by Harlow Layne
Pinching her eyes closed, she listens for a moment before she answers them. “I’m fine. We’re both fine now. Earlier Beck got bit by a dog and in the process, I was bitten as well. We both got stitches, but now we’re… resting.”
I can hear a lot of talking on the other end but can’t make it out.
“Yeah, about that. I know I was vague in my text with Ava, but I had to be. I’m not going to get into specifics with you right now, but I left Bradley.”
From what I can hear, her parents don’t seem too broken up about it. I think I actually heard her dad whoop.
“Please don’t interrupt as I tell you this next part because I’m not sure if I stop if I’ll be able to continue.” Her parents agree, and then she looks to me and waits until I nod in agreement before she continues. “I overheard something I wasn’t supposed to and got caught. Bradley beat me up. Badly. And I had to be taken to the hospital. While I was there, I found out I was pregnant. I knew if I stayed any longer, he’d kill us, so I waited until he was asleep, and I left.”
My eyes bore into the side of her head. She can’t even look at me after her revelation. It’s either that or her parents who are yelling.
“I know I should have told you what was going on, but I didn’t have time.” She shakes her head and curls her fingers tighter around her phone. “I’m in Tennessee.” There’s a short pause before she shakes her head. “I couldn’t go home. It would be the first place they’d look for me.”
She listens for a few seconds and then answers.
“I was afraid he’d somehow have your phone bugged. He very well might. I wouldn’t be surprised if mine was, that’s why I left it behind.”
Another pause as she listens.
“I cut and dyed my hair in a bus station bathroom. I don’t even look like myself,” she chuckles humorlessly.
That’s news to me. I scan her hair, trying to figure what color it is naturally if it isn’t this dark brown. I don’t know how she did such a good job while at a bus station.
“We were at a shelter,” she answers, and then starts to nibble on her bottom lip. “Since we got here, we’ve met some really good people.”
“Where are you now?” I hear a man demand.
“Someplace safe. Beck’s teacher introduced me to her son, and he rescued us one night when we got locked out of the shelter. We’ve been staying with him.”
“Oh, honey,” I hear her mom say and a bark from her dad.
“No, I’m not coming home. Bradley will find me there, and I’m not going to put either of you in danger. I promise I’m safe here or as safe as I can be with Bradley and his family breathing.”
That sounds ominous as fuck. What does she mean by that? Who is this Bradley? If Delilah won’t give me answers, I’m going to need to find answers on my own.
“You don’t need to cut your trip short. I know how much Rio means to you,” she says quietly.
“You and your sister mean more to us than anything, sweetheart. You have to know we’d drop anything and everything for you,” I hear her dad say.
It’s good to hear how much they love her.
“Tell us where you are, and we’ll come to you. I want to see you with my own two eyes that you and Beck are safe,” I hear her dad say.
“Is Ava safe at school?” her mom asks.
“I think so. I did warn her to stay away from Bradley when I sent her a message. You don’t have to come right away. You can finish your trip.”
“How do you think we’re going to be able to do anything but worry until we see you? You send us the address to where you’re staying, and we’ll be there either tomorrow or the next day.”
“Delilah, what has that man done to you?” her mom asks, her voice sad.
“Too much, but not any longer. I’m free. I’ll tell you more when you get here.”
“There’s no doubt in my mind,” her mom answers back. I want to chuckle. There’s no way she’s getting out of telling her parents everything. I only hope I get to hear it as well.
“I love you, baby girl. Don’t ever doubt that.”
“I love you too, and I don’t doubt it. Never, not even for a second,” Delilah says softly as tears start to track down her cheeks.
“We’re just happy you’re okay, but if you need to hire security you let us know and we’ll find the best damn person on the planet to keep you and my grandchildren safe. I can’t believe I’m going to be a GiGi again.”
“I can’t either,” she says while picking at the fuzz on a blanket.
“Tell Beck, we love him, and we’ll see him soon, okay?” her mom says. It’s hard to hear, but it sounds like she’s crying.
“I will. I love you, Mama. Thank you for not being mad.” It’s then Delilah finally looks at me. The weight of the world seems to have been lifted off her shoulders.
“I could never be mad at you. Once we get off the phone, I want to know the address we’re going to and then I’ll text you once I’ve got our plane tickets booked.”
“I will. I promise. I love you both.”
“We love you too,” her parents say in unison before she hangs up.
Setting her phone down, Delilah looks to me with questions swimming in her eyes.
I know what she wants to ask. Am I mad at her for not telling me the whole truth? “It seems I still have more to learn about you.”
“Yeah,” she answers on a breathy exhale.
“And your parents are coming to visit.”
“It seems so. If you want Beckham and me to go stay at a hotel while they’re here or—”
“If you suggest staying someplace else ever again, I’m going to take you over my knee.”
It doesn’t escape my notice how her eyes dilate and her cheeks pink up from my words.
9
Delilah
Standing in the kitchen, I watch as Beck hovers in front of the window, waiting for my parents to pull up. Somehow, in less than twenty-four hours, they’ve managed to book tickets and get on a plane. I’m both excited and nervous to see them. I’m not sure I’ll be able to handle the way they look at me once they see me and learn everything.
“They’re here,” Beckham shouts and runs to the door. If he didn’t have a patch of hair missing, you’d never know from this far away, he’d been attacked by a dog. When he woke up this morning, he acted as if nothing had happened. The only acknowledgment was when he asked if he could play in the game tomorrow.
I trail after Beck out of the garage and stand back while my mom engulfs him in a massive hug. My dad comes straight to me and does the same. I breathe in his distinct pine scent and my whole body relaxes from the familiar smell.
“Why didn’t you tell me you’re staying with Max Black?” my dad whispers into my ear as he hugs me tighter.
“Does it make any difference?”
“Not a bit, but it would have made me feel better about your safety. It could have been some twig of a guy with a single lock on his door.”
Pulling back, I laugh. “When have I ever liked men who were twigs?”
“Ah, so you do like him?” He gives me a warm smile as he cups my face. “Your mom and I were wondering about that on the flight here.”
“There’s nothing going on between us,” I tell him.
“I’ve been here for all of two minutes, and I can tell he doesn’t feel the same. He hasn’t taken his eyes off you once.”
“Probably because I was nervous about seeing you,” I admit and hang my head.
“Baby girl, that guy was an asshole. I hate that he hurt you, and if I ever see him, I’ll kill him with my bare hands, but I’m glad you’re away from him.” He nods toward Max. “That man already looks at Beck like he hung the moon.”
Max does look at Beck with more affection than Bradley ever did. It warms my heart. My son has the opportunity to be with someone he looks up to, and that man treats him like he’s his own son.
“Alright, you’ve had her long enough. Now let me get my hugs in.�
� My mom pushes him away but kisses him before he takes a step.
Engulfing me in her arms, my mom hugs me with her all. She gives the best hugs, and it makes me realize how much I’ve missed them these last couple of years.
From over her shoulder, I watch my dad pick Beck up and then hug and kiss him. He looks at his stitches and then hugs him some more.
Tears cloud my vision and I cling to my mom a little harder. “I’m sorry for being a shit daughter. I promise never to do it again.”
“Of course, you won’t because I won’t let you. Now, are you going to introduce us to the handsome man standing over there?”
My mom always knows how to break the tension, and I’m grateful for the reprieve.
Pulling away, I take my mom’s hand in mine and guide us over to Max, who’s standing by the garage with his hands tucked into the pockets of his tight jeans that make his thighs look massive.
“Mom, Dad, this is Max Black. He’s been kind enough to let Beck and I stay here while I try to find a job.”
My dad’s gaze turns to me and then goes back to Max.
“Max, this is my mom, Lexie, and my dad, Ryder.”
Max steps forward and shakes both their hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
“Thank you for taking them in. I’ll never be able to thank you enough.” My dad goes in for some weird man hug, and Max accepts it with ease. With his brows pulled down, my dad looks at me. “Now what’s this about you getting a job?”
“What choice do I have? A baby isn’t cheap. I’m afraid if I touch my money, Bradley will be able to find me. He still might be able to just from us checking into the hospital last night.”
Max steps forward. He’s looking down, but he glances at me out of the corner of his eye. “I’ve already spoken to a friend, and it’s been taken care of. There’s no record of you or Beck being at the hospital.”
“Really?” Excitedly, I place my hands on his chest and lean up to kiss his cheek without thinking. It’s not until I stand back and see the smiles on everyone else’s faces that I realize what I did.
“Why don’t we go inside? I’m sure you’d like to rest after your long flight.” Max suggests with a cocky smirk on his face.
“Actually, I’d love to take a walk around this beautiful property and stretch my legs now that I’ve seen Delilah and Beck are okay with my own two eyes,” my mom says as she takes Beck’s hand in hers and starts to walk toward the back of the house.
“I guess we’re going for a walk,” I laugh, linking my arm with my dad’s and start to follow after them.
“Are you up for a walk?” my dad asks.
Leaning up, I kiss his cheek. He’s always so worried about me. “I love you, Dad.”
“Aww, I love you too, sweet girl, but you didn’t answer my question.”
“I am.” I shrug and lift my hand. “It aches, but nothing more. I’m more emotionally drained from everything that’s happened with Bradley and then Beck getting hurt. I just want my life to be easy and simple.”
“Well, I’m not sure how simple it will be with him by your side.” He nods toward Max.
“He grew up here, so everyone leaves him alone. Well, except some of the moms on the Little League team. They’d like to get in his pants, but that’s to be expected.”
He makes a noise but doesn’t comment for a long moment. “Your mom probably has tips on how to deal with that. I know there were times for her when it was hard to see women throw themselves at me.”
I’ve seen my fair share of women drool over my dad. I have eyes, and I know he’s gorgeous, but he’s also my dad. Still, it might be a good idea to ask my mom how she dealt with it.
“I see a lot of myself in him,” he murmurs.
“In what way?” I watch as my mom and Max swing Beck back and forth. His laugh breaks through the quiet and brings a smile to everyone’s faces.
“The way he looks at you is the same way I looked at your mom. He’s falling for you.”
If anything, my dad looks at my mom with more love. I’d love nothing more than for Max to look at me with a fraction of that love one day.
“Impossible,” I scoff. “We barely know each other.”
“I knew right away, but held my tongue, knowing it would only freak your mom out. Your hesitance, you get from her. It’s not a bad thing, but you and Beck both deserve to have someone love you with everything they have.”
I stop walking and look up at my dad. His blue eyes are trained on me, giving me his full attention. “Can I confess something to you?”
“Always,” is his simple answer.
“I’m worried about once the newness wears off and I get huge, he’ll come to his senses and realize what he’s started. Who wants a woman who’s got one kid and another on the way? That’s not sexy.”
Holding me by the arms, my dad looks back and forth from eye to eye. “That man fucked with you. I don’t know what he did, and it’s probably better that I never learn because I’m not sure I’d be able to hold back from doing something that would land me in jail.” He kisses my forehead and starts walking again. “You probably don’t want to hear this, but I’m going to tell you, anyway. There’s not been a moment when I didn’t find your mom sexy. It didn’t matter when she was days from giving birth to you and your sister.”
He’s right, I don’t want to hear it, but I do believe him. Growing up there wasn’t a day that went by that my dad didn’t show my mom how much he loved her and she, him.
“That’s different. I’m pregnant with some other asshole’s baby. What if he starts treating me differently once I start showing?”
“Then you leave and come to stay with us. Don’t stay with a man if he doesn’t appreciate you. I hope you learned that with Bradley.”
I nod because I did. “What if I’m not meant to have the same love you and mom have?”
“I don’t believe that for a second and you don’t either. You’re just scared. I wouldn’t tell you to give him a shot if I thought he’d hurt you. Let me get to know him while we’re here, and if I think he doesn’t think you’re the best thing he’s ever laid eyes on, I’ll drag you home.”
We both laugh, knowing he’d very well try. “I’ll wait to see if he gets your seal of approval before I hand over my heart.”
“Let’s go catch up with them, so I can start judging if he’s good enough for my daughter and grandson.”
I hug his arm and start to walk faster, knowing he’s slowed down his pace for me. With me being only five-foot-two, I don’t have the leg span he does.
It doesn’t take long for us to catch up. With the way my mom and Max are talking and laughing, you’d think they’d known each other for years instead of a matter of minutes. My dad moves to relieve my mom from swinging duty, and my mom falls back to walk by my side.
She smiles at me, “He’s nice.”
“I know, but isn’t this the worst timing?”
“Stop making excuses. All they do is hurt you and him. Be open to what he wants to give you.” Her advice is so simple.
“Does he get your seal of approval?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“He does, but your dad’s probably going to grill him the entire time we’re here.”
“And how long is that?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. Are you ready to get rid of us already?”
“If it was up to me, you’d stay here forever.”
“Live here,” she scrunches her nose. “While it’s beautiful, you know how much I love the ocean. Maybe you can move closer to us.”
Maybe, but I doubt Max wants to be away from his family.
“We’ll see.” It’s all I can give her.
“I bet Beck was over the moon when he met you,” I hear my dad say.
Beck nods, looking happily up at his PopPop and Max.
“He’s my biggest fan, but I’ve got a secret, I think I’m his biggest fan. He’s an amazing kid.”
“I have to agree. He’s m
y favorite grandson.” My dad smiles down at Beck.
Beck looks up at him with confusion written all over his face. “I’m your only grandson.”
“I know,” my dad smiles down at him.
My mom narrows her eyes at me. “I know there’s more with Bradley, but don’t ever let another man keep you away from us. I don’t think we can take it. We’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too. I didn’t realize how much until I saw you get out of the car. Beck wanted me to color my hair blue like yours.” I laugh.
“Oh, I would love to see you with blue hair. This brown,” she flips the ends of my hair, “you’re still gorgeous, but it’s not you.”
I have to agree.
“I don’t think blue hair is the way to go if you’re trying to hide,” I laugh.
“Probably not,” my mom twists the end of her hair around her finger. “How long are you going to be hiding from him?”
That’s the problem. There is no end date. It’s not because I’m having his baby. Bradley doesn’t even know about it unless he bribed someone from the hospital to give him my medical records. Which now that I know more about him, I wouldn’t put it past him.
“Until he and his family are in jail.”
“Oh, Delilah, what did you hear?”
“Nothing good. We’ll talk about it later. I don’t want Beck to overhear.” She nods, understanding. “I do have a question for you though.”
“Shoot. I’m an open book.”
“How did you handle it when women threw themselves at dad?” If I’m going to do this with Max, I need to be prepared.
“At first, I never thought he’d be interested in me or stay interested.” Sounds familiar. “Once I opened my eyes and heart to him, I never had a chance. Your dad is the best man I’ve ever known. He took care of making sure that when other women were around, they knew we were together, and once they saw they didn’t have a chance and that he only had eyes for me, they backed off.”
“Still, it couldn’t have been easy,” I push.