HEALING THE SCARS

CHAPTER 41

PENELOPE

It's almost four in the afternoon when I arrive home. I find Jason and Mabel sitting on the couch and immediately go to him, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

"Hey you guys," I say as I sit beside him. Jason then climbs into my lap, accepting my kiss with a happy grin.

"I missed you so much, baby," I tell him, hugging him tightly.

"I missed you too, mummy. Where is daddy?" he asks, looking up at me with wide eyes.

"He had some work to do, baby. We will go see him for the sleepover." I reply. I can't help but feel a mix of happiness and sadness. I'm glad to be with Jason, but there's still a lot weighing on me.

"Hey P, you want something to eat? I could grab you a dish from the kitchen," Mabel offers, trying to start a conversation. I appreciate her effort, but I'm not in the mood to chat.

"No thanks, I'm going to get something myself," I say, placing Jason back on the couch and walking toward the kitchen. Mabel follows me, and I know she's determined to talk.

"Penelope, can we talk, please?" she asks.

"No, I don't want to talk to you, Mabel," I say, serving myself some food.

"Penelope, seriously. I need to explain something to you. Whatever you think is going on between me and Dylan is not what you think," she insists.

"I don't want to know what you guys are doing, and neither do I care, okay?" I snap back.

"Just shut up, P!" Mabel shouts, clearly frustrated. "Stop being a prick to me! Listen to what I have to say, and if you still don't like it, I will leave, okay?" She seems genuinely upset, so I sit on a stool at the kitchen counter, prepared to listen.

"Mabel, what's going on?" I ask, feeling my curiosity piqued despite my anger.

"Dylan is blackmailing me. He knows about James and me. He was there that night when I cheated on Joey. Apparently, the whole building belongs to him, and when he saw me at James's club, he put two and two together after we went to James's room. He said if I keep taking your side and urging you to go against whatever he wants, he'll tell Joey about the affair. It's not that I don't want to back you up, he just won't let me, okay?" Mabel explains, looking pained.

"What! So, when I thought you were just taking his side for no reason, it was all because he's blackmailing you? Oh God!" I exclaim, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. I walk toward Mabel.

"I'm so sorry for being such a prick to you, Mabel," I say, pulling her into a hug. "I missed my best friend so much. I can't believe I was going to stay angry with you without letting you explain yourself. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, P," Mabel says, returning the hug and kissing my cheek. "I love you and you know you will always I will always be your number one supporter, okay?"

"Well, I love you more, so I guess I win," I reply, laughing through my tears. We sit together as I finish my meal, and we chat about the day's events.

"So, you're saying you guys had sex in your office?" I ask, trying to lighten the mood with a laugh.

"Ssh, we don't want everyone to know about it," I say, laughing too. "Where is Joey?"

"He's getting some work done. Sadly, we have to leave tomorrow," I reply.

"I know. I will miss you so much," Mabel says, her eyes reflecting the same sentiment.

"So, a sleepover, huh?" Mabel asks.

"It's not a sleepover for me. Jason is the one staying over. I took Dylan to the gravesite."

"How did that go?"