Autumn Ended With A Kiss - 17. Chapter 17

We all sat around the table passing around bowls and platters of food to serve ourselves. Dylan’s uncle Smith carved the turkey, passing around slices of breast and then we started to eat.

“Hun, this is great.” Smith commented on the food.

“Thank you dear.” Carol answered.

Silverware chimed against the china and chewing noises were muffled by closed mouths. Suddenly there was a light on Carol’s face that wasn’t there before. She looked to Dylan and me which made me a little nervous.

“So, Dylan how do you two deal with keeping up a long distance relationship?” asked Carol.

“Um, well, we talk on the phone as much as possible and write e-mails. We also have web cams so we can talk in person if we feel like it. Which is more often than not.” Dylan answered.

“Oh, that’s good.” said Carol

“I admire you two.” said Landon. “I don’t know if I could ever be that far apart from someone I love.”

“Do we have to talk about this?” asked Jasper, bitterly. “I’m trying to eat.”

“No need to be rude, Jasper.” said Kat.

“I’m just saying. Not everyone is interested in how these two keep it hot.” said Jasper.

“Do you have a problem?” I asked Jasper, stupidly I admit.

“Yeah, you’re my problem.” Jasper answered. “You cheated on my cousin.”

“Jasper, now is not the time for this.” said Kat.

“Jasper, shut up!” yelled Dylan.

“No Dylan. Why are you always defending him. He’s an ass that only cares about himself.”

“You don’t even know him.”

“I know that he cheated and made you break my best friend’s hart.”

“Oh please, Jasper I didn’t break anything. We had sex, big fucking deal!”

“He’s turned you just like him.”

“I told you that you don’t even know him so stop judging him.”

Everyone sat in amazement and fear and Dylan and Jasper went back and forth. It’s a good thing they were sitting across from each other so no one could be caught in the crossfire.

“Dylan let’s not make a big deal out of this.” I put my hand on his arm.

“No, I’m not gonna let him talk about you like this.”

“Can I be excused?” asked Jasper.

“Please, yes leave.” said Kat.

Jasper threw his napkin onto his half eaten plate and left the table. Dylan turned to my mother.

“I’m so sorry Ms. Roark.” said Dylan.

“Oh no, it’s fine.”

“No, please Gina. Let me apologize for my son.” said Kat.

“Please it’s fine. I know that the situation is complicated.” said mom.

“Aunt Carol, I’m sorry for ruining your dinner.” said Dylan.

“Yes, me too Carol. I’m sorry.”

“It’s perfectly fine. I see no reason why we can’t carry on eating.” said Carol.

“Maybe I should go talk to Jasper.” I said.

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” asked Dylan.

“Yeah, I need to clear things up with him.”

I left the table and started roaming around the house to see if I could find Jasper.

I found him in the backyard shooting hoops. I slowly walked out to him.

“What do you want?” he asked tossing the ball into the air, forming a perfect arch straight into the hoop.

“I came to talk, to set things straight.” I answered.

The stars sparkled down on us and crickets sang into the night as Jasper went on dribbling and shooting the ball.

“I don’t have anything to say to you.” said Jasper, dribbling.

“Then just listen.”

Silence befell the two of us.

“I love Dylan. I have a feeling that I always will. Yes, I cheated on him. But what you don’t know is that the guy I slept with is almost exactly like Dylan. He may not look like him in the face, but his body type and his height, even his personality. Those two are nearly the same. I’m not using this as an excuse, but I was drunk and I missed your cousin. I made a huge lapse in judgment. I’m only human. Dylan has forgiven me already…Why cant you?”

Jasper threw the ball into the air again. This time missing the hoop. He ran to get the ball.

“You two aren’t the only ones involved in this. My best friend was hurt in this disaster too.” said Jasper.

“I’m sorry. But there’s nothing I can do about that. All I can say is that I love Dylan and would never even think about cheating on him again. It was a one time mistake.”

“But Zero…”

I cut him off. “Oh, Zero will live, Jasper. He’s not gonna spend his whole life saving a grudge for Dylan over this. So, you shouldn’t either. I don’t mind if you hate me forever, in fact I prefer it over you being mad at Dylan.”

Silence once again.

“Dylan is really messed up over this. He called me crying the night that you fought. The night he got back from visiting me a few weeks ago. He didn’t want to loose you as a friend. He was scared.”

Jasper stopped completely. “H-He was?”

“You’re very important to him. He considers you a brother and coming from Dylan, that’s big; considering that he can’t have a relationship with the brother that he does have…” I paused as he started to dribble again. “That’s all I have to say.”

I turned around and walked back into the house. I ran into Kale.

“Did you mean it?” he asked.

“Mean what?” I asked.

“You love Dylan?”

“With my whole heart.” I answered.

“Good” said Kale.

He walked passed me and into the backyard.

* * *

That night, I was supposed to stay in the hotel with mom and Susan, but Carol said that it was okay for us to stay in the house and for me to stay with Dylan in his guest room.

Their house was enormous. It had eight rooms, four upstairs and four down. It had a back yard with a garden and three fruit trees; an apple tree, a pear tree, and a cherry tree. It also had a heated pool and a giant patio and a big deck that connected two upstairs rooms. The house was mostly made of oak. It was like being in a giant luxurious cabin.

Anyway, Dylan was in the shower that connected to our room and I thought that I’d put our some clothes for him. I started to go through his bag and I found a letter. It was addressed to Dylan from Martin Gregory, his step-father. The letter hadn’t even been opened.

He came out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist. I was sitting on the bed with the letter in my hand.

“Why haven’t you opened it?” I asked.

“I don’t know.” he said, sitting next to me on the bed. “I guess I was just kinda afraid of what it said.”

“Are you ever gonna open it?” I asked, concerned.

“Can you do it for me?”

He sounded like a kid, asking a parent to open a jar or something of the sort for him.

“Okay,” I agreed.

I tore at the seal and carefully took the letter our. I read it aloud.

Dear Dylan,

I know that it’s probably awkward for you to get a letter from me, but it’s important. I’ve been offered a job in Seattle and seriously considering taking it. If I do, we will be close to where you live in Portland. I just want to let you know that you can certainly visit us at any time. I will take care of your mother in making sure she’s gone when you do.
You probably want to know about Ethan. He’s doing well and growing more and more everyday. I wish you could see him. You’d be proud of your little brother. That’s all I have to say. Please don’t write back. I don’t want to risk your mother seeing it.

Sincerely,
Martin

I put my arm around Dylan’s shoulder and kissed his head. I saw a tear run down his face.

“I miss my brother, Andy.”

“I know you do. Hopefully you’ll get to see him soon.” I tried to comfort him. “I never thought I’d say this but…why don’t you get dressed and then we can hit the pillows.

“Are you suuuuure you want me to get dressed?” he asked kissing my neck.

“Dylan…not now. Not when you’re trying to forget your problems.” I said.

“Why do you have to be so good to me?” he asked.

“Because I love you.” I answered.

He got up from the bed and started to get dressed. After, he came back and climbed on top of me. Soon I was on my back and he was straddling me, bending down to kiss me.

“I love you too.” he said with a smile, looking down on me.