Page 26 of Battling the Enemy
Oh, who was I kidding? Deke Marlow was going to own and devastate me.
Chapter 17
Deke~
I’m not sure how many traffic laws I broke getting to Trent’s house, but with every passing minute I could feel my mind splintering with all kinds of unpleasant possibilities as to why Delaney had gone to a party without Ava.
And worse? What was she doing that Ava said she couldn’t get Delaney to listen to her?
I knew Delaney was nervous about this weekend. I knew my words had put her on edge. When I realized she hadn’t shown up to school this morning, I hadn’t really been surprised. I also didn’t think any less of her. I knew I was…a lot. I knew I intimidated people, and I knew I Delaney’s personality was…not compatible with mine if you did the math, but I didn’t care.
Delaney was mine.
My car was barely in park before I was turning it off and out of the driver’s side door. Everyone else had followed in Ramsey’s Range Rover and I could hear the car doors opening and closing behind me. Whatever awaited me in that house, I knew it wouldn’t be anything that couldn’t be handled by the five of us, even if it meant bloody killing someone.
As I stormed into the house, I turned my head back and told Linnie, “Call Ava and ask her where the fuck they are.”
I turned back around and started scanning the foyer and passing through it to the living room. I kept scanning and scanning, but I didn’t see her. Finally, Roselyn piped up, “They’re in the backyard. They’re on the decking.”
Without any ‘excuse me’s or ‘pardon me’s, we swept through the house towards the backyard. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but never in a million years would I have imagined the sight that greeted me when I cleared the back sliding glass door. Christina Aguilera was blaring through the surround sound speakers talking about wanting to be dirty and there was Delaney Martin dancing like she was auditioning for a goddamn music video.
I heard a low whistle behind me. “Where in the hell did she even learn how to dance like that?” Liam exclaimed right before he let out a whoosh from Roselyn elbowing him no doubt.
Delaney was dancing alone, but she was moving her bodynotlike a goddamn virgin, that’s for sure. I stood stunned at the way she was moving, the bottle of liquor in her hand, the fucking outfit that was not covering shit, and how flushed her face was, but I had no idea if it was from the alcohol or the dancing.
Her hair was down, flying all around her, and she was wearing a tight green tank top, a white loose skirt that stopped mid-thigh, and some white sandals, and none of it hid her assets.
But what was killing me?
The pink blush of color in her face was making the scar across her cheek whiter. It was making it stand out, and for whatever reason,that’swhat was getting my dick hard. I thought it’d be my mark, but it wasn’t.
That fucking scar.
That fucking scar that proved there was more to Delaney Martin than the quiet library book nerd we all thought her to be all these years.
Before I could go over and drag her away, Ava rushed up to us. “Oh, thank God!” she cried. I looked down at her and her face was full of worry and wariness. “She’s drunk, Deke. She’s drunk, and she had texted me and I didn’t get the text…” Ava shook her head. “Who cares? She’s drunk and you need to go get her. She won’t listen to me.”
“What the fuck is she doing here?” Ramsey asked from behind me.
Ava glanced over at him and her face blanched. I suppose the sight of all of us here to get Delaney was a bit overwhelming. “I…I don’t know,” she answered. “I told her I might be here, so…she might have meant to meet me here. I don’t know…”
“What did she say when you saw her?” Roselyn asked.
“She just keeps saying she’s here to party,” Ava rushed out, worried and…well, worried. “And I don’t know what the fuck that means. Delaney doesn’t party.”
My eyes shot back to where Delaney was dancing and, suddenly, I knew what she was doing here. She was hiding from me. She was here because she didn’t think I’d ever think to look for her here. She was hiding from what was happening between us.
Delaney was trying to make sense of the changes happening in her life and she was doing what all idiotic teenage kids do when they’re confused. She was drinking and dancing her problems away. Too bad I was her biggest problem and nothing she could do would push me away.
I glanced back down at Ava. “She’s going to be pissed that you called me. You know that, right?”
I realized there was more to Ava than I had ever given her credit for when she said, “I know she is.” She shook her head again. “I know Delaney’s going to feel betrayed and hurt that I…I didn’t pick her side this time. I know that, Deke, but…” I watched as Ava stood to her full height, and I realized she was struggling with upsetting the only real friend she’s ever had. “But her safety and…her reputation are more important than how much she might hate me for this. She can hate me for the rest of our lives, and I can live with that, if she’s safe and…no one talks about her like she’s…trash.”
We all stood there and even with the party all around us, you couldfeelhow much Ava loved Delaney. Whatever we ever suspected about their friendship, Ava’s declaration proved that I’d never have to worry about Delaney when she was with Ava. Ava would never let her reputation or wild ways taint Delaney in any way.
“Deke, check it out,” Liam said.
I looked over at Delaney and I saw some guy walking up to her to dance. And, while that had me already balling up my fists, that was nothing compared to seeing Winston come into view. He looked pissed, and he was walking towards Delaney to get her away from the guy wanting to dance with her.
