Paper Rings - (J.F.)

Chapter 17

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Chapter 17

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It had been only a few hours since Delilah had reached the house party and she already felt like leaving. Witnessing what she did just moments ago didn't sit right with her.

She assumed that Jeremiah, who was heavily intoxicated, had decided to devote a song to her. After a sweet and mildly humorous beginning, he yelled out that he was doing it for the 'Most beautiful girl in the room.' And who did that end up being? Isabel. As if things couldn't get any worse, she later accidentally walked in on Jeremiah making out with an unfamiliar girl, and they only stopped when they noticed her at the door.

"Hey, Dell . . ." He smirked up at her with glossy eyes, the other girl pushing her shirt back down with no embarrassment. "What are you doing here? Wanna . . . join us?"

Regardless of whether or not he was actually joking, it had still frustrated her immensely. Without so much as a second glance in their direction, she rolled her eyes and rushed back outside, slamming the door from behind her.

All in all - Jeremiah had managed to ruin her evening.

Delilah was aware that her best friend was a natural flirt; he dabbled in flirtation with just about everything that breathed. And she often witnessed him pursuing anybody that he found to be even remotely attractive. But it still hurt her.

She was entirely responsible for Jeremiah not knowing about her feelings for him, but she was convinced that even if he did, he would never feel the same way about her. Besides, this might not be the greatest idea given that he was known for moving on quickly. She didn't want to think about that though.

In the backyard, playing beer pong with Steven and Jeremiah was Hansel. After all those drinks, the boys probably felt a little tipsy, but they all appeared to be enjoying each other's company. But she knew that Hansel didn't drink. He took a swig from his red solo cup before looking away to catch a glimpse of Delilah lingering at the door. She walked up to him just as he was about to beckon her over.

He grinned. "Delilah - hey!"

When he peered down at her, he noticed that she appeared to be really uncomfortable for some reason. Her arms were crossed, expressing her emotions clearly.

"Can you drop me home?"

Hansel nodded, immediately placing his cup on top of the table. "Sure - Let's go."

Jeremiah stepped in between them, eyes set on his best friend. "I can just take you."

She cut him off coldly. "No, I think I should go with him."

He opened his mouth in a mild surprise before his face turned sour. In an effort to avoid drawing undue attention to them, he reduced his voice to a whisper. "You're really funny if you think I'll just let you drive away with some stranger."

"Hansel is my date, not a stranger."

He exasperated a sigh. "Either way. While we're here together, it is my responsibility to make sure that you get home safely."

"What are you? My dad?"

"Your best friend."

"And you're drunk," she pointed out as if it was obvious, "And he's sober. Take a lucky guess. Who is most safe to drive with right now?"

Jeremiah lowered his gaze to Delilah, who returned his gaze unperturbed. He hoped that she would take back her words and allow him to accompany her home, but when several seconds had passed and she had not said anything else, he exhaled in defeat.