Page 38 of Battling the Enemy
“Sure.”
“Admittedly, I don’t know much about Delaney because we’ve never run in the same circles, but…” Roselyn gave me a sad smile and I wanted to punch something because I knew what she was going to ask. “Well, do you think she’ll-”
“Stop,” I growled. “Whatever her opinion of what we did, it will not affect our friendship, Linnie.”
“You say that now, bu-”
I shook my head at her. “There’s no ‘but’, Roselyn,” I said interrupting her. “If she loves me-”
“Does she?” she cut in sounding hopeful.
I wanted to reassure her, but I couldn’t lie. “No,” I replied. “Not even a little bit.”
Chapter 24
Delaney~
Something was going on.
Deke ignored me this morning as Ava and I walked through the yard into Windsor, and he was quiet during second and third period. He didn’t even make me sit with him when he arrived late for second and I was already seated in the front row.
I really started getting anxious when I was able to leave second of my own freewill, meet up with Ava, and go to third without Deke or his entourage present. The only time there was any hint of this weekend was when I had walked into third and Deke was already seated in the back. Our eyes met, and he lifted his chin as if daring me to sit anywhere else.
I wasn’t going to lie. I had wanted to sit in the front just to get a reaction out of him because his silence was driving me nuts, but I didn’t. I conceded like a wuss and sat next to him, with Roselyn sitting on the other side of him. She had spared me a timid smile, but that was about it. Once third was over, Deke grabbed my hand and walked me to my locker to meet Ava. Once kiss to the side of my head, and he was gone.
I almost cried.
Ava had immediately rushed me to the restroom where we skipped fourth and I told her everything. I hadn’t had time to talk to her all weekend other than random texts assuring her I was alive, but Sunday night when I finally got home, I had spent the evening trying to wrap my mind around what I was doing with Deke.
And, now, Ava was staring at me like I just sprouted an extra ear right before her eyes. The scrutiny was making me edgier than I was already feeling. “Quit looking at me like that,” I grumbled.
She huffed, “How else am I supposed to look at you, Delaney? I mean…you just told me you spent the entire weekend in bed with Deke freakin’ Marlow.”
We were sitting on the floor of the last stall with our knees drawn up, our backs against opposite sides. “Oh, come on,” I whined. “You knew this was coming. I admitted as much the day he beat up Winston.”
Her brows finally found their way back to their original spots. “I know, I know,” she muttered. “It’s just…holy crap, Delaney. You’re sleeping with Deke Marlow.”
Holy crap, indeed.
“I know,” I whispered miserably. “I just…he’s been acting so strange today that…I think the challenge is over, you know.”
I saw Ava’s beautiful face morph into pure, unadulterated fury. “Delaney, if you’re telling me Deke used you this weekend and, now, he’s done with you, I will fuck him up, I swear to God,” she seethed.
“No, no,” I said soothingly. “I don’t think it’s…” Who was I kidding? I didn’t know what anything was like. My eyes started to water, and I think the emotional turmoil of the entire weekend was finally catching up with me. “I…I think I might…”
“Oh, fuck balls,” she breathed. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
I let out a pitiful laugh. “Crash and burn, right?”
She went from outraged to sympathetic instantly. “Where the sharks play,” she agreed.
We stayed seated until the lunch bell rang, a sign that fourth period was over. “Since I can’t stay in here crying all day, lunch?”
Ava chuckled. “We can always ditch the rest of the day?” she offered.
I shook my head and looked at my best friend. “I’m tired of being a coward,” I told her, and I realized I meant that in all things. It was time to face Deke, Winston, my parents, and whoever else felt they had a say in my future.
Ava waited patiently as I splashed my face with some cold water and put myself together. We exited the restroom, but only to be brought up short by Roselyn Bell standing outside the door. She shot Ava a quick glance before looking back at me. “You’re a hard girl to find, Delaney,” she said sweetly. “This is the fourth place I’ve looked for you at.”
