Iris grips Hayley’s leg under the table. “We can discuss all that later.”
I may not have grand plans for some European excursion, but I have a life to get back to as well, and you don’t hear me whining and moping around.
At least people in this town don’t think Hayley’s the spawn of Satan.
Part of me thought that maybe, just maybe, Still Springs would’ve decided to give its small-mindedness a break for a fucking funeral.
But then I overheard two old biddies at the graveside “whispering” loud enough to wake my Mom and Dad in their caskets.
“Hasn’t changed a bit,” one of them had said to the other, her beady little eyes locked on me.
Which wasn’t true at all. When I’d left this place:
My hair had been buzzed.
I’d only had one tattoo.
I’d actually given two shits about people’s opinions.
“I heard he deals the drugs now,” the other had said.
I’ve never touched “the drugs” in my life, but no one here would believe that because they’re too busy judging me for something that happened when I was eighteen years old.
I hate this fucking town.
Anywhere else in the world, I can be whoever I want.
I don’t just come from a wealthy family. I have no tragic past.
I’m just me. Dylan.
Sure, the tattoos put some people off, but I’m okay with that. If they want to be small-minded jackasses, who am I to stop them? If someone really wants to get to know me, they can.
I don’t know why Hayley is so upset about having to postpone her trip. At least she still has friends like Jade around. Everyone I knew has either bailed or doesn’t talk to me anymore.
Iris and Alex shoot a barrage of questions at our lawyer, and she answers them quickly and concisely.
When Miriam finally leaves Dad’s home office, the rest of us sit staring out the window toward the pool.
Hayley is the first to break the silence. “Can we agree not to sell anything until I’m back from Europe?”
Iris thumbs through the gigantic stack of pages in front of her. “We don’t have any plans to sell properties at the moment, but that could change once we see what Mom and Dad bought.”
I fold my arms and say nothing as my sisters get into it yet again, arguing the best way out of this mess. This is the third time today I’ve had to listen to them squabble. When they bounce straight to the next topic, I drift off a little. Jade’s comments from Saturday night come back to haunt me.
“Hayley called you the Still Springs Heart Slayer. One look from Dylan, and bang—instant death.”
She has no idea how true that is. Or, at least, I assume she doesn’t. Because if she knew the truth, she probably wouldn’t have said a word to me.
“What do you think, Dyl?” Iris asks, bringing me right back.
All three of them stare at me. “I’m up for whatever you all think is best,” I say, crossing my fingers that my response makes sense.
Iris and Hayley smile with relief while Alex lifts a quizzical brow.
“You really don’t mind staying in town for that long to help with Ella?” she asks.
Oh, shit.
