Beyond the end

Scars

Ecuador
Brenda was closing her suitcase. The noise of the zip passed straight into her thoughts as well. They were preparing to come back to Los Angeles. After centuries. She had left alone. With too many hopes and dreams in hand. SHe had asked Dylan a reason to come back and chose not to use it. She wanted to make it desperately on her own. When she lost him, years earlier, the pain was so immense and deep that it left a scar so noticeable that it would be visible to any X-ray. It was he who had come back to her. It was he who left again. And now she was in Ecuador, still with him, in the middle of something she didn't know either. SHe wanted to go to the airport and go back to London. Go to her comfort zone. Sometimes she thought about it. her life was beautiful there. SHe had her friends. Her work.
"You are ok?" Dylan came behind her back.
She smiled "I'm not sure if I want to go back to Los Angeles."
"Come on, we've already talked about it"
"Let's go back then," she got dirty.
"What makes you so scared?"
"I'm not afraid," Brenda felt the scar pulsating in the middle of her chest.
"So what?"
She sat on the bed "I don't know, staying in London all this time actually protected me. I felt alive and fulfilled. The thought of Los Angeles always gave me a sense of sadness. My family is no longer there."
"There are your friends"
"Friends," she sighed.
He came close to Brenda "I thought we had overtaken that ."
The scar pulsated even harder "exceed maybe, forgotten no. And anyway, how do you put the things here? Do you want to leave Xavier, Isabel, so alone to deal with the issue with this executioner of Don Perreira?"
"I'll fix that today"
" what?"
"I'm going to talk to him"
Brenda walked up and began walking nervously into the room "talking about what?"
"You'll see"
"What..." sighed Brenda
"I don't think he really wants these kids, nor can he find a hundred more on the streets, I want to figure out what's underneath."
"And do you think you can do it today and then we're leaving for Los Angeles to blow the candles on your son's cake?"
He looked at her hard.
"Oh no.. don't dare to look at me that way. But what do you think you are? Who do you think you are?"
He got up and approached her. He kissed her "I know what I do" he told her.
"I'm coming with you," she replied.
" No"
"I'm coming with you," she repeated, not taking her eyes off; "I'm coming with you to Los Angeles too, after which," she said, "I'm going back to London.
"I'm going back to London too."
This made her smile.
Xavier was waiting for them in the car. It took a few days to organize that meeting. The ultimatum was expiring and according to him Dylan was quite brave, but he also seemed quite stupid.
Brenda arrived shortly after.
"Where is he?"
"On the phone, now he is coming," she turned to the kids in the yard. Of all ages. Small and big stars, what would happen to them? What would they do?
Dylan used the newly purchased disposable phone "Tell me everything," he told Brandon.
The voice on the other side of the phone was quite worried.
"You first have to tell me what mess you're getting into and with my sister"
"Brandon, you don't have to worry"
"You don't have to worry I've heard it too many times"
"Do you want to help me or not?"
A pause and a half sigh was heard "Don Perreira is hooked to the Mexican cartel. He has contact with local politics. He has men everywhere. A couple of complaints of tax fraud because he manages to keep himself clean"
"Everyone knows who he is but no one touches him"
"Pratically," Brandon concluded, "but what do you have to do with him?
Dylan sighed "he want my kids."
"Do you want your kids? What does it mean?" Brandon asked
"But I actually think he wants something else."
"Do you want me to come there?" Brandon asked him.
"No. No. You don't need to," he said, "and I'll be back to Los Angeles for Sammy tomorrow anyway"
Brandon leaned on the back of his chair. It was something he had thought about a lot in those days. Happiness, everyday life had muffled Dylan's thought. His return. What would have happened. For the first time he realized that everything was ending and that the deal with Kelly was crumbling. How could he even think he could leave her with a snap of his fingers? How could he have thought that nothing would scald him when he already felt the old rift make his way? Him or me. She or me. She and I. Him and I,
"Dylan.."
"I don't want to know anything now," replied Dylan, who already knew the answer.
"You are my brother," Brandon anticipated, "There are things we have to solve and that have dragged on for too long"
"You said right," he replied, "you are my brother, there is nothing I don't already know, but the question is? How will you do when you are gone?"
"I don't know what she wants either"
"Ask yourself what you want"
"Ask it too," Brandon replied, there was a long pause "you have to be careful with these people," he told him.
"You don't have to say anything to Kelly, I don't want her to worry."
"I don't like to keep secrets with her"
"I know. But you keep the secret with me."
IDylan went to the car. He was wearing a freshly unbuttoned white linen shirt.
Brenda looked at him with the same eyes as ever. Complete.
"Are you ready?"
"Ready."