Lahat ng Kabanata ng THE NIGHT HE WANTED ME : Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 67

DELILAHThen Jason backs away, the car rolling down the quiet road, the engine humming softly as we drive away. He drives in silence back toward town, back toward the mall where I left my car.For most of the ride, the only sound is the hum of the engine and the rush of wind brushing past the windows. I stare out into the dark, the lights flickering by.Then, halfway through the drive, he reaches over and places his hand on mine. He doesn’t say anything. Just holds it..... And he keeps holding it until we reach the mall, until we’re back where we left my car.I don’t know, maybe it’s a small thing, but that gesture kind of makes up for everything. I mean, I’m still kind of mad. But now… I don’t know. I feel kind of good too.When we pull into the parking lot, he tells me not to get out yet. He steps out first, walks around the car, and opens my door himself.He holds out his hand. And I let him. He helps me out, his palm warm around mine, guiding me toward my car parked just a few fee

DELILAHMaybe I’m just too used to the Blackwaters.The prowling mansions.The polished cars.Everything sparkling.Everything is pretending to be perfect.And then..... knock, knock.I almost scream.My heart jumps into my throat as I look toward the window, and there he is......Jason, smiling brightly at me, the night doesn't have anything on him. He waves at me, casual, easy.I let out a shaky breath and turn off the engine. The moment I open the door, he’s already there, reaching for me. He pulls me in without a hug, his arms warm and tight around me, and suddenly, the cold, the fear, the noise in my head all fade.For a second, I really thought I had made a mistake coming here. But standing in his embrace, I feel… safe. Wanted.This is someone who chooses me.Who enjoys being around me?Who actually wants me?And maybe that’s enough for now.Maybe it doesn’t matter where we are as long as I feel this way. “You made it,” he says when he finally lets me go, still holding onto my a

DELILAHHis mother’s gaze flicks from me, sitting up on her son’s bed, my hair messy, his arm still half-around me....to him, and then back again. Her lips part, but for a long, terrible second, nothing comes out.“Jason,” she finally says, her tone halfway between disbelief and a mother’s sharp intuition. “What on earth....who....”“Mom, it’s not what it looks like,” he blurts, his voice cracking in panic. He sits up so fast he nearly knocks into me. “We just....she....she needed a place to stay. That’s all.”I can feel the heat rushing to my cheeks. “I....I’m sorry, Mrs….” I trail off, realizing I don’t even know her last name.“Delilah,” Jason says quickly, his hand brushing my arm as if to steady me. “Mom, this is Delilah. She’s...uh...she’s a friend.”His mother doesn’t move. Her eyes stay fixed on me, assessing, guarded. Not cruel, just protective. A mother’s kind of protective. And for some reason, that look cuts deeper than any insult could.I start fumbling with the hem of m