AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Delilah?” Jude caught her wrists as she hurtled into his chest rounding a corner. He chuckled at their mishap and then looked into her eyes. “Delilah. What’s wrong?” he asked urgently.
She looked up into his dark, dark eyes and realized that if she could get lost in them, the truth could, too. What if he was mixed up in all of it? What if he knew the whole thing? Would he tell her? Would he try to hide it?
Deciding she didn’t want to swallow any more lies—or truths, for that matter—Delilah broke free of his grasp and ran through the kitchen, down the hallway, and out the door onto the bustling avenue.
The passing crowds that had been a mere inconvenience only minutes before became positively hostile to Delilah’s harried mental state. She couldn’t think what to do or where to go. Her path became blocked by places she couldn’t go and things she didn’t want to do.
Well, I sure as hell can’t stay here.
That thought finally broke the roots holding her feet to the sidewalk. She turned right, then left, then left again, and after that she lost track. She lost all thought and care of where she was or where she was going.
When she came to herself again, she had walked full circle back to Graham’s place. Realizing that the only place she wanted to be was with the people who had the potential to hurt her the most, and knowing that she couldn’t handle hearing why, Delilah ran away.
Chapter 22
Jude
JudepeeredintoGraham’shome, sensing Delilah and Graham somewhere in the vicinity but not hearing any dialogue. On the counter in the kitchen, he saw a basket of baked goods, covered in Delilah’s scent. She’d been carrying the basket around for some time. He was so grateful to have her in his life. She had always been so generous despite having so little.
“A cookie won’t hurt,” Jude said, grinning to himself as he grabbed a chocolate chip from the basket. This wasn’t the first time Delilah had brought baked goods by the house, so he understood the gesture.
Then something else caught his attention, and it made the hairs on his neck pluck upward. It felt so familiar—so urgent—but he couldn’t place this feeling.
He trudged up the stairwell to Graham’s home office, eager to discuss launch plans for their new cooking app. The past few weeks had been quite uneventful, but he was glad to spend time with Delilah and Graham in peace.
As he rounded the corner, just before reaching Graham’s office, he got a better impression of what he had sensed in the kitchen. Fear? Panic? It was a little bit of everything. The air had filled suddenly with a swath of emotions so negative it was burdensome. He could feel the stress chemicals filling out the house, and his immediate reaction was to run.
But before he could better process these secondhand emotions, a familiar mass collided with him. The collision barely affected him physically, but as he got a glimpse of Delilah’s emotional state, he was overwhelmed. He instinctively reached out, grabbing her wrists.
Her breathing was rapid, her pupils dilated, and her forehead covered in sweat. It reminded him of seeing her back at the cafe when they had first formally met.
“Delilah?” Jude attempted to meet her gaze, her eyes darting frantically around the room. He could already feel himself losing her, but he still had to try and engage her. “Delilah? What’s wrong?”
Her eyes finally met his, and for a moment, he thought maybe he had connected with her. Then her eyes clouded over, and her expression became blank. She had completely shut down at this point.
In an instant, he could feel her body going limp. She slipped between his fingers, and before he could process what was happening, she had darted down the stairwell and was slamming the door downstairs.
Jude’s legs moved before his brain. He almost hurtled down the stairs as he lost his footing but caught himself on the banister. He flung the front door open, staring out over the bustling streets.
He tried to get a sense of direction from the overwhelming emotions he had experienced—tried to make sense of the converging crowds on the pavement—but it was hopeless. He collapsed on the stoop, feeling utterly helpless.
Upon seeing Graham standing above him, he could almost feel his senses returning. He was still overtaken by Delilah’s emotions. Theyscreamedat him. They were so strong, in fact, that they had become his own emotions.
“Was that Delilah?” Graham leaned down, putting his hand on Jude’s shoulder. Jude nodded, still trying to gather his senses. “Well, what are you doing sitting here? We’ve gotta find her!” Graham attempted to urge Jude to his feet.
“You didn’t see her, man,” Jude said. “She’s spooked. It’s like the first day we met her.” Jude could see the cogs in Graham’s mind working. “What the hell did you say to her?”
Graham took a defensive stance, firmly planting his feet. “I didn’t say anything at all. I was just making a phone call.”
“Deacon Claw?” Jude asked. There were few things Graham had complained and fretted over more than talking to Jonah Deacon. It had weighed heavily on his mind.
“How did you know?”
“For the past few weeks, it’s been all you talk about. Did you finally figure it out?”
“We can talk about it later,” Graham said urgently, surveying the city street. “But, no. I didn’t.”
“That’s probably fine,” Jude said. He watched Graham desperately scrutinizing the faces walking on the pavement. “You’re not going to find her that way. She’s long gone.”
