Delia Bay

by Lauren Cooper

  My palm would automatically go your tiny bump each time we crossed each other. Be that in the hallway at school or at my house. Your parents wouldn’t let me up into your room after they found out you were pregnant. Do you remember how we laughed about that? You were already knocked up what was the worst that could happen right?

  I would say I’m sorry for being so irresponsible, but how am I supposed to be sorry for something I would have loved and cherished above all else?

  I just know you would have been the best mama to our little bug. You loved that little baby the second you found out it was growing inside you. I would have loved you both with everything I had, but now I’ll never have that chance.

  We had so much to look forward to Aurora.

  Do you want me to say sorry baby? Will that bring you back to me?

  A voice in the distance screams through my wandering thoughts and I manage to get a few last words in before I spring my eyes open.

  Aurora my love, I’ll never forget you.

  When my brain had let me come back to reality, I found myself already walking back to the cabin. I hated being inside my own fucking head sometimes. It would take me places I didn’t want to go, and I’d end up somewhere I didn’t want to be. I did a double take that I had Aurora strapped around me and sighed in relief when the strap struck under my fingers.

  I hadn’t had an episode like this for months, ones where I couldn’t differentiate between reality and dreaming. Between night and day.

  I put Aurora in the cabin and decided to take a walk. I needed air.

  By the time I got back down to the boardwalk the sky was a disgusting grey, the clouds thick and threatening but that didn’t stop me. Last night when I wanted to keep walking I’d stopped the urge with the excuse of work, but not today. My feet moved of their own accord, my eyes fixed forward concentrating on nothing in particular.

  I passed the shiny red bike as I came to the end of the walk, slipping it a sly grin as I did. Everyday more ideas would come to me. When would I finally say enough was enough? A loud clap of thunder sounded above me, the clouds rumbling through my bones but still that didn’t have me running back to the confines of my cozy cabin.

  No, keep walking you coward.

  I was only a few meters into the tree lined highway headed towards Delia Town when the heavens opened, coating me in heavy droplets of water that hurt my skin whenever they fell. I had to blink the water off my eyelashes a few times but still I kept walking, one foot in front of the other.

  I didn’t know how long I’d been walking for, I’d left my phone at the cabin and fuck if I owned a watch. The water bounced from the tarmac as passing cars sped past me, but I didn’t care. I didn’t even look up until a pick-up sped past and came to a screeching halt a few yards ahead. The headlights lighting up the road in red in the otherwise grey day. I kept my pace steady, the heavens beating down on me whenever there was a break in the green trees above me. The leather jacket I had on didn’t give way in much of protection from the elements but still, it was better than nothing.

  “Hey!” a sweet voice calls from inside the car a few feet away. Scrunching my brows, I move a little faster towards the now open passenger window. Ducking a little I glance into the cab only to be met with those damned blue eyes that almost bowled me over just a few hours ago.

  “You need a ride?” she asks, her full lips pulling up into a soft smile, the wrinkles around her eyes just confirm her kindness and that makes my stomach roll. I shouldn’t be anywhere near someone like this.

  “I’m good” I shake my head, but my soaking wet body seems to give me away. What I said about having to be the one driving wasn’t a lie. Gus was the only person I trusted enough behind the wheel, but all my rules seem to be flying out the window in this place.

  “I’m headed up to town anyway, it’s no problem. I promise not to murder you” she laughs, her eyes softening. I bite my tongue to stop myself from saying she could kill me just fine because it would save me a damned job but before I can force the words out I’ve gripped the handle and settled into her passenger seat.

  “Don’t have a car huh?” she questions innocently enough, shifting the vintage looking car into gear and pulling back out onto the road.

  “No”

  “Where are you headed?”

  My nostrils flare and my eyes squeeze tightly shut as her scent wafts around me.

  Sweet. Innocent. Addictive.

  “Art store” I grit, my teeth tightly clenched.

  “Oh, me too” she glances over at me and smiles, her blonde hair pulled back into a messy up do today gives me the perfect view of her high cheeks and gorgeous face.

  “You know we have a music store too if you ever need anything for your guitar...” her soft voice trails off at the end of her sentence as she successfully transports us both back to earlier in the day.

  “I’m Luna by the way” she introduces herself without looking at me this time, her eyes solely on the road ahead. I roll her name around on my tongue silently for a while, loving how it just rolls off and feels totally fucking natural. The town is just visible up ahead of us, the streets lined with cars and people running to and from shops trying to dodge the rain.

  “Reid”

  “Nice to meet you Reid. I’m actually up here visiting my Mama, I can get your clothes dry there if you like? Or you can just buy new ones?” she shrugs, slowing her speed as we drive through main street and carry on until it almost reaches the highway.

  “I’m good” I mumble, keeping my eyes firmly on the passing scenery but not actually taking any of it in.

  “You can’t be serious!” she tuts. “You’ll catch a cold! My mama would never forgive me. It’ll take ten minutes tops. And she makes the best damned hot chocolate in the whole of Delia” Luna shakes her head as we come to a stop outside a small cottage in a row of four just at the edge of town.

  “Bit warm for Hot Chocolate ain’t it?” I rub the scruff on my chin between my thumb and forefinger, the rain hammering down on the truck drowning out most of our conversation.

  “It’s never too hot for Hot Chocolate” Luna tuts, shaking her head from side to side.

  “Here we go” her soft voice calls over the rain after she swung into a parking lot.

  “You’ll have to get used to the overbearing people of Delia if you’re going to live here Reid” she laughs, pulling off her seat belt and exiting the bright red cab. I don’t know why but I just sit there and watch her run towards the front of the house, the delicate way she’d said my name has my stomach in knots. The rain hammering down on the roof a constant drum in my ears as I watch her laughing and squinting as rain drops hit her face.

  “Reid!” she yells, waving her arm for me to follow her. The front door opens and reveals a taller version of Luna with short white hair cropped and spiked atop her head. When her grey eyes narrow as she tries to see me through the rain dropped windscreen she steps out into the downpour.

  I may be an asshole, but I’m an asshole with manners. Not wanting to leave the old lady to catch a cold or worse, I suck in a breath and force myself from the flowery comfort of the blond stranger’s car.

  I shove my hands into my jacket pockets as I run towards the two steps up the front stoop where Luna is waiting under the small veranda. The rain drenched me even more and now my eyelashes have tiny droplets hanging off the ends.

  “Mama, this is Reid. The new boy” she smiles brightly, ringing her hair between her small hands around her shoulders and pulling a few drops of water out of it before tying it up again.

  “Well, don’t stand out there all day! You’ll let all the cold out!” Luna’s mother huffs and turns on her heel as she walks back into her house. I take the hint and follow behind Luna who drops her bag to the floor by the door and heads toward what I’m assuming is the kitchen out back.

  “Go put this on boy, I’ll have your clothes dry in no time” Luna’s mother hands me a pair of grey slacks that look like an old pair of
Luna’s and I take them with wide eyes.

  “The bathroom’s just down there” Luna points behind me clearly missing the silent terrified look in my eyes. I’ve come this far, but I doubt Luna’s Mama wants to see me stripping down to my skivvies. It wasn’t exactly something I had on my to do list.

  Granted the small apartment is freezing with the air-conditioning unit in the corner blowing cold air through the place, I’ll be grateful to get out of these clothes.

  Once I’ve changed into the old joggers that are slightly too small I head back out to the kitchen feeling very fucking vulnerable but also weirdly comfortable. The house is warm and welcoming, aside from the ice blaster that Luna’s Ma’ seems to have on the highest setting possible, the sound of someone stirring something on the stove has my attention going that way before I hear someone laugh from the living room.

  All I can see is the tip of Luna’s head over the back of the fat-cushioned sofa, she’s laughing at some sit-com on TV, twirling her hair around her finger with her knees curled up beneath her.

  “Gimme those clothes boy, I’ll throw them in the dryer for you” Luna’s mother startles me from behind, forcing me to turn towards her with her outstretched arms and ignoring the beautiful sound her daughter just made.

  “Thank you, Mrs....” I crinkle my brow, realizing I don’t know the ladies last name, her daughters either for that matter.

  “Perry dear. But you can call me Delilah” she chuckles, going around the corner to what I’m assuming is the laundry room.

  “You didn’t have to bring me here” I grunt ungratefully as I sit on the edge of the armchair just off to the side in the living room. The large sofa Luna’s sat on looks like its seen better years, but it still looks damn comfortable. The old, vintage rug beneath the coffee table is pristine, and the old box TV reminds me of the same one my parents use to have. None of this flat screen shit existed back then. Besides you had to be heart surgeon to be able to own one.

  “You were soaked” she says quietly, fiddling with the fabric of her cardigan when I flick my eyes towards her. Those too-big blue eyes are fucking perfect on her heart shaped face, tanned skin and those cute little freckles that dust her nose. I inhale sharply when she drags her eyes from my shoulders to my chest, no doubt taking in each inch that I’ve covered in ink over the years.

  The half sunrise, half sunset I have over my heart. The slashes across my ribs that look like a monster trying to escape from within. The dark red ink dribbling down each curve of muscle before meeting the poppy that grows from my left hip. The tiny hand holding it along with the date in which they would have been born.

  “Reid?” Luna’s quiet voice breaks through the memories that I find myself living in more and more these days. Glancing at her and her mother who’s ringing a towel between her palms.

  “Would you like a hot chocolate?” Delilah asks with a raised eyebrow; her grey eyes tell me not to argue so I force a smile and nod briefly.

  “Thanks”

  “Your tattoos are pretty amazing” Luna says when her mother is far enough way not to hear her.

  “Thanks” I grunt, less friendly this time. The room quietens into an uncomfortable silence, all on my part not Luna’s. I don’t do people. I don’t do family living rooms. It was ripped from my capabilities long ago. My skin began to itch the more I sat in that room, even more so when my lungs burned with hot chocolate that reminded me of the same mugs my own mama would make me when I was sick.

  I had to get out of here.

  Poppy Seeds & Sun Rises

  WHAT THE HELL WAS I thinking bringing the undeniably good-looking bad boy to my mama’s house? Perhaps I had a death wish I was only just noticing. From the second he walked out of my childhood bathroom, his earthy, all male scent consuming everything around me, even my favorite hot chocolate. I had to train my eyes on the TV and fake a few laughs to make it seem less obvious. When had I ever done that before?

  I was just being nice. It was what we do here in Delia, we look out for one another, and I wasn’t having it on my head if Reid got sick because I’d driven past him in the first major downpour of the year.

  Just his name was still rolling around my mouth like a sweet lollipop as I tried it out for the millionth time. We didn’t have any Reid’s around here, it was a city boy name, but he wasn’t a city boy. You could tell that just by looking at him.

  The ink, the nose ring, the curled top hair with the short sides made him more a free spirit than he clearly thinks he is. That made him dangerous, both to himself and to me. So, why couldn’t I stop looking at the artwork across his body? The beautiful, blood red poppy growing from a child’s hand with a few fluttering petals falling down the deep V that no doubt led to my wildest dreams. The poppy seeds and sunrises that painted his torso left so many questions in my head. The ink, it spoke to me on a level I hadn’t experienced before, and I had my own. It might have had something to do with my name but, the life I led wasn’t fancy and over the top like some and that’s why I loved the mood and its energy. The bright pseudo-planet is a symbol of our deepest personal needs, the ones we should be paying more attention to rather than the usual daily grind. My tattoo reminded me of that each time I looked at it, the dreamcatcher down my ribs that held not feathers but moons symbolized me and everything I stood for. My thoughts are distracted when Reid swallows the last of his hot chocolate before innocently sucking the remnants of melted marshmallow from his spoon. My insides turn to a muddled mess and I shut my eyes briefly to gather myself. How can men do that?!

  “That was delicious Mama” I smile, going to the kitchen and swilling my cup out in the sink before checking on the dryer and Reid’s clothes. Thank god they were practically dry, he needed fabric covering those muscles stat.

  “Here you go City Boy. Let’s go, I need to get the Craft store before it closes” I shove his clothes in his direction which he takes with one hand before standing and taking his own mug to the sink. I sink my teeth into my bottom lip and say a prayer for all woman kind when I get a look at his sweet, round ass in my old joggers. Granted I was slightly chubbier back in High school that’s why they fit around his muscular legs but I’m oh so grateful they seem like a second skin on his ass cheeks as he saunters his way back to the bathroom.

  “Luna Perry!” My mother hisses from her chair in the corner, her open magazine splayed across her lap.

  “What?” I gawk, schooling my features.

  “I did not raise you to look at a man that way!” she wags her finger in my direction, but her face can’t hold the seriousness. Before we know it we’re both hysterical.

  “Oh God, mama!” I wipe the tears from my eyes and watch the old lady smile to herself.

  Always thought she was hysterical that one.

  “What it’s true!” she shrugs her slim shoulders.

  “It is not! You ogle more men than I do, and I live down in the bay!” I manage to finish my sentence before I hear the distinct creek of the bathroom door and I clear my throat, throwing mama a warning look to keep her quick mouth shut.

  “Ready?” I swipe a nervous hand over my hair as I make my way to the front door, grabbing my bag from the floor where I left it. It was the same spot I used to dump my rucksack after school years ago and Mama daren’t yell at me anymore. I used to ignore her anyway, that’s what teenagers do right? I’ll tell you it was the only damn thing I got away with, everything else she was like a third eye glued to the back of my head, there was no keeping secrets around my old girl.

  “Sure” Reid shrugs his damp jacket over his shoulders and brushes a hand through his mop of hair giving me a full view of his forest green eyes and long lashes.

  “See you soon mama” I smile at her and she returns the look, her eyes shining with a knowing glance so strong I have to shake my head slightly. God, how can I be an adult and still have my mama embarrassing me.

  “It was nice to meet you Mrs. Perry. Thank you for the clothes and chocolate” Reid gives her a closed mou
th smile and I can’t help but feel the green monster of jealousy grow in my stomach. How come he smiles at her when I hardly get cognitive words out of his mouth?

  The rain was still pouring but nowhere near as much as it had been, forcing us to run back to my truck. Doing so in flip-flops was a damned sight harder than they made it look in the movies.

  “I need to call by the craft store” I remind him, turning the key in the ignition and earning a grunt from his general direction. The cab of my truck quickly fills with his stupidly intoxicating scent and I can barely concentrate as I reverse out of the parking bay.

  Sure, I’ve had my fair share of men. No, I’m not a slut. But I’m a woman with needs and right now those needs are screaming out to Reid. Whom, I still don’t even know anything about, besides the fact that he’s filthily hot, disgustingly so in fact and covered in ink I so badly want to investigate closer.

  “So, what brought you to Delia?” I try to make small talk, the windscreen wipers squeaking slightly on the glass and creating an aggravating noise as I make a right back into town. I hear him inhale but he doesn’t make the move to answer my question. A slight tightening across my chest forces me to drop the question as if my body knows he doesn’t walk to talk about it and I don’t want to force it.

  Before I know it, we’re parked outside the craft store, the old brick building in line with all the others on Main Street is dimly lit by the old lamp inside. The dark grey day means it’s quiet, well for tourists at least. The rain never deters townsfolk.

  Before I even turn off the engine, Reid is out of the car and running the short distance to the shop much to my surprise. After shaking my head briefly, I follow him. I have a shop to run after all and I need supplies.

  I spot him over by the art pads and pens and decide to leave him to it as I go in search of fabric ink.

  “Hello, my beautiful Luna” Trent calls from the stock room out back.

  “Hey Trent” I keep my eyes on the shelves, scanning the various colors that I could use on the lace I purchased just yesterday. Trent is in his forties, with a learning disability and he calls everyone beautiful, but it doesn’t make me feel any less special.