HEALING THE SCARS

CHAPTER 17

DYLAN

I pick up the phone I bought for her and place it gently on the dressing table. It's a small attempt to make amends, a gesture that I hope will soften the harsh edges of our situation. I then walk out to the balcony where she is curled up in a seat, gazing at the waves and surfers. Her focus seems distant, lost in her own thoughts.

"Don't leave the room," I say firmly, though I try to keep my voice neutral. "Someone will come to see you in about an hour. I'll be back at 6 p.m. We have a dinner with some potential clients here at the villa. Please be ready. A dress will be delivered to you around noon."

I'm aware that she doesn't turn around, but I'm certain she hears me. I watch her for a moment longer, hoping she'll take my words to heart. I want her to appreciate the surprise I've arranged for her. Michael has already confirmed that everything is in place, and that the plans are solid.

With that, I turn and leave, my mind already drifting back to the business meeting ahead. I can't shake the hope that, despite everything, she will find some comfort in the gesture, that perhaps it will help ease the tension and start to mend the rift between us.

I walk into Joey's hotel room, feeling the weight of the morning's events still pressing down on me. Joey is lounging casually on a couch, flipping through some documents. He looks up when I enter, a friendly smile spreading across his face.

"Hey, man," Joey says, setting the papers aside. "You look like shit."

I try to keep my tone light, but the tension in my voice betrays me. "Yeah, it's been a hell of a morning. I didn't expect things to get so complicated."

Joey raises an eyebrow, his smile fading slightly as he senses the seriousness in my tone. "Complicated? What happened?"

I sink into a chair opposite him, feeling the weight of the past few hours. "Can I at least have some whiskey before I talk?" I say and he brings over a bottle and two glasses and pours us both drinks. "It's Penelope. She's having a really hard time. I tried to talk to her this morning, but it was like trying to navigate a minefield."

Joey leans forward, his expression turning serious. "I am guessing she doesn't want to talk?"

I run a hand through my hair, trying to find the right words. "Yeah, I had dinner with her last night and things were calm until I decided to give her the phone. She got so upset and accused me of trying to buy her forgiveness. This morning, I was in the shower and she came and joined me. She made an advance towards me but I rejected her. She cried, begging me not to talk about what happened between us and to instead fuck her. All I wanted was to comfort her, but she doesn't understand that trying to fix things with physical intimacy isn't the answer. It would only make things worse."

Joey's expression softens, his concern evident. "I can see why you're frustrated. But you need to be patient with her. She's processing a lot right now. Pushing her or trying to fix things too quickly might just push her away."

I nod, feeling the weight of his advice but still frustrated. "I know, but it's driving me crazy that I can't just fix her. I am so used to fixing things that this has me going mental"

"I can't imagine. Just give her some time and give yourself some time too. I know things will get better." He says and takes a sip of his drink.

"The other night, at your club, I keep thinking back to how you made her smile a lot. She looked like she was at ease and free." I say to Joey.

"Yeah, that was the alcohol probably." He says and I notice him tense up but brush it off. 

"No, there was more. That's why I got so upset. I noticed how you looked at her while she was dancing."

Joey's demeanor shifts. He stiffens, avoiding my gaze. "What are you talking about? I don't know what you mean."

I lean in, trying to catch his eye. "Don't play games with me, Joey. I know you, everything about you. Or at least I hope so. I saw how you looked at Penelope. Do you like her? Are you interested in her?"

Joey's face flushes, and he grips the arm of the couch tightly. "No, Dylan, it was just a dance. We were just having fun. It's not what you think. Maybe I had too much to drink. I'd never cross that line. She is your wife."

I scrutinize him, feeling a mix of suspicion. "Are you sure? Because it looked like more than just a dance. I need to know if there's something I should be worried about."

Joey shifts uncomfortably, his gaze dropping. "Look, it meant nothing. We were just trying to have a good time. It was the alcohol making things seem more intense than they were. Plus you were too busy with Lindsey. There was no way I was going to let Penelope just sit and watch you guys."

His defensiveness is palpable, and I sense there's more he's not saying. Joey hesitates before continuing. "Remember how I told you about my first kiss at your father's New Year's party? The one I wouldn't stop talking about?"

I nod, recalling his enthusiastic recounting of that kiss and how he thought he had found 'the one.'

Joey's voice drops to a whisper. "Penelope was that girl. At that time I felt embarrassed because after we kissed I gave her flowers and she rejected them. I didn't want you to know who it was. Then at the beginning of the year, I wanted to reach out to her but your father's will was finally read and you two were to be married. I had to step back. It doesn't matter anyway because she doesn't remember me. It didn't mean anything. We were just kids."

"Why didn't you say something? Does she know about all this?" I ask

"I didn't want to make a deal out of nothing and perhaps, I have not seen her in years, since that party. It didn't make sense for me to tell you that. I still haven't told her and I would prefer it if it stayed like that." He says and downs his glass.

"Do you still want her?" I ask and his phone rings. He answers it and I have the feeling that he does that to avoid the question. He takes two minutes on the phone and then hangs up. We might be closing our deal with New York clients. That was their attorney. He wants the documents by Friday so they can finalize things on their side." He says to me.

"Sure yeah. I'll have my assistant send the remains papers to yours by evening." I say. "The villa we are staying in, do you know who owns it?"

"The Hass brothers. I was watching the news last night and I think they're going to declare bankruptcy. Why do you ask?" He says with confusion laced in his voice.

"I think I might want to buy it. Penelope and I have ties there. We have a history there and I don't want any other person using that property after we leave the honeymoon. You know the Hass brothers right? They are the ones who bought your start-up those years ago?"

"Yeah, I know them. Not too well but on a friendly basis." He says.

"I'll send my accountant your way. You can talk to our attorney to show up maybe?" I ask. "I need it acquired by tonight. Whether you do it on FaceTime or call doesn't matter. The price doesn't matter either. Can you do this one favor for me? I will owe you." 

"You don't have to ask for a favor you know? I would do it free any time. But since you want to owe me a favor, that sweetens the deal. I want to collect it now." He says with a malicious smile on his face.

"Well, I have to go to my meeting. It starts in less than an hour. We can talk about the favor I owe you then." I say and get up knowing that our conversation from earlier had been swept under the rag.

"The favor is something I have to tell you now. Are you going to see Lindsey today?" Joey asks giving me a stern look.

"I wanted to talk to her. We are supposed to meet after my meeting. Why?" I ask.

"Because I don't want you to see her anymore. I would rather you find someone else who is not my sister."

"Fine, I was going to break things off with her anyway," I say and leave before he brings any other things up.