Page 28 of Sin With Me

Even as I speak the words, they sound wrong coming out of my mouth.

Especially since she kissed and begged me to touch her, I want to be much more thanfriends.

Chapter Four

Delilah

Waking up in Wilder’s bed isn’t something I thought I’d ever experience.

But what’s most surprising about it is that nothing happened between us in here.

I feel foolish for begging him to fuck me in my truck, and now I hope it’s not awkward between us and that he’ll never bring it up again.

“Hey, darlin’. How’re you feelin’?”

My stomach flutters before my eyes peel open. Him calling methatin his gruff voice instead of Delly—which has always done something to me—has me dragging my bottom lip between my teeth.

He’s called me Delly for years. It’s what my high school friends called me, but I grew out of it after graduation. I don’t even think he realizes he still calls me that, but it sounds different coming from him. Like a secret just between us.

Waylon and him were seniors when I was a sophomore and we ran in different social circles, but everyone knew of the Hollis twins. You had to live under a rock not to know about them or think they weren’t the hottest guys in school.

Wilder was always getting into trouble and Waylon was always bailing him out.

I was in the same class with their younger brother, Landen, who also got into a lot of shit. Pretty sure he dated most of the girls in our class.

Poor Mrs. Hollis was in the principal’s office more in those years than when she attended.

Admittedly, when Waylon and I ran into each other years later, I was honored to get his attention. We had enough in common to enjoy each other’s company and go on dates or hang out in between taking care of my dad and volunteering. But then my sister’s incident happened only a couple months later.

He supported me through it as best as he could, but I couldn’t juggle being in a relationship and a caregiver. Mom was working twelve-hour shifts at the hospital, so I was the only one who could stay home and help.

Inevitably, I told Waylon we needed to take a break so I’d stop feeling guilty for being a bad girlfriend. I couldn’t give him the attention he deserved and needed time to dedicate to my family.

Waylon was hurt and assumed I was breaking up with him for good and ended up sleeping with someone else two weeks later.

I had hoped we’d eventually get back together once my sister recovered, but after that happened, I didn’t see him the same way.

I was angry with him for a long time but eventually got over it. We both grew up and matured and got on friendly terms again. But then he fell in love with my little sister, who’s ten years younger than me.

Go figure.

“Woke up pissed that the floor didn’t open up and swallow me whole,” I respond to his question and then yank the covers higher to hide my face.

Wilder chuckles, deep and smooth, and it’s such a rarity for it to be genuine that I’m almost taken aback by how much I love it.

And how much I want to hear it again and again.

Wilder is the epitome of someone who puts on a show that he’s a happy-go-lucky, fun guy, but it’s only surface-level because inside he’s miserable.

He suffers from the type of depression where he can easily hide it by being the class clown and funny guy in group settings that if you didn’t know his deepest, darkest secrets, you’d never know he used cutting, drinking, and sex as a coping device. One look at him and you’d think there’s no way this good-looking and charming cowboy is miserable inside.

Wilder doesn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable with his mental health issues, himself included, so he pretends he’s fine.

He’s a pro at it after all these years.

If Waylon hadn’t told me ahead of time, I would’ve never guessed based on how he presented himself the first time we met in person.

“Wanna grab lunch at The Lodge before you go home?” he asks, sitting on the edge of the bed and slowly pulling down the covers to reveal my face.