Blind Love (Sulfur Heights Series) (9 page)

I
move to the cupboard and pull out the plastic pitcher located at the back and fill it with cold water. She’s going to flip her shit when I dump this on her and I can’t freaking wait.

“You know you’re asking for it.”

I shut the water off and make my way over to the back door as I say, “Yeah, that’s the point, brother.”

It’s hot as fuck outside and this will piss her
off. She will be shitting nails for a week.

I lean over the deck and hold
the pitcher of cold water over the rail. I need to get my aim just right so the majority of water hits her square in the chest and stomach. I take a moment to look at her lying there in a white bikini. I couldn’t have dreamed up a better swimsuit for her to wear, either. She looks like a goddess as her long, blonde hair lightly blows to the side. I tip the pitcher over.

Bull’s
eye!

Then I watch as Delilah glare
s at me as she screams my name.

“I’m going to kill you!”
She’s screaming as she jumps from the lounger and starts flying up the back steps. I’ve changed my mind; what’s the hottest is an angry Delilah in a wet bikini running up stairs! It’s so funny and sexy that I can hardly breathe.

She starts pelting me with her magazine
, but there is nothing I can do to protect myself. I am laughing so hard I’m practically dying of suffocation. “I just hate you, Jake Evans!”

We manage to make it inside the kitchen
where there is a look of wickedness in her eyes. If I know anything about this woman, it’s that she harbors a devilish side to her and I love it when I can bring it out.

She starts stalking toward me
with her body wet and so sexy that I’m thrown completely off guard when she looks at me like she’s ready to slam me into the cupboard. I lean back against the sink and watch this seductress walk my way. Delilah pushes her wet body against mine, her face is inches from mine. I start to get hard in my boxers and I can’t believe we are finally going to go there. I’ve been working on her for a long time, and I’m certain that as soon as I have sex with her, she will be out of my mind. For good.

She brings her arm around
, almost pinning me to the counter. “You like that, don’t you? When I’m close to you?”

I nod
, literally unable to form words, looking like a real chump right now.

“Oh
, well, let me help you with that.” Then the faucet comes on and she’s spraying my head with water. Her southern drawl sounds ridiculous as she laughs uncontrollably while my head and wife beater are getting soaked.

So she wants to play hardball. I can definitely do hardball. I snatch the sprayer out of her hands
, which prompts her to screech and bolt down the back steps. Damn, that ass looks magnificent in bikini bottoms. I’ve said it a hundred times and I will keep saying it; that woman is going to kill me.

I fly down the back stairs behind her as she runs to the backyard
, going right for the hose. I run over to her and grab onto the hose. She’s got a tight grip on the end, but I manage to snag it from her hands. Walking to the spicket, I attach the sprayer and turn the water on full-blast, making it shoot out in a jet stream.

“Jake! Don’t you
dare!”

“What’s the matter, cupcake?”
When I press against the nozzle and soak her in the stomach, she screams and starts to run, then I pursue. I’m not sure why she’s running. It’s not like she’s not already wet from me dumping water on her.

“It’s stinking cold! Stop!”

After chasing her until the hose no longer stretches, I walk over to the faucet and shut the water off.

“You are such a jerk!” She is trying to be mad at me, but it’s hard for her when I flash a smile her way.
She has wrapped her towel around her body and is now ringing her hair of water.

Flashes of last night start jarring my memory. After leaving the redhead’s house
, I wasn’t feeling like I normally feel when I leave—satisfied and comfortable. I wanted and needed more. That’s why I went into her room. What exactly did I need from her that I couldn’t get from my random hook-up with the redhead? What the hell is wrong with me? I am starting to get aggravated with myself. She is slowly digging herself under my skin and not leaving anytime soon. Damn!

I f
ollow Delilah upstairs and into the kitchen where she sits on the counter, leaning back against the cupboard and giving me heated looks. I’m completely uncomfortable with the way she’s taking up shop in my mind and I glare back at her. Then she speaks.

“You
should really lay off the booze.” I move closer to her and cause her breath to hitch in her throat. “I do have a boyfriend you know, and I don’t appreciate you passing out in my room in the middle of the night.”

“Well
, I don’t recall you complaining, so maybe you need to take your self-righteous attitude somewhere else.” I get as close as I can to her and put my hands up beside her head on the cupboard, pinning her against me. She doesn’t look away, either; Delilah meets me glare for glare. Then her eyes move to my lips and back up. I keep my eyes attached to hers. If anything is going to happen, it’s going to be on her. I won’t start anything, but I damn well
will
finish it.

Just as I think she’s going to kiss me
, Drake’s horrible timing screws it all up.

“Where is she?” Drake is crazy angry and I don’t recall ever seeing him this upset. Well
, not for a really long time. Delilah looks to me and she’s scared. Drake is a big motherfucker and when he’s mad like he is now, God help anyone who’s standing in his way. “Where the fuck is she, Delilah? And don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about because I’m about to lose it!”

Secrets! I can’t stand fucking secrets
. When I look into my brother’s eyes and back to hers, I know immediately she’s hiding something. I step back and really look at her. What the hell did Presley do and why is Delilah covering for her?

She looks back to me then over to Drake and squeaks out
, “Drake, please, you have to calm down.”

“How long did you know about this?” Drake fumes. I am completely baffled
, staring between the two of them.

“What?” Delilah so innocently lies
, and that’s when Drake chucks something at her, hitting Delilah with the object.

My need to protect her comes to the surface and I can’t allow this to continue.

“What the fuck, Drake?” I shout then look to the floor and see a crushed box with the words pregnancy test on it. Oh. Shit. No wonder he’s pissed. I would be pissed, too, knowing my girl is knocked up and keeping it a secret. I’m glad I’m not that stupid. Even when I’m drunk, I always use a condom.

Drake starts moving toward her when he shouts, “Don’t! Don’t you dare act like you
know nothing about this.”

Delilah is crying. Giant tears are rolling down her cheeks and again I want to protect her from the pain she’s feeling even though Drake
’s anger is justified.

Then he grabs her arms
, screaming, “Where is she?”

Acting on my new
ly found instinct, I grab Drake’s shoulders and pull him off then swiftly put myself between Delilah and a raging Drake. His actions are worrying me now, but I know he won’t hit her
;
well, I don’t think he will anyway. I still get this ache in my gut telling me to protect her no matter what.

“Back the fuck off, Drake!” I shout.

I can feel Delilah pressed against my back, just like the night at the races when that asshole was making fun of her. Her skin is cool against my back as I shield her with my body.

“I’m sorry, Drake. I practically begged her to tell you, but she was afraid you would leave her. Look, I know she’s had problems since she’s lived her, but you don’t understand, she’s had issues handling change her whole life. This was too much for her and—”

“And what? Just fucking tell me!” Drake is pushing his body against mine, puffing up his chest.

I have to protect
Delilah. I widen my stance and start to shoulder him back. He’s taller than me, but I’m a mean son of a bitch. I won’t let him get any closer.

“She left for the clinic, Drake.” Delilah falls to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably and I turn to hold her as Drake runs out the back door. I can hear the
Chevelle roar as he peels down the driveway.

I sit down beside her on the floor, unsure
of how I’m supposed to comfort her, then decide to put one arm around her shoulders. She tucks herself in and bawls into my shoulder and chest.

I can’t believe what just happened. Presley’s pregnant and is going to get an abortion. I’m all for
the woman’s right to choose, but I know for a fact that Drake is the exact opposite. He’s admitted in his drunken state of mind of how he despises his birth mom for abandoning him and declared he would never do that to his own kid. I can’t imagine what he’s going through right now.

I personally would be ready to jump off a cliff if I knew I was going to be a dad. I am the last person who needs to be responsible for a child. Would I support it
? Hell, yeah, but that doesn’t mean I would want it to happen.

We sit on the floor for a few more minutes until Delilah calms herself down and her breathing is back to normal.

“Are you okay?” I ask as I stare into her tear stained eyes.

“Yeah, I guess so. Drake hates me now. God
, when it comes to your family, I’m always screwing up. Reggie is probably the only person now who likes me.”

“Hey, what about me?” I say
, acting offended.

“Please
, Jake. There are days you can barely look at me, and if you did like me, you wouldn’t be so nasty toward me.” She gets up off the floor and readjusts the towel around her body as she walks out of the kitchen.

Before I know it
’s happening, I’m following her down the hall, ready to plead my case. Why I care is still a mystery to me, yet I can’t stop myself from letting her know. I reach her bedroom door, putting my foot between the door and the jam, preventing her from shutting it. She gives me an incredulous look then rolls her eyes that I won’t allow her to close the door on me.

“I don’t hate you
, Delilah.” Her eyes connect with mine, and like so many times before, we are locked in a retinal showdown. “I’m not sure how to explain this because I don’t understand it myself, but I know I don’t hate you. There is no one else in my life that pisses me off as much as you do. You can get under my skin and frustrate me to the point that I’m beyond words, but trust me when I say, I don’t hate you. Not one little bit.”

Pissed at myself for admitting the confusing feelings that are building for Delilah
, I leave her wondering and walk toward my room. I can’t deal with this now and I’m not sure I will ever be able to.

Chapter 6

Delilah

I’ve been in Sulfur Heights for a couple of months and my experience here is the opposite of what I
’ve expected. My best friend in the entire world has sunken into a sadness that I’m not sure how she will be able to pull herself out of. Presley and Drake haven’t had a conversation with one another since the day he found out she’s pregnant.

Thankfully, she
has realized the magnitude of her mistake and didn’t go through with the abortion, but the distance between her and Drake is heartbreaking to watch. Presley stays in my room and sleeps all day and all night. Whenever I try to talk to her about it, she rolls over and tells me she’s fine, just tired. I know there is more to her story, however I’m afraid to push.

When I noticed her anorexia and depression
, it took months before I could convince her she had a problem, or should I say, admitted she had a problem. Then I got her parents involved and they checked her into a facility. Presley didn’t talk to me for a month after that, and it was the longest four weeks of my life.

I contemplate going back and forth
on telling Drake about Presley’s past. Maybe that will wake him up enough that he’ll start acting like an adult. I’ve never seen anyone hold a grudge like he does. The one thing I know I can do for Presley is to be there for her, therefore I hold her at night while trying to comfort her as much as I can during the day.

As I lie in bed next to Presley’s sleeping body, I start thinking about the time I
’ve spent here. I will be leaving tomorrow and it will be sad. I will miss all the kids at the shelter, especially Mason, the little boy who refused to talk. After working there two weeks and using much persistence, he finally came around and began talking to me. Now he is opening up, being social with kids, and has bonded with Joanna as well. He is such a sweet boy; I hope he’ll be okay. I hope they’ll all be okay. God knows they’ve already got the odds stacked against him.

Jake has taken me on more
J&D adventures, as he likes to call them. I’ve been in the car for every drag race since the first and he even let me sit shot gun one time to get the full experience. I’ve tried to sweet talk Jeremy into letting me drive, but he’s told me I’m crazy and no one races his baby other than him. Jake has also taught me the art of pool playing and has even given me some hustling pointers. Not that I would ever use them, but I can see why Jake is so good at it. He does have a talent for shooting pool, however the way he studies his opponent is an art form.