Page 11 of The Stranger

“That’s where you’re wrong. This has everything to do with me. She’s no longer yours … she’sminenow,” I growl menacingly, poking my chest. “And I’d appreciate it if you’d unhand my girlfriend.”

He glares at me briefly, but when I give him a look that tells him I mean what I say … he does as I ask.Pussy.

“Fuck this,” he spits, storming from the room like a child.

“Delilah,” I say, taking another step in her direction. “I’m so sorry.”

“For what?” she asks, finally turning to face me.

The sadness I see in her eyes tears me up inside. Somuch so, that I have to shove my hands into the pockets of my dark-grey trousers before I do something stupid … like hug her.

“For everything,” I answer. “I never would’ve come tonight if I knew I was going to make things worse for you.”

“I’m so thankful that you came.”

“You are?”

“Yes, you defended me in there! You … you are the first person to make me feel like I’m not crazy for feeling this way.”

“You have every right to feel the way you do.”

“Huh. I thought so too, but everyone … my parents, his parents … those two,” she says, flicking her head towards the kitchen, “they all seem to think I should just suck it up and accept it. It’s bad enough that I found out my fiancé was cheating on me a month before my wedding, but with my flesh and blood … I can’t even with that.”

“This whole thing is deplorable.”

She lifts one shoulder. “I’m kind of used to being treated like I don’t matter around here, although this is the worst I’ve experienced from them.”

“Why do they treat you so poorly?”

“My sister constantly reminds me that I was a mistake. My father only wanted one child, so he was less than pleased when my mum fell pregnant with me.”

“That’s still no excuse.”

“Abigail once told me my dad wanted to put me up for adoption when I was born, but my mum couldn’t go through with it. I guess I’ve been paying the price for that decision ever since.”

“Do you believe that?”

She shrugs again. “It makes sense. My sister hasalways been the golden child … at least with my dad. I get the feeling my mum goes along with it most of the time to please him. He was a spoilt only child. I’ve seen him throw, what could best be described as a temper tantrum, many times over the years when he hasn’t gotten his way. Maybe that’s why my mum is so compliant, she likes to keep the peace. Sometimes I get upset with her for not having a backbone, but the reality is, I’m not much different from her. My family dynamics are pretty messed up.”

“That is … I have no words,” I say because I’m genuinely struggling to wrap my head around it all.

“It is what it is. As for my sister, we aren’t close, but I’d never do something like this to her. Even if she didn’t have such rotten taste in men.”

“Hmm,” I hum, arching an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say she had a thing for me?”

A small smile tugs at the corners of her lips. “Like I said in our conversation on Messenger, you’re not my type, Mr Prescott.”

I bark out a laugh, because I can tell by the cheeky look on her face that she’s baiting me. “Is that so, Miss St. James?”

“You’re practically old enough to be my father.”

“Granted, I’m way too old for you, but I’m only thirty-two, Delilah,” I grumble. “I have ten years on you at best.”

The grin on her face grows, and damn, she looks so pretty when she smiles. I’d take that over her tears any day.

“I’ll be twenty-two next month, so that’s a good observation.”

“One of my many talents,” I boast. “I don’t know how you can stand living here under these circumstances.”