Chapter 18 - Hunter
The dinner I have planned outside of Scarborough is supposed to be casual, since Delilah offered friendship before anything else, but I can't help feeling as if tonight will mark a new beginning.
I just have to remind myself to take things slowly, and not rush Delilah into anything that'll make her uncomfortable.
That's why tonight's date is going to be simple, even if we're leaving Scarborough territory to travel to Westbrook. Tyler told me about the dinner date he had with Arianna and their son one night at a restaurant on Elmwood Avenue, which has an in-house bowling alley.
I thought it'd be a good idea to do something fun, and that's why I'm dressed in casual clothes and asked Delilah to do the same.
Hearing her leaving the room, her footsteps echo in the hallway, and I leave my bedroom just in time to meet her as she's about to head to the door.
“Ready?” she asks as soon as I'm out, and I take a moment to let my heart calm down from the sight of her dressed as if she's taking this date as seriously as I feel about it.
I bite my inner lip in an attempt to let the rising heat subside before I say something inappropriate. Delilah has foregone her usual skinny jeans and oversized T-shirt for a summer dress that hugs her chest before flaring out at the waist.
It's not the first time I'm seeing her in a dress, and though this is more casual than the gowns she wears to parties, and she has on sneakers instead of heels that elongate her gorgeous legs, she's still breathtakingly beautiful.
“After you, m'lady,” I respond as I gesture toward the door, then follow her. “I hope you don't mind, but I borrowed Arthur's car.”
Delilah gasps. “Why? How far are we going?”
“Not far,” I say as I step forward and open the front door for her. “But I thought it'd be nice to do something different for a change and not have to travel in wolf form tonight.”
Delilah pauses and regards me with a faint smile, then nods. “Alright. I actually like the sound of that. We're doing something normal for a change.”
“Hey, I wouldn't say that shape-shifting and wielding magic isn't the norm for us, but we're blending in with the normies for one night.”
“Normies?” Delilah chuckles as we head to Arthur's car parked in the driveway. “I almost forgot that's what you called the humans!”
Chuckling, I move ahead and open the passenger door for Delilah, wearing a jubilant smile as I tilt my head. “Go ahead, m'lady.”
Delilah giggles, the sweet sound filling my eardrums as if it's the only music I'll ever want to hear, and she climbs into the Jeep.
As I close the door, my lingering stare fills me with desire, with the anticipation of the budding romance between us that might be growing slowly, but it's steady and reminds me not to rush things.
The ride to Westbrook is a short one, and Delilah and I fall into comfortable silence as if we're both anticipating the date.
Once we're at the bistro on Elmwood Avenue, I park the Jeep, hop out, and open Delilah's door for her, executing perfect manners to show her that I can be the man she deserves.
Once we're seated in the bustling restaurant, we order the same meal—Buffalo wings for starters, barbecue brisket sandwiches for mains with a generous portion of beef tacos and milkshakes on the side.
Feeling as giddy as kids would be as if we've snuck out of the house to grab a meal, the dinner flows comfortably, and the hearty meal goes down well. When we're done with dinner, we order desserts and coffee, and I notice the way Delilah is less tense around me and is actually enjoying herself.
I'm making progress.
“Do you wanna have a go at the arcade?” I ask when we're halfway through dessert. Delilah lifts her coffee and takes a sip, frowning at me.
“Arcade? Really? How old are you?” she giggles.
“Almost thirty,” I chuckle as I push another spoonful of tiramisu between my lips. “But you're never too old to play some games. It'll be fun.”
Delilah chuckles, and there's a hint of sadness in her eyes as if she's remembering something I once told her about “fun.” This is different, and I want her to see that.
“It's just to let loose for a bit. You've been going through so much, between your parents, the prince, and Gwen, and I think you deserve a break.”
Delilah nods, slowly at first, before her sullen expression shifts to a smile. “Okay. Let's give it a go. But I'm definitely kicking your ass!”
“I wouldn't expect anything less,” I chuckle.
When we're done with dessert, Delilah and I head to the arcade room, battling it out in a martial arts fighting game that has us both yelling at the screen while we hit buttons and knock our joysticks around.
After five rounds, Delilah beats me fair and square with four points, and I'm about to fling my arms around her in celebration when I hold myself back and stick my hand out instead.
“Well done, m'lady,” I smirk as Delilah stares at my hand, her laughter dying down. Her brows knit to a frown, and she tentatively places her hand in mine.
“Th-thanks,” she murmurs, and a flicker of disappointment is evident in her eyes as she shakes my hand. She clears her throat, becoming uncomfortable, and I decide to ease her tension by suggesting another game.
She nods slowly. “Bowling. That'll be fun.”
Her dry expression tells me that she isn't having much fun, but I can read between the lines, noting her emotions as if they're my own.
Disappointment.
It's almost as if she wanted me to wrap my arms around her to celebrate. But I'm holding myself back, especially since she's the one who suggested friendship when I was on the brink of losing her altogether. I have to take things slowly, but I get the feeling that it's not what Delilah wants.
The shift in her mood doesn't dampen my spirits, however, and I become more determined to win her over. I type our names into the keypad, and we prepare for our bowling session, and soon, we’re both enjoying ourselves.
“Nice one!” Delilah claps her hands in delight when I score a strike on my first try. Her mood shifts again when she wears a mischievous smile and picks up a bowling ball.
She scores a strike on her first try, too, and punches the air triumphantly before sticking out her tongue at me.
“Bet you thought you're the only one who could do that!” she teases as she rolls her eyes.
I pick up my ball and pass her, catching the scent of roses in my airways.
The flower is in bloom again, and not just trying to prick me, and it brings me ease as we carry out the rest of the game.
Delilah seems to be enjoying herself, until we reach the final round and she wins again—deliberately, because I missed the last round on purpose to give her the upper hand.
Winning doesn't seem to lift her spirits, and as we head back to the Jeep when the night is over, I don't need to read her thoughts to know what's going through her mind.
I've always been able to read Delilah like a book, even if I've barely picked up a book in my life. The only physical book I've ever read is the one from the local library—The Secret Society.
From it, I've learned about the mood swings of a witch, knowing that, depending on the moon cycle, the shift in mood is normal for someone like Delilah.
Add the hot blood of her wolf to the mix, and her mood swings can be intense.
It must be the reason why she seems upset now, folding her arms as we drive back to Scarborough.
“Did you have a fun night?” I ask, trying to keep the conversation light while breaking the ice of the awkward silence stretching around us.
“Fun…” Delilah scoffs as she turns her face toward the window, staring out at the pine trees on her side of the road. “Yeah, it was fun, I guess,” she shrugs.
Nodding thoughtfully, I keep my eyes on the road, thinking up a way to lift her spirits again while keeping things friendly between us. I don't want to come on too strong and make her feel like I'm being too forward, but there's no denying that Delilah wants more than just a friendly, casual date.
As much as I want more.
“Would you like to do that again? Go out on another date?” I ask as we enter the small town of Scarborough, driving down the road parallel to the beachside promenade. I roll down my window, allowing the sounds of the crashing waves to fill the tense air between us.
Delilah only shrugs, then sighs as she tilts her head toward the window. “Nah, I don't think we should do that again.”
I purse my lips as we turn onto the main street, then head toward the residential area. Once we've pulled up in the driveway, I cut the engine and turn toward Delilah.
She doesn't have to spell it out for me—I already know that the “friend” thing isn't going as planned.
Perhaps Delilah is trying to play off our relationship as nothing more than being friends, afraid of anything more, but it's clearly eating her up inside.
My heart is aching too, and my fingers tingle with the urge to reach out for her.
All it would take is having her back in my arms one more time to make things feel right again, but I don't want to pressure her.
I'd only just opened up to her and asked her to give me a chance to prove myself.
I can't do anything more unless she says the word, and her current mood won't allow her to ask for that.
Taking a deep breath, I decide not to probe. If there's one thing that the book taught me, it's that the last thing you want to do is poke the fire when it's burning. I don't want to get pricked, because she'll draw blood if I touch her now.
So, I round the Jeep, open her door, and wait for her to climb out.
“I really enjoyed our date tonight, D,” I whisper as I hang on the door, hoping she can see my sincerity even if I'm trying not to hang on to hope. “I'd like to do this again, if you'll give me another chance.”
Delilah sighs as she folds her arms and leans against the car. “I—” she hesitates, but I already know that she's reluctant because she doesn't want to do the casual thing.
Her mood betrays her words from the other night, and it's my opportunity to knock this out of the park and sweep her off her feet.
“I know what you're thinking…I know you well enough, D. You don't have to say it. So I wanna do something different this time.”
Delilah's eyes light up with curiosity, and hope ignites in my heart.
“Perhaps we can do something more private,” I suggest as I clear my throat, noticing how her cheeks faintly turn pink. “But you'll need to dress comfortably for what I have in mind.”
“Are you hiding another secret up your sleeve, Hunter? I thought we agreed that there wouldn't be any secrets anymore?” Delilah quizzes, her interest piqued as she arches a brow.
Chuckling, I gently close the door, leaning in until I can taste her breath in the air I inhale. This flusters her, and I can tell that I'm doing exactly what she wants, even if she won't say it out loud.
“I promise this one will be worth it,” I smirk, and Delilah purses her lips with contemplation crossing her eyes.
“Okay,” she agrees, lifting a finger. “I'm free tomorrow night.”
With that, Delilah heads into the house, leaving me to do mental cartwheels in celebration of a triumph I feel I've earned.
Another date means another chance to win her over and get her to willingly accept that we can never be just friends.