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“Mom and Dad have a big age gap too, and yet they’ve been together for twenty years. Your point about the age thing doesn’t stand.” Andries doesn’t sound smug even though he must believe he’s proven me wrong. Instead, he just sounds tired. I feel the same way.
“I just don’t want you to regret it,” I sigh. “That’s all, okay?”
“I know I’m not as cautious as you are, but something inside me tells me it's the right choice. It’s not logical, sure, but love isn’t logical, and Roxie left the adult industry for me. It’s only natural that I want to give our relationship a shot, and I can’t picture my life without her.” I can feel his eyes on me, but I continue to look out to sea. “Please try to understand, El.”
Left the adult industry, he said. It makes my stomach churn, knowing that Roxanne still has secrets she’s hiding from my brother, and the biggest one of them being that she is somewhat still in the adult industry. Bar Rouge might not be a full sex club, but the cabaret is still undoubtedly linked to the adult industry, and now it’s public knowledge that a dancer was giving blowjobs. Andries is going to be crushed when he finds out, and I can’t help but wonder if all these kind words he uses to defend his fiancée will taste like ash in his mouth once everything comes to light. I have no idea how he’s going to react, but I know for sure it won’t be good.
I’m not going to be the one telling him the truth, so I don’t need to worry about it so much, I have to tell myself over and over again. I want to put Roxie’s scandal at the back of my mind and focus on the things going on in my own life, but it’s so hard. Still, I’m not going to even hint to my brother that something is wrong, so all I can tell him is, “If you’re happy, then I’m happy.”
“Thanks,” he replies warmly. “It’s good to hear you say that.”
We stay like this for a while in comfortable silence, but I have the feeling that my brother needs some time alone. I don’t know if he’s thinking about his relationship––or mine––but I decide to leave and give him the breathing room that he needs.
I turn around, ready to go back inside the villa when my brother calls out for me again. I stop in my tracks, turning just enough to watch him swallow and close his eyes as if what he’s about to say is painful for him.
“Elise… I need time to digest what happened between you and Dan. I’m not over it yet, but… well, I’m not over it. I can’t say I ever will be, but just give me some time.”
“I get it,” I say, even though it feels like a lie. “Let’s put it aside for now and have a proper farewell dinner with our friend. Johan deserves it.”
Andries gives me a tight nod, and for the moment, we leave our conversation right there––unfinished, as they always seem to be.
12
Dan
It’s been a long,albeit deliciously enjoyable day, and I think a late afternoon nap before dinner is just what I need to tie it all together. There’s something so satisfying about rays of sunshine coming in through the windows and the sound of the ocean coming from outside while I lounge in sweatpants on my bed, eyes getting heavy. The only thing that would make it better is Elise curled up at my side, but I know she has some things to settle with her brother.
The thought makes me chuckle. Better her than me, poor girl. I love her dearly, but nothing on heaven or Earth could make me have all those awkward conversations for her. She’s better at being diplomatic anyway. My solution would be to tell Andries to shut the hell up and throttle Johan for even dreaming about being with El. I’m sure she has a much gentler touch.
Yawning, I pillow my head on my arm and start to drift off. It seems like less than a second has passed before my phone goes off. But when I check the time on the bedside clock, it tells me that I’ve managed to sneak in forty-five minutes of rest before being interrupted.
I expect someone in the house is calling me, but it’s a pleasant surprise to see my dad’s picture on the screen instead. I probably would have silenced the call had it been any of the villa guests besides Elise, but this call is one I’m more than happy to answer.
“Hey, Pops,” I greet after connecting the call.
“Hello,” he responds. His tone is cheerful but neutral, and I realize we haven’t spoken since the day Johan arrived. He must be wondering how I handled such a delicate affair, and I’m sure it will come as no surprise to him that my fix for it all was anythingbutdelicate. Not like I’m going to go into detail, though.
“So how are things?” he ventures. “You weren’t in the best headspace last time we talked, and I’ve been worried about you, my boy. You holding up okay?”
“Better than you might imagine,” I confess, sounding smugger than I thought. “Our young lad Johan barely lasted three days here with us, and now he’s packing up and leaving for Ibiza, so that problem is out of my head now.”
“Hmmm,” Dad sounds contemplative. “You haven’t gotten yourself into any trouble or burned any bridges to get this Johan to vacate the property, have you?”
“No, I promise. I guess technically my bridge with Johan is burnt, but I don’t care a single bit about his opinion over the whole thing.”
“So Andries isn’t angry?” he prods.
I groaned inwardly. Of course, my dad would know just what questions to ask to make me uncomfortable. “Well, yeah he’s angry, but Andries started things, not me. And he would have done so with or without Johan here, so it really isn’t relevant to Johan leaving.”
“You’re being evasive,” Dad says before laughing in a resigned way. “I know you better than that. What did you do? I know good and well that you aren’t innocent.”
An image of Elise between my legs and Johan storming away flits through my mind, and I have to stomp it down before I get too distracted by the thought. Still, a smirk creeps over my face as I answer. “Let’s just say I told him implicitly that Elise was already taken.”
“Hmmm,” he mumbles again. “That sounds ominous, but I’m not going to question you further. I take it to mean that you’re having a better time now, though?”
“Absolutely. And once Johan leaves it will be even better.”
Dad chuckles. “I almost feel bad for the poor guy. Just be careful not to forget about your friendship with Andries while pursuing his sister, or you will regret it dearly later on in life.”
