister, you know? ”
“And I love you for that, but I have to live my life, and you can’t protect me from everything, Henley…”
“Elliot is a good man, Dil,” he says, cutting me off. “And I told him that too. But he knows that you will always come first for me. So if he hurts you, I won’t hesitate to make sure he knows that I have no problem introducing my fist to his face.”
Smiling over at my brother, I feel my eyes start to sting. “How did I get so lucky to have a big brother like you, Gorilla Man?”
Henley laughs. “Thank God we’ve had each other over the years, huh?”
“I wouldn’t be who I am today without you, Henley. I mean that.”
I see his eyes well with tears before he looks away. “Fuck, Dilynne. I hate crying, you know that.”
My chest bounces with a chuckle. “Well, Elodie and Remy have made you a big old softie after all, haven’t they?”
He glances back over at me. “Falling in love has changed my entire life, Dil. And if you think Elliot is worth the leap, then I support you. Just make sure he’s who you want. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to feel loved and find someone that appreciates you for who you are.”
“He is that man, Henley. You showed me that first though, and I’ll never take it for granted. I promise.”
We stand at the same time as he pulls me into his chest, holding me close. “So, now I have to act normal around the two of you knowing you two are bumping uglies.” He shakes his head. “Not sure I’m going to get used to that quickly.”
“First of all, that euphemism for sex should definitely be retired. And second, yes, you need to keep your opinions to yourself or I’ll just make sure to mount him in front of you every chance I get.”
***
I hold up my wine glass and take a deep breath before blurting, “Elliot and I are dating for real.”
Elodie squeals and Vienna bounces in her seat. Meanwhile, Laney just glances over at me and shrugs since she already knew.
“Oh my God! I’m so excited!” Elodie says, clinking her glass with mine. “When you two get married for real, can I write your wedding song, please? I already have a bunch of ideas.”
My eyes go wide. “You do?”
“Yes, but no matter what lyrics I decide on, the title will be ‘It’s About Time.’”
“Aw, I love that,” Laney says while rubbing her stomach. Her tiny bump has finally appeared and her hand never seems to leave it now.
Vienna does the same. “That couldn’t be more perfect, Elodie,” she says.
“Right? I just feel like it’s so fitting for the two of them.” She turns back to face me. “Okay, so how did all of this go down? I need details, and don’t spare any of them.”
For the next hour, I bring the girls up to speed on how everything developed with me and Elliot, and once Elodie’s curiosity is satisfied since I didn’t get to go into detail at dinner with Nick and Carol last night, it’s past nine o’clock so her and Vienna have to head home.
Laney stays behind to help me clean up since all she has to do is walk across the yard to get to her house. “So, does this mean Fletcher and I are going to hear the two of you having sex now?”
“I think it’s only fitting since I’ve heard the two of you.”
Her mouth falls open. “Really?”
“Once or twice,” I answer honestly. “Hey, don’t be embarrassed. I’m glad that your husband can make you scream like that.”
“Coming from anyone but you, that might make me blush.”
I circle the counter and wrap my arms around her. “Well, that’s why we’re best friends. We can be honest with each other about anything.”
She leans back and meets my gaze. “I’m so fucking proud of you, Dilynne. Not only for Motorlux, but for opening yourself up to the possibility of love again.”
The sting of tears hits my eyes. “You know, I wouldn’t be able to take that leap without you.”
Her eyes well too. “Same. I swear, God gave us each other because he knew that the two of us needed someone we could depend on no matter what.”
A tear slips down my cheek. “And I will always be here, Laney. I promise you that.”
“I’m about to be a mom, and all I can think about is my mom and how I wish she were here.”
“You know she’s with you. She would be so proud of you too. But I know that you’re going to be the best mom, Laney. That child is going to know love that is indescribable.”
“And he or she is going to have the best aunt on the planet in you.”
I pop my shoulder. “You know it.”
“I love you, Dilynne, and I’m so happy for you and Elliot.”
“Right back at you, babe.”
“But if something ever goes wrong with our men for either of us, promise me that we will move in together and live out the rest of our lives by each other’s side.”
“Deal. As long as you don’t mind me smelling like grease.”
“I’ve dealt with it this long. I think I can do an eternity as well.”