Page 18 of Dirty Dylan: Dirty Dusters

“Paddy.”

“Jesus Christ, who stole your scone, Dyl? Or should I say pancake as you sound as flat as one. Is it this thing with Jessie?”

I glance around my apartment with its contrasting black and white theme before sitting down and leaning back on one of the black leather sectionals. I don’t even need to reply. He already knows the answer.

See, me and Paddy have a different relationship from our other siblings. It’s like we have a telepathic bond. Maybe it’s because we were born so close in age. We grew up doing everything together. Always with him front and center and me lurking in the background. It was never done maliciously. Paddy was just being himself. He’s not the type to trample over others to get what he wants. The rest of us leave that up to our Eoin.

“Listen, Dyl, if you want Jessie, then go for it.”

“Were you not at the same meeting as me, Paddy? I’m to be entered into an arranged marriage. Same as you and Eoin.”

“Does Jessie know that?”

“No.”

“So, ignore it for now. Anyway, it might never happen. If the wheels were already turning, I’m sure Da would have pulled you aside and stuffed an A4 brown envelope brimming with air-brushed photos in your hand same as he did our big brother.”

“It still doesn’t mean I can back out if it is on the cards. You weren’t able to.”

“My situation is different. My marriage is a signed in blood contract with Luciano. Plus, what happened to me was partly my own fault. I never mentioned Jaine to anyone. Not even to you. If I had, things might have worked out differently for us. Then again, she never loved me anyway, so it all turned out for the best. It saved me from making an even bigger fool of myself than I already had.”

If only you knew, brother.

One day he will. And then Eoin will be toast.

“Arranged marriage aside, Jessie still thinks I’m in love with a ghost from my past.”

“Then maybe it’s time I told the truth.”

“What? Reveal that it’s you who messages Jaine? The first thing she’ll do is spill her guts. She’s her business partner.”

“What will be will be. It was always going to come out at some point.”

“I can’t let you do that.”

“And I can’t sit back and watch you give up on what may well be your one shot at happiness because of me.”

“Jaine would never speak to you again.”

He laughs dryly. “She doesn’t want to talk to me again anyway, so I’m losing nothing. Meanwhile, you’re potentially giving up everything. Anyway, I’ll be married soon, so maybe it’s for the best that I let her go sooner rather than later. Let’s face it, I’ll have to at some point. Even if I don’t love Sophia, I’ll need to show her respect. She’ll still be my wife.”

Hearing Paddy refer to Sophia as his wife sounds all kinds of wrong. He should be with Jaine. Then again, who witnessed the unconditional love they shared before the Duster Sword of Damocles landed on their doomed relationship? None of the rest of the family did. Only me. Is he finally accepting of his fate? Showing forgiveness to the others for the life-altering decision they made on his behalf because they didn’t possess all the facts?

While he may, Jaine never will. Especially not Eoin for the callous and indifferent way he handled the whole sorry affair.

“Look, Dyl. If you pair can’t see what’s in front of your nose, some of us can. You’ve been making eyes at each other for months. You’re in lockdown together. Get to know her. Spend some quality time with her. Right now, you both have a captive audience. If it turns out you don’t like each other as much as you first thought, then I get to hold onto my secret a while longer. If you do, then maybe it’s time for the truth to come out. I won’t see you suffer the same fate I did because of my lies and deceit. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

But I know I don’t agree. I will never agree. My brother already faces a bleak future. I refuse to take away from him the only thing in his life he feels is worth living for, even if, by his own admission and acceptance, he only has Jaine for the short term.

CHAPTERTEN

DYLAN

Jessie’s Apartment, Hudson Yards, New York

“Jaine’s good people. Right?”

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