ROMEO (book 1)

64. DELILAH

I can't believe I'm sitting in a cafe waiting for my father. When did I decide trying to reconcile things were appropriate?

I told Romeo I wanted to do this alone, the Italian men scattered throughout this cafe doesn't pass my eye though.

I tap my fingers off the table.

A bell rings and my head shoots towards the door. He walks in wearing his uniform, eyes landing right on me.

I turn my head away, cracking my knuckles.

He takes the seat opposite me and the tension that filled the air was unbearable.

"How are you doing, Delilah?"

"I'm good." I smile softly, "how's mom... and the baby?"

"They're ok. Baby girl, we called her Annabeth."

"Thats a pretty name." I make swift eye contact with one of Romeo's juniors. "Why did you want to meet?"

"I seen the police report." He nods his head slowly, "I'm sorry."

It's the most i've ever gotten.

"I hope you know a lot of the men there are arrested and spending life in jail. Agent Hamada... he's very good at what he does." He nods his head again.

"Yeah, he's great." I remember speaking to him, he's very caring.

"Was it Romeo?" He asks, and all the men turn their head to look at us.

I shake my head no. "Just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Agent Hamada told me it was premeditated... they were watching me and all the other girls for weeks."

He nods his head again. "He found you?"

"Yeah."

"And then you disappeared?"

"I went to Korea."

He looks down, "I know. I uh... I got a call from my brother."

"Your family are nice."

"Nicer than I am." He reaches over the table and grabs my hand. I pull it away gently. He nods his head again in understanding. "I'm the oldest."

"I know."

"And my appa... he treated me very badly. It's not an excuse, Delilah, I know no matter how much I try I can never make up for the trauma I have given you. I don't expect you to forgive me or anything. I just... I grew up thinking it was okay to do what my appa did."

"You never with Damon." I feel tears brim my eyes.

"His mom left me for a reason, Delilah."

"Even when he stayed you never." I frown. "It was always me."

"I'm sorry."

"Why, appa?"

He looks around my eyes and sighs defeatedly.

"You starved me for days and let mom beat me. You beat me, appa. I still have scars all over my body because of you. You let your friends touch me when I was a kid..." I wipe my tears away. "That never happened to you. Jeongho told me. Your father never locked you in a room with women old enough to be your mother. You did with me. You let them touch me, and I let them too because I thought it would make you love me."

A tear rolls down his cheek.

"You called me names, starved me for days, left me alone with nothing when I was just a kid, appa. All your appa did was beat you sometimes. You did it ten times worse to me for no reason."