Black Dahlia (The Dahlia Trilogy of The Gilded Flower Series Book 2) by Vivian Winslow Page B
Authors: Vivian Winslow
Ads: Link
you.” Dahlia swallows hard, trying to push down the self-pity that’s creeping up. Of course her sister deserves happiness. She’s just relieved that Lily hasn’t talked much about Alejandro. It’s hard to see anyone in love right now.
“You know, D,” Lily says, “Whatever you decide to do, I’ll support you. It’s alright if you want to stay in Santa Barbara. But at some point you have to get out of this house. It will suffocate you being surrounded by all of his things.”
Dahlia looks away. She knows this but isn’t quite ready to acknowledge it. Moving out of the house, letting go of Shane’s things, is still too hard for her to even contemplate.
“Listen,” Lily says, “Whenever you do feel you’re ready, Shane’s mom has offered to come and help. She lives down in Ventura, so she could be here whenever you want. There are a few things of his she’d like to have.”
Dahlia nods. “Fine. You can have her call me.”
“The lawyers contacted me again yesterday. You’ll need to sign a few papers since Shane left his estate to you.”
“I told you I’d rather not deal with that stuff right now.”
Lily sighs, sitting down on the bed next to Dahlia. “I know. It sucks. But there’s no moving forward until you do.”
“You said you’d stop talking about that,” Dahlia says angrily.
“D, you can be a zombie and grieve for Shane as long as you want, but he had a business. A pretty lucrative one as far as I can tell. There are employees to pay, athletes waiting on sponsorship checks, customers waiting for orders to be filled.”
“I thought Sebastian was taking care of that.”
Lily resists the urge to shake her sister. “He’s about as messed up as you are, D. Sebastian blames himself for Shane’s death. It’s completely rocked him.”
Dahlia runs her hands through her hair. This conversation is quickly growing tiring. She rolls over and closes her eyes.
“Sebastian is a surfer, not a business man. His share in the company was only thirty percent. He was just happy to have a way to keep surfing.”
“Don’t they all,” Dahlia mutters.
“Shane wouldn’t want you depressed like this. He would want you to be happy.”
“He’s not here to tell me that, Lil. That’s the problem.”
“No, he isn’t, D. You’re right. But you know he would want you to go on living, whatever that means to you. So the options as I see it are: stay here and act like the living dead; take on his business of making surfboards or . . .”
“Or what?”
“That’s the unknown.”
“How reassuring,” Dahlia replies bitterly.
Lily shakes her head. “I’ve gotta go, but I’ll be back to check on you as soon as I can.”
Chapter 5
“Thanks for letting me come over,” Sebastian says.
Dahlia closes the front door behind him and leads him out to the deck where she spends most of her time looking out on the ocean—when she’s not sleeping. She had managed to avoid part of the grieving process when her baby died, but this time she’s opting to embrace it. Although it’s becoming clear to her that denial really serves a purpose.
Sebastian sets down his backpack and sits in a chair across from Dahlia.
“You doing alright?” He asks.
She hugs her knees to her chest and shrugs. “Not sure what that’s supposed to mean. If you mean am I alright that Shane’s dead, then no, I’m not.”
He leans forward. “Dahlia, Shane wouldn’t want you miserable like this.”
“Why does everyone keep telling me what Shane wants? What about what I want? I want him back home with me! I want our lives to continue as if he’d never gone to Cortes. Not as some shadow in my life.” Dahlia lets her tears flow freely.
Sebastian puts his head in hands and chokes back a sob. “My God, Dahlia, this is all my fault. I’m so sorry.”
“No, it’s not, Sebastian.” Dahlia wipes her cheek with the back of her hand. “You didn’t force him out onto the water.”
“Goddamn it, Dahlia. The whole
“You know, D,” Lily says, “Whatever you decide to do, I’ll support you. It’s alright if you want to stay in Santa Barbara. But at some point you have to get out of this house. It will suffocate you being surrounded by all of his things.”
Dahlia looks away. She knows this but isn’t quite ready to acknowledge it. Moving out of the house, letting go of Shane’s things, is still too hard for her to even contemplate.
“Listen,” Lily says, “Whenever you do feel you’re ready, Shane’s mom has offered to come and help. She lives down in Ventura, so she could be here whenever you want. There are a few things of his she’d like to have.”
Dahlia nods. “Fine. You can have her call me.”
“The lawyers contacted me again yesterday. You’ll need to sign a few papers since Shane left his estate to you.”
“I told you I’d rather not deal with that stuff right now.”
Lily sighs, sitting down on the bed next to Dahlia. “I know. It sucks. But there’s no moving forward until you do.”
“You said you’d stop talking about that,” Dahlia says angrily.
“D, you can be a zombie and grieve for Shane as long as you want, but he had a business. A pretty lucrative one as far as I can tell. There are employees to pay, athletes waiting on sponsorship checks, customers waiting for orders to be filled.”
“I thought Sebastian was taking care of that.”
Lily resists the urge to shake her sister. “He’s about as messed up as you are, D. Sebastian blames himself for Shane’s death. It’s completely rocked him.”
Dahlia runs her hands through her hair. This conversation is quickly growing tiring. She rolls over and closes her eyes.
“Sebastian is a surfer, not a business man. His share in the company was only thirty percent. He was just happy to have a way to keep surfing.”
“Don’t they all,” Dahlia mutters.
“Shane wouldn’t want you depressed like this. He would want you to be happy.”
“He’s not here to tell me that, Lil. That’s the problem.”
“No, he isn’t, D. You’re right. But you know he would want you to go on living, whatever that means to you. So the options as I see it are: stay here and act like the living dead; take on his business of making surfboards or . . .”
“Or what?”
“That’s the unknown.”
“How reassuring,” Dahlia replies bitterly.
Lily shakes her head. “I’ve gotta go, but I’ll be back to check on you as soon as I can.”
Chapter 5
“Thanks for letting me come over,” Sebastian says.
Dahlia closes the front door behind him and leads him out to the deck where she spends most of her time looking out on the ocean—when she’s not sleeping. She had managed to avoid part of the grieving process when her baby died, but this time she’s opting to embrace it. Although it’s becoming clear to her that denial really serves a purpose.
Sebastian sets down his backpack and sits in a chair across from Dahlia.
“You doing alright?” He asks.
She hugs her knees to her chest and shrugs. “Not sure what that’s supposed to mean. If you mean am I alright that Shane’s dead, then no, I’m not.”
He leans forward. “Dahlia, Shane wouldn’t want you miserable like this.”
“Why does everyone keep telling me what Shane wants? What about what I want? I want him back home with me! I want our lives to continue as if he’d never gone to Cortes. Not as some shadow in my life.” Dahlia lets her tears flow freely.
Sebastian puts his head in hands and chokes back a sob. “My God, Dahlia, this is all my fault. I’m so sorry.”
“No, it’s not, Sebastian.” Dahlia wipes her cheek with the back of her hand. “You didn’t force him out onto the water.”
“Goddamn it, Dahlia. The whole
Similar Books
