Page 57 of Battling the Enemy
Ava.
Ava had a horrible reputation for being a bitch and a whore. She did drugs without a care in the world, and she played with guys no matter who was watching. She was beautiful, wild, ferocious, and wonton with no regard to what people thought of her.
She was, by all accounts, these horrible things, but she’s the only person in all my life who has loved me, defended me, and stood by me unconditionally, asking for nothing in return.
Meanwhile, the people with reputed reputations of class, money, pedigree, strength, and power were the weak ones who have used me and let me down time, and time again.
Fuck. These. Assholes.
“Well, it doesn’t matter what our parents had planned, Winston,” I replied. “It’s over. All of it, it’s over. I want nothing to do with you, your parents, or even my parents.”
“You can’t mean that, Delaney,” he clipped out. “How will you live?” Spoken like a true spoiled, entitled piece of garbage.
I found my first genuine smile in days as I said, “I’m going to work. I’m going to work, earn an honest living, and surround myself with people who want what’s best for me-not them.”
“Delaney, if I don’t get you to-”
I barked out a humorless laugh. Of course, he was only here because he was at risk of losing something.“It’s over, Winston,”I said, each word stressed with meaning. “As soon as I pack my last bag, I’m out of Sands Cove.”
His eyes popped, and he reared his head back. “You can’t be serious?”
All of the sudden, I realized I didn’t owe Winston any more of my time. I didn’t owe anyone in this town anything. Ava and the housekeeping staff were about the only people in the world who warranted my respect.
But there was one thing I wanted to know. “Who posted that picture, Winston?” I asked. “Was it you or my mother?” I wasn’t sure he was going to fess up, so I said, “You owe me.” By now, he had to have heard about what had gone down at the cove.
He sighed before admitting, “I…I doctored the picture for your mom, but she’s the one who posted and tagged it everywhere.”
I figured that’s what had happened. I wasn’t surprised, but I was disappointed that his words still brought out an emotional response from me.
“I need to get back to what I was doing, Winston,” I said, my voice defeated but…substantial; strong.
“Delaney-”
Whatever he was about to say was cut off by a white Lexus racing up the driveway behind my car, and all I could think of at a time like this, was how at least Winston was courteous enough to not block my car in when he drove up.
How silly.
Winston and I stood side by side was we both watched Deke Marlow get out of his car and stomp up the driveway.
It hurt.
It fucking hurt to justlookat him.
I was going to need more than five days to steel myself against the love I, regrettably, still felt for him.
Chapter 35
Deke~
Seeing Delaney standing next to Reynolds took me back to the day she aligned herself with him at school and I had kicked his ass. Only, this time, I was in the wrong here, and Reynolds was irrelevant.
Ignoring Winston, my eyes ran over Delaney from head to toe and back up again, and she looked exhausted; lifeless.
I wasn’t any good at this sort of thing, so I did what I always did when I wanted something…
I took it.
“We need to talk,” I told her.
