Poisoned Game

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

"I want us to work up to that point, yes. I don't want to just ask you and put everything on you knowing that the time isn't right. You have your friends to worry about and I have to worry about getting better, the time is just not right, but I do want us at some point." I finally let out,

I had to do this now before Oliver plan came into play. I wasn't going to let Delilah just walk away from me without knowing me first, knowing me the way I know her.

"What if I don't like you...like that?" She asked,

I frowned before slowly nodding my head as I searched for the right words to say.

"Well, if you don't we could forget this conversation was even a thing and go back to hating each other but I can't promise to forget you and the way you make me feel."

Delilah smile was soft and light. Her eyes were saying more than the words she spoke and I was sitting there flustered and probably looking idiotic.

Just as Delilah opened her mouth to speak, we heard sniffles. Both of our eyes turned towards the living room door frame and Delilah rolled her eyes,

"Alona?"

"Yes?" I heard Alona ask awkwardly,

"Go away!" Delilah hissed,

I chuckled at my cousin's weirdness before turning back towards Delilah.

"I can promise friendship, but I can't promise anything beyond that. Joshua has taken a liking into me and he's nice, I don't want to hurt him."

"Do you like him?" I asked her,

"Yes," she answered shortly,

"Do you love him?"

She shook her head as she seemed hesitant to answer. It was a little while as the question lingered in the air.

It was as if the lack of her words were the best communication we had all year. It was letting me know that she didn't like him, she didn't like at all and if she did even love him, it would be just as she did for Alona, a friendship feeling. It was probably the same feeling that I had for Emily.

"I don't love him, no. But he's a great guy, I know that I can."

"Don't love him. Don't ever love him."

It was selfish for me to say but she could stop herself right here and she don't even have to worry about a relationship with him.

"Time will tell, I'm not putting my feelings aside for you, Rose. I've done it before and it sucks and it drains me."

"You're right, that's my fault and that's exactly why I'm going to prove to you why you shouldn't love him." I then looked around to see nobody in sight, "Have you ever been on a date?"

She looked at me weirdly before raising her eyebrow.

"I have but I don't know if it should count, it wasn't all that good."

"Well, when I'm able to walk properly, I'm going to take you on a date and show you the real me and let's hope you're still interested in speaking to me." I assured her,

She raised her eyebrow before crossing her arms. She then tilted her head and gave me a challenging look.

"Who says I want to go on a date with you? I'm still trying to let the idea of us being friends settle."

She looked serious but I could tell she wasn't. So, I hopped over to her with my crunches before matching her head tilt.

"You're going on that date with me and I'm not taking no for an answer." I assured her,

She hummed before her fingers trailed up to fix my shirt collar.

"You'll have to do some pretty hard convincing." She pointed out,

I grinned before I looked from her eyes and then towards her lips. I knew she could sense that I was going to lean in for a kiss and just as I was about to, she placed her finger against my lips and chewed at her bottom lip.

"Friends don't kiss." She assured me,

"That's how it is? Alright." I say before grabbing her hand and pulling it up to kiss softly. "You just watch and see."

I then turned around and hopped over towards the door. I left that house with the brightest smile on my face but the emptiest feeling in my heart.

My phone buzzed in my pants and I struggled before reaching and taking it out of my pants.

I tried to hold myself up before raising my phone up to my ear.

"Is it done?"

I clenched my jaw, "Yes, she doesn't know anything. Can you leave her alone now?"

A laugh was heard from the other side of the phone, "Not just quite."

"I have her wrapped around my finger, she doesn't know anything! A deal is a deal you need to leave her alone." I spat out,

"I leave her alone when I want to." The phone then disconnected as I clenched it in my hands.

Anger washed over me.