Black Dahlia (The Dahlia Trilogy of The Gilded Flower Series Book 2) by Vivian Winslow Page A
Authors: Vivian Winslow
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hear?”
“Honesty is a start,” she replies. Lily bites her lip, instantly regretting opening her mouth. She’s a businesswoman, not a grief counselor. How could she possibly know what her sister needs in this moment? Ever since they were young, Dahlia was the protective twin, although she had a funny way of showing it. Like sleeping with Lily’s fiancé the night before her wedding to show Lily what a cheating bastard he was. Dahlia believed actions spoke louder than words.
Lily couldn’t hold it against Dahlia for long. It drove Lily to spend her honeymoon in Rio alone, where she met two men. First, it was Marcelo who opened her mind and her body to pleasures she never knew with Jack. The other, Gustavo, inspired Lily to follow her heart and her desires. It was her relationship with Gustavo that showed her a greater happiness than she had experienced with her former fiancé. The courage it took to be with him gave Lily a confidence she didn’t have before. Then, when Gustavo hurt and betrayed her, it was Dahlia who helped bring her out of her depression. Looking back to last fall, when she walked in on Dahlia and Jack, Lily can barely recognize the woman she was then. She has Dahlia to thank for that. Now, it’s Lily’s turn to help her sister find her own peace through this dark time.
Sighing, she says, “I’m here as long as you need. I can deal with the lawyers and the will.”
“I don’t care about any of that stuff,” Dahlia spits out.
“I know. It’s just that once that’s out of the way, you can decide what you want to do.”
“With what?” Dahlia’s voice gets louder. “My life?”
“Well, you don’t have to start planning out your life, but eventually . . .”
“Eventually, what, Lil?” Dahlia crosses her arms. “I’ll have to move on. Is that what you’re going to say?”
Lily casts down her eyes. “No, D. I mean . . . I don’t want to sound so clinical. It’s just . . .”
“Just what, Lil? Say what the fuck you mean!”
“Are you just going to spend the rest of your life crying out here in Santa Barbara?” Lily blurts out. “Mourn him. Fine. Be sad. Fine. Cry for him. Fine. But at some point you will have to decide to stop grieving and live your life.”
Dahlia lets out a sob, covering her mouth. She collapses onto the chaise and screams.
“How dare he do this to me!” She cries out. “He was supposed to be mine forever! We finally had our shit together, Lil. I mean it. I swear it couldn’t have been a more perfect time for us! How could he?” It feels so good to finally unleash some of her anger that she’s been keeping bottled up—anger at Shane for going out on the water when he promised her he wouldn’t.
Seeing her sister in such pain brings tears to Lily’s eyes. Vi wipes her own tears as she watches quietly. It merely affirms to Vi why she avoids relationships. The pain of losing someone you love is too great.
Lily rocks Dahlia in her arms as she cries into her chest. “It’s so unfair, Lil. Why? Why now? Why me?”
As the sun disappears behind the horizon, Lily breaks the silence and says, “Don’t worry, D. I’ll take care of everything,” realizing after a moment, she sounds exactly like their mother.
Chapter 4
“You sure you don’t want to come with us?” Lily asks as she packs her suitcase. “I think a trip might help.” If she were Dahlia, she’d probably slip her something in a martini and kidnap her. But Lily isn’t that extreme.
Dahlia lies back on her bed, still in her pajamas, and shakes her head. “I’m not ready to leave Santa Barbara yet.”
“If you want me to stay, I will,” Lily offers. “I have to go to Miami for a few days. There are some meetings I need to attend at the network, but then I can come back. I don’t have to go to Indonesia with Vi. She’ll understand.”
“No, it’s fine. You were supposed to move to Miami a couple of weeks ago instead of being here with me. I’m sure Alejandro misses
“Honesty is a start,” she replies. Lily bites her lip, instantly regretting opening her mouth. She’s a businesswoman, not a grief counselor. How could she possibly know what her sister needs in this moment? Ever since they were young, Dahlia was the protective twin, although she had a funny way of showing it. Like sleeping with Lily’s fiancé the night before her wedding to show Lily what a cheating bastard he was. Dahlia believed actions spoke louder than words.
Lily couldn’t hold it against Dahlia for long. It drove Lily to spend her honeymoon in Rio alone, where she met two men. First, it was Marcelo who opened her mind and her body to pleasures she never knew with Jack. The other, Gustavo, inspired Lily to follow her heart and her desires. It was her relationship with Gustavo that showed her a greater happiness than she had experienced with her former fiancé. The courage it took to be with him gave Lily a confidence she didn’t have before. Then, when Gustavo hurt and betrayed her, it was Dahlia who helped bring her out of her depression. Looking back to last fall, when she walked in on Dahlia and Jack, Lily can barely recognize the woman she was then. She has Dahlia to thank for that. Now, it’s Lily’s turn to help her sister find her own peace through this dark time.
Sighing, she says, “I’m here as long as you need. I can deal with the lawyers and the will.”
“I don’t care about any of that stuff,” Dahlia spits out.
“I know. It’s just that once that’s out of the way, you can decide what you want to do.”
“With what?” Dahlia’s voice gets louder. “My life?”
“Well, you don’t have to start planning out your life, but eventually . . .”
“Eventually, what, Lil?” Dahlia crosses her arms. “I’ll have to move on. Is that what you’re going to say?”
Lily casts down her eyes. “No, D. I mean . . . I don’t want to sound so clinical. It’s just . . .”
“Just what, Lil? Say what the fuck you mean!”
“Are you just going to spend the rest of your life crying out here in Santa Barbara?” Lily blurts out. “Mourn him. Fine. Be sad. Fine. Cry for him. Fine. But at some point you will have to decide to stop grieving and live your life.”
Dahlia lets out a sob, covering her mouth. She collapses onto the chaise and screams.
“How dare he do this to me!” She cries out. “He was supposed to be mine forever! We finally had our shit together, Lil. I mean it. I swear it couldn’t have been a more perfect time for us! How could he?” It feels so good to finally unleash some of her anger that she’s been keeping bottled up—anger at Shane for going out on the water when he promised her he wouldn’t.
Seeing her sister in such pain brings tears to Lily’s eyes. Vi wipes her own tears as she watches quietly. It merely affirms to Vi why she avoids relationships. The pain of losing someone you love is too great.
Lily rocks Dahlia in her arms as she cries into her chest. “It’s so unfair, Lil. Why? Why now? Why me?”
As the sun disappears behind the horizon, Lily breaks the silence and says, “Don’t worry, D. I’ll take care of everything,” realizing after a moment, she sounds exactly like their mother.
Chapter 4
“You sure you don’t want to come with us?” Lily asks as she packs her suitcase. “I think a trip might help.” If she were Dahlia, she’d probably slip her something in a martini and kidnap her. But Lily isn’t that extreme.
Dahlia lies back on her bed, still in her pajamas, and shakes her head. “I’m not ready to leave Santa Barbara yet.”
“If you want me to stay, I will,” Lily offers. “I have to go to Miami for a few days. There are some meetings I need to attend at the network, but then I can come back. I don’t have to go to Indonesia with Vi. She’ll understand.”
“No, it’s fine. You were supposed to move to Miami a couple of weeks ago instead of being here with me. I’m sure Alejandro misses
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