My Controversial Secret

Chapter 40: Delilah

It was the fifth time that Jenna's phone was ringing. Delilah was fed up. How could she leave her phone here? She thought as she made her way up the stairs. Feeling mad at herself, she turned left to Jenna's room but stopped when she heard the sound of the front door opening. 

Delilah took several steps back toward the staircase and watched her father from the first floor, arms crossed with no expression on her face. He wiped his shoes on the rug near the entryway, got inside with two takeout bags, and headed to the kitchen shouting Jenna's name. 

Delilah leaned by the railing, her patience wearing thin from how much time her father was taking to notice her. She heard Jenna's cell again and groaned. Is it David calling her from downstairs wondering why she isn't coming down? How pathetic. 

When he came by the staircase, her suspicion was confirmed.

"Lila," he says. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"I could ask you the same,"

"I went out to get some food,"

"This late?"

He narrowed his eyes. His demeanor didn't change but his gaze questioned her. "Are you forgetting I am the parent here, what's with all the questions?"

"Just feel like you're living a different life. One I am not included in,"

He climbed a step. "Stop spouting nonsense. You know you're a big part of my life,"

"Am I or is that a responsibility you can't shake off?"

They stare at each other. "Where is Jenna?"

"You're not going to answer me, Dad,"

"I don't have time for your stupid questions," He said climbing up and heading towards Jenna's room. 

Delilah watched the uneasiness on her father, the impatience to see Jenna, and saw how different he seemed. Open, less closed off, the tension on his shoulders has seemed to wither. He was the same stubborn man but she gotta agree. Jenna did change him. 

David opened the door and frowned. "Why is the room so clean? Where is Jenna?"

When she didn't answer, David took his phone out and called. Delilah rolled her eyes and waited for the stupid phone to ring and on cue, the buzz ricocheted through the walls catching his attention.

"She left her phone," Delilah explained and moved past him to get her phone from the bedside table. 

"What do you mean she left her phone? Where did she go?"

"Her place I suppose," she answered picking up the phone. "We fought. I called her a gold digger, she was hurt and she left,"

David stood there by the door, a switch flipping inside him. Gone was the father, right now stood a man who had feelings for her best friend. "And you let her leave?"

"Please Dad, she's a grown-up," Delilah merely laughed but her common sense told her not to provoke him. She knows her father enough to recognize the heat in his eyes. Shifting her eyes from him, she played with Jenna's phone. They know each other's password so it wasn't hard to unlock her phone.

"How long has it been?" she's surprised David is still here, talking to her rather than rushing to get Jenna. 

"Forty, forty-five minutes I don't know," She said going through her gallery. She came across an album named BFFs and she clicked it open. There were pictures of them from over the years. Screenshot and downloaded pictures of dresses and jeans Jenna thought would look on Delilah. Pet names. A list of movies for their Saturday night. Flirting lines that Delilah could use with Nathan. Their selfies from the recent trip to Jenna's home. It all were stored inside this gallery. 

Delilah's grip tightened on the phone. Exiting the gallery she went to her inbox. Checking names, especially her father's but found someone else's. The color drained from her face when she saw whose number it was. 

"What?" David barked seeing her expression. 

Delilah looked at him and then at the screen that showed a one-sided conversation with Jerry. More like threat and blackmail. The recent one had her drop the phone. 

"The fuck, Lila," David skipped steps and bent down to pick up the phone. 

"Oh my god," she whispered. Her heart beat loudly with guilt. Moisture threatened to fill her eyes and she lost her balance and fell on the bed. 

"Who the fuck is Jerry?" David growled and shoved the phone at her. "Delilah for Christ's sake tell me what the hell is going on?"

She lifted her eyes. "J-Jerry is her ex-boyfriend-"

That's all she had to say as she watched David rush out of the bedroom.