Chapter Fourteen
Shawn
I watched her walk away and immediately was overcome with a sense of anger. I knew that there was a lot more to the feelings that I was having then just simple rejection, but I didn’t want to think about all of that right now; in fact, I knew that I couldn’t think about it.
If I did, I would go crazy, plain and simple.
So I watched what could have been walk away and silently steamed from the intense sensation of emotion that I felt.
Then again, I didn’t have too much time to wallow in my pity, because just as Valerie was eclipsing from my sight, I heard my cellphone ring. It chimed just the right tune to let me know that Dalilah was summoning me.
I knew that if I didn’t answer, which I really didn’t feel like doing, she would continue to call until I got fed up. That would only equate to more problems and so, I let it ring for a minute before I picked it up.
“Hey baby…” Dalilah answered slowly after I said hello.
“Hi,” I replied, not in the mood to be lovey, considering I felt as though Valerie had just dangled her affection for me, just close enough so that I would take the bait, before snapping the trap closed on my heart.
There was dead silence on the other end of the line for a moment, just before she came back and said, “What’s the matter with you?”
I shrugged, even though I knew she couldn’t see me. “I’m just…tired.”
Dalilah didn’t care very much for my tiredness, which was readily apparent when she grunted a sigh. “Well…I thought you were going to come pick me up.”
I scrunched my eyes shut as I tried not to make any noise, which would signal that I had completely forgot. “Yeah…Of course,” I told her when I trusted myself to speak. “I…I was just going to call you. Is it all right if I just hang out tonight? I’m really beat…”
“Yes, you are,” she answered after another pause. “And no, it’s not.” Her voice suddenly sounded angry, but I couldn’t understand why.
“What?” I demanded, feeling intensely annoyed. “What are you talking about?”
“Look behind you…” she answered and I felt a stab of fear run through my heart.
I turned around quickly to see Dalilah glowering at me. I could have sworn that I felt my heart stop.
I wasn’t sure what she was up to, but I was sure that whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t a good thing.
Oh God, I thought. What did she hear?
“What are you doing here?” I yelled at her through my fear and angst. At that point, I didn’t even care that she was going to probably lash back at me, fully loaded and angry. I was still caught up on the fact that she was following me and that made me livid.
“I could ask you the same thing.” She glared at me. “You don’t look like you’re too tired,” she moved in closer and added, “and you certainly didn’t look too tired when you were cozying up to your girlfriend over there.”
“Fine,” I answered solidly. “But last time I checked, I was able to hang out with whomever I wanted.”
“She is the enemy!” she exclaimed, as though by meeting with Valerie, I had done something inexcusable.
I had to laugh, but it certainly was not because I found much humor in the situation. I could not believe that she was acting so foolish and petty. “I think you’re overreacting,” I replied. “I can see whoever I please, Dalilah. What I want to know, is why you are here.”
Dalilah backed up, as though I had physically struck her. She gasped and her mouth hung for a little while, as though she was shocked beyond measure. Finally, she replied, “You were late to pick me up. You completely abandoned me. I came to look for you, because I thought that heathen of a woman might have ensnared you into her clutches once again, and I couldn’t be more accurate.”
I opened my mouth to say something. I thought, very briefly about telling her that in fact, she had it all wrong and that I was actually the one who had requested the meeting. But I quickly decided that would lead to more questions that I didn’t want to answer rather than any kind of resolve. So, I just shook my head. “I can’t believe you!”
“Yeah, well, then I guess you can imagine how I am feeling about you right about now.” She scoffed with disgust. “You leave me without even the courtesy of an explanation to go talk to your sister, who has done nothing but make you feel terrible from the moment your father tried to force one big happy family on you and shut you out?” She paused to shrug, but did not give me any more time than a quick second to respond. “You are impossible. I just don’t get it. What is her allure?”
“She was my best friend. And she is still a part of my family,” I answered her honestly, even though I thought that I probably shouldn’t. Still, considering the conversation that Valerie and I had just finished, giving this answer was still far better than having her find out the truth; that is, if she wasn’t holding her true cards a little bit closer.
Dalilah rolled her eyes at me before answering the true question that was on my mind, even though I dared not to ask it. “So what were you two talking about anyway? It seemed pretty intense.” She scowled.
I felt my face grow red. I felt the heat of it spilling out of my pores and I wondered if she was able to see the nervousness that came over me. I was angry but having this particular conversation with her also made me extremely uncomfortable. “Not that it’s any of your business…” I said and she immediately interrupted me.
“What do you mean, it’s none of my business? Of course it’s my business. I’m trying to help you...” She glowered at me and hissed, “Do you think I’m doing this for my health? I’m doing this so that you don’t get hurt again by them…” She shook her head. “You’re so ungrateful!”
“No, Dalilah…I’m not. I’m just annoyed. I don’t like that you were following me.”
“Well, the more you talk, the more I think that personal privacy isn’t the only reason you don’t want me to follow you. Are you hiding something?” Her eyes gleamed with hate and aggravation as she stared at me with a hardened expression.
“What?” I demanded, “No! I’m not hiding anything. I just don’t want to have this conversation with you.” I pressed forward before I exclaimed, “I swear! It was nothing and I’d like for it to stay that way.”
“Then why the hell are you meeting her, not telling me, and even skipping a date with me to do it?”
“Because I…” I stopped short. My breath got caught in my throat and I gasped, as though I was trying to take even the two words I had said back. I had become so consumed with not telling her about the moment that Valerie and I shared that I almost let it slip that I had asked Valerie here to talk to me about what had happened the other night; to apologize for Dalilah’s actions.
“Because you what?” Dalilah demanded, narrowing her eyes and stepping toward me.
I bowed my head slightly. “Nothing, Dalilah. I’m sorry.”
“You will be!” she screamed, continuing to glare at me, “Because if you can’t even answer a simple question, where you were in the wrong, then I don’t have any interest in being with you!”
“What?” I felt my heart sink deeper into the catacombs of my chest. I can’t lose two people I care about today… I thought desperately and as she turned around, whipping her hair behind her, I ran after her. I grasped her arm. “Dalilah…wait…Come on…”
However, she just turned around and screamed, “Get your hands off of me!” before she slapped me across the face.
I felt the pressure of the hit before the searing burn and both of them hurt, in their own way. I yelled out and pulled my hand up to my face. “What was that for?”
“For touching me. How dare you try to stop me.” With that, she turned herself around again and stomped off.
I watched her leave and wondered what in the world had just happened. Either with Valerie or with Dalilah, I honestly didn’t have a clue.