Page 53 of Adoring Delaney

It was a topic I wasn’t proud of but would discuss with her in private if she felt like she needed to know. I never thought of it as cheating. She was right, we weren’t together, even if I’d known I’d loved her. I wasn’t proud of my actions because I’d used those girls. And that made me a dick. I had no intention of ever being someone’s boyfriend, or being exclusive. I’d made it known, and even though the girls had claimed to understand and didn’t want that either, being a man now I knew differently.

However, as a teenage boy, I was being led by my dick, and I’d given in to what my body had wanted.

Delaney hadn’t.

She was true and steadfast.

The more I’d thought about it the more ashamed I’d become. I wasn’t looking forward to having to answer for my stupidity. But I would. Delaney deserved nothing but complete honesty, even if the truth was going to be uncomfortable.

My workday was ending and I was surprised how fast the day had gotten away from me. After Brady briefed me on his site plan for Delaney’s cameras the rest of the day was spent going over the day-to-day operations of Triple Canopy.

I was damn impressed with what my dad and uncles had created. The business was thriving. And if they wanted, we could expand and still have more contracts than we could handle.

“Everything good?” my dad asked from the open door to my office.

“Five by five,” I returned.

“Brady get the cameras installed?”

“Yeah, he called around lunch before he went to his next job. They’re done and functioning.”

“He give you the app for your phone so you can check them?”

“Sure did.”

I wondered how Delaney would feel about me being able to watch the security feed from my phone. I didn’t have to think on it too long to know she’d hate it. And not just me, any of us with the code could, including her dad.

“Jasper said him and Em are going over to Delaney’s tonight. She ready to talk about it?”

“Not even a little bit. Neither of us are. But we have to. I think once she talks to her mom about it she’ll start to heal. She was pissed I sprang their visit on her in front of Jasper but she’ll get over it.”

“You say that but I remember she didn’t talk to you or Jason for a week and all the two of you did was throw water balloons at her.”

He was wrong. She hadn’t talked to Jason for a week. We were camping and I’d snuck into the tent she and Quinn were sharing, laid down next to her and told her I was sorry. We stayed up the rest of the night talking. Though she did give me the silent treatment in front of everyone but that was to throw them off the scent of me sneaking into her tent every night. If Quinn knew I’d been in there after we thought she was asleep, she never told.

“Right. She didn’t give you the silent treatment.” My dad smiled.

“Nope. She didn’t even make it twenty-four hours.”

“I don’t think I want to know.”

“You’re probably right.”

My dad went quiet and a thoughtful look crossed his face.

“What’s on your mind, old man?”

“Fucked up with you. I should’ve listened to your mom and talked to you about Delaney. Could’ve saved you years of pain.”

“I’ve been hearing that a lot. And I catch myself saying it, too. What should’ve been done. But the truth is, even if you’d talked to me, it wouldn’t’ve changed anything. I had to go through it. I had to learn on my own. Maybe I wouldn’t appreciate what I have now because I would’ve always had it. I don’t know, Dad, there’s a lot of ‘should’ve’ being tossed around and not enough, ‘we are where we’re supposed to be’. Delaney and I had a journey we were meant to live. Some of it sucked. But again, we’re all forgetting that most of it didn’t. I know right now Laney’s focusing on all the times I refused to promise her a future so she’s not remembering all we have. But I promise you it was good. And soon, when I get my ring on her finger it’s gonna be great.”

“How’d you get to be so fuckin’ smart?” Dad asked, his voice thick with emotion.

“Mom.”

“Right.” He chuckled. “Once you get Em and Jasper out of the way, I know your mom would appreciate a visit.”

“Did you tell her about the baby?”

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