Battling the Enemy

by M. E. Clayton

  “Stop,” I growled. “Whatever her opinion of what we did, it will not affect our friendship, Linnie.”

  “You say that now, bu-”

  I shook my head at her. “There’s no ‘but’, Roselyn,” I said, interrupting her. “If she loves me-”

  “Does she?” she cut in, sounding hopeful.

  I wanted to reassure her, but I couldn’t lie. “No,” I replied. “Not even a little bit.”

  Chapter 24

  Delaney~

  Something was going on.

  Deke had ignored me this morning as Ava and I had walked through the yard into Windsor, and he had been quiet during second and third period. He didn’t even make me sit with him when he had arrived late for second and I had already been seated in the front row.

  I had really started getting anxious when I had been able to leave second period of my own freewill, meet up with Ava, and go to third without Deke or his entourage present. The only time there had been any hint of this weekend had been when I had walked into third and Deke had been already seated in the back. Our eyes met, and he had lifted his chin as if daring me to sit anywhere else.

  I wasn’t going to lie. I had wanted to sit in the front just to get a reaction out of him because his silence had been driving me nuts, but I hadn’t. I had conceded like a wuss and sat next to him, with Roselyn sitting on the other side of him. She had spared me a timid smile, but that had been about it. Once third was over, Deke had grabbed my hand and had walked me to my locker to meet Ava. One kiss to the side of my head, and then he was gone.

  I almost cried.

  Ava had immediately rushed me to the restroom where we had skipped fourth period and I told her everything. I hadn’t had time to talk to her all weekend other than random texts assuring her I was alive. But Sunday night when I had finally gone home, I had spent the evening trying to wrap my mind around what I was doing with Deke.

  And now, Ava was staring at me like I just sprouted an extra ear right before her eyes. The scrutiny was making me edgier than I was already feeling. “Quit looking at me like that,” I grumbled.

  She huffed. “How else am I supposed to look at you, Delaney? I mean…you just told me you spent the entire weekend in bed with Deke freakin’ Marlow.”

  We were sitting on the floor of the last stall with our knees drawn up, our backs against opposite sides. “Oh, come on,” I whined. “You knew this was coming. I admitted as much the day he beat up Winston.”

  Her brows finally found their way back to their original spots. “I know, I know,” she muttered. “It’s just…holy crap, Delaney. You’re sleeping with Deke Marlow.”

  Holy crap, indeed.

  “I know,” I whispered miserably. “I just…he’s been acting so strange today that…I think the challenge is over, you know.”

  I saw Ava’s beautiful face morph into pure, unadulterated fury. “Delaney, if you’re telling me Deke used you this weekend and now he’s done with you, I will fuck him up, I swear to God,” she seethed.

  “No, no,” I said soothingly. “I don’t think it’s…” Who was I kidding? I didn’t know what anything was like. My eyes started to water, and I think the emotional turmoil of the entire weekend was finally catching up with me. “I…I think I might…”

  “Oh, fuck balls,” she breathed. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

  I let out a pitiful laugh. “Crash and burn, right?”

  She went from outraged to sympathetic instantly. “Where the sharks play,” she agreed.

  We stayed seated until the lunch bell rang, a sign that fourth period was over. “Since I can’t stay in here crying all day, lunch?”

  Ava chuckled. “We can always ditch the rest of the day?” she offered.

  I shook my head and looked at my best friend. “I’m tired of being a coward,” I told her, and I realized I meant that in all things. It was time to face Deke, Winston, my parents, and whoever else felt they had a say in my future.

  Ava waited patiently as I splashed my face with some cold water and put myself together. We exited the restroom, but only to be brought up short by Roselyn Bell standing outside the door. She shot Ava a quick glance before looking back at me. “You’re a hard girl to find, Delaney,” she said sweetly. “This is the fourth place I’ve looked for you at.”

  “Why are you looking for me?” I asked. “Is everything okay?”

  She glanced at Ava again and said, “Can we…talk privately?”

  I looked over at Ava. “It’s okay,” I assured her. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Ava didn’t look worried, so much as…sad. Like she was sending me off to meet my doom. “Are you sure?” I nodded before she went on her way.

  Roselyn looked towards my back. “Is anyone in there?” she asked referring to the restroom. I shook my head. “Okay, let’s go in there.” I followed her into the restroom and remained silent as she locked the door, giving us privacy.

  When she turned towards me, I asked, “What’s this about?” I hadn’t meant to sound short, but I wasn’t sure how much more my emotions could handle.

  Her pretty blue eyes looked serious against her multi-colored hair and easy-going reputation. “Deke, uh…told me about this weekend,” she came right out and said. “He told me…you asked him if the rumors were true about me, him, and Liam.”

  I could feel my face heat with embarrassment. It was one thing to ask Deke when I was calling his bluff on his bullshit, but it was quite another thing to have Roselyn Bell talking to me about this. “I’m…I’m sorry, Roselyn,” I muttered. “It wasn’t my busin-”

  She threw a hand up to stop my apology. “Delaney, it is very much your business since you and Deke are together,” she replied.

  “Wait, we’re no-”

  Roselyn held up her hand again to stop my protest. “Whatever you think is going on, Delaney, you and Deke are together. You’re just…having a harder time coming to terms with it. Trust me, I know.”

  “How do you know?” I asked, and Roselyn Bell proceeded to tell me about her stepbrother and the night she came to date both Liam and Deke.

  I listened in pure fascination as she told me about the suggested gang rape, the way the boys went up to her room to protect her, the way it changed from protection to affection…she told me everything. Well, not details, but the gist of their relationship. The only detail she included was the monogamy, and that’s when I knew she was the other girl Deke had been referring to.

  When she was done with her story, she said, “I’m sorry if…if this makes you uncomfortable or puts a…strain on your relationship with Deke. But I’m not ashamed of the relationship I had with them. And I’m not going to pretend to be, Delaney. It was a secret at the guys’ insistence to protect my reputation.”

  I had so many questions. I mean, I knew people had threesomes, but this hadn’t been a threesome. This had been a threesome relationship. “Liam doesn’t get…jealous?” I asked, putting my confused feelings on hold until I could get a better grasp on this…revelation.

  “No,” she answered. “It’s not like that. Deke was always…extra. It’s always been Liam who I connected with and loved. Don’t get me wrong. I love Deke to death. He’s one of my best friends, but that’s it.” She looked sad, and worried. “I know it’s hard to…understand, but…I wanted to assure you that…other than friendship, there is nothing more between me and Deke, Delaney.”

  Then a thought occurred to me. “Is that why you and Emerson cleared the air with Ava? Because you guys didn’t want to be hypocrites with your relationship with Deke?”

  Roselyn smiled, not at all offended by my question. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “Emerson was just being Emerson because she’s badass like that. I cleared the air because I truly don’t think about Liam and Ava. I know firsthand that you can sleep with someone and not be hung up on them afterwards. I know firsthand you can sleep with someone and feel nothing but friendship for them afterwards, Delaney.” Her words were hard to
digest. “When I look at Deke, I see only my friend-a best friend-but just a friend, nonetheless.” She shrugged a shoulder. “I’m just hopeful that when Ava looks at Liam and Ramsey, all she sees is Liam and Ramsey, you know.”

  “I can tell you that Ava has long moved on since junior high,” I assured her. “I…this is just a lot.”

  Roselyn nodded. “I know,” she agreed. “I know, but if things go south between you and Deke, I don’t want it to be because of…our past. And I really want us to be friends without…just real friends.”

  It was a lot to take in. I wasn’t exactly jealous, but…I was still feeling second best with as loyal as Deke was to her. I knew I needed to take some time to process everything she just told me. Not to mention the way he mostly ignored me all morning had me confused as hell.

  “I…it’s a lot to take in, Roselyn,” I admitted. “And with the way he’s been treating me this morning-”

  She huffed out a sweet laugh. “He’s acting weird because he thinks you’re going to freak out and have nothing to do with him anymore, Delaney,” she divulged.

  Well…“Oh…”

  “Yeah. Oh,” she chuckled.

  After a few quiet seconds, I said, “Thank you for telling me. I know it couldn’t have been easy.”

  She gave me a short nod. “It is when it’s for the right reason,” she whispered.

  Were Deke and I the right reason, though?

  Chapter 25

  Deke~

  I was officially a pussy.

  I knew Roselyn was talking with Delaney about our past relationship, and my entire body was tense with anxiousness. There was a real possibility that Delaney wouldn’t be able to handle our friendship, and I wasn’t ready to act on that yet.

  Everyone knew where Linnie was and the silence was…morbid. It was like we were all waiting for the knock on the door from a military chaplain to deliver the news. While none of us had known Delaney well, her reputation for being a quiet, sweet wallflower was a huge indicator that she might have issues with what went down between Liam, Linnie, and me. And, sure, she let me do crazy things to her body this weekend, suggesting she was open-minded, but a threesome might be too much for her. Or, at least, a threesome where everyone was still friends afterwards.

  Ramsey, Liam, Emerson, and I were seated at our regular lunch table when Ava came storming towards us, and there was only one person at this table that she could possibly be pissed at.

  Me.

  She stopped at the head of the bench, planted her hands flat on the surface, and ignoring everyone else around us, leaned in until her blue eyes were shooting fire directly into mine. “Do you have a minute?” she hissed.

  I stood up, waving everyone else to remain seated. They all knew Delaney had spent the weekend with me, but I didn’t need our business shouted throughout the entire school eatery. “Lead the way,” I said sardonically. I followed Ava through the eatery and out back towards the Ag-Science building. No one ever studied Ag-Science, so it was as quiet as you could get back here.

  The second she determined we were clear…

  She. Went. Off.

  Hands planted on her hips she looked up at me and spewed at me violently. “Look, Deke, I’ve never had a problem with you before,” she started, “but I just spent fourth period with Delaney crying in the fucking school restroom, you sorry sonofabitch! She’s crying because you spent all weekend screwing her-which, she’s way too fucking good for you to begin with-and this morning you’re ignoring her like the hundreds you threw on the nightstand should be good enough!”

  I had my hand around her neck and her body slammed up against the wall before she knew what hit her. “Don’t you ever fucking talk about Delaney like that again,” I hissed in her face.

  But Ava didn’t back down. Ava was fucking crazy, and I knew it. “Don’t ever fucking treat Delaney like that again,” she hissed back. “I trusted you! I fucking trusted you to take care of her, that’s why I called you Friday night. And what do you do? You sleep with her and you don’t even bother with protection! What the fuck is that? Why…why would you do that to her?! Delaney’s not some trailer park trash you can fuck with! She’s important!”

  The only reason I wasn’t snapping her fucking neck was because she loved Delaney. She loved Delaney, and she was only doing what I hoped she’d do where Delaney was concerned; protect her. “I’m going to say this, and I’m only going to say it once, Ava,” I growled. “This weekend with Delaney is our private business-”

  “Oh, please,” she spewed. “Like your little brood of psychopathic bandits don’t already know how you took Delaney’s virgi-”

  I tightened my hold around Ava’s neck, cutting off her next words. “Keep my friends out of this, Ava,” I warned. “Don’t think that just because I’m in love with Delaney I won’t destroy you if you cause problems for any of us.”

  Her eyes almost popped out of her head, and it wasn’t because I was depriving her of oxygen. I had accidentally let my feelings for Delaney slip. “Y…” I removed my hand from around her neck, so she could speak. “You’re in love with Delaney?”

  I stood to my full height and looked down at the girl I was going to have to learn to get along with for Delaney’s sake. It wasn’t that I really had anything against Ava, it’s just I knew she’d always be wary of me and she wasn’t necessarily Team Deke.

  “This weekend…taking her virginity and possibly getting her pregnant doesn’t matter,” I answered. “Delaney’s mine, and she’ll never want for anything for the rest of her life, Ava. She’s mine to love, protect, provide for, and cherish. I’m in love with Delaney, and she doesn’t have a choice about where we go from here. She’s mine.”

  Ava’s face went from furious to…resigned. “Deke, you don’t understand,” she started to say, “Delaney’s special. She’s-”

  “I know she’s special, Ava,” I snapped, cutting her off. I knew she didn’t think I deserved Delaney, and she was right. But I didn’t like hearing it. “She will want for nothing, Ava. Nothing.”

  She regarded me for a full painful minute before saying, “I don’t care about you, Deke. I don’t care about you, Ramsey, Emerson, Liam, or Roselyn. I don’t care about your…power or your status. If you hurt Delaney…if you betray or hurt her, I will come after you, Deke Marlow. I will come after you and I don’t care who you have in your corner or who I have to go through to get to you.”

  I stared down at this girl and I knew she meant every word she just said. She’d go down in burning flames to defend Delaney and it made me wonder just what their relationship was made of. They didn’t match, but anyone paying attention could tell they were the real deal.

  I took a deep breath and gave Ava a tight nod. “Noted,” I grumbled. “But, Ava, I’m not going to hurt her. Ever.” Ava gave me a short nod, and I didn’t say anything more as she walked away from me.

  Returning to the eatery, I spotted Linnie and Delaney sitting at our table. That was good, right? If they were sitting together, then that must mean Delaney was okay with our friendship.

  At least, I hoped.

  I approached the table, and when I got there, instead of sitting where I was when Ava came roaring through, I sat next to Delaney. And I knew it was going to be okay when she quietly dropped her head on my right shoulder in surrender.

  I glanced over at Roselyn and she gave me a small smile, but I could see it all in her eyes. Delaney was okay with that part of my life. Now, she might not be okay with everything else going on around us, mainly her parents and Reynolds, but she was okay with what mattered most to me, and that was everyone sitting at this table.

  I wasn’t worried about Reynolds, because I’d kick his ass every week if I had to in order to get my point across. It was Delaney’s parents that I knew would be a problem when I finally faced them. And I would be facing them because there was no way I was going to let Delaney confront them alone. Claiming her meant protecting her, and that meant against anyone, including her parents.
>
  “You okay,” I whispered down to her.

  I felt her nod against my shoulder. “Yeah, just…”

  I brought my face down closer to hers. “Just, what?”

  Everyone around us were having their own side conversations, but you could tell there was still some tension at the table. This wasn’t like when Ramsey got together with Emerson, or Liam finally claimed Roselyn. We had already been connected in some way, shape, or form; Emerson friends with Roselyn, Roselyn involved with me and Liam…

  Delaney was new.

  She was new to our group, making her an outsider until she committed to me completely. While I was completely committed to her, it was her committing to me that we were all waiting on.

  “Just…just don’t ignore me again like this morning,” she muttered. “That wasn’t cool considering…”

  I hitched my shoulder, forcing her to lift her head. I reached over, grabbed her, and straddled her across my lap. She gasped but didn’t fight me. And since it was just us-the people I trusted-I didn’t care if they overheard or not. “I thought you needed some space after this weekend,” I told her before admitting, “I needed some space, too.”

  Her big chocolate eyes looked so serious. “Space from me?”

  I shook my head. “No. Space from knowing I was going to have to tell you about Roselyn, sooner or later.” She nodded in understanding. “Are you okay with…that?”

  “Do I have a choice,” she asked, instead of answering.

  I shook my head. “No,” I told her honestly. “You don’t. You don’t have a choice in any of this, Delaney. And I’m not going to lie to you and let you believe you do.”

  She was quiet for a few seconds before asking, “Why?”

  I knew what she was really asking, she just didn’t want to voice the words for fear of rejection, and I didn’t blame her. She’s spent her entire life being invisible to everyone who she was supposed to matter to. Ava was her only rock; a girl whose reputation was as horrible as her temper had been her only champion.