Page 36 of Battling the Enemy
But then I got to thinking about Roselyn and Liam, and I knew that if Roselynwasthat girl, whatever they had was long gone. Liam, Roselyn, and Deke wouldn’t be as close as they were if there were any residual feelings between Deke and Roselyn.
But I already asked that question, and since Deke wasn’t going to tell me anything, I didn’t have an answer I could be satisfied with. So, I did my best to seemed grownup and unaffected. “A blood test seems rather ridiculous at this point, don’t you think?”
Deke stared at me and, because his poker face was back on, I had no idea what he was thinking. He chucked all conversation when he said, “Go take your shower and meet me in the kitchen for breakfast.”
“Then what?”
“Then you spend the rest of the day and night hoping you don’t get pregnant,” he replied.
Chapter 23
Deke~
Ifinally allowed Delaney to go home Sunday evening. It was hard, but I had to finally admit that we needed some space. Everything was happening too fast for her, and while I didn’t give a fuck, she was unhappy, and I couldn’t allow that.
Oh, she spent all weekend letting me pleasure that body of hers, and I introduced her to things that would have had her grandmother clutching her pearls, but Delaney had been unhappy. Even when I was fucking her relentlessly, she hadn’t been happy. She had been horny, lustful, aching, and delirious with pleasure, but she hadn’t been happy.
She’d been…heartbroken, and I knew it was because I admitted to having bare skin sex with someone else before her. The jacked-up thing? I loved Linnie to pieces, but had I known I would come to feel the way I felt about Delaney, I never would have gone bare with Roselyn. I would have stayed in my lane and let that be for Liam. I was Delaney’s only one, but she wasn’t mine, and I could see how that would make her feel unimportant.
I had thought about telling her I loved her, but I was afraid she’d think I was only saying it to help pull her out of her insecurities. I wanted Delaney to believe me when I told her.
I also knew I was going to have to talk to Linnie about all this.
We were all posted in front of the school like we usually were, only this time, I was going to let Delaney and Ava walk to first period together. I needed to get my shit together before I approached her. I wanted to be able to tell her about Roselyn.
“Fuck, man,” I said, running my fingers through my hair as I watched Delaney and Ava pass us. “How do you guys fucking do it?”
“Do what?” Ramsey asked.
“Let Em and Linnie out of your sights,” I replied, frustrated beyond hell.
Liam snorted. “I wouldn’t if she didn’t live with me,” he answered.
“He’s right,” Ramsey added. “Waking up with Emerson every morning and going to sleep with her every night is the only thing that allows me to let her have a life during the day.”
“Move her in, Deke,” Liam said. “Move her in this weekend, or you will lose your mind with that unanswered freedom she has.” Ramsey grunted in agreement.
We were silent for a bit before I said, “She asked about Roselyn Friday night.”
“What did you tell her?” Ramsey asked.
“Nothing,” I admitted. “It’s not my secret to tell.”
Liam’s eyes widened, and they looked like huge blue orbs. “You actually told her it was none of her business?”
“No,” I huffed. “Well, not in those words,exactly. I just told her never to question me about Roselyn ever again.” My two best friends were looking at me like I was the dumbest motherfucker on the planet. “What?”
“Deke, how much do you like this girl?” Ramsey asked. I just stared at them, not saying the words. Ramsey let out a deep breath. “That’s what I thought.”
“You’re going to have to tell her, Deke,” Liam advised.
“And what about Linnie?” I asked. “We always agreed her reputation would be a priority.”
Just then the girls returned from the restroom, and all conversation ceased. It wasn’t that any of us were ashamed of the relationship Roselyn had with me and Liam, it just wasn’t a topic anymore. Besides, it took a lot of convincing on Liam’s part so that Roselyn didn’t think badly about herself for what she did, none of us wanted to chance her slipping back into that mind frame.
But I had to talk to her about it.
I needed no secrets between me and Delaney.
