Page 53 of Injustice and Absolution

But before either of them can respond, Maggie cuts in.

“We need to talk before you leave.” Delilah looks at her with confusion. “Drew, you can stay here. Family meeting. You understand.”

Not waiting for an answer, Maggie marches back into the house and into my office.

This ought to be good.

Delilah follows her, and I bring up the rear. No sooner than I close the door behind me, Maggie speaks again.

“You’re being an idiot,” she accuses Delilah, who looks as though she’s just been slapped. “Royce, tell her she’s making a mistake.”

Shocked that Maggie’s anger and strong opinions aren’t directed at me for once, it takes me a second to form words. When I catch Delilah’s face, it almost feels like she’s waiting for me to tell her I think it’s a mistake too.

But, as God as my witness, I’ll never utter that word to her again.

“Royce.”Maggie urges me on.

Delilah’s eyes are still glued to mine as a thousand fucking words and emotions pass silently between us. My chest clenches as the same hurt I saw in her eyes the night we were together again threatens to pierce my fragile armor.

I try to make her see how sorry I am for what happened. To beg her not to go. To let her know how much I don’t like Drew, although I can’t give her one legitimate reason why.

She’s looking at me, pleading for me to give her a reason to stay.

But... I don’t. I can’t.

Maggie scoffs next to me.

“Delilah, you’venevermentioned anything to me about wanting to move out. Why now? Did Drew talk you into this?”

Finally, Delilah breaks the connection between us to look at Maggie.

“Of course not. Why would you think that?”

“Because I don’t trust him.” Maggie explains. “Because he’s someold guywho hangs around with a younger crowd. What do you evenknowabout him anyway?”

I remain silent but add this interesting fact to the mental file I’ve created on Drew since I first laid eyes on him.

“I know enough. And he knows alotof different people, Mags. He doesn’t just hang out with college-aged kids.”

“He’s a fucking weirdo,” Maggie hurls, completely ignoring Delilah.

“And I did mention moving out to you once before. You shut the idea down like you do with me all the time. You know, Maggie, I’vealwaysbeen supportive of you and everything going on in your life. Even if I didn’t agree with it. If it made you happy, that was good enough for me.”

Maggie looks like Delilah just punched her in the stomach.

“It hurts to know you can’t do the same. That you’re not confident in the decisions I make regarding my life. Every choice I’ve ever made has been to ensure my survival. It’s all I’ve done to make sure I’ve gotten to where I am now. It’s all I know.”

Delilah’s face freezes as though she’s said something she shouldn’t have. I wonder why until Maggie answers her.

“What are you talking about?”

Maggie’s tone isn’t accusatory but genuinely confused. And it’s then I realize that Delilah has never told Maggie about her past.

Why?

I would have assumed Maggie knew every single detail of Delilah’s life by now. From the best of friends when they were younger to the sisters they practically are today, I thought they told each other everything.

“It’s… It’s not important. All that matters is that I know what I’m doing. Whether you choose to believe in me or not, that fact remains.”

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