Invisible Strings

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Delaney's POV:

After a slow and sensual shower and adding some nourishment to our bodies, even though I didn't want to leave him, I knew it was time for me to head back to my parents. Truth was, as much as I loved spending time with Brantley last night, as much as I really loved everything that he and I did, I missed my kids. Last night had been out of character for me, staying gone for more than a couple hours and depending on someone else to watch Chloe and Colton. But again, I won't apologize for it even if I did feel a tad guilty over the fact that I took some much needed time for myself.

And Brantley? Well, he understood what I was getting at when I told him that I needed to get back to my parents house. I'd worried that he would think that I needed some space from him to sort out all the dirty details from last night but he had completely understood. Even told me that it made him like me even more that even while I wanted to spend time with him, he also knew that I had the responsibility of kids and that they obviously came first in my life. The fact that he understood my situation, that he looked at his kids in the same way I looked at mine, just made things easier for him and I in the long run.

All in all, the only thing that I really and truly regretted from last night was the fact that I didn't plug my phone in and the device had died. Charging the thing would have saved me the headache that I was about to face. And make no mistake, pulling into my parents driveway at a little after nine in the morning, wearing a dress that someone would have obviously worn the night before, wearing a glow that came from experiencing the best sex of your life, all while coming face to face with the man that was the father of your kids was for sure about to be one hell of a headache; one that I didn't want to deal with but had to anyway.

"I better get inside and get this over with." I said, looking over at Brantley as he sat in the driver's seat.

"You don't have to do this alone."

"I think it's best that I do." I said. I just hoped that he didn't take my wanting to face Alex without him to heart. Wasn't anything personal, I was just too relaxed from a night of seemingly endless sex and honestly too tired to deal with the pissing contest that I knew was going to take place if Brantley walked me to the door. Not that I worried who would win; My money would be on Brantley every single time.

"Well, you might think its best but out of respect for you, your parents, my parents, and your children, I took you away from them all night last night, did down-right raunchy things to you –and plan to do them again– so the least I can do is walk you to the door." said Brantley, already swinging his door open to hop out.

I sat frozen in place as I watched him round the hood and come around to open my door. When I didn't instantly move to climb down from the truck, his hands landed on my hips and he lifted me, placing my bare feet on the ground. He then reached around me and grabbed my shoes from the floor board and laced the fingers of his free hand with mine. "I told you babe, i can see a future with us so it's only natural that I have to look that asshole in his face. The upside of it is, he'll be able to take one look at you and know that you got fucked better than anything he ever gave you just as soon as he lays eyes on you."

"That's the upside here?" I asked, unsure how Alex knowing I got –how did Brantley put it? Oh yeah, seven-ways-from-Sunday– was the upside of this whole thing.

"Well, yeah. Because it's going to piss him t-totally off that you are moving on with your life. I guess you could say it will be a blow to his ego to know that you went from someone who might be a little known inside certain circles to someone who everyone knows from the mere mention of my name."

"Cocky this morning aren't we?"

"It's only cocky if you can back it up." Brantley said, singing a lyric from an old Kid Rock song. One thing about us millennials, we had an endless supply of music lyrics in our head to throw out at any given time. Great, now that song will be stuck in my head all day... Brantley tugged on my hand, making me aware that he had stopped walking. He then pulled me into his chest,wrapped his arms around me, and lowered his head down to mine, resting his forehead against my own. "In all seriousness though, more than anything you deserve to be happy and Alex deserves to know that you don't need him for that. He fucked up, he let you go. Now, he has to come face to face with the fact that you have found happiness with someone else. He's got to face the fact that you are moving on with your life and that his betrayal is not defining you as a person."