Childhood Memories

Chap. 16

I'd been listening to the same guy talk about the same things for about twenty minutes.
"I also visited Greece once, you've ever been there?" He asked me. I was completely zoned out and looking at Olivia talking to some random guy.

"Mhm..." I just responded like I had been all this time. I couldn't be more bothered. Is this why she wanted to come? To talk to other guys? Maybe something happened with Derek.

"You have? Where?"

I pulled my phone out and started typing. I wanted to leave and I wasn't going to do it without Olivia. But I wasn't going to let her leave with another random guy either.

Me: Can you come pick us up?

I started walking away from the random guy and over to Olivia. I had been observing her all night and now the random guy she was talking to, got grabby. To me, it didn't look like that was what she wanted.
"Olivia," I said and cut in between the two of them, to put my hand around her neck.

"When are we going home?" I asked and turned my head to look at her.

"Are you already tired?" She questioned and looked over at the guy now standing beside me. I nodded and started pulling her away from him.
"What's going on? Why are you talking to that guy?" I said and crossed my arms over my chest.

"He's nice." She responded with a shrug.

"Nice? Are you hearing yourself—" I suddenly got cut off by the voice coming from behind.

"Deliah? Nice to see you here." I turned around to see William standing there. I sighed. Why does he have to be everywhere? First at my house, now at a random party. I cleared my throat and looked over at Olivia, trying to signal it with my eyes.

"Hey, Will," I said and suddenly Olivia gasped. Leo had probably told her about him.

"You're William? The cheating William?" Olivia asked and started pointing at him.

"How did you know he cheated?" I asked. William was standing there, his face getting red from the embarrassment. Good. That's what he deserves for being the biggest asshole on this earth.
"Derek." She whispered in response and looked up like there was something to get distracted by. I rolled my eyes. Typical of Derek.

"We should go and get some drinks." He suggested with a smile. I shook my head and was about to walk away until he pulled my arm and I stopped in my tracks.
I looked to the side and saw an angry Leo coming our way. Maybe I shouldn't have texted him, but how was I going to know William would show up?

It all went so fast. Leo threw a punch at William, suddenly Derek was here too and joining in. Everyone was trying to get Leo off of William but didn't succeed until I grabbed him by his neck and forced him up with help from Olivia.

The car ride back home was awkward, and nobody decided to say anything which made it worse. The bad vibe did not make it any easier for any of the four of us. Leo was driving, and he tried to put his hand on my thigh multiple times. I pushed his hand off and rolled my eyes.

When Olivia and Derek finally left the car, we were in the car alone and silence. I was looking out of the window, hoping for him to say something first. Is it a good thing that he protected me? Of course, it is, but it still scared me a bit.
I knew that wasn't his intention. To scare me. But everything was just a mess. Why did William even come back? Why did he feel the need to speak to me and right next to Olivia?

This is the worst. The absolute worst.

"You're not expecting me to say sorry, are you?" He asked and looked over at me. I unclipped my high heels and put them in the back of his car.

"Can you carry me inside?" I asked and ignored his question. I didn't care whether he said sorry or not, I just wanted to sleep on the situation and find out how everything felt tomorrow morning. With a headache. Within a second, Leo was already outside of the car and carrying me inside in bridal style.

It was warm inside. Olivia and Derek were up in our room, so we just sat in the living room. Aunt and Chris were asleep, so there was no reason for us to worry about waking them.

"You didn't answer my question." He remarked and leaned back on the couch. I pulled the blanket further up against my body and shrugged.
"I don't care whether you say sorry or not. Will deserved it for coming back like the biggest asshole." I answered with a forced smile.

I don't know why my mood suddenly changed, and I felt alone and sad, and shitty. What do you do in these situations? Do you admit you're not feeling alright and try to get some help?

"What are your intentions with me, Leo?" I asked and laid back, closing my eyes and hearing the annoying noise in my ear.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Do you just expect us to fuck around till we get old and gross?" I questioned and looked over at him.
"You were the one that didn't want a relationship." Leo reminded. I suddenly felt an uncomfortable feeling in my chest, and I didn't know what to say. Did I want a relationship? Did I not? I didn't know what I wanted anymore.

"I just feel a bit lost," I admitted and looked up to meet his eyes. The moment he opened his mouth to say something, the tears just started falling and I couldn't control myself. He immediately scooped me closer and held me, like I was a little helpless child that needed his rescue.

I was pathetic.

"What's wrong baby?" He whispered in my ear and tightened his grip on me. I held onto his shirt while sobbing, not having the strength to answer. No words were leaving my mouth, but sobs were. I could hear the beating of my heart in my ears.

"Take a deep breath, Deliah. Take a deep breath with me please." Leo begged. He took a deep breath in, as I watched but wasn't able to do the same. He did it multiple times until I was able to calm down and stop crying as much as I did.

My head was laying on his shoulder, and I was staring into the white walls while his hands were running up and down my back reassuringly.
"Everyone I've ever wanted to love left me," I whispered and this time, the tears fell with no sound. Leo lifted me off his shoulder, so we could get eye contact.

"What do you mean?" He asked and put his hand on my cheek. I took a deep breath and shook my head, looking down. I felt shameful.

"My mom and dad... my old friends... William." I whispered the last name, feeling disgusted with myself. He looked at me like he understood. Like he knew what it meant to have everyone you love leaving you behind.

"You have the purest heart, Deliah. I don't want you to ever forget that, or throw it away. Not everyone's here to hurt you, I promise. I'm not going to leave. I'm not going to get tired of you. I want to care for you till the day I die. I love you way too much to let you go."

All at once. Did he love me? He loved me and I was supposed to believe it? That he didn't just use me for sex?

"Deliah?" He asked and forced my face up with his thumb on my chin. I sat back and took a deep breath, not knowing what to say. He took my silence as an answer and nodded at me.

I sat straight up and pulled him in for a small kiss.
"It's always been you. Did you know that? Since I was a little kid playing with Derek and his annoying little cousin. It's always been you and it always fucking will be." He told me and ran his hands through my hair, removing it from my face.

Those eyes told me everything I needed to know. Everything any girl possibly wanted to know.

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