Page 58 of God of War

Delaney gives me a meek little smile when I emerge from the bathroom. I ignore her, going over to my bag and rifling around for some underwear and sweats I can exchange for my jeans, which cling uncomfortably to my damp skin. I find what I’m looking for and glance at her over my shoulder. Raise an eyebrow. She huffs and flips on the couch, giving me her back for some privacy as I change. Luckily I don’t get a view of her naked ass, as she’s slipped into a pair of shorts. Still wearing my t-shirt, though. A low hum of pleasure rises in me, seeing her like that. Wearing my stuff like she’s… Like she’s mine or something. I bite back an annoyed growl and turn my back on her.

Later, after I’ve made a makeshift pillow from our extra clothes, I settle down on the floor beside the couch. Moonlight streams through the dusty windows, casting everything in a dull silvery glow.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” I tell the ceiling. Delaney makes a non-committal noise.

“What? What’s that for?”

She sighs. “Nothing. Just that you seem to like saying that after the fact. Like after you kissed me, after you made me come…”

“I didn’t make you—”

“Oh, trust me. That was all you,” she purrs.

I clench my jaw and huff out my nose, ignoring that hum again: pleasure, triumph, pride.

“Does it make you feel better? Saying that you shouldn’t have done it?”

“Fuck off,” I snap.

“Make me,” she replies.

I know I’m not going to be able to fall asleep now. Not with her there beside me; even with the space between us, I feel her. It pisses me off and there’s nobody to blame but myself. Okay, maybe I can blame Delaney a little bit as well. But if I really wanted her gone, Griff has given me permission. Hell, he’s ordered it. I could slip out while she’s sleeping, leave her with some money, ask Oscar to drive her to the bus station…

“What are you thinking about?”

“Jesus Christ,” I groan, rolling over on the hard floor. “Are we really doing this? What, you want to re-live your high school slumber party days or something?”

Delaney laughs softly. “Want to braid my hair?”

Even in the low light, I see the smile melt on her lips. She frowns as she stares up at nothing, deep in thought. I should stay quiet. Just let her drift off to sleep. But I can’t fucking help myself.

“What is it?”

“I never had one of those,” she admits quietly. “A slumber party. I didn’t really have any friends at all, really. After my mom died, it was… I was just a kid, and I don’t think any of my friends knew what to say. And then my dad…” She swallows hard. “It was just easier to be alone. Except for Lilly.”

She feel her brighten, like just the thought of her sister lifts something inside her. I realize I like it when she’s happy. I want more of it.

“Tell me about her. About Lilly.”

Delaney hesitates in surprise, then rolls over on the couch, her hands tucked up under her cheek. “Really? You really want to know?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“She’s seven, turning eight this fall,” Delaney says, launching into it as if every little fact about her sister has just been sitting there on the tip of her tongue, ready to come out when someone asked.

“She’s quiet, y’know? Shy around most people. My Aunt Judith thinks she’s, like, challenged, but honestly she’s just sick of Judith’s shit. She’s fine with me. She’s so smart and bubbly. And funny! God she’s so fucking funny. She does these little sketches, like she’s on SNL or something. Have you ever known a seven-year-old to have bits? I think she’s going to be a comedian one day. Maybe have her own show.”

“Carol Burnett,” I blurt out.

“What?”

I grimace. “She’s this actress, comedian, whatever. She had her own show in the seventies. My Gran loved her. Used to have the re-runs on all the time when I was a kid.”

Delaney is quiet for a moment and I wait for her to make fun of me, what a tough biker I am, watching The Carol Burnett Show.

“Was she funny?”

I blink in surprise. “My Gran or Carol?”

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