hello delilah

XX

Slamming on the brakes of my car, I cut the engine and booked it across the street toward the park where Delilah had informed me she was, cursing under my breath. "Damnit, please be okay." I surveyed the location, dialing her number over and over when I spotted a hunched figure in the distance, my pulse sped immediately. "Delilah!" I called, rushing toward the figure, arms wrapped around their knees with their faced buried in their arms. I crouched beside her, lightly placing a hand on her shoulder.

Wiping her nose with the sleeve of her sweater, she peeked at me through locks of her hair. "Aaron?"

I reached out to push her hair aside when she suddenly threw herself forward, wrapping both arms around my neck. "Del, are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Burying her face further into the crook of my neck, she began to cry. "I swear to god-" I muttered, rubbing small circles onto her back in attempt to calm her.

Delilah breathed in sharply, I held her closer in response. "He's been harassing me.." She croaked, a knot formed in my chest at the fear and pain in her voice. Suddenly, I took notice of her dark hair, her articles of clothing, I leaned back.

My eyes roamed what I could make of her face, I moved the strands of hair sticking to her cheeks behind her ears. "Del..." I stopped myself. "Do you have a car?" She shook her head, rubbing at her eyes.

"I walked." She mumbled, releasing her grip around my neck. Nodding my head, I stood and offered my hand, guiding her to my car, I saw her shiver. Unzipping my coat, I placed it on her shoulders and opened the passenger door, turning on the heat as soon as we were inside. For a few moments, we sat in complete silence before I reached forward to insert my keys into the ignition. "He follows me." Delilah spoke, voice quivering. "Calls me names, takes my things, shoves me, touches me-"

Teeth grinding, I faced her, "Stop." I swallowed the lump in my throat before adjusting my jacket collar on her, pulling it tightly around her. "I'm getting you home, okay?" I huffed, buckling her and myself into our seats before stepping on the gas.

A few moments later, she uttered my name in a small voice. "Aaron?"

I smiled slightly at the melodic sound, "Yes?"

She paused before exhaling a shaken breath, "Are you mad?" I paused before shaking my head, catching a glimpse of her twiddling her thumbs nervously before returning my eyes to the road. "Are you disappointed?" She said softly, I raised my eyebrows in surprise, adjusting my grip on the wheel as I turned into the neighborhood.

I didn't open my mouth in response until I had parked in the driveway of her house. "Why would I be disappointed?" I asked lowly, shifting in my seat to meet her gaze.

Her eyes were locked on her hands twisted in her lap, "You've never noticed me before a month ago, I just thought-" she inhaled, blinking a few times before looking at me. "You only wanted to know who I was because I wouldn't tell you over the phone."

Biting the inside of my cheek, I swallowed hard before replying, "I noticed you before the phone calls, I just never had the courage to talk to you."

Her eyebrows drew in confusion as she licked her lips, "but I-" she breathed in, "I'm cute neighbor girl?" She inquired, pale cheeks flooding with color adorably.

I chuckled lightly, tugging on the material of my jeans, "Yes," I suddenly couldn't find it in myself to meet her eyes. "Del...who has been harassing you?" I questioned, pulling up the subject she had to have been dreading.

I heard her sniffle in front of me, drawing my attention to her beautiful cobalt eyes, misting over. "I...I don't know-" tears proceeded to roll off of her flushed cheeks, "he does it every time I go to the park, after school, when I go visit the shops in town, he doesn't leave me alone. He calls me all of these disgusting things and talks about all the things he wants to do to me-awful things, all the while touching me-" choking on her words, I reached for her hand.

"That's enough." I said, my voice coming off harsher then I intended to. "This sick bastard needs to be arrested, he's verbally and sexually assaulting you, Delilah. I can't fucking believe a guy would say and do such things to you. We need to contact the police."

Reaching for my cell, Delilah jerked my arms towards her, squeezing my hand in protest. "No Aaron, he threatened to hurt me if I ever try and tell the police."

My entire body tensed at those words, I worked to regain my composure and let my cell drop into my lap as I reached forward to wipe the moisture from her cheeks. "Delilah, I won't let him lay a finger on you again, understand?" She nodded, shoulders slumping as if a weight she'd been baring was lifted from them.

I offered her a reassuring smile, unbuckling my seatbelt and squeezing her hand. "Let's get you inside."