"in silent screams in wildest dreams i never dreamed of this"
—— taylor swift
jack and i both went inside after the sunset and i went to my own room to go to bed.
the next day i woke up fairly early and brushed my hair, tying it up in a bun, brushing my teeth, and washing my face.
i walked downstairs in my socks, sweatpants and oversized t-shirt to see ellen up making breakfast.
"hey, kiddo. you're up early."
"figured i could help around in the kitchen."
"oh, honey, you don't have to."
"i want to, i like doing this stuff at home, and you have to feed nine hungry men you definitely need some help."she laughed and nodded her head.
"yeah, they eat so much it's absolutely crazy. we can make them food and how about me and you go out to the coffee shop in town? have a nice little walk."
"i'd love to go with you."
we both got to work cutting fruit and roasting bagels, and baking pancakes for the boys.
we heard someone's footsteps walk down the stairs and we both turned our attention to jack who walked in the kitchen.
"hey, hun." ellen greeted her boy.
"hey, mom. hey, deli." he smiled softly at me.
i blushed and smiled back, looking back down at the strawberries i was cutting. he walked over and put a hand on my waist, distracting me while he snatched a strawberry and ate it.
i laughed and shoved him away before continuing what i was doing.
"jack go get the boys up, breakfast should be done in a minute."
he nodded and walked up the stairs to get the boys. once we plated everything we heard a bunch of footsteps and rowdy boys running down the stairs.
"alright boys, eat up, delilah and i are heading out."
"where are you going?" luke asked.
"to the coffee shop in town, we need to get away from you boys." we both laughed and grabbed our phones and bags and walked out the door.
we started walking in a comfortable silence until ellen cleared her throat and smiled, looking ahead.
"so, what was that between you and jack today?"
"oh, nothing." i lied and tried to hide that fact that i was blushing.
"oh, please. that definitely was not nothing."
"yesterday he took me on the roof and we watched the sunset together. he held my hand."
"awwww, that's so cute." she cooed.
i laughed and looked down at the ground. we reached the coffee shop and we both ordered, paying for our drinks and muffins.
we sat down and talked to each other about life, i told her about my siblings and how my older brother is a professor for a university in texas. i told her how my mom is a modeling agent and how my dad left when i was little.
she felt sorry for me but i told her not to cause i honestly got over it once i was older because i knew he wouldn't ever come back.
i was a quick adapter and figured it wouldn't do me any good to dwell on what i don't have and not on what i do have.
she admired that and said she liked how i kept my mind on where i was now and not where i once was or where i will be in the future.
after we had breakfast we walked back to the lake house where all the guys were in the living room playing video games.
"is this really all you did while we were gone?" ellen asked the guys and got their attention from the tv.
"we cleaned the dishes?" alex said in a questioning tone.
"by that you mean put them in the dishwasher?"
"at least there's no dishes in the sink." luke shrugged.
i chuckled and walked up the stairs to get myself ready for the day. while i was sitting on the bathroom counter doing my makeup and hair i heard a knock on the door.
"come in." i said to whoever was knocking.
i waited a few seconds before looking in the bathroom mirror to see jack standing there leaning against the door frame to the bathroom.
"hey." i said.
"hi." he said back.
i grabbed my hair brush and started to brush my hair before jack walked over and took it from my hands and gently started brushing my hair for me.
"what's up?"
"nothing. just wanted to come see you."
"mkay." i giggled.
once he was done brushing my hair he braided it down my back and i smiled at him. i took out the front pierced to frame my face before i grabbed my makeup and started doing it.
he just watched and listened with me to the music that was playing from my phone on the counter.
"where'd you learn how to do a girls hair?"
"my mom taught me when i was really little. i liked doing her hair for her occasionally."
"that's cute."
"i was a mommas boy for sure."
"you still are."
"maybe." he chuckled. "what were you and my mom talking about on your little coffee date?"
"family life, really. i told her about my mom being a modeling agent and how my older brother is a professor at a university in texas, my younger sister being an annoyingly cute little butt and being cursed with horrible father figures."
"plural?"
"yeah. my dad left me when i was five. ran in to legal troubles with him, then my mom dated my sisters dad and he was awful i hated him. now my mom has some boyfriend she doesn't live with, and yet he still thought it was ok to kick me out of my own house when i was fifteen."
"wow... that's horrible."
"mhm. home life was rough so i was always at my grandma and grandpas house. my grandpa died a month before i turned sixteen. i took it really hard because he was the one i cried to when i got yelled at. he knew everything about my stepdads and he did everything he could just to make me happy, and then just like that he was gone. after that i couldn't step into their house ever again." i said tearing up.
"delilah.. i'm so sorry... i didn't mean to make you upset."
"no, no you're fine. we knew it was going to happen eventually, his heart was really unhealthy for a while but it was just so sudden, you know? he called me that morning and he was so happy, he rode his bike and bought one of my birthday presents cause he just thought of me when he saw it, and then my grandma called my mom while we were in target to rush to the hospital. i cried for a week straight before i locked everyone out. i grew really depressed and my anxiety skyrocketed. i was just in a really bad place. my mom put me in therapy and man, that woman really sucked. she'd be like 'oh, how was school, how's your mom, now let's talk about how your grandpa, the only one you could cry to died'. starting university just was a new page in my book and i met your brother and he did really help, even if he doesn't know it."
"what did he buy you, if you don't mind me asking?"
i hopped off the counter and walked to my suitcase. i opened it and took out a necklace with a heart down it's center.
jack gently grabbed it from my hands and walked behind me, placing it on my neck and clasping it together.
i turned to face him and gave him a sad smile.
"thank you..."
"of course, del. i'd do anything for you if you asked me to."
this love by taylor swift started playing and jack stuck his hand out to me.
"a dance?"
"right now?" i asked.
"well we're alone, no one has to know."
i laughed and grabbed his hand. he gently spun me around and placed his hands on my waist while mine were around his neck.
this love is good
this love is bad
this love is alive back from the dead
these hands had to let it go free and
this love came back to me
"have i ever told you how gorgeous you are?"