Battling the Enemy

by M. E. Clayton

  I did learn, however, that what we had done Friday night was nothing compared to how we spent last night. It was almost as if, now that I wasn’t a virgin any longer, Deke didn’t have to hold back.

  I also learned just how dark Deke’s desires could scale. He liked rough sex, and he liked dirty sex and, after last night, a blushing wallflower I no longer was.

  Deke liked control, and not just your average everyday role identifications as me being the woman and him being the man. No. Deke liked sinister control. The kind of control where you had to trust the person entirely; where you had to trust that it was still consensual sex.

  Deke had spent all night holding me down and making me take whatever he had to give me, and it had taken some serious getting used to. He also liked to talk dirty, and the language coming from his lips had been another acclimation I had to get used to.

  But after every time he held me close and just…held me.

  It was as if letting him to whatever he wanted to my body was some sort of validation or something. Like…he was trying to scare me off, but it wasn’t working, so he felt…better. I don’t know. It was weird to experience, much less try to explain.

  He had also made it clear that I needed to start bringing a change of clothes to his house because I was going to need it. I think he was half-ass moving me into his house with him. But, until then, I was back at my house getting ready for school.

  I had time for a bite to eat before school, but my phone rang as I dropped two slices of bread into the toaster. It was weird, the house staff did their thing during school hours, so I rarely saw them, but I always had pre-made dinners in the fridge to eat. Breakfast wasn’t included, so toast it was. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I saw it was my mother, and I couldn’t stop the groan even if I had wanted to.

  “Good Morning, Mother,” I answered.

  “Delaney Martin,” she snapped, and I already knew, “what is this nonsense I’m hearing from the Reynolds that you’ve…you’ve terminated the agreement between our families?”

  Jesus. This really was a business transaction.

  “I was going to call-”

  “Delaney, what are you thinking?” she asked, not caring about interrupting me.

  “Mom-”

  “I mean…this…this is our future,” she sputtered.

  “Our future?”

  “I meant yours, of course,” she bit back, correcting her slip of the tongue.

  Little did she know, that gave me the perfect opening. “And as it’s my future, I decided I want something different, Mom,” I replied. “I’m not happy with the idea of marrying Winston just to secure a solid financial foundation for you and the Reynolds. I want to be happy.”

  “Nonsense, Delaney,” she clipped. “You’ll be perfectly happy with Winston-”

  I let out a sigh. “No, I won’t, Mother,” I said, this time cutting her off. “I met a guy and-”

  She scoffed. “Delaney, please. I’ve heard all about the boy you’re throwing Winston over for. The Reynolds told me everything.”

  “You got an opinion about a guy from the people who stand to lose just as much as you do, and you believe them? Seriously?”

  “What about Blaineview?” she asked, ignoring my question. “You know they’ll take you on because of your grades and being our only child. You’re not throwing that away, also, are you?”

  I had never wanted to go to Blaineview. I wanted to go to Dartmouth. I wanted to go to an East Coast school to get as far away from my stifling future as I could. My parents had thought I needed to go to college with Winston. It was assumed he’d attend Blaineview like a majority of Windsor graduates, but he’s mentioned, over the years, wanting to explore his options.

  “We’ve talked about this, Mom. I want to go to Dartmouth,” I reminded her.

  “And we talked about how it’s more beneficial to follow Winston,” she reminded me.

  “But Winton’s a nonfactor now, Mother,” I volleyed back.

  She was silent for a while and that meant Mrs. Shirley Martin was reassessing her approach. My mother might seem like a vapid socialite, but she was more cunning than people gave her credit for. The scar on my face was proof enough of that.

  “How about we make you a deal, Delaney,” she posed. “We’ll set up a tour at Dartmouth this weekend for you, but you have to…consider Winston a bit more.”

  “Mom-”

  “Hear me out, Delaney,” she implored. “Four years is a long time, don’t you agree?”

  I glanced at my watch that showed four minutes was a long time. “Yes,” I agreed, nevertheless.

  “High school romances have a tendency to fizzle out, and…and I’m not saying that in an unsupportive way.” I almost snorted. “I’m saying that as a matter of fact, Delaney.”

  The jacked-up part?

  She wasn’t lying.

  It was very rare for high school sweethearts to make it through the grownup stages in life together. People grow up and change. What you want at thirty is a far cry from what you wanted at sixteen. There were no guarantees, and even if Deke and I gave it our all, we could still eventually drift apart later down the line.

  Four years was a long time, and anything could happen. Hell, I had been using that same argument every time I defended my arrangement to Ava. I lost count of how many times I’ve said Winston could end up meeting someone in college and falling in true love. If I went to Dartmouth and Deke went to Blaineview, the same thing could happen to either one of us. I mean, hell…how many times has a person thought themselves in love only to find real true love later in life and realized every relationship beforehand hadn’t compared?

  I knew I was in love with Deke, but just like he said his love for me didn’t make him weak, I couldn’t let my love for him make me stupid.

  So, I agreed.

  I agreed that I shouldn’t be so closed minded to all of life’s possibility for something so brand new and unchartered.

  “Okay, Mom,” I conceded. “I won’t…take Winston off the table completely, just yet, but you have to promise to give Deke a chance. Even if…things don’t work out with me and Deke, he still deserves a fair chance. It’s not his fault I’ve changed my mind.”

  “Why…why don’t we concentrate on college right now, since that’s the next step your life, and we’ll deal with everything else as it comes?” she suggested.

  I wanted to argue and make her acknowledge my relationship with Deke, but I knew I had a better chance of making her see things my way face-to-face. I should probably be grateful that she bothered to call and discuss this, at all. Her or my father could have easily cut off all my finances and gone the bullying and intimidation route.

  “Sounds good, Mom,” I lied. “I’ll…I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Of course, dear,” she replied smoothly. “I’ll set up your tour and email you all the information later today.”

  “Okay,” I muttered. “I need to go, Mom. I’m going to be late for school.”

  The smile in her voice told me she thought she won this round, and I suppose she had. “Oh, certainly, honey. Talk to you later.”

  “Bye, Mom.” I hung up not waiting for her to say bye back, and I felt absolute wretched.

  I felt…the entire conversation felt like…betrayal of some sort. Even though I knew I was done with Winston, just agreeing with my mother made me feel…underhanded.

  The toast had popped up out of the toaster long ago and was already cold, so I threw the two slices in the trash and hoped Ava had her ever stash of granola bars in her bag. The crazy girl said she always had granola bars because you never knew if kidnappers were lurking about or not, and you needed food to survive after escaping their sex trafficking ring. I gave her the kidnapping, because…well, we were the children of the One-Percent, but sex trafficking? Kidnapping for ransom was more likely.

  With my sore body exiting my house and getting into my car, I wondered what I was going to tell Deke. I’ve never had to answer to an
yone before or take someone else into consideration when I went somewhere or did something, so it felt weird.

  But…Deke couldn’t get upset with a college tour, right?

  I mean…right?

  Chapter 29

  Deke~

  I let Delaney go on that stupid weekend tour to Dartmouth because I was in love with her, and I was quickly realizing that love equated to stupidity on a grand fucking scale.

  She had sounded so excited when she had told me Tuesday that her parents had set up a tour for her at Dartmouth, I hadn’t had the heart to tell her she was already enrolled in Blaineview, and she’d be going to school with us. I had also made a mental note to find out what Ava’s college plans were. If we could get her to go to Blaineview with us, I knew Delaney would feel much better about going.

  Another reason I let her go was because she said her parents were meeting her at Dartmouth and she wanted to use this opportunity to talk to them face-to-face about our relationship. She had told me all about the conversation she’d had with her mother Tuesday morning, and her mother sounded like a real piece of manipulative work.

  The fucked-up thing was that I didn’t care if Delaney’s parents liked me or not. Their opinions had no impact on Delaney’s future with me. I just wanted her universally happy, if possible. I knew it was going to be a hard sell because any parents willing to physically harm their child for the sake of money had to be evil. I had no doubt they would fight tooth and nail to convince her to still marry Reynolds, but it wasn’t going to happen. I just had to stay back until she called on me to help.

  It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.

  “Uh…Deke,” Emerson’s voice broke through my thoughts, but it was more her tone.

  We were all at Ramsey’s getting ready to spend the day at the cove for another day party with a barbeque and all that shit. The only person missing was Delaney as I was sure Ava would be in attendance.

  With everyone in the kitchen grabbing drinks and shit, I turned towards Emerson. Roselyn was standing next to her and they were both looking at something on her phone. “Yeah?”

  I watched the girls share a look before Emerson’s silver eyes landed on mine. “Uhm…did you say Delaney was meeting her parents for her tour of Dartmouth?” I nodded. “Just her parents?”

  Before I could answer, Linnie breathed out, “Oh, shit.”

  I was at their side, plucking Emerson’s phone out of her hand before they knew it, and there on the screen, was a picture of Delaney, Winston, and their parents with the caption reading ‘New school. New Beginnings. New Family. Congratulations, Delaney & Winston!’ It had been posted to social media and had somehow landed on Emerson’s notifications.

  No fucking way.

  “Now, Deke,” Linnie said softly, like a trainer approaching a wounded tiger at the zoo, “we have no idea-”

  My eyes shot towards her. “She said she was going alone, Roselyn,” I bit out. “She said she was going alone and meeting her parents there. She didn’t say fuck all about Reynolds and his parents.”

  “Deke,” Emerson joined in, “for all we know, she did. Her parents could have ambushed her, you know.”

  After that disaster between Ramsey and Emerson when Ramsey had jumped to conclusions without letting Emerson explain, I knew she was just trying to give Delaney the benefit of the doubt, but that picture didn’t display a girl who was upset about being ambushed.

  “Emerson, look at the fucking picture!” I spewed, Ramsey taking his rightful place behind her by the time I was done hissing at her. She took her phone back, studied the photo, and just bit her lip, saying nothing.

  She knew I was right.

  “Maybe you should call her and-”

  I cut Roselyn off. “Fuck that, Linnie,” I snapped. “Even if she was ambushed, she should have called me and told me. Or, better yet, gotten the fuck out of there. It’s not like she’s broke and can’t afford a motherfucking plane ticket!”

  I had never been so livid in all my life. They must have gotten to her. She showed up and her parents had the Reynolds in tow and they convinced Delaney how perfect their lives could all still be. They probably spent all day reminding her of the good times. And because Delaney’s always been…pliable, she probably caved within an hour.

  Never mind that she’s spent every night with me this week. Never mind that I’ve fucked her a million different ways, cumming inside her with no thought to the consequences. Sure, she ended up getting the shot Monday afternoon, but that didn’t mean shit. The dice had already been thrown.

  “Deke, you need to call her,” this from Liam. “Yeah, the picture looks bad, but...there could be a very innocent reason for it.”

  I scanned the faces of my friends, and knowing they were only trying to help, I gave in. I yanked my phone from my back pocket and dialed Delaney. I dialed Delaney and motherfucking Winston Reynolds answered her phone, “Deke.”

  “Where the fuck is Delaney, Reynolds?” I growled into the phone.

  “She’s in the middle of her tour,” he answered. “Look, Deke, don’t make this…situation harder than it needs to be.”

  Winston Reynold’s was a dead man.

  “Meaning?”

  “Delaney belongs with me, Deke,” he said, believing he was safe over the phone. “I admit I dropped the ball by taking her for granted, and I’ll have to live with that. I’ll have to live with the fact that you…will always matter in her life. But she’s always belonged with me. Our families…well, you can’t undo years of friendship.”

  I clenched the phone so tightly, it’s a wonder it didn’t crack in my hand. “You’re with her in New Hampshire?”

  “Check social media,” he taunted. “That should tell you everything you need to know.”

  I had to steady myself. Rage was threatening to shatter my psyche. I wanted to kill Reynolds for daring to come between me and Delaney, and I wanted to kill Delaney for being so weak, so spineless.

  She said she loved me, but she’d rather be with Winston because it was easier than standing up to her parents. Even though she had me to fight alongside with her, she was too weak to see it through.

  I told Delaney I would never let her go, but that was when I thought she wanted me just as badly as I did her. That’s when I thought she loved me more than she loved simplicity. And, truth be told, no one that weak belonged in our group.

  “You can have Delaney, Winston,” I hissed into the phone, pretending that rage wasn’t corroding my soul. “But a word to the wise…you better stay away from me, and you sure as fuck better keep Delaney away from me, or I will ruin the rest of your lives, Reynolds. I will spend every resource I have making you jump to your own deaths if either of you come within spitting distance of me.”

  He was quiet for a few seconds before saying the words that guaranteed we’d be meeting up really soon, “It won’t matter because, in the end, I’ll have Delaney.” I hung up the phone and threw it across the kitchen, not caring when it shattered against the wall.

  “Deke…” Emerson whispered.

  I didn’t look at her.

  I didn’t look at anyone.

  I didn’t look at anyone or utter a word as I heard Ramsey say, “Hey, baby, why don’t you and Roselyn go to the party without-”

  “You’re out of your goddamn mind if you think I’m leaving Deke like this,” she snapped. “I’m not going anywhere, Reed.” Ramsey let out a sigh because, like we all knew, whenever Emerson called him Reed, we knew she was serious.

  “I’m not leaving either,” Roselyn piped up.

  “Okay,” Liam said. “Just…you girls go watch a movie…or something, while…uhm, we take care of this.”

  I could hear the girls shuffle out of the kitchen and it wasn’t until I was certain they were out of earshot that I looked up at Liam and Ramsey. With their girls gone, they let their feelings show plainly on their faces.

  They were just as livid as I was.

  “Who do you want to destroy f
irst?” Ramsey asked.

  That was easy.

  Delaney.

  Reynolds wasn’t the one who was tearing a patch in my chest.

  “I’ll handle Delaney,” I replied, cold and…just fucking cold. “You can take her parents and Liam can take the Reynolds.”

  “And Winston?” Liam asked.

  “I’ll handle him when I’m done with Delaney,” I promised. “Their blissful future is going to be her feeding him through a straw for the rest of their lives.”

  Chapter 30

  Delaney~

  I was so irritated, it wasn’t even funny. Not only had this tour turned out to be nothing like I had imagined, I lost my phone, and I missed Deke.

  Visiting Dartmouth had been a big eye opener to how much I didn’t want to be on the East Coast while Deke was at Blaineview on the West Coast.

  But more irritating than anything else had been when we had all gone out to dinner after the tour was over and the Reynolds had joined us. My parents had tried to play it off as a happy coincidence, but I knew better. I also started to question the loss of my phone. Had I had it on me, I would have called an Uber, gone to the airport, and bought a ticket home.

  Now, it was late evening, and I was at the store, buying a new phone. Sure, the sales associate was kind enough to activate my backup and all my apps, but it was still a pain in the ass. Not to mention, my parents were having after dinner cocktails with the Reynolds and they were seriously expecting me to show up and play polite. And, once upon a time, I might have-but not anymore.

  Knowing Deke had my back and was waiting at home to slay dragons for me, gave me a sense of strength I never knew I possessed. Sure, I wasn’t a complete pushover, but I never viewed myself as strong as Ava, as brave as Roselyn, or as badass as Emerson.

  But being with Deke made me feel all those things.

  I knew I had been played by my parents, but I was actually grateful for the experience because I knew now, without a doubt, I wanted to be with Deke wherever he went.