Hierarchy of Need [t.r]

Chapter Forty Three

  As Delilah sat herself down on the arm of Tom's chair, she was met with the tired and expectant gazes of her friend group. Aurora had finally joined them, a night robe wrapped around her as she sat huddled in a ball next to Abraxas.

  She sighed, feeling terrible for dragging them all into her mess as well. Delilah felt like the kick starter for everything that was going wrong in their lives. "You're probably wondering why I asked you all to come in here," she started slowly, wiping her sweating palms against her legs.

  "If it's more bad news I need a drink," Pyrrhus muttered. Sadly, there wasn't any alcohol at the safe house and he felt like he was going to go bad. 

  Delilah bit her lip, "I don't think it's bad news per say, however that completely depends on you and if I word it correctly." Tom raised a brow at her and she shook her head at herself. Already this wasn't going as smoothly as she hoped. Clearing her throat, she looked at them all and made herself smile. "I have a lot to tell you... like a lot. And I'm not sure how to go about it so I'll just cut right to the case. I'm from the future." 

  Hung open mouths, wide eyes, and swears greeted her and she felt her chest constrict. Yet, at the same time it was as if a weight had finally fallen off her shoulders. The truth was out, she could breathe again.

  "Are you joking?" Lolita said in disbelief, her eyes raking over her blonde friend to see if she was lying, or if this was some strange ploy Delilah was using to cope. That wouldn't make sense but grief works in strange ways. Delilah wrung her hands together and looked at Tom, for either guidance or reassurance she didn't know, but when he gave her hand a squeeze she kept going.

  "I was born on the seventh of November, 1980, and my actual name is Delilah Meddows," her hands wouldn't stop shaking and she wanted to slap herself. "I somehow got thrown back in time, from 1998, I don't know how, Dumbledore's been helping me-"

  "Dumbledore knew this whole time?" Cain said, he wasn't surprised, the man kept many secrets. It was just a lot to wrap his head around. Delilah nodded, trying to keep her expression neutral. "I understand if you're all angry or frustrated at me. I know I could have, and I do, trust all of you it was just a matter of greater importance. For the time line sake, now however that is in shambles so... thus why I'm telling you all." 

  "I really need a drink." 

  She managed a light laugh at Pyrrhus before it fell into a more somber line, "I hope you all can forgive me, a know that's a lot to ask."

  "We're not mad at you, Delilah. We recognize you didn't exactly have much choice. It's a lot to process," Olive chimed in and the other's nodded in agreement. Despite everything she's always told herself, the past few days she couldn't stop crying and tears welled in Delilah blue eyes, making them look like glossy, weathered down crystals. 

  "So, what do we call you now?" Lolita said, messing with her engagement ring. "What do you mean?" Delilah furrowed her brows before she realized they meant her last name. She never thought about that. She'd gotten so used to Pontmercy. It's what Tom had called her for so many months, it felt like a part of her now. She didn't want to give it up. Before she could answer, Tom spoke.

  "Regardless, I'm not calling you Meddows. It doesn't sound right." Delilah rolled her eyes at him, "well i hoped you'd broken your habit of calling me by my last name anyway." He shrugged, pinching her thigh, "we'll see."