Hey There Delilah (Sequel to Not The Same)

10:30

I walked around the unfamiliar halls searching for Hallway G. Delilah had never answered my text asking her what was wrong. I hope she's okay. My mind had obviously wandered off to the most horrible of situations she could be in, leaving me with shivers. 

This part of the building was silent and abandoned. I'm assuming nobody ever comes back here and that's why Delilah chose this place or maybe no one's here because everyone left. It felt like I had been wandering for ages until I found hallway H. G must be around here somewhere. A couple minutes more of searching and I was in the right hallway. I passed a few doors until I came to the one that I think Delilah mentioned.

The room was basic, plain, and boring. A lot like the one that I signed the papers for Louis in except this one had lights that were already on and there was a table pushed up against the wall to my left. On the wall that I was facing there was a piece of white paper taped with an arrow written on it pointing downward.  I walked towards it, confused. At my feet there sat another piece of paper folded up into 6ths. I bent down picked it up and unfolded it. My daughter had handwritten one neat sentance in the middle of the page.

Please forgive me...

I didn't even have time to make sense of the note before I heard a gasp behind me and my blood ran cold.

"Audrey.." Erika's voice echoed in my head. I turned around to see the 10 people that I never planned on seeing again in this lifetime. My eyes scanned each of there faces as they walked in and stood in a messed up sort of line. Kiani, who I had already seen, looked at me with pained eyes, Erika's mouth hung open and there was a sparkle in her dark brown eyes that showed me she was happy to see me. I almost cried at the sight of my old friends. At one point in my life, I never wanted to live without them. Down the line I went, observing everyone's changed faces, taking note of Cara Delevigne and her buldging belly. The last four people were Louis who clearly already knew about this, Eleanor who was on the verge of tears, Danielle who looked so unbelieveably guilty, and lastly Liam. 

He wasn't looking at me but rather at the ground. That's when a tear slid down my face as I looked at the life I could have had. At the sight of my tears, Erika took a few steps forward. She looked back at everyone and where she had been standing as if she had just crossed over some invisible line. When she turned back, her face was stained with the marks of tears. She hugged me. I wrapped my arms around her tiny body and let out a breath that I had been holding for 15 years.

"I can't believe you're here" Was all she managed to squeak out. She left my side and went back to her husband. Much to my surprise it wasn't Harry, it was Niall. I instantely made the connection in my head, Cara and Harry are together. What happened to Harry and Erika?

"This is actually happening?" Niall mumbled, no one's eyes strayed from me, except of course, Liam's.

"Audrey, I owe you literally the biggest apology ever." Eleanor's doe like eyes had already showed me the guilt that still lingers within her.

"We all do." Zayn told me, an arm around Kiani's waist.

"Are you staying?" Harry spoke up. They obviously didn't get that this was about to get a hell of a lot more shocking.

"My daughters here.. I have to." The shock and surprise was mirrored in all of their faces. 

"What?" Danielle spoke up for the first time. 

"Delilah's my daughter." Mouths hung open, some people cursed under their breaths and Liam's head shot up. It seemed rushed but how else do you tell them that?

For the first time, I looked him in the eye. I wanted to look away from his glossy brown eyes but I just couldn't find it in me. 

"Delilah's 15." He said, eyes watering. Now everyone's attention was on him. His voice didn't sound like it belonged to him. It was scratchy and quiet. Barely above a whisper that required me to strain my ears to hear him. "You left 15 years ago." Slowly he was bringing the clues together or thinking I was a huge slut. More tears poured over my waterline while Liam processed what was happening. 

Over everyone's heads, a big group of kids came to the door. Delilah and Roman at the front of them. Delilah ran up to me and I hugged her close to my side, like I was protecting her from the very people who had hurt me. She had tears running down her face too. The other kid's faces were full of confusion as they stood at the door. 

"I'll take the kids." Danielle excused herself and lead the kids away. I was glad she had left, as bad as that my sound.

"Delilah, go with them." I told my daughter. She looked up at me with pain and fear but left anyways. Everyone looked back at me. 

"I haven't dated anyone since you." I told Liam. His eyes drifted downward to my left forearm. The one  with my homewrecker tattoo. Liam, who's 34 years old, began to cry in front of his best friends, their wives, and his ex girlfriend. It absolutely murdered me. I left so I would never be the reason he cried again.

"I don't get it." Niall said.

"SHE'S MY DAUGHTER!" Liam yelled with more force than I thought possible from him. It actually scared me. "I didn't even fucking know! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!" He yelled at me now. It was my turn to look at the floor this time. Why had Delilah done this to me? Everything was fine up until now. 

"IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY TO HER?!" Louis yelled this time. "YOU'VE WANTED TO SEE HER FOR 15 DAMN YEARS BUT NOW ALL YOU'RE GOING TO DO IS YELL! Maybe that's why she left in the first place! Because nothing she ever does is right for any of us! Telling you wasn't her decision, it was mine and Delilah's! We set this up!" His words hit me hard but not in a bad way. He understood which is all I could ever ask.

"You knew?" Liam didn't look mad anymore, but hurt. Louis hesitantely nodded. Eleanor wrapped an arm around him.

"For fifteen years you've wanted to speak with her again, here's your chance." Louis motioned to me. Liam looked back up at me. For a few moments we were the only people standing on this earth as I waited for him to say exactly what I wanted him to, but also knowing that he wouldn't. 

"Nothing's the same after 15 years. I have no words." He said to us all. 

"That's not true." I told him. "I still love you." His eyes shown with tears again as he ran out of the room like a little boy.

----------------Author's Note------------

The moment you've all been waiting for.... How'd you like it..? Nothing but excitement from here on out <3 woot woot!! I love you guys and I really hope you liked this chapter!

xx, Ashley.