~BOOK ONE OF THE ENDEARMENT SERIES~
Arabella hasn't had the best childhood, resulting in bad grades, rebel behaviour and mental health problems. She moves to a new school where she meets Jace.
Jace has a great family, friends and life. But he's also...
After Arabella's confession, I was shocked to say the least.
Then Delilah had come into the room and lightened the mood. My little sister. My little ray of sunshine.
I didn't miss the tenderness that Arabella treated her with, like a mother she deserved. Not the alcoholic woman she has.
Arabella and I sat on the sofa, watching Delilah painting at the table as well as some Netflix, when I gathered some courage.
Turning to her, I nudged her shoulder a bit, which broke her out of her zoned out trance.
"Huh?" She said as she looked at me.
"I was thinking-" I began, but she cut me off with a laugh which - by the way-was the most angelic sound I've ever heard.
"God, that's dangerous." She continued to laugh lightly.
"As I was saying," I restarted, poking her ribs and earning another giggle," Arabella is rather a mouthful to say all the time. How about a nickname? Ooo what about Bella?"
She looked shocked at the question. "Unless you don't like it, which is fine," I rushed to say.
"No, no, I-," she broke off," it's just... no one has ever given me a nickname before."
Now it was my turn to be shocked. However, I tickled her ribs lightly and my face split with a smile," Well, I'm glad to be the first."
Hopefully, the first in other things too-
Where the fuck did that come from?
"We never got to finish our game of twenty questions the other day." She spoke up after a few minutes of silence.
"You'd, you like to finish it?" I asked and I received a nod.
"Yeah, do you have any tattoos?" She eyed my body carefully.
"One," I said," although I'd like more in the future." Show me her eyes seemed to say. "Would you like to see?"
She nods, and I go to pull down my T-shirt from the collar, but she stops me by fisting the fabric, "woah what are you-"
"I'm not going to take it off properly, I'm not going to pull a Magic Mike on you."
Cautiously, she removes her hand and I continue to pull down my shirt until it reaches the just below where my heart is. There, on the left side of my chest I have a small tattoo with the initials of one of my favourite people.
D.K
Delilah King.
Along with a picture of a Dahlia flower, since a Delilah is a type of dahlia.
It's right above my heart.
"It is beautiful." She whispers in awe, her fingers reaching out like she's eager to touch it but is restraining herself.
Pulling my shirt back down.
"Your turn. What do you do in your free time?" I asked inquisitively.
She shrugs, "it changes, sometimes I'm reading, sometimes drawing, sometimes cooking." I smile as she explains.
"OK, what's your favorite subject?"
"Psychology," one of the few classes I'm in with her. She makes them all worthwhile.
The questions go back and forth and forth for about ten minutes before Bella eventually speaks up.
"I should probably go soon, I have class early tomorrow." She sighs, slowly resting her head on my shoulder, as if anticipating I am going to tell her 'no'.
Curling an arm carefully around her shoulder, she relaxes, and I ask," what are you doing for the Fourth of July celebrations?" Seeing as though it was only a week away.
I could feel her and see her instantly tense, under me, "I don't really go out for Fourth of July, the noise gives me, um,panic attacks." She whispers as though ashamed.
"I understand," I say, "the panic attacks I mean. Delilah had them all the time a few years ago. Sometimes she still does."
"Why?", she quickly adds, "If you don't mind me asking."
Smiling down at her, I told her about The Accident. Both my parents nearly died. How my mother became an alcoholic. How she neglected my sister and I. How I fought for custody over Delilah and somehow won on the conditions that my criminal record had to be clean, and a social worker had to stop by every few weeks.
"That must have been hard for you both." She says, looking up at me through those long eyelashes of hers.
"It was, but things are better now." I gave her a smile.
She snuggles into my side and continues to watch the TV again, "Maybe I can stay for a bit longer."
————-
Ten minutes turned into half an hour. Then that turns into two hours.
Now Arabella really has to go.
Bella
I mentally corrected myself.
I embrace her outside her dorm door and just before her door closes she turns to me one last time and says, " thank you. For everything."
Then she's gone.
Taking a note of her dorm number, I walked back to my car, a smile still playing on my lips, thinking about the intimacy between us on the sofa. How we'd told each other our dark pasts.
Then the smile turned into a frown as I recalled all the things she'd mentioned.
It all makes sense now. Haphephobia, her fear of touch.
But then.
Then.
It was like a freight train rammed into me and knocked some sense into me.
She'd let me poke at her.
She'd let me wrap my arm around her.
She'd let me hug her.
She put her head on my shoulder.
How the fuck did I not realize?
A new smile spread across my face. Maybe she was starting to warm up to me. I mean I'm not that bad. Am I?
Whatever, she let me do those things.
I can't wait to see her at school tomorrow.
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