by Cara E Holt
Chapter Fourteen
“So, how was the date?” Aria asks me loudly.
I glance around our lunch table and notice that Dylan is looking over, waiting to see how I respond. I smile. “It was nice.”
He scoffs and I look over at him with a frosty glare. “Nice. Nice means boring.”
I eyeball him from my seat before returning my attention to Aria, whose eyes ping pong from me to Dylan. “It was great. He cooked and set the table with candles and everything, and then we played cards afterwards. I enjoyed his company.”
“Pathetic,” I hear Dylan murmur under his breath.
“Pardon?” I ask in a tone that could cut glass. “If you have something to say, spit it out, Dyl?”
Dylan throws his burger down on his plate. “Okay, I will. I think the guy’s a sleaze. There’s something about him that’s off. I don’t like him.”
I fold my arms across my chest. “Well, it’s a good job you’re not the one dating him then.”
“So, you’re dating him now?” he asks, scowling at me.
I shrug my shoulders, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze. “Maybe. I don’t know.”
Freya clearly doesn’t like the fact that Dylan’s attention isn’t on her and she whispers something in his ear, running a finger slowly down his bicep. Dylan listens to her as he continues to glare at me. Smirking, he stands to his feet and he wraps his arm around Freya’s shoulder and they make for the exit. I glare after them. No doubt she is probably taking him off to suck his dick somewhere. I mean, that is all she is good for.
“Don’t let it get to you,” Aria says, following my gaze. “Sometimes people do stupid things when they’re angry.”
My eyes snap back to hers. “What does he have to be angry about? So, he doesn’t like my choice in guys. He’s not my fucking brother,” I hiss.
Caleb chuckles from across the table. “I don’t think he sees himself as your brother, Ella.” Connor clips him across the back of the head. “Ouch, fucker. I’m just keeping it real.” Connor gives him a warning glare and Caleb shrugs his shoulders and returns his concentration to the enormous pile of food on his plate. The guy could eat.
Dylan isn’t in any of my classes for the rest of the day, which is a relief as he is majorly pissing me off right now. I’m glad when the day is over, and I can retreat to my house and get lost in a good book. When I arrive home, my mum is in the kitchen cooking up a storm, there are bowls and pans everywhere. I lean on the doorframe as I take in the chaos.
“Are we feeding the whole street tonight?”
She looks up wiping her forehead and smiles. “Oh, hi, honey. I didn’t hear you come in. The James’ are coming for dinner tonight. It’s the date of Stacey and John’s anniversary, and I thought she could use a distraction.”
I groan internally. “Great,” I reply with a tight smile. I’m not sure I can tolerate any more of Dylan and his frosty attitude today.
“Go get showered and changed and then you can help me set the table,” She orders, turning her concentration back to the cookbook in front of her. I remain watching her for a few minutes. This is the mum I remember, the one who lived and breathed for her family and was always making us home-cooked meals. Liam would always hover around her, trying to dip his hand in whatever she was mixing, and she'd slap his hand away with a tea towel and tell him off. I really want to believe she's changed, and she is better, but I'm too scared to let myself have hope because hope has the power to crush you when it is lost.
I shower and I change into a pair of black jeans and a red t-shirt with the slogan ‘Not today Satan’ on it. I am a sucker for a good slogan top. I run my hands through my unruly wavy hair and pop a dash of blusher on my cheeks.
When I walk back into the kitchen, it smells amazing. Again, I’m assaulted with memories of Liam, mum and me all sitting around the dining table talking about our day. Liam would always talk football, and I’d yawn and pull bored faces until he’d get me in a headlock and ruffle up my hair. I miss him so much that sometimes it takes my breath away.
“Ella, you’re a million miles away. Shake a leg and get the table set,” Mum says as she glances up at me in between stirring the large pan.
I quietly set the table as I try to manage the wave of grief I feel inside. I wonder if it will ever get any easier. Will there be a day when it doesn’t hurt as much? Mum leaves me in charge while she dashes upstairs to change and make herself look presentable.
The doorbell rings and I put down the cutlery and head to answer it. I smile warmly when I open the door. “Hey Stacey, come in. Mum’s just getting changed. I hope you’re all hungry because she’s cooked up a feast.”
Stacey laughs. "Why doesn't that surprise me." She hands me a bottle of non-alcoholic wine. My mum comes bounding down the stairs and sweeps Stacey into a hug before they both disappear off into the kitchen, leaving Dylan and me alone.
“No Charlie?” I ask. I hate this awkwardness between us.
Dylan shakes his head. “No, he’s having tea at his friend’s house tonight.”
I nod my head, chewing on the inside of my lip. Dylan sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Look El, I’m sorry for today in the cafeteria. I was out of order.”
I bob my head. “Yeah, you were.”
“It’s just, you’re my friend and I want the best for you, and I just don’t think he’s it.”
“It’s just a bit of fun, Dylan. I’m not going to run away and elope with him. I don’t think Freya’s right for you either, but you don’t see me bitching about it at every opportunity.”
He grimaces when I mention Freya. “Yeah, I know. Friends?” He asks me with a grin.
I'm unable to stop the smile that breaks out on my face when he grins at me like that. "Friends."
Mum has made chicken and mushroom risotto and it tastes as good as it smells. Dylan asks for seconds and I grin as he tucks into a second plate. I honestly don’t where he puts it, I mean there isn't an inch of fat on his body. When we have finished dessert, my mum orders Dylan and me to wash up whilst our mums disappear outside onto the patio to gossip and catch up. Dylan washes and I dry. I'm smiling to myself as I listen to our mum's belly laughing outside when I'm assaulted by a splash of water. I jump back as Dylan flicks more water my way, grinning.
"Don't start," I warn him, wagging my finger. With an evil grin, he flicks some more water in my face. I pull back the towel and whip him on the arm and he yelps.
"Assault," he says holding his arm, feigning pain before he splashes me again. I reach into the bowl and grabbing soap bubbles, I splash him back. Suddenly a full-on water fight breaks out. Laughing, we attack each other, trying to outdo the other. We're both soaked and the floor is covered in water. I move to attack him again and I lose my footing, falling forward, and he catches me. I feel thick tension in the air as we both just stare at each other smiling, our faces so close.
“What on earth?”
I yelp at the sound of my mum's voice and Dylan in his shock drops me and I land with a whack on my backside.
Stacey comes in behind my mum and shakes her head, smiling. “We leave you two alone for two seconds and look at the place?”
I look around me at the state of the kitchen floor and then at Dylan, whose t-shirt is soaked. He has a blob of white bubbles in his hair, and I burst out laughing. Dylan snorts and releases the laugh he was holding in.
"Go on," my mum shoos us out of the room. "Go get dried and we'll clean up your mess. Honestly, you two, what a state." She's not angry though, she grins at us as we leave.
We head up to my room and I stall in my steps when Dylan lifts his t-shirt over his head, and he stands there topless. I gulp as I side-glance at him. His body really is a work of art. I want to lick every inch of him. Dylan disappears into my ensuite and he comes back in with two towels. I’m about to disappear into the bathroom to take off my top, but then I think fuck it, it’s not like he hasn’t seen me in my bra before. Dylan averts his eyes when I take
my top off and he holds out a towel to me.
I grin. “What’s up Dyl, scared of a pair of tits?”
He smiles, his eyes meeting mine. “Something like that.”
I frown, getting the feeling there’s more behind his response than he’s saying, but I shrug my shoulders and dry myself with the towel. My phone rings breaking the tense silence and before I can reach for it, Dylan picks it up. He offers me a tight smile as he offers it to me.
“It’s lover-boy.”
Rolling my eyes at him, I take the phone from him and I see it’s Kyle calling. I eject the call and throw it back on the bed and Dylan stands there, his brow arched in question. “What?”
“Nothing,” he replies, rubbing his hair dry. “When are you seeing him again?”
“Don’t know,” I answer. It feels weird talking about this with him.
“You should bring him to Caleb’s 18th party at the weekend?”
I look up in surprise. Did he really just say that? “Really?” The tone of surprise must be clear in my voice because he smiles tightly.
“Sure.” He wraps the towel around and around his hands.
I bob my head side-to-side. “Maybe, we’ll see.” It might be best to take someone, especially if Dylan is going to rock up with Freya hanging off his arm.
Dylan and I settle back into our friendship over the rest of the week. I notice he’s giving Freya the cold shoulder, much to Freya’s frustration and my delight. It looks like my best friend has done that and got the t-shirt and he is moving on.
The anniversary of my brother's death is looming like a dark cloud that threatens my existence. It is a day I dread every year. Every year it's a reminder that he's been gone so long. When I'd lived with Uncle Matt, he'd taken me off with him and his biker crew on a ride. The feel of the wind against my skin and the rush of the ride always helped me to chase away those emotions. Being home for his anniversary, where there are so many memories of him everywhere I turn is going to be hard. Dylan had tried to brace the subject with me the other day as we walked to class, and I'd shut him down and told him I didn't want to think about it. Maybe if I ignore it hard enough, the day will pass without me noticing.
“What are you doing after college?” Dylan asks, sneaking up on me at the end of the day, as I’m putting my books into my locker. My phone pings and I pull it out of my bag to see it’s a text from Kyle asking if I want to meet up tonight.
“Why?” I ask Dylan before I reply to the text.
He shrugs his shoulders. “I thought we could hang out that’s all.”
The broken girl inside me screams at me to text Kyle back and tell him I am free. The other girl inside of me who has adored this guy in front of me since before she grew boobs is champing at the bit to spend whatever time she could get with Dylan.
“Depends on what you’re thinking. If it involves anime cartoons, then I’m out.”
Dylan pouts. “How can you be my friend and not love Japanese anime? But no, it’s not. I am thinking we could try that new crazy golf place at the retail park?”
I bob my head. I’d seen adverts for the new golf place, and it looked quite good. “I’ll only go if you promise not to sulk when I beat you.”
He scoffs, “Yeah, not likely.”
Leaning back against my locker, I arch a brow. “Oh, really? Want to make a bet?”
“Oh, El, when will you learn not to bet against me,” Dylan says with a chuckle.
"Who's betting against Dylan?" Connor appears behind him and he ruffles his hair. Dylan turns around and the two start wrestling each other, laughing.
“Dylan and I are going to that new crazy golf place and he thinks he can beat me,” I explain to Connor.
Connor holds his hands up. "Not getting involved in this one, so don't ask me who I think will win." Aria comes up beside him and he drops a quick kiss on her lips. "Hey, you. Want to go play crazy golf tonight with these fools?"
Aria smiles, looking from Dylan to me. “Erm, we have plans tonight, remember?”
Connor scrunches up his brow. “No, we don’t.”
“Yes, we do, remember?” She looks at him with wide eyes.
“Oh. Oh, yeah. The thing,” he replies, nodding his head. “Sorry guys, we have a thing.” He slings his arm around Aria’s shoulder. “Have a good night though.”
“Well, that was weird,” I say with a shake of my head as we watch them head for the exit.
Dylan smiles with a shrug of his shoulders. “You know Connor, brain like a sieve. So, I’ll pick you up at six?”
“I’ll be ready with my golfing awesomeness to take you down,” I say with a wide grin.
Dylan rolls his eyes as he steps up alongside me, and we head for the exit. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”
When I hear Dylan honk his horn outside the house at dead on six, my stomach erupts in nervous butterflies. I check my reflection in the mirror before I head downstairs and out the door. As I jog down the drive, he opens his window and leans out. He’s wearing shades that cover up those beautiful eyes, and my heart flips in my chest at how god-damn hot he looks.
“Ready for me to wipe the floor with you, Ella umbrella?” He teases me with a wink.
I stick out my tongue to him as I walk around the front of his car. “Hardy-har. You’re so deluded.”
I sit in the car and buckle in, and he turns up the radio. His fingers tap the steering wheel to the beat of the song. “So, you and Kyle been on another date yet?”
I frown, looking out of the window. I didn’t want to talk about Kyle with him. “No.”
Dylan nods his head. “Okay. He not texted you or summat?”
My head whips round at his question. "He texted me today actually and asked me if I wanted to do something." Take that, Mr fucking nosey!
Dylan half-smiles, his gaze concentrating on the traffic before us. “You turned him down to go out with me?”
I roll my eyes, trying to play the situation down. “I’d already made plans with you and well, it’s Bro’s before Hoes remember?” I reply, reminding him of the old rule we’d made as kids that it was always mates before dates.
He smiles. “Yeah, I remember El. I was the one who made up that rule after all.”
Growing up, we’d had a mates rules list. Dylan, Connor and I had made it up together and the Bro’s before Hoe’s rule had been number one on the list. Number two had been that you never kiss your friends, and number three had been that we’d always keep each other’s secrets.
“Do you ever wish you could go back?” I ask him. “Back to being a kid, when all you cared about was playing out and having fun? You know before the reality of life hit and you had to deal with people dying or leaving and grown-up shit.”
Dylan nods his head. “All the time. We had some great times. We were invincible back then. Life was simple, easy, and my shitty dad still loved my mum and his kids.” He looks away then as his face betrays his emotions.
“Dylan-“
“Don’t,” he jumps in. “It’s fine. Let’s just have fun tonight, like the good old days. Just me and you against the world El’s.”
"Sure," I tell him with a genuine smile. If there is one thing I'm good at its pulling Dylan from his moods and making him laugh again.
“Stop laughing,” I hiss in annoyance at his smug grin.
He leans on his golf club, looking all perfect and edible. “Maybe you’ll get it on fourth try El. I mean it’s okay, there’s only a small queue forming behind us.”
I look behind him and grimace. There are two families patiently waiting for me to take the shot and move on so that they can have a go. I take up my position and glance over my shoulder. "Stop grinning arsehole, you're putting me off."
He laughs again. “Oh, yeah, because it’s me distracting you that is making you miss the hole. It’s nothing to do with your lousy golfing skills.”
I briefly look over his shoulder to see if the family behind him is watching and I give him the finger. I squint, focusing on the hol
e and swing my club. The ball moves along at speed and falls right into the hole.
“I did it!” I shout, turning round to him and jumping up and down. “Take that, you stupid dinosaur,” I exclaim lightly smacking the plastic T-Rex with my club. Laughing, Dylan grabs my hand and pulls me along to the next hole.
“Dylan, son.”
Both of our heads whip around at the sound of a very familiar voice. His dad. He's standing just across from us at the start of the course, and with him is I presume his new partner. Wow, she is a lot younger. Smiling, his dad strides over to us and she follows behind him, eyeing Dylan with curiosity.
“Hi Ella,” Mr James says with an awkward smile. His uncertain gaze lands back on his son. “This is a nice surprise.” He looks at his partner and places an arm around her shoulder and brings her forward. “Ella, this is Jodie.”
“Hi,” I say with a smile. I can feel the tension coming from Dylan in waves. This is not good.
Dylan’s eyes land coldly on Jodie’s prominent baby bump and he swallows. “Dad,” he says. His tone cold and unfriendly.
His dad scratches the back of his head, looking nervous. "We thought we'd try out the place. Have you two been before?"
His question is aimed at his son, but Dylan just stands there like a statue.
“No, we haven’t,” I answer. “Dylan suggested we come and try it out.”
Mr James nods his head, his eyes warily landing on his son and I can see longing there, regret, a whole range of emotions.
“Dylan we’d love to have you over for dinner sometime?” Jodie says warmly. She cups her swollen stomach and Dylan just frowns at her in response. “Ella you can come to, of course.”
I smile, feeling fifty shades of awkward. “Thanks, that sounds lovely. We’ll let you know.” I gesture behind us at the two families waiting for the next part of the course. “We should probably move on.”
