Delilah's Tears

Chapter Twenty-two

As I sit across from Delilah in the diner, my heart rate finally begins to settle. Kissing her was—Jesus. The best thing I've ever experienced. If I could fly up to heaven and thank my brother for his prescient words, I would. I might also pop him one in the mouth for dying on us, but that's besides the point. In any case, I'd laid it on thick when I spelled out exactly what I wanted to do to Delilah in that heated moment. What I hadn't told her were the thousand other things on that list. Sure, it sounds like I'm only after getting into her panties, and I am. I'm also after getting so deep into her heart that she could never evict me. Because she took residence in mine a long time ago.

I should be ecstatic about this turn of events. While I am, there's a healthy dose of nerves accompanying it. She could change her mind. Worse, I could fuck it up irreparably. I couldn't live with that.

"You gonna talk to me or just stare?" Delilah's smile is gorgeous. Now that I have first-hand experience on what those lips taste like, they taunt me from across the table, soft and delicious.

"Can I do both?" I love the way she rolls her eyes at me while devouring a couple fries. There's a spot of ketchup on the corner of her mouth. I lean over and swipe it away with my index finger and hold it to her lips. After a beat and a prolonged glance, she takes the tip of my finger into her mouth and holds it there. Then, her soft, little pink tongue licks it not once, but three times. As she releases my finger, a mischievous grin forms.

"Temptress."

Having finished my burger, I sit back, taking a sip of cola as I study Delilah. We have a shit-ton to discuss and I have no idea where to start. Of course, we got the main thing settled. It's all the rest that needs sorting. It's a very long list that's probably littered with minefields of conflict neither of us can imagine in our newly blissful state.

"D-doll, are you sure you're comfortable with the path we've decided on?" Now that we have a table between us and I'm not ravishing her mouth, she may have come to her senses. I'm surprised by her hurt expression.

"You've changed your mind already?"

I chuckle. "Absolutely not. If you only understood how far along I am with this in my own head, you'd be running out the door. We've had a few minutes to calm down and regroup. I'd be even more of an asshole if I assumed you weren't having second thoughts."

Delilah spends the next few moments working on her drink. She sets the glass down and folds her arms across each other on the edge of the table after pushing away the plate.

"I'll admit this whole thing is pinging around in my head. The weirdness of the situation is the biggest part I have to accept. Even though John gave us his blessing, other people won't see it that way. They'll come to all sorts of conclusions that are wrong. That we had an affair. That I never loved John. That I wasn't faithful. That you are taking advantage of me. That you're gonna use me up and throw me away. That I'm using you. That John would kill us both. We can't exactly create pamphlets to pass out explaining it and providing John's words."

I hear what she's saying. All of those things are true. What warms my soul, however, is what she didn't say. Delilah hadn't questioned her feelings. Or mine.

"This won't be easy for either of us. I'm sure there's more I haven't even thought of." She pauses, taking a deep breath. "I'm not changing my mind though."

"I'm so glad, D-doll." Needing a connection, I take a hold of her hand across the table.

"JD? Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." When someone asks you if they can ask a question before they ask a question, that's a pretty good indicator you won't like it.

"I have to ask, I'm sorry. I need to be sure, at the expense of being a jerk or whatever."