𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐈𝐓 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 ≡ Joel Dawson (Pt. 2 on hold)

𝟏𝟔 ∘ truth

Pulling her bag around she ended up getting the pieces of the bracelet out. She strung the beads along the string in the order she remembered Arlo had put them in.

She tried to retie it, but the string had snapped on the opposite side to where Arlo had originally knotted it, so the string wasn't long enough. Her fingers twisted the string, trying again before it slipped from her fingers.

Delilah bit back tears as she watched the beads and string topple to the ground yet again. Boy put his paw on her knee with a soft whine, recognising her sadness.

"Hey, Lilah. I, uh, I found this for you," Joel said quietly. He knelt in the sand before her, holding a hand out. "I'm so sorry about the bracelet. I didn't mean to grab it like that."

Delilah looked up to see Joel offering her a new piece of string, presumably for her to restring her bracelet.

"Thanks," she mumbled, accepting the offering. He hadn't meant to break her bracelet, but it still hurt.

Joe looked down, beginning to collect the beads. "I was worried you had left."

The girl looked down at her hands, "How did your talk with Aimee go?"

"Fine. We spoke about our lives, about the people we care about," he said, trying to hint. "But we both realised that we aren't the same people anymore. So, I gave her my book, and-"

"You gave her your book?" Delilah interrupted, slightly shocked.

He nodded, pointing to his head, "I remember everything I wrote, so I can just recreate it. It's better here with them if there's a chance that it might save someone."

"Well, isn't that noble," the girl mumbled.

"I'm heading back to my colony," Joel said, stopping from picking up the beads to look at her. When she didn't answer, he spoke again, "I want you to come with me."

Delilah bit the inside of her cheek as she stared down at her knees. "Why?"

"Because. . . we're a team," Joel answered. "Because I don't want to be apart again."

"Joel," Delilah sighed, shaking her head.

The boy used his free hand to reach into his pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper. "I didn't give Aimee the whole book."

Delilah looked up enough to accept the piece of paper. She unfolded it slowly, to see it was the page of the book with the drawings of her. Running her finger along the jagged edge of the page where it had been torn from the book, she pursed her lips. She never ended up telling him that she had already seen it.

Joel saw that he was finally getting through to her, but knew that it wasn't going to be enough.
"Lilah. . . about happened at the river," he started softly. "It was horrible, and I need you to believe me when I say that I didn't mean it."

"Why should I believe you?" Delilah mumbled.

Joel reached out and took the girl's hand, opening it so that he could place the beads in her palm. "Because the last Truth you asked me, I never actually answered," he said as he closed her fingers over the beads.

Delilah's brows drew together, "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I nodded. But I didn't answer," the boy said, the side of his mouth hitching up somewhat.
"You asked me if I really still loved Aimee."

Delilah squeezed the beads before slipping them into her pocket and standing up. "I don't want to hear this, Joel. I can't do this again."

"Lilah, just listen to me," Joel said firmly, getting up and grabbing her hand, forcing her to stop. "I don't still love Aimee. I mean, I thought I did but seven years. . . it's a long time. It wasn't the same. We're not the same."