Page 23 of Delirium
I attacked their president a couple of days ago, and bikers could hold a mean grudge. I could too, and if I had another chance, I would stab him again.
But their prez fucked up as well, so it wasn’t all my fault.
“Phee?” Storm pulled at my hand, bringing me back from the daydream.
“Uh, what?”
“I said, do you want us to stop somewhere to grab something to eat?” Indigo groaned from the other side of me, earning a slap on a thigh from me. “Can you two stop acting like two children?” Storm groaned.
“No,” Indigo and I said in unison, glaring at each other.
“There’s a gas station coming up,” Creed said. “I need to take a piss and you all need to get the fuck out of this car before we start killing each other. Breathe some fresh air, eat something, do some yoga, I don’t know. Whatever calms your titties down. Indigo,” he turned toward us, “your car is going to be there. You’re gonna have to go and meet Ash since he’s already there.”
“Gladly,” he mumbled, glaring at me. “Some peace and quiet.”
“Fuck off, Indigo.”
“Will you just stop!” Atlas bellowed from the front seat, shutting both of us down. “Just stop talking to each other. I swear to God, it’s like having two children in the car.”
Silence ensued as soon as his outburst finished, and the rational part of me knew he was right. I had to stop goading Indigo unless I wanted him dead. Violence brewed in him, and if I wasn’t careful, I would be the recipient.
I just wished I wasn’t sandwiched between the two men who didn’t really talk. The fact that we’d spent the last couple of hours sitting like this wasn’t helping. I was hungry, cranky, angry, and tired. Living without coffee and having to wake up at the crack of dawn wasn’t my idea of fun, but I was here.
Traveling for five days was even worse when the people you were surrounded with looked at you as if you were the enemy. Going from city to city because they needed to check in on the other chapters. It wasn’t as if Winworth was just in the next state. We had to travel to the far north to this God forsaken town, and I regretted agreeing to this.
I said I would be here, and I knew Storm would have dragged me with them even if I had said I didn’t want to go.
Since I came out of my little prison, he’d been everywhere. He didn’t talk to me, but he was always there, bringing me food, bringing me clothes, watching, observing, smiling and glaring. I had no idea how to behave.
Zoe stayed behind with Kairos because Indigo didn’t want her involved in this. She kept pushing me toward Storm, trying to convince me to give him a second chance, but I couldn’t. Not yet. He had to show me that he truly meant what he said, and that it wasn’t just another lie.
But I had to let him in. I had to try as well if I truly meant what I said about my kids growing up with their father.
I got so many second chances with some people, it would only be fair that I did the same for Storm.
“Stormy,” I whispered, putting my head on his shoulder. I looked up, willing him to look at me, to talk to me, to stop thinking about fucking Winworth. “Storm,” I murmured again when he kept on ignoring me, staring out the window. “Look at me.”
“What is it, Ophelia?” he asked, still avoiding my eyes.
“You need to look at me.”
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, before swiveling his head my way. Those brilliant green-and-yellow orbs focused on my face, anxiety sitting behind them, driving him mad. I knew what I had to do.
“Tell me a story, Storm.” I smiled softly. “Tell me a pretty little story.”
“I don’t know any stories.”
“Yeah, you do. And even if you don’t, you will need to learn some because I’m not going to be the only one putting these kids down to sleep. If those books Zoe bought me are correct, they’re going to need a lot of stories. It’s apparently good for their development, or some shit like that.”
Understanding flashed on his face, finally realizing what I’d been trying to say.
This was his second chance. I was trying to get over my own insecurities. I was trying to help him.
“So the two of us are going to be raising our kids, huh?” A brilliant smile spread over his face as he pressed his palm on top of my stomach.
“Yep.” I chuckled. “You’re going to be changing diapers. I’m not going anywhere near that.”
“But what if you need to.” He chuckled. “What if you need to change their poopy diaper?”
