Then There Was You

Chapter 15: It's Gonna Be Okay

  It was with a heavy heart that Delilah drove back home. Her mind torn between her reputation and Theo, she glanced at the passenger seat, longingly staring at the textbook Theo had forgotten. Her heart fluttered as a wave of pain coursed through her body. The day was exhausting. All she could do now was pray and hope he'd be okay.

   When she arrived home to an empty house, she thanked heaven for the solitude. Her phone dinged in her back pocket as she fetched herself a glass of chocolate milk in the fridge. Glancing at the device, a faint smile tempted her lips.

Clover: Hope you made it home okay. Worried about you.

She read over the message, touched by her friend's sympathy.

Lilah: Yeah, I'm home. Thanks for checking in. I think... I think I'll just hurry up and get the homework out of the way. I need to rest.

She wrote back and was immediately sent a reply.

Clover: Sure thing. If you can't sleep, don't hesitate to reach out.

This time she smiled, thanking her for being the best friend a girl could ask for before turning off her phone and downing the rest of her drink.

   The only upside of being an overachiever was how easily throwing herself into work would drown out the troubles of the day. For the next two hours, Delilah was focused on her schoolwork. Ignoring the world around her, she didn't know when the sun went down, only pulling her head out of her books when Valerie knocked on her door before inviting herself in.

"We're ordering takeout. What do you want?" her sister asked, that perpetually annoyed expression plastered on her young face.

"Uhm..." she drew out the word, writing down one last equation before looking up at her.

"Italian," she said and then got right back to work while Valery shouted, "Mom! She wants Italian!" and was immediately scorned by their mother.

"Don't be yelling at me, Valerie Brooklyn Spencer. You got two legs, use them to come and talk to me!" Mrs. Robenson yelled back.

That made her chuckle and she dropped her pencil on the graph paper, stretching with a yawn.

   Her eyes burned, but she was finally done. Looking out the window, she sighed and got out of bed. As she walked by her window, something outside caught her eye. Slowly approaching her curtain, she feared out and noticed an unfamiliar car at the end of the Robensons' driveway. Someone came out of the house, carrying what looked like a bag. Only when he stepped in front of the car did she recognize Joshua Robenson. Immediately, she ran out of her home and headed out of the house to greet him.

"Josh!" she shouted, running out the door.

The young man pivoted, a bag still clutched in his hand. Upon seeing her, he smiled.

"Delilah, is that you?" he said with that easygoing grin, a trait he and Theo shared.

She gave hi and hug and he proceeded to lift her off the ground and twirl her around like a ragdoll. She giggle as he put her back down, his hold on her arm still firm as she tried to steady herself.

"What do they feed you in the army?" she asked, eyeing him from head to toe, taking in his changed physic.

Josh was never scrawny by any means, but for as long as she knew him, he was never jacked either.

"Trust me, I'd take a home-cooked meal over MRE any day of the week," he said.

Delilah cocked her head slightly, indicating her confusion.

"It's those ready-to-go meals they feed you in basic training," he said, answering her unvoiced question.

Her mouth formed an o shape as she nodded. Only now noticing the few bags he'd loaded in the car, she pointed at them, "Already leaving us," she queried.

His face fell just then and he ran a hand over his buzz-shaven head, "That's Theo, actually," he said, his tone grim.

Lilah's blood ran cold as she nearly staggered back but took two steps forward instead, "What? Is... Is he okay... He's gonna be okay?" she stuttered, her heart thumping louder with each second Josh took to answer.

"Yeah. Dr. Swayer wants to run a few tests and keep him overnight. His pain got worse. That's not normal," he explained calmly, but even in the dark, she sensed his worry.

She was too.

"O-Okay. Well, will you let me know if anything changes?" Delilah asked, her tone hopeful yet pleading.

Josh stepped into the red glare of the tail light. A knowing grin tugged at his features.

"Are you two finally a thing?" he asked, straightforward as always.

Delilah felt the air catch in her throat.

Finally? Since when were they supposed to be a thing?

"Uh... Yeah... Kind of... We... We just started figuring things out and I would really like to know if he's okay," she managed to say after many failed attempts.

Josh's grin only widened and he tapped her on the shoulder.

"You're good for him, Lilah," he said, with a sureness and conviction she didn't believe.

Would he still think so if he knew she'd been the one who landed him in the hospital in the first place?

"Josh. Let's roll," Mr. Robenson said as he walked towards them.

He paused for a moment and smiled when he recognized Delilah.

"Hey, Delilah. I'd let you two catch up but we have to go. Theo's going into surgery soon," he said, taking both of them by surprise.

"Surgery? What for?" Josh stole the words out of her mouth.

"He's got those cysts on his spine. They got to remove them," Mr. Robenson said, his attention moving between his son and a deserted Delilah.

"You can come with us, Lilah. I'm sure he'd like to see you when he wakes up," he said, smiling kindly.

Delilah looked up at Josh through teary eyes, her breaths shaky as she pondered what to do.

"I'll be right back," she said before bolting back in the house, running up the stairs, ignoring her mother's calls.

"Delilah, didn't you hear me calling you," her mother's voice sounded in the hallways as she shoved her leg into a pair of jeans before throwing on a sweater.

"Where are you going at this hour?" said her mother, standing in the doorway of her bedroom.

"I have to go to the hospital. Theo's going into surgery, Mom. I have to be there!"

She said the words louder than necessary. Her mother's brows furrowed in sympathy as she nodded and let her through.

"Call me when you need us to come get you," she said, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Thanks, Mom," Delilah said before running out of the house, finding the two men waiting for her still.

   The car ride to the hospital was long and quiet. Even Josh's occasional quips and jokes could not ease her nerves. With her hands clasped in her lap, she prayed in her heart, hoping that'd be enough to keep the dark thoughts at bay.

"He's going to be okay. He's going to be okay," she whispered, low enough to not disturb the other.

Looking out the window as they approached the hospital, she placed her hand on the cool glass, whispering words of affirmation she prayed God would pass on to him.

"You're gonna be okay. Please, please be okay."

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