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CHAPTER 12
Kylie
“Tell me you’re joking,” Nicole begged as we chatted on the phone. “You’re not really with Dylan at that amazing house in Newport Beach that’s owned by a Mediterranean prince. I was there once, but only to meet up with Damian, and he didn’t tell me exactly who owned that beach house until later.”
I’d finally decided it was best to come clean with Nic instead of trying to convince Dylan to come to the wedding as a surprise.
Now that he was doing so much better, I didn’t want Damian to agonize over his twin brother any longer than needed.
I also thought it would be more helpful if Dylan could talk to Damian and set things straight, so he wasn’t worried about showing up at a wedding where he wasn’t wanted.
Maybe if Damian knew that Dylan was starting to become the brother he knew again, he’d be willing to reach out more readily.
“I really am,” I assured her. “I’m staying here with Dylan for the weekend. He said his friend is delighted that someone is using it. I have a confession to make, Nic. I’ve actually been with Dylan for the last month. I was hoping I could keep Dylan out of trouble so you and Damian could have some quiet time together to plan the wedding. It was a longshot, but one of my objectives was also to try to get him to come to the wedding as the brother that Damian loved.”
I filled her in on everything that had happened since I’d insisted on staying at the Beverly Hills mansion.
She was quiet until I finished.
Nic’s voice was excited as she said, “Oh, my God, Kylie. If Dylan really is recovering, I know it would mean the world to Damian. He can deny that it doesn’t matter if his twin brother doesn’t come to our wedding all he wants, but he loves Dylan fiercely. He misses him. I can tell. If Dylan isn’t here, I think he’ll still feel like someone is missing. I just hope Dylan doesn’t backslide.”
“He won’t. I honestly think he’ll be doing even better by the time he gets to England. I know what he did to you was horrible, but he isn’t that man anymore,” I explained. “I’ve been where he was, and I know what it’s like to slide down that rabbit hole. But now that he’s finally climbed out of that madness, I know he won’t go back. He’s a good man, Nic. He’s made mistakes, but he didn’t fall down that hole in the first place without good reason.”
“Did he actually tell you the whole story?” she asked in an astonished voice.
“He did, and it’s horrific, Nic, but it’s not my story to tell. Just know that there’s more to the story than anyone knows, and he’s spent a lot of time blaming himself when he shouldn’t have. That guilt and grief ate him alive,” I said.
I had told Nic about Dylan being in treatment because I thought it was important, but it was up to him how and when he told his family everything.
“Then I certainly understand why you two seem to get each other,” Nic mused. “I have a feeling you helped him, too.”
“Not really,” I denied. “I think I was just an understanding listener when he needed a friend.”
Nic snorted. “I doubt very much if that’s true. I know your heart, Kylie. You do more than just listen. So what’s my future brother-in-law really like when he’s sober? I’ve always wondered. It seems so incredible that he and Damian look so much alike.”
“Almost like identical twins?” I teased. “Seriously, they look even more alike physically now that Dylan is more animated, and his eyes have lost that walking dead look. But they’re unique in enough ways that I don’t think it would be hard to tell them apart if you saw them together.”
“I really, really hope I get that chance at the wedding. Did Dylan say that he’d come?” Nic asked.
“I think he wants to,” I replied. “But I think he’s afraid he won’t be welcome or that he’s not worthy. He really hates himself for some of the things he’s done, especially for hurting you and Damian. I’m afraid that he feels like you’d be happier if he wasn’t there.”
“That’s so not true!” Nic exclaimed. “Yes, Damian was angry, but if he thought that Dylan had changed, he’d be ecstatic to have his twin brother back, even though he put him through hell and back for two years. He’s even told me that he knew if their positions were reversed, the old Dylan would have never given up on him.”
“I’m not sure he’s exactly the same as he used to be. Psychological trauma changes a person, but he’s not the asshole you saw in England that night,” I said.
“I’m not sure what to say,” Nic said solemnly. “You made a huge sacrifice for Damian and me, and you still have two more weeks that you’re planning to spend with Dylan. How do I thank you for that?”
I snorted. “Please, Nic. You gave me a partnership in ACM that you haven’t gotten a dime for yet. That’s a lot bigger deal than spending some time with a hot, decent guy. Dylan had already crawled out of that hole before I got there. He started treatment the day he got back here after the gala. It hasn’t exactly been a hardship to hang out with Dylan. In fact, he spoils me rotten sometimes. Look where I’m staying. I’m actually sitting on the sofa here, looking out the huge floor-to-ceiling windows at the water. Woe is me.”
Nic laughed. “Are you attracted to him, Kylie? I mean, he does look like Damian, who is the hottest man in the world, in my opinion.”
I answered truthfully. “I’m not sure what it is about Dylan, but I was drawn to him from the first day we met. Maybe it sounds weird, but I could sense his pain, and there’s some weird connection between us that seems to get stronger the longer we’re together. And yeah, he is pretty hot, too, so it would be hard not to be physically attracted to him.”
“Well, I have found my Mr. Orgasm,” Nic teased. “Maybe it’s time for you to find yours. Just be careful with a Lancaster male. They can either make you ecstatically happy or demolish your heart. I’m not sure there’s any in-between with them. They’re way too intense.”
I rolled my eyes. “I like him, Nic. I’m not sleeping with him.”
“Yet,” she chirped.
