Chapter Six
DYLAN
One whole week back home and at work, but I’m still not myself. I don’t feel settled.
Dylan glared through the window at Casey’s front yard. And I know precisely who to blame. What is with her pretending like we barely know each other? Like we never dated. It’s her fault I can’t just settle back into my regular life. She is acting like she doesn’t even care about me.
He stomped to the kitchen, grabbed a cold beer, and then stomped back to stare out the window again.
This is ridiculous. She knows how I feel. She knows we’re excellent together.
Dylan stopped pacing to look at the black SUV with tinted windows. That SUV was there when I got home, and it’s still in the same place. I wonder if those two guys I saw are still in it.
Dylan sat his beer on the coffee table. Only one way to find out. He went out the front door and jogged down his driveway. Just as he reached the edge of the street, the SUV took off and roared down the street.
“What the heck?” Dylan yelled. The license plates were covered in mud, and nothing was legible. This is not a coincidence. First, the cable guy fixing a non-existent problem, and now mysterious men in a black SUV with illegible plates.
Dylan was still standing by the road when Casey arrived home. He glared at her as she pulled into the drive and exited her car.
Casey took her time looking him up and down before speaking. “Do I even want to ask why you’re standing there and scowling at me?”
Dylan slammed her door shut and crossed his arms over his chest.
“You’ve just been waiting to slam a car door?” Casey arched a brow, her tone loaded with sarcasm. “And I was the lucky one?”
“That’s right. You are the lucky one. You’re lucky I noticed the dark SUV across from your house when I got home and went to check on it. When I approached, they gunned it and sped out of here like their tail was on fire,” Dylan snarled.
“Okay. Fine. Whatever. That still doesn’t explain why you’re mad at me. I didn’t do anything. I just got here.” Casey started for the porch.
“That’s true. You didn’t do anything. You didn’t take me seriously when I said you needed to be careful. You can’t just walk away from me, Case. This is important.”
“Actually, I can walk away from you, but I wasn’t. I’m walking toward my home, and I’m going to go inside and make dinner.”
“Great idea. I’ll help, and we can talk about this over supper.” Dylan gifted her with his most charming smile.
“Sorry, bud. That look no longer works on me. I’m immune.” Casey stepped into the foyer and then turned to block Dylan from following.
Dylan stuck his foot in the door just in case she decided to shut it in his face. “Case, listen to me. A cable guy was here to fix your cable, which you don’t have. Now, the stereotypical bad-guy SUV, complete with dark tinted windows and unreadable license plates, is parked in front of your house and takes off when I approach it. And you’re playing at being a detective at work. Connect the dots. You’re in danger, and you need to be cautious.”
Casey stabbed him in the chest with her finger. “No. You listen to me. The cable guy simply had the wrong address. The people in the SUV were probably waiting for someone, but they found out the person wasn’t coming, so they left. Period. End of story. And just for your information, Mr. High and Mighty, I am not playing at anything. I’m looking into a situation at work, and I am doing a damn good job of it.” Casey jabbed him again. “Now, I’m tired of listening to you explain that I’m an idiot and unable to take care of myself. Thanks for the support.” With that, she shoved him enough to make him step backward and promptly slammed the door.
Dylan heard the lock click neatly into place. Shock had him standing there for a minute before throwing his hands in the air and stomping back to his side of the townhouse.
Of all the stupid, reckless ways to deal with this, I can’t believe she’s being so irresponsible. I give up. It doesn’t matter anymore. They can come back, stuff her in the backseat, and see if I care.
Dylan finished his lukewarm beer in one long swallow. This is precisely why we broke up in the first place. She doesn’t take things as seriously as she should and blows meaningless stuff out of proportion. She didn’t trust me back then to dance with my ex or believe me when I explained that it didn’t mean anything. She doesn’t trust me now or believe what I’m telling her for her own safety.
Dylan got another beer, relaxed in his favorite deck chair, and watched the colorful maple leaves drifting down. The cold liquid was soothing on his throat. His throat felt scorched as if he’d been yelling a lot. He pulled out his phone and ordered an all-meat pizza.
I need to reconnect with my friends and begin going out. I want to find a woman who truly cares for me, not just pretends to and then gives up when things aren’t smooth and easy. Someone willing to listen and who understands the real me, not just the successful architect, but all of me.
Dylan stood when he heard the Buckeye’s fight song. I will watch a game, eat my pizza, and forget all about Casey, who is now completely and officially my ex.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A cloudless blue sky and cool breeze are the ideal weather for a Saturday full of college football. I’m so glad I’m back in time to see some Ohio State games.
Dylan smiled as he jogged up the sidewalk to his family home, a cold six-pack in hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought a bush jiggled. I hope somebody made queso dip to go with this beer.
“Kiai!”
Dylan heard the warning and felt the strike on his back, but his brain didn’t engage fast enough, and the beer flew.
He stood still, fists balled at his sides. “Aunt Bebe, stop attacking me. I just threw six cans of beer into the yard. We won’t be able to drink them for days.” Dylan scowled at her and went to retrieve his beer.
“It’s for your own good. You need to always be prepared. And we have beer in the fridge already,” she smiled up at him.
“This is craft beer from Rachel’s brother’s Dark Head Brewery,” he said. “We don’t have this here.”
“It’s a small price to pay for family security,” Aunt Bebe said before walking away.
Dylan watched her petite frame sneak around the side of the house and groaned. “I am never going to get used to this. Never.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dylan stretched out between his youngest brother, Brandon, and their dad on the dark leather couch.
“Yeah. That would’ve been sad to be stuck watching rugby instead of Ohio State,” Brandon said between pretzel bites.
“Right. I enjoy rugby, but nothing beats Ohio State football.” Dylan raised his iced tea towards Brandon.
“Agreed.” They clinked their glasses together.
Liam walked back into the living room and plopped himself down. “Mom said to tell you guys that lunch is almost ready.”
“Did she say what Hazel is cooking?” Dylan asked.
“She said Hazel is still excited to have you home, so she’s making beef and noodles with mashed potatoes.” Liam grinned.
“That sounds delicious. I missed her homemade noodles.” Dylan smiled.
“You should leave more often. We’ve been eating extra good since you’ve gotten home,” Brandon chimed in.
“I’ll think about it. But it does seem like an extreme way to get beef and noodles,” Dylan said. “Liam, what job were you doing when I was gone that let you get a brand-new Jeep with all the deluxe features? You must’ve finally been tired of smelling like rotten eggs.” Dylan snickered at the memory of Colin stashing rotten eggs all over Liam’s ancient jeep.
Liam’s face reddened, but then he crossed one arm over his chest and rubbed his chin with the other hand while staring at Dylan. At last, he seemed to come to a decision. “You’re not going to like the answer.”
Dylan narrowed his eyes, not trusting Liam’s attitude. “Try me.”
His father gazed at his son. “Liam, you told us Aunt Bebe bought it for you.”
Liam shrugged. “She did.”
Dylan shook his head. “So, then, what’s the big deal? She was tired of smelling rotten eggs every time you were here.”
Liam smirked at his brother. “No, that’s not quite it. She gave it to me in exchange for doing a job. I’m the one who got the construction crews to demolish Casey and Emily’s house so that they had to move out immediately and into the townhouse next to yours.”
“You did what?” Dylan yelled.
“Chill, bro. If I hadn’t agreed to help her pull it off, she’d have found somebody else who would have. You know my old Jeep was on its last legs, and that sulfur smell from the eggs had soaked into the seats. I couldn’t take it anymore.”
Dylan felt the burn through his entire system and stood. “You’re as crazy as Aunt Bebe. I can’t believe you helped her.”
Dylan heard his dad call his name as he stalked towards his aunt’s main suite. When Aunt Bebe didn’t respond to his knock, Dylan did the only logical thing… He started yelling for her as he stomped through the house.
“Dylan, for heaven’s sake, what are you bellowing about?” his mom asked as he shouted his way into the kitchen.
“I’m looking for Aunt Bebe. She has some explaining to do immediately.”
“Well, you’re going to have to wait a minute. She just went to change out of her Kung Fu outfit before dinner.”
“Of course, she did. Everybody else has nice, normal aunts who play Bridge or Mahjong. But not us, nooo . We have to have a crazy aunt who is studying Kung Fu and wants to get a gun and become an even bigger threat to society.”
“I heard that young man,” Aunt Bebe stated as she swept into the kitchen. “I’ll have you know that I’m learning Kung Fu and how to use a gun so I can protect my family, including loud-mouthed nephews, in case we ever have a break-in for real.” His aunt stood toe-to-toe with him, both hands on her hips and her head tilted to make up for the difference between her diminutive five feet and his six-foot-three height.
Dylan stared down at her. “I’m glad you heard me. Can you explain what you were thinking when you demoed Casey and Emily’s home so you could move them next door to me? You purposely didn’t even give them any notice. No, you just bribed Liam to haul a construction crew over there, so they had no choice but to leave,” Dylan said in one big, frustrated rush, finally pausing to breathe. He realized breathing was a mistake when Aunt Bebe jumped right into his pause.
“Of course, I didn’t give them any warning. Casey’s just as stubborn and foolish as you are. If she’d known what was really going on, I’d never have gotten her living next door to you. Now, would I?”
“Aunt Bebe…”
“Don’t you, Aunt Bebe me. You know she wouldn’t willingly become your neighbor. But, in a moment of surprise, and might I say surprises are marvelous for the soul, topped off with four months of free rent and utilities to compensate for the surprise… She did the smart thing and took the rental.” Aunt Bebe patted Dylan on the chest. “And you, my loud but sweet boy, are welcome.”
“Excuse me?” Dylan felt his eyebrows rise into his hairline.
“You’re supposed to say, ‘thank you’ in this situation, dear.” Aunt Bebe patted his chest again.
“There is no thank you because this is a mess. It’s horrible. Casey couldn’t care less that I’m there, and I don’t ever want to see her again. We broke up before I went to Ireland, and I say it was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Aunt Bebe shook her head. “Elizabeth, your son is as stubborn as his father. It wouldn’t matter where she lives if you didn’t care for the girl. But the fact that you’re here all blustery and grumpy proves that I am right, and you two need time to work it out. So again, you are welcome.”
Dylan spun around and raked his hands through his wavy black hair. “I don’t believe this is happening. You are wrong about Casey and me. We are through.”
Dylan’s mom approached them, smiled, and touched Dylan’s arm. “Though I hate to interrupt such a lively chat, lunch is ready. Maybe you can call a truce while you eat…?”
“That’s a great idea, Elizabeth,” Aunt Bebe said. “Dylan, I’m sure this will make sense when you’re not so hungry.”
Dylan looked at his feet, groaned, and sat at the table. He didn’t even look up when he heard his mom’s soft laugh.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
At least the beef and noodles were delicious, and she gave me leftovers for supper tonight. I should’ve known better than to try to get Aunt Bebe to see reason. She lives in her own weird world. I wish she hadn’t messed with Casey’s life. It’s one thing when you’re related to her. Poor Casey is only related through marriage. But after what Aunt Bebe did to Rachel, Casey might be relieved that it was only messing with her house instead of being arrested for theft.
Dylan pulled into his driveway simultaneously with the bright blue Lexus pulling into Casey’s.
Great. It’s Lover Boy again—the perfect cap for my day.
Dylan watched as Jason jogged up the steps to Casey’s porch, a broad smile and flowers in his hand.
I swear he must be responsible for the local florists staying in business. All he does is bring her flowers, all different sizes and colors. Even when they aren’t going out, he has to pop in with a bouquet. I suppose that’s fine if the woman likes that kind of thing. Little does he understand that Casey could care less. It never mattered to her if I brought her anything. I didn’t have to bribe her to get her to go out with me.
Dylan smirked, then scrunched in the driver’s seat, hoping Casey wouldn’t notice him when she stepped out to greet Jason.
See, right there, she’s just pretending to like them. Nice kiss. Keep it up, creep, and I’ll show you who she’s really in love with. What am I saying? It doesn’t matter to me who she kisses as long as it’s me. No, that’s wrong. I don’t love her anymore, Dylan chastised himself. But you also don’t love her any less, came the immediate response. This is all Aunt Bebe’s fault. She’s gotten inside my head, and I don’t even know what I’m thinking anymore.
Dylan sunk lower into his seat and closed his eyes. I don’t love her. I don’t love her. I don’t love her. He opened one eye and peeked over to the door in time to see Jason lean down to kiss Casey again once she was settled into the passenger seat of his car. Like hell, I don’t.