Page 19 of Still Here Without You

“Mm-hmm. Of course,” Luce responds, seeing right through my bullshit. “Can I meet her?” She squeezes my thigh to get my attention once more, and I flinch.

“No, you can’tmeether,” I say with an incredulous laugh. I should be used to Lucy’s meddling by now, but it’s usually directed at Dylan, so I’ve laughed it off. Being on this end, however, is not fun.

Lucy shrugs and looks at the field. “We’ll see,” she mumbles, as the teams get into position for the start of the first play.

It’s a nail-biting game but unfortunately the guys lose in the last second. Dylan’s going to be in a pissy mood tonight, and lucky for me, he’s my ride. After walking Lucy to her car and laughing off her departing words, “Good luck dealing with Dylan tonight. Maybe you can ask Delilah to help you cheer him up,” I head toward the locker room to wait patiently for Dyl, along with the other hundreds of pissed-off fans.

Propped up against the wall, away from the crowd, I bring my foot up to the brick and rest my head against the cool surface before closing my eyes. I have a feeling tonight’s going to be a long one. Those boys seem to party harder after a loss than a win.

I’m lost in thought when I hear my name being called in the distance.Huh?Opening my eyes, I see Delilah making her way through the crowd with her eyes locked on me. She’s practically beaming with excitement, and I can’t stop the answering smile that forms in return. She gets blocked by a group of fans huddled together and waits for them to separate, but her attention never leaves me. An impatient look crosses her face before she nibbles at her lip and raises her phone above her head, bouncing on the spot. Her energy is infectious, and it makes me want to push the crowd aside so she can reach me. When they finally move, she breaks into a run. “I got it!” she screams. “Joel, I freaking got it!” Her entire face lights up in giddy happiness, and I’ve never seen her look more beautiful.Fuck, she’s so stunningly beautiful.I’ve tried hard not to notice, but right now it’s impossible.

I smile back at her and step away from the wall just as she leaps into my arms, the motion propelling us both back into the brick. I grab her under the legs, pulling her into me to keep us balanced as her arms wrap around my neck.

“I got the internship. They have another position, and it’s mine,” Delilah whispers, her face a few inches away, her striking green gaze penetrating mine.

My heart races as I process her words, an overwhelming feeling of pride taking over me.She did it.Just like I knew she would. This beautiful human can do anything.

“That’s amazing, Delilah. I’m so happy for you! I knew they’d love you.”

Her cheeks redden as her lashes flutter. “You did. I wasn’t so sure, but you were. God, Joelle. Can you believe it?”

She bites her bottom lip again and sucks it into her mouth. It’s still covered in a deep red lipstick, and the motion is so mesmerizing that I struggle to look away.

“Thank you,” Delilah whispers, pulling my attention back to her eyes. “Thank you for everything.”

A warmth spreads all over me, and my pulse spikes as a strange feeling consumes me. My gaze bounces between her eyes, searching for something, but what, I’m not sure. A few seconds pass, and then everything becomes clear. I want her. No, Ineedher.

And fuck, she must feel the same, because the next thing I know I have one hand in her hair, Delilah’s gripping my shirt, and our lips are crashing against each other in a scorching kiss. Her mouth opens instantly to welcome my tongue, and I take full advantage as her lips mold perfectly with mine. We’re so in sync it feels like we’ve been doing this forever.

When I suck her tongue into my mouth, she lets out a breathy moan and matches my fervor by biting my bottom lip. I stifle my own groan as my heart rate picks up.Fuck, this girl is something.

We’ve been kissing for I don’t know how long when a throat clears from behind Delilah. I want to ignore it, but Delilah breaks away, burying her face in my neck.

I look over her head to see an amused expression on Dylan’s face and a girl I don’t recognize beside him. Dylan raises an eyebrow in question while the girl just grins. “So…hi, you two,” he says with a suppressed smile. Not at all the grump I was expecting.

“Dylan,” I say, offering a small nod. “And…”

“I’m Rachel,” the girl says as Dylan shrugs.

At the mention of Rachel, Delilah looks over her shoulder and laughs. “Hey, Rach.”

“Hey, yourself. I’ve been looking for you,” she says with a raised eyebrow and a smirk of her own. I’m guessing they’re friends.Well, isn’t this killing the mood?

“Do you still need a ride to the bar?” Dylan asks, looking between the three of us.

Delilah wriggles around, trying to put her feet on the ground, but I hold strong, keeping her firmly in place.

“How about I meet you there?” I say and then turn to Rachel. “Do you need Del, or can I borrow her?”

Dylan shakes his head before smiling and giving me a pointed look that screams, “I told you so.”

“She’s all yours,” Rachel laughs. “I just came to give her my keys. I’m heading out with some of the girls.”

“All right, well, I’m out of here. I’ll see ya,” Dylan says, walking away as Rachel places her keys in my outstretched hand, mouthing the words “call me” to Delilah as she backs away.

We’re both silent as we watch our friends leave in opposite directions. The last of Dylan’s teammates trickle out of the locker rooms, and then we’re almost alone in the hallway, with the crowd having followed the team to the bar.

“So…” Delilah begins, no longer able to meet my eyes. I miss her intense stare. I want it back on me. “Sorry about that. I’m not sure what happened.”

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