Prince of Ruin

Chapter Twenty-One: Coco

After a lot of internal debate back and forth, I decided I wanted to finally, fully, close the Calvin chapter of my life, and the only way I felt I could was by talking to Delilah.

I wasn't sure if I was going to tell her everything, but I was going to sit with her and- I would figure it out from there. I went to my mother and told her what I wanted to do, she gave me the information I needed to contact Delilah Danworth.

I sent her a letter asking about meeting for tea and she invited me to come over to their home.

It wasn't exactly what I expected but it felt like the best option. I sure as hell was not going to invite her to Rochester's home. Ever since I dropped the realtor bomb, Rochester had been avoiding us. Or maybe we just hadn't crossed paths organically. Regardless, I was thrilled to have not seen him, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that if I invited Delilah over, he would find a way to ruin it.

"I'm coming with you," Theodore informed me as I got ready. I had gone into work that morning, but left after lunch so I could go to tea at the Danworth home- and I hoped the chances of running into Calvin were nearly zero.

"Are you?" I asked, turning in the mirror, and assessing my dress. "Is this tea appropriate?" I'd been to tea before. But it had been with people I didn't really care about impressing. I desperately wanted to look nice for Delilah. I had it in my head that if I looked good, if I looked sweet and innocent then maybe she would like me.

I was working to move past the idea that I was a bad person for what happened. I knew deep down I hadn't known he was married, I had been young and in love and let the rose-colored glasses hide the red flags. But it was easy for my mother and Theodore to see that in me. I wasn't so sure the wife of the man I'd been with would do the same.

I took a deep breath and placed a hand on my stomach. Theodore walked up behind me, looking at the front of my dress in the mirror. The white dress had puff sleeves and the skirt hit me at mid-calf- it would have been positively saintly if not for the slit up to my thigh and the square neckline that accentuated my cleavage.

"You look perfect, Coco." Theodore kissed my shoulder. "Im going to change, do not leave without me." He warned. I rolled my eyes but complied, getting my shoes and jewelry on. By the time he walked back in, wearing khakis and a blue sweater that matched the little blue flowers on my dress, I was ready to go and it was just about time to meet at Delilah's home.

We apparated out and Theodore knocked on the door. I shivered, pressing against him. It was mid-October and the weather already felt like winter.

The door opened a moment later and I hurried in letting the warmth of the house envelope me.

"Oh, I like this," I commented, taking in the way the house was decorated. It was vibrant and warm. This was a home that someone was proud of. It was done up in cream with splashes of blue. There were a few family portraits on the walls and we could hear the sound of music floating out of one of the rooms, the same room that Delilah Danworth came out of with a bright smile.

"Right on time." She realized I wasn't alone and if anything her smile grew brighter. "Theodore." She greeted him. She closed the space between us and gave me a hug before pulling Theodore into one as well.

"I hope you don't mind the intrusion-" he started

"Oh not at all, the more the merrier." She insisted. "Right this way." She turned and led the way back to the room she'd come from. Delilah wore a yellow sundress, her hair pulled up into a twist. The real surprise was that she was barefoot. That was something that would normally never fly with a proper pureblood woman.