Braided Strings

by Kaprice Potter

  Then he slid one finger into her, and she gasped. Delaney was the first to ever really touch her, and she was glad she waited. Unaware, she pushed her hips up to meet his hand, and began kissing him more fervently. Then her hands were roaming over his body again, until she was pushing his boxers down his hips to release the erection she had noticed earlier.

  After he was freed from them, she slid her hand between their bodies, wrapping her fingers around his length. The intensity of their actions was growing rapidly, and she began stroking him, making him harder by the second. Finally Delaney pulled her shorts off and settled between her legs once more. Leaning down to kiss her again, he muffled her cries when he pushed into her.

  She felt the sting of her first time just as he did, and he did not push any further. They lay there motionless for a moment, until she pushed her hips into him again, as she had with his hand. They began moving together, breathing heavier and deeper. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, and they both stilled at the same time, releasing the pressure that had been building.

  Chapter 3

  She pulled herself out of the memory almost abruptly. Trips down memory lane were not uncommon for her of late, and this house was the focal point of many of those trips. Bonfires out back on weekends, wild teenage parties in the large shed, and movie nights—often cuddled on the floor with Delaney. She had not thought about it then, but those were the nights that she would relive whenever she needed to put a smile on her face. It seemed a shame to her that the girl that had made those memories had become almost a stranger to her over the last two years. Her former self was as foreign to her as everything had been when she moved to this town.

  A grin spread across her face as she remembered the first time she met Delaney. His build had been tall and intimidating even in tenth grade. He had been the first person to speak with her after she transferred schools mid-year, and he had made what she thought would be the worst day of her high school career the best. Though they had only ever had the one class together, they became friends instantly and were almost inseparable. His parents had even become friends in her mind after she had fallen just as hard for Dan and Cheryl Blake as she had for their son. She could see in them the source of every positive quality Delaney retained, and for that alone she admired them.

  That was an entirely different source of guilt. Despite the many times that his parents had welcomed her in, she also distanced herself from them. She knew that a large reason behind her falling in love with Delaney had been the support and openness of his parents. Now she was hoping that the bridge was not burned, and that they would be as kind as she remembered them. She knew it was too much to ask for under the circumstances, but hope was all she had at this point. Summoning her courage, she got out of the car and walked to the door. She almost had to force herself still when she rang the bell.

  ***

  Cheryl Blake answered the door, her kind eyes smiling as she realized it was Cara on the other side. She grabbed her into a hug and squeezed tightly.

  “Cara! Sweetheart, how are you? Where on earth have you been? How is school?” Her questions were rapid fire, and Cara had to take a moment to catch everything.

  “Hi, Cheryl! I’m great, how are you?” She smiled back at Cheryl, instantly put at ease by her welcome. Her calming nature was one of the things she shared with her son.

  “Oh, I’m good, honey. Come on in, I’ll make some coffee and you can tell me what you’ve been up to.”

  And just like that, Cara was forgiven for years of absence, and her guilt-ridden conscience kicked into high gear.

  “Actually, Cheryl, I was just stopping to see if you can help me reach Delaney. We haven’t talked in a while and I guess he’s changed his cell phone number.”

  “Honey, he did that a year ago. You haven’t talked to him in that long?” The concern in Cheryl’s voice was evident, making Cara want to cringe. “Oh well, that doesn’t surprise me, I guess. He’s been so busy with that new job, we hardly hear from him either—just when he comes out for dinner once a week or so. He’s coming out tonight if you stick around and catch him?”

  This time Cara did cringe a little, and hoped that Cheryl had not caught her. She loved Cheryl and her husband Dan, but a quiet little family dinner wasn’t something she was ready for. She imagined that she and Delaney would have a lot to say to each other, and most of it would be best done in private.

  “I would really love to, but I’m watching my parents’ house while they’re on vacation. They’re leaving in the morning, so I planned to have dinner with them,” she said. “Can I get Delaney’s new number from you? I need to get back soon, but I’d love to get in touch with him this evening.”

  “Oh, sure,” Cheryl said, walking to the counter to write down his number. She pulled off the Post-it, and handed it to Cara. “You make sure you come by for dinner before you take off again. I know Dan would really like to see you, too.”

  “I will, thank you. Tell Dan hi for me.”

  Cara turned and left the house, wondering how Cheryl’s attitude would change when she learned everything. She assumed the loving couple that had opened their home to her would not be pleased to learn the events that had taken place, and they would most certainly never look at her the same again.

  After climbing into her car, Cara pulled out her cell phone to dial the number Cheryl had given her. She wasn’t sure what she was going to say, or if he would even answer at this hour, but she knew she couldn’t prolong the inevitable. She had to talk to him, had to see him. She could hopefully manage to get it over with before she panicked and really did take off again.

  After the third ring she heard his voice, though he was talking to someone else. It was always deeper than she expected, and held a touch of amusement in every word. At least that hadn’t changed.

  “Delaney, hey. It’s Cara. I’m sorry if I’m interrupting something.”

  “Cara?” he said as he broke off from his conversation. “Hey. What’s going on? “

  “I’m actually back in town for a couple of weeks, and thought we could get together for coffee. Are you free at all?”

  “Sure, when are you thinking? I’m just leaving the office. We could meet at the coffee shop uptown if you want to get together now?”

  “Great, I’ll see you there in 10?” She barely heard him agree before he disconnected the call. If that was any indication, their reunion was not going to be all hearts and butterflies.

  Chapter 4

  The drive into town was just long enough for her anxiety to rise exponentially. Who could have thought that in such a short drive her blood pressure could escalate so much? She could feel her pulse hammering in her throat, and her hands were sodden as she gripped the steering wheel. She was on the verge of hyperventilating as she pulled up to The Coffee Company. Staring at the front window, she once again sat in her car, this time remembering the last time she had spoken to Delaney, before things had gone horribly wrong. She had just gotten in from her first day of classes, and she knew that he would be calling to check in.

  “Hey, Del. How’s it going today?”

  “Livin’ the dream, Cricket. Just wanted to see how your first day of class went. Everything good there?”

  “Yeah, but it’s a lot different from high school, or even gen eds. I’ve actually got a ton of studying to do already, and have to be at work in a couple of hours. Mind if I call you back later on this week, when I have some free time?”

  “No problem. Hey, before I let you go, I’ve got some vacation time coming up. Want me to come out in a few weeks?”

  “Really? You could come out that soon?”

  “Yeah. Can you make the time? I really want to see you.”

  “Of course I can. I miss you already. I can’t wait!”

  “All right, I’ll plan it and see you then. I miss you, too, Cricket. Call me soon.”

  They had exchanged a few texts between then and his visit, but that was the last positive conversation they’d had with e
ach other.

  ***

  She walked in and saw him immediately. For some reason, he seemed taller, which had to be impossible since he had been well over six feet in high school already. Sitting at the same table they claimed so many years before, she noted that his dirty blond hair was longer, but only so that it didn’t resemble a military cut anymore. As the bell above the door announced an entrance, he turned in his seat. His eyes were a dark blue, warm, and she thought, a little sorrowful. She cursed herself that she might have been the cause of that pain.

  She moved to him as he stood, hesitant to hug her. She stood on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck, her five foot four frame almost a full twelve inches shorter than him. She whispered her greeting in his ear as he squeezed her tightly.

  “I’ve missed you, Del,” she said as she pulled away, feeling a familiar comfort in his embrace. “How are you?”

  “I’m great, and you? Getting enough sleep?” Delaney punctuated the question with a wink. He had never stopped teasing her for the inability to stay awake during their first, and only, class they had taken together. So many times he had to prevent her from falling out of her seat when she started to nod off.

  “Haha,” she retorted. “No, but I’ve gotten much more accustomed to late nights and early mornings. It may require ungodly amounts of caffeine, but I manage.”

  Just as she said it, a waitress came by and set drinks in front of them. She looked up at the woman, puzzled when she saw that it was not one of the regulars she knew. Delaney intervened before she could question.

  “I ordered for you, since I had to wait. Turtle mocha with extra whip and two shots of espresso?”

  Cara blinked, surprised that he would remember her preferences in such detail. It shouldn’t have been such a shock though, since he had made a habit of ordering for her every chance he got. Sometimes she had thought it was a game to him, proving how well he knew her.

  “Thanks, Del. I’m surprised that you remembered.” She picked up her drink and sipped, closing her eyes with the first taste. “Mmm, it’s as delicious as ever. I swear this is the only place that really knows how to make this.”

  “Well, it is their signature. Not that you didn’t help them perfect it,” he joked.

  Cara set down her drink, staring at him fondly. How in the world was she going to tell him her secret? She knew she had to have the conversation with him; just as she knew it was going to break his heart to learn the truth of it all.

  “Delaney, we really need to talk. I know it’s over and done with, but…”

  He held up a hand to interrupt her.

  “Cara, don’t. You don’t have to go there. I know you feel it was a mistake, I get that. We can just forget it even happened.”

  Well, clearly Delaney hadn’t forgotten about their first night spent together, either. But for him to think she thought it was a mistake was almost laughable. In fact, she actually did chuckle a little bit.

  “No, I don’t think it was a mistake, and no, I can’t forget it ever happened. And what happened after is what we really need to talk about.”

  Delaney looked more than a little horrified, almost comically so. “Cara…” At that, he stopped, clearly at a loss for words.

  “Delaney, I wish it hadn’t happened the way it did. I took my usual way out. I put the wall back up and shut you out. Now I have to figure out how to say everything I should have said months, even years ago.”

  Cara broke off, and put her head in her hands. Damn it, she was going to cry, and this was not the time for that. She needed to get what she could out, and then hopefully they could move on to find their new normal. She knew that wasn’t going to be easy, though. Not with everything she’d kept from him.

  “When you left, Del, it broke my heart. I know you were scared, and it wasn’t the right time for you. I can’t blame you for that. And now I need to let go of the blame for you walking out. I gave you the option, so it was my own fault. I should have told you how much I needed you to stay, to be there with me.”

  “Cara, you can blame me. You were right. We were old enough to take the risk, we were old enough to deal with the consequences. Good or bad. I thought a lot about that, especially after your text. I expected to feel relief, but all I felt was guilt.”

  Cara managed a weak laugh. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made you feel that way. If I knew how to handle myself better, it probably wouldn’t have been an issue at all.”

  “There’s nothing to forgive. You’re right that it probably wasn’t the right time. We’ve always been believers in signs. Things wouldn’t have gotten so mucked up if it had been meant. It is what it is, right?” He shrugged. Cara knew Delaney was trying his best to be calm and nonchalant about it, but since he was never very good at hiding his true feelings from her, she could pinpoint the tells of his lie. If she wasn’t mistaken, she had hurt him just as much as he had hurt her, however inadvertent it was on his part. Crap, she thought, this is going to get ugly.

  “That’s not all I’m asking you to forgive me for,” Cara whispered, biting her lip. “I lied to you, and I pushed you away. I was hurt and feeling rejected, and then I just decided it was best to ignore and avoid you all together. A lot has happened, and there were so many times that I wanted to pick up the phone and call you, beg you to come see me, somewhere that we could be alone without anywhere to run.”

  “Why did you ignore me for so long?”

  “It’s a really long story, and one that I don’t want to get into here. But by the time I got up the nerve to call, you’d changed your number. I got it from your mom this afternoon. Guess you were pretty pissed, since you decided not to tell me that you changed your number.”

  Her tone held more bite than she had intended, and apparently her anger that he had cut her out as easily as she cut him out was not well buried. She knew it was hypocritical, and she knew that she had no right to be upset, but it was there, simmering under the surface. He knew it was there, too, and he just gave her the small half grin he had mastered to get himself out of trouble. No matter how hard she tried, she never could resist the boyish charms that smirk exuded. Still, she argued her point.

  “What are you smiling at? I can’t believe I didn’t even get a text message.” She knew she was being ridiculous, but he knew exactly what buttons to push, and laughing at her when she was trying to be serious was one of the bigger ones.

  “I don’t know why you didn’t get a text message, Cara. I sent you my new number the day it changed, along with everyone else in my phone. You didn’t respond. At the time, it didn’t surprise me.”

  Cara seemed to think about that for a minute. It made sense, since she hadn’t switched her number or local area when she’d moved, so she’d missed plenty of phone calls and text messages. Her attitude calmed a bit.

  “I’ll give you that one, since I have no way to prove you’re not telling the truth. I also can’t blame you for not trying to follow up, since I hadn’t given you any reason to think I’d respond.”

  “Well, then that’s water under the bridge, too.” Delaney checked his watch, and Cara remembered that he was having dinner with his parents. He probably wanted to be to his parents’ house before his dad got home from work. He was the type that enjoyed the personal time with each of his parents any chance he got.

  “You probably have to get going, huh? Your mom said it was family dinner night.”

  “Yeah, I should get out there and see if Mom needs help with anything,” he said. “You said you’re here for a couple of weeks? We should try to grab dinner or lunch before you leave.”

  “That’d be great. I’m actually staying at my parents’ while they’re on vacation, so I don’t have much going on.

  “Well, how about a pizza and movie night tomorrow night?”

  “That sounds like a plan, but how about we do it at my parents’ place and I’ll cook instead?”

  “Okay. You taking requests?”

  “I suppose.” Cara had a good fe
eling that he was going to ask for his favorite meal.

  “Meat loaf and mashed potatoes,” Delaney said, smiling like a small boy. It was exactly what Cara had thought.

  “You’re so predictable sometimes. I’ll have supper ready by 6?”

  “Great, it’s a date.” They got up and walked out together, and Delaney walked her to her car. Before she opened the door, he leaned down and gave her a friendly kiss. “See you then, Cricket.”

  Her nerves melted away, and she actually laughed at his use of the silly nickname he’d given her. He had dubbed her Cricket once she had opened up enough to show him the real her. He’d said it suited her because she was so small and quiet most of the time, but when she was in her element she was loud, energetic, and carefree.

  She drove home with a hopeful smile on her face. Maybe not so much had changed, and there was a chance their friendship could survive the changes they would have to incorporate.

  Chapter 5

  The next night, Cara was bustling around her parents’ house, trying to hide all evidence of her secret while she talked to her friend Keeley.

  “So you’re telling him tonight, right?” Keeley was privy to every aspect of the soap opera her life had become.

  “I don’t think there could be any hiding it since he’s going to be here, and we’re not going to be on neutral territory. It’ll be pretty obvious, don’t you think?”

  “But I can hear you, you’re cleaning again. That tells me you’re trying to hide it still.”

  “Do you think I want to ambush him as soon as he walks in? Talk about unfair.”

  “Cara, do you hear the irony in that? You haven’t exactly been fair to the guy up to this point, why start now?”