Carved

CHAPTER 30

DYLAN

“I love you.”

Ella said for the tenth time for dragging me here.  I know what she is doing. She thinks a fifth member of the band would be helpful now that we are getting married and the other news that shocked us all.  

It was a few days after the funeral when I noticed Dex kept playing with his food during dinner.  He’s always the first to finish eating. Unless he’s throwing it at me, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him play with his food.  That’s when he cornered me and demanded to have Devilish Dex back. He held his arms out like a doting father seeing his child after being apart for a length of time.  I imagined Devilish Dex with the same dreamy look of their reunion that Dex wore as he hugged his Devilish side.

It was only seconds later that the angel on Dex's shoulder that we thought disappeared forever came back to kick Devilish Dex to the curb.  Whisper announced to all of us she was pregnant. Dex pulled out the ring he bought and dropped down to one knee. It was the reason he wanted Devilish Dex back.  He was in love and ready to put on the 'shackles', as he called it. It scared the hell out of him. Whisper assured him with a naughty wink that he will enjoy every moment of wearing the shackles.  Devilish Dex was back bumping fists with his angel side and calling a truce.  

They had a Vegas wedding with all of us at their side and Elvis marrying them off.  Dex was over the moon in happiness of his new wife and the little one on the way. They really are perfect together.  

Though I tried, Ella wouldn’t agree to a quickie wedding.  She wanted her family there and to have the wedding in our backyard. I can’t wait to marry her.

“You know I don’t like this guy.”  I grunt as we enter the church.  

“That’s because you’re jealous.  You made me question Whisper to see if there was ever anything between him and Ella.”  Dex slugs my arm.

“Dylan, you didn’t!”  Ella becomes angry when she overhears.

“He did.”  Dex, Benji, and Casper answer back.

“Traders.  Some friends you are."  I spat. "Unbelievable.”    

“Dylan, I told you he was only a good friend.  More like a second older brother.” She admonishes.

“Second?  And what are we?”  Casper pretends to be offended.

“Sorry, I meant before I met all of you.  He’s like an eighth brother.”

“Eight?”  Benji counts the three of them and adds another finger for Louis, Rebel, and Jamie.

“Colton and Jake Riesen.”  Whisper answers for Ella.

“Oh.  Oh yeah.”  He shrugs.

We enter the church and Ella shows us an area with several empty pews at the front.  There are only a few people here. We arrived early so Ella had time to prepare the songs they were going to sing.  Rebel walks in with an older man and a huge smile crosses his face when he sees Ella. I groan when they walk towards each other and hug.

“Brother, remember.”  Brittany nudges me on the side.  “Besides he is still so in love with Ede.”

Eden was the girl that was always with him.  They were as close as Ella and I were. I smile when I remember the practical jokes Colton and I would play on them every time he tried to take the lead role in one of the school performances…next to Ella.  In fact, Ella said people are still finding the flyers of Rebel and Eden kissing when they were babies all over the place.  

“I wonder.”  I reach under my pew and feel several papers still taped underneath.  I peel one off from the bottom of my seat and laugh.

“Oh my gosh.  It is true. You were the one that did that to them.”  I start to deny it, but Whisper points her finger at me.  “Don’t lie to me. You knew that paper was down there. You really are trouble Dylan Merrick!”

Dex gives me a high five from next to her.  “That’s awesome.”

“You’re a bully.”  Brittany narrows her eyes towards me.

“It was all in good fun.  Besides he would always get me back, too.”  I narrow my eyes at Rebel remembering I never got him back for the time he replaced my navy gym shorts with a navy skirt in the same material.  The guys were calling me Dylia and asking me out for dates.

Ella is now talking to the older man.  He hugs Ella and claps Rebel on the back before waving goodbye to the both of them and finding a seat next to Ella's parents and Jamie.  Jamie. He's alive. The calls I ignored from his mom, his and Ella's mom were to tell me the truth. They were protecting him

My thoughts clear when Ella and Rebel sit closely on the front pew looking at sheet music.  I grunt again to see them sit so close together. Brother, brother, bother.  

“What ever happened to Eden?”  I ask. If he’s still in love with her why isn’t she here?  She could be sitting between the two of them.

“She left when she found out about her mom's affair and learned of her adoption.  She had taken Ella's spot on the orchestra, but we heard she left again and sort of disappeared. Rebel nearly lost it when he found out she went to New York even though they both planned to go to college here.  She broke his heart, but Rebel still loves her. Won't even look at another girl.”

Crap, now I feel bad for the guy.  I know how he feels to be apart from someone you love deeply.  Unbelievable. Well, I guess I can give him a chance. As long as he stays away from Ella.  

“Since Eden was always gone and Ella didn’t want to date, they would hang out.  It was never anything more than friends. It may be awkward because they are close, but really they were just there for each other and excuses to not being with anybody else.  He loves Eden and it wasn’t until you came back into Ella’s life that we understand why she didn’t really date.” Whisper shrugs.  

In other words, he took care of Ella and kept her away from the guys that really did want to date her.  Okay, maybe I do owe it to him to give him a chance. I still don’t like him. At least until I get him back for the Dylia incident.  Jerk.

I sigh and look around.  The church has changed since I have last been here.  Grammy would bring us every Sunday. The men dressed in their best suits and the ladies donned their best dresses, flowery hats, and white gloves.  Now it is a bit more relaxed. There are a few teenagers across from us wearing shorts or jeans with a nice dress shirt. Looking around I see a lot of teenagers and younger couples.  In fact, when did bands start playing in the church? What happened to the choir?

Rebel and Ella come forward and introduce themselves and the other band members.  They also introduce a group of young dancers from the school for homeless children.  I think my mouth was dropped open the whole time I watched the kids dance to the Christian rock, rap, hip hop, and gospel songs Rebel and Ella were singing.  They are good as a group and perfectly in sync. Church is more like going to a concert. No wonder there are so many younger kids here. It’s not just the teenagers that are enjoying it.  Old Mrs. Potter is dancing with the rest of them.  

The sermon was great also.  I took the words with an open mind and an open heart.  It was as if he was speaking to me. He talked about obstacles, pain, struggles, and the hurt we may go through to move ahead.  He reminds us that we don’t have to be alone through it all. All we have to do is take a few steps leaving all of the obstacles, pain, struggles and hurt behind you.  Up in front there is a carved pathway that leads to hope, happiness, and love. At the end of the sermon I look back at Ella as she sings a gospel song about life and love.       

Ella walks up to me and wraps her arms around my neck outside of the church after making her rounds to say goodbye.  I am thankful every day to have her in my life. It was only a couple of months ago that I thought she was gone. I close my eyes glad to have those days behind us.  Now, after going through so much, we can have our happily ever after.

“Unbelievable.”