Sebastian

Getting Delaney to listen to reason hadn’t been easy. She was tired, shocked about the pregnancy, and unsure how to handle the unexpected visit from her parents. I understood why that was impacting her logic, and I was trying to be patient, but it wasn’t easy.

“For the last time, Delaney, you cannot drive your car home tonight,” I insisted.

“You don’t get to give me orders,” she said with a pout.

“I’m not giving you orders,” I told her.

“What do you call telling me I can’t drive my car?” she demanded.

“Reading your release order from the emergency room,” I explained. “They want you to rest your left arm, and driving was listed as an activity to be avoided.”

Delaney sighed and closed her eyes. “I’m acting crazy, right?”

“Yes, but now you can blame it on hormones,” I teased.

“Very funny,” she muttered. Despite her attempt to sound irritated, it was clear my answer amused her. “Fine. We won’t pick up my car, but staying at your house still isn’t an option. My parents are coming in tomorrow.”

“And they will understand why you’re staying at my place,” I argued. “It’s safer. The first two incidents involving Tessa happened at your place. I’m not saying she can’t figure out where I live. That’s not too difficult. It’s simply harder to get to my place. Aside from the gates at the front of the community, I have an alarm system.”

“Why am I arguing with you about this?” Delaney asked, sounding genuinely bewildered. “I know I can’t drive home, and I know I’m safer at your place.”

“You’re worried about what your parents will think if you’re staying at my place,” I told her.

“Which is crazy,” she huffed. “As soon as I tell them I’m pregnant, they are going to know we’ve been intimate.”

A startled bark of laughter escaped my lips. “Intimate?”

“That’s the term I’m going with when thinking about my parents,” she replied.

“Fair enough,” I agreed, deciding it was smart to avoid teasing Delaney about this. I knew she was stressed out about telling her parents about her pregnancy, and I didn’t blame her. As for me? Fine, I was a little stressed out, too. I had no idea how much of that was about the baby, and how much had to do with Tessa still being out there. Tessa had already proven she was still unstable.

“Why do you suppose Tessa didn’t come after me for so long?” Delaney asked. “I think she may have killed my plants and put a dead cat on my porch.”

“What?” I nearly roared. “When did this happen?”

“A little over a week ago,” she admitted. “To be honest, I’m not certain she put the dead cat there. Animal control seemed to think it died of natural causes, so it may have just walked up there and died.”

I let out a frustrated breath. “Did you tell the police about these things?”

“Not yet,” she admitted. “I barely spoke to them before Cody took me to the hospital. They asked me a few questions and then headed out to look for Tessa. So, why do you think Tessa had a gap in her attacks? I’d think she’d have been going after me more, especially on the nights I was alone at my place.”

“From what the police have found so far, she hasn’t missed a therapy appointment, which means she’s been driving back to Portland. That’s how they're hoping to catch her,” I explained.

“When is her next appointment?” she asked. “I need this to be over soon. My parents are probably going to insist on staying here forever if Tessa isn’t arrested.”

I chuckled. “I’m really looking forward to meeting your parents.”

“Because you long for a shotgun wedding?” she demanded before letting out a frustrated breath. “They really do mean well. They stood up for me both times I left Cody, even though the church disapproved. My writing is the only thing they refuse to support me on.”

I’d just parked at Delaney’s house, so I turned slightly toward her, placing a hand on her cheek until she faced me. “That must hurt.”

“Not anymore,” she replied with a sad smile. “My parents love me, and I love them. For the first year I lived out here, I was angry with them. I thought they should completely accept me for who I am. They aren’t going to accept my writing, but they aren’t shunning me or pushing me to quit. I just have to accept that this is who they are.”

“You amaze me,” I murmured. “I know you think I’m crazy, but I really am looking forward to meeting your parents.”

By the time we got Delaney’s stuff packed up, the stress of the day was really beginning to set in. Thankfully, Delaney made coffee and put it in a travel mug for me. She must have seen how exhausted I was because it was strong enough to strip paint off the walls and just what I needed to make the drive home.

The day had been filled with many shocks, both good and bad. As I slid behind the wheel of my car, I looked over at Delaney and smiled. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”

Her own smile was a little wobbly when she replied. “I’ve got a pretty good idea. You’re turning out to be the best sexy boy toy.”

“I aim to please,” I drawled.

“If my shoulder didn’t hurt so much, I might make you prove that claim tonight,” she said with a sleepy laugh.